To coordinate an academic-library marketing effort effectively, a comprehensive plan is essential. A traditional marketing plan consists of four activities: determining what to promote, defining target audiences, choosing type of outreach, and evaluating program. Suggestions for promotional activities, forms of publicity, and examples from the…

Discusses the following management challenges libraries must cope with in the paradigm shift from print to electronic access to information: becoming involved in network issues; leveraging resources; duplication of effort; partnering; legal, political or economic; standards; remote users; and acquisition, selection and organization of electronic…

Focuses on possibilities for providing reference service to remote users of digital collections. Discusses international digital reference networks; factors that limit global electronic reference service; and drawbacks of e-mail and use of real-time interactive technologies for the reference encounter. Highlights some pioneering projects. (AEF)

Discusses some of the hardware and peripherals available to people with varied disabilities as an introduction to the things that Web designers and librarians will need to take into consideration when designing a site and selecting materials. Suggests guidelines for good design and tools for increased accessibility. (AEF)

Defines dyslexia, the most common reading disability. Discusses the multisensory approach to working with learning-disabled children. Discusses how public libraries can develop services and collections to address the needs of learning-disabled populations. Includes a list of learning-disability information sources, organizations, and books on…

Describes the new service model of the Resource & Information Center at Harcourt, Inc., which was charged with developing and publicizing library services that would empower end-users. Includes tips for purchasing online databases, guidelines for developing content that will draw people into the company's intranet or Web site, and top 10…

Library media staff at Western High School (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) established a library media center without walls and an information hub without limits. This article describes the planning, funding, wiring, equipping, programming, managing, and benefits of the $624,500 network. (PEN)

Explores the future of reference librarianship within the context of the enabling technologies that will chart library development in the 21st century. The article types libraries into categories of "traditional,""automated,""hybrid," and "digital." The typology delineates shifts in human/machine…

Suggests that digital resources and telecommunications give librarians the best chance in decades to reexamine and achieve many of their fundamental goals. Discusses the goals of providing the right information in appropriate formats, keeping the intellectual record, providing personalized information services, and serving as educators, and cites…

Suggests ways that librarians should become actively involved in educating the public about supporting the library media center. Discusses activities for improving public relations in the school library; actions to improve visibility at the district level; involvement in the community; and active participation at state and national levels. (AEF)

Duke University science librarians took a one-day retreat to examine operations, define goals, and explore options for achieving goals. Cost/impact analysis and decision matrix models were used to analyze each librarian's activities. The cost/impact model enabled the librarians to prioritize functions and to better deploy limited resources to…

The support of electronic services requires special skills and in many cases more, not fewer, staff hours. Each library must develop individual solutions to this dilemma, but many will find useful a model that incorporates three basic elements: utilization of experienced librarians, targeted recruiting of entry-level librarians and creative…

Addresses the new roles and responsibilities for public library support staff in the constantly changing environment of the digital age. Flexibility, initiative, ability to adapt to a changing environment, along with the technical knowledge and expertise are all important attributes of successful candidates for positions. (AEF)

Describes directions, challenges, and objectives of the information management program of the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The program envisions the rigor and organization normally associated with a research library to be virtually rendered and extended in the networked world of distributed information. (AEF)

If libraries what influential people in their service areas to regard them as full partners in community building, libraries need to know their information needs before they do, and get the resources into their hands that will facilitate their decision-making before they realize they need it. Suggestions are provided for effective marketing of…