Graduate programs must examine the curriculum for reference and information access professionals. Greater access to information sources by users has highlighted the need for reference and information professionals to develop new skills including more technological knowledge, a better understanding of user information-seeking, new instructional…

The work of diversity in libraries begins at the crossroad where superiority, inaction, and denial become intolerable. The paradoxes involved present questions that serve as teachable moments or paralyzing hurdles. Once at the crossroads, however, there are systematic strategies and operating principles for bringing significance, meaning, and…

Professional associations in the library/information science field are viewed from the perspective of the value they bring to the field. Research and professional development are reviewed in this context based on the efforts of ALA (American Library Association), ALISE (Association for Library & Information Science Education), ASIS (American…

Discusses the role of young adult literature written from an authentic black cultural perspective in helping black young adults achieve the skills and knowledge they require to succeed in this society. Examples of relevant titles are given in the genres of realistic fiction, biography, autobiography, and folklore. (Contains 35 references.) (LRW)

Reference service technology has passed its first stage of insuring more accurate, rapid delivery of information. The second revolution underway will improve on both acquisition and retrieval of data. New technologies must fit into traditional reference service goals. The human should be given first priority. (Contains 46 references.) (Author/AEF)

As electronic objects challenge categorical distinctions central to library organization, efforts are being made to integrate these hybrids and new forms into traditional library systems and to recreate the stability of the print environment. Explores conceptual and theoretical issues raised by the proliferation of electronic objects and suggests…

Library literature from the late 19th century to the present offers numerous guides to materials selection. Yet, collection development policies and lists of selection criteria are inadequate for humanities electronic texts. Libraries, humanities disciplines, and electronic texts are too complex for any rigid approach to acquisition. To meet goals…

As the purchase of virtual resources accelerates, particularly through consortial agreements, the autonomy of the local library will fade and the roles of librarians will change drastically. This rapid transformation is illustrated by a discussion of OhioLINK and its positive and negative effects on one member library. (Contains 21 references.)…

Surveys resource sharing among libraries in the cycle of scholarly communication. Highlights include emergence of digital technologies; coherence within disciplines; collection development and innovative solutions; digital works for world knowledge; National Periodicals Center; subscription cancellations; electronic documents; new research areas;…

The complexity of the information environment, and more uncontrolled distribution and access, lead to new issues for users. Reference services, with a stronger instructional role, must become more proactive in providing a fully developed repertoire of services responsive to the multifaceted queries facing librarians today. (Contains 31…

Uses national guidelines, collection development texts, and the intellectual freedom literature to assess the practical value of the Library Bill of Rights in school library settings. Discussion focuses on invoking the statement as support when dealing with challenges to the collection. Appendixes include the Library Bill of Rights itself and…

Over the past 20 years, academic collection development specialists have dealt with changes, brought about by decreasing purchasing power and the growing importance of electronic resources. Throughout, collection managers have rethought their efforts and revised criteria for selection of materials in new formats while maintaining traditional…

Describes the design and operation of a prototype online catalog; reviews research which evaluated the system in terms of types of searches and success rates; and offers suggestions for enhancing subject access, including automatic stemming, synonym tables and cross-reference lists, and relevance feedback mechanisms. (CLB)

Libraries have failed to use marketing for three reasons: (1) a misunderstanding that equates marketing with publicity; (2) a lack of understanding of what marketing is; and (3) disagreement about the role of the client. Societal-marketing tries to balance patron demands with long-term societal needs in evaluating product excellence. (AEF)

Active participation in professional associations can make a positive difference in a librarians' careers. Associations are relevant sources of current information where effective communication and leadership skills are learned or enhanced and a sense of professional community is nurtured. The impact of active participation in professional…