Discusses Indiana-Marion County Public Library's decision to implement centralized collection selection and to hire a collection development librarian. Benefits of centralized selection include the decentralization of subject materials and the consequent broadening of subject materials at branch libraries. Selection depends upon a knowledge of the…

Discussion of library services offered to print-handicapped (i.e., learning disabled and visually impaired) users focuses on services at New York University. Highlights include microcomputer-based Braille production and use; acquisition of Braille reading materials; bibliographic control; and sidebars which describe products and organizations that…

Discusses serials cancellations; reviews library collection assessment policies and reasons for assessment studies; describes a survey of academic health sciences libraries that examined serials cancellation projects, including the decision-making process, regional or national cooperation, and the methodology used; and explains a generic serials…

Discusses library collection development and information retrieval strategies for acquiring materials related to deafness. Highlights include defining a collection policy; acquisition tools; other information sources, including libraries and organizations; serial acquisitions; information retrieval and computer databases; and addresses of relevant…

After a brief review of trends in language labs, the history of Wisconsin's Learning Support Services (LSS) lab, which grew into an independent department serving all foreign languages, is traced. Its evolution included the development of an extensive library, audio studio, video service, and special cataloging and outreach system. (11 references)…

Describes a library cataloging project at the Ukranian Museum of Canada in Saskatoon. Topics discussed include the initial collection assessment, preliminary planning, funding, staffing, objectives during the first and second years, copy cataloging using the UTLAS system, original cataloging, distribution of the museum's catalog, and future needs.…

Financial pressures brought on by economic recession and increasing costs of academic materials are causing academic libraries to cancel journal subscriptions, reduce book orders, neglect book preservation, cut staff positions, and reduce general services while seeking new revenue sources. Examples of libraries cutting back include those at…

Describes procedures developed at Western Oregon State College to rebuild a collection of standardized tests. Topics discussed include a review of pertinent literature; a faculty needs assessment survey; creation of a test database; processing procedures; circulation policies and procedures; and recommendations for test collections, including…

Discusses the impact of the Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) on state prison libraries. Evaluations of the LSCA are reviewed; the effectiveness of the LSCA in the areas of library budgets, staff, and book collection size is considered; and recommendations for further research are suggested. (22 references) (LRW)

This theme issue contains nine articles that address the AIDS epidemic and examine information resources available to libraries. Highlights include a personal narrative by a person with AIDS; an updated bibliography of materials published since 1987; periodical indexes; information in Sweden and the Netherlands; ethical and legal issues;…

Describes the history and development of the Queens Borough (New York) Public Library's New Americans Program that was designed to meet the needs of a culturally and linguistically diverse community. Highlights include outreach services, language classes, collection building, and examples of specific programs for Hispanic, Chinese, and Korean…

Describes the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) library. Highlights include security measures, a day in the life of two CIA librarians, sample reference questions, collection development, the Historical Intelligence Collection, the CIA Web site, and library modernization. (JAK)

Discusses how collections in the digital library, instead of traditional cataloging, call for metadata, structured information about information. Describes three categories of metadata information about digital resources: descriptive, structural, and administrative. Examines emerging standards for digital-library classification. (AEF)

A group of entrepreneurs is promoting an ambitious commercial venture to sell electronic books to university libraries. The library can buy an electronic copy of the book for the print version's price; provide users access through special formatting and software, allowing users to highlight and annotate but not print; and restrict access to one…

Briefly describes the elements of document delivery and provides an introduction to four articles that discuss the planning and process of implementing document delivery in four university libraries. Major themes discussed include collection-development issues; user needs and expectations; and the reorganization of the libraries to incorporate…