Why is it such a struggle to define and capture measures that convey to decision makers the value of libraries' services and programs to the communities, campuses, corporations, or organizations? To be honest, there are a number of reasons for this struggle--all of which can be addressed and, most importantly, solved. First, one has to face…

This paper discusses how public library readers in Almeida Garrett, Porto, create a reading atmosphere, focusing on meanings associated with aural conditions. Through a qualitative, single case study, ethnographic and interview techniques were applied. Readers' actual practices and discourses, through a theoretical sample, and those of managers,…

In 2008 and 2009, the Edmonton Public Library (EPL), where the author works as an information professional, completed a $6 million CDN (about $5.7 million) RFID conversion project with the installation of automated check-in and sorting equipment at six of its 17 service points. The sorters currently handle about 55% of EPL's system's total…

Library media specialists are a literacy model. They hold the world of literacy at their fingertips and in their collections. Everything individuals need to know about literacy can be found in some form in the library domain, either in the stacks or in the professional repertoire that librarians posses. There are plenty of ways that library media…

Explores the movement toward community-centered standards in public libraries. Tracks the changes of the Public Library Association's (PLA's) planning model through four incarnations, summarizes each model, and examines trends and suggests a way to use the various models together for an easier planning process. (Author/LRW)

Discusses public library districts that provide funding directly to libraries rather than through local government or property taxes. Other types of library organization are described, including municipal and county libraries; a model library district law is suggested; and an example of a public library district in Kalamazoo (Michigan) is…

Facing a major budget crunch, the Hawaii State Public Library System awarded a five and one half-year, $11.2 million contract to a vendor (Baker & Taylor) for collection development. Hawaii librarians argue that outsourcing sacrifices local expertise and a central part of their professional identity. Discusses the controversy from opposing…

Shows how l'Heure Joyeuse, a children's library started in Paris in 1923 as a gift from U.S. philanthropists, became a model of open-access, user-oriented public libraries. L'Heure Joyeuse's unique role in the development of public libraries in France from before 1900 to the present is described. (41 references) (EAM)

Sailor, Maryland's public information network, has become a national model for public libraries and states planning telecommunications networks and library systems integration. This article summarizes the design and implementation of the network's Internet resource collection development, highlighting the database committee, editorial board,…

Describes a study designed to ascertain the extent to which the public library model of universal service generated Internet use among information gatekeepers in an African American inner city community. Analyzes use or non-use of the library, library computers, and Internet resources using an innovation adoption model. (Contains 37 references.)…

Discussion of the situation of school community libraries in rural areas of South Australia provides background information on geography, demography, and library service in Australia; government guidelines for the establishment of school community libraries; and a hypothetical example of the establishment of such a service. (6 references) (MES)

Discusses the roles and responsibilities of federal and state governments in providing funding for rural public libraries. Highlights include historical background, the Library Services Act and the Library Services and Construction Act, various types of state aid, and a model state plan in Pennsylvania. (LRW)

Discussion of public library support systems for at-risk teens focuses on the Bay Area Library and Information System (BALIS) that was developed to improve library services to at-risk teenagers in the San Francisco Bay area. Highlights include needs assessment; staff training; intervention models; and project evaluation. (10 references) (LRW)

This second of two linked papers reviewing social exclusion focuses on models of communities and roles of the State and applies them to economic and political systems in different countries. Discusses exclusive diversity; voluntary inclusion; required inclusion; inclusive diversity; performance indicators; education, literacy, and libraries; and…

Reviews literature of past decade, which reflects greater recognition of older adult needs and significance of library use instruction, and develops a model for instructing older adults based on four principles: educational objectives, procedures for selecting instructional program, procedures for making changes and evaluation, pattern of…