This research used an inductive qualitative method to examine how adolescents participated in online literature discussion, with limited guidance from adults, through a summer reading program. Using a New Literacies framework, the authors considered that literacy is social and collaborative and that adolescents often engage in such literacy…

This report outlines a case study investigating how public libraries in New South Wales are currently educating their clientele in the use of social media applications. It includes the background to this case study and the expected outcomes, and identifies the scope and limitations. It also includes a list of significant stages, and outlines the…

In 2008, researchers at the Library Research Service (LRS) undertook the "U.S. Public Libraries and the Use of Web Technologies" study, with the intent to document the use of various Internet technologies on the websites of public libraries throughout the nation (Lietzau, 2009). The results of that study set a baseline for the adoption…

As I approach my thoughts on faith and the adult learning I will concentrate my deliberations on faith, spirituality and dissonance, and the adult learner as reported in in-person dialogs selected from four studies (Shirk, 1990, 1998, 2005). Consideration will be given to the sociopsychological aspects of and the costs and benefits related to…

It's well known that technology is changing at an increasingly rapid pace and that many public libraries throughout the United States are attempting to adopt new technologies to better reach their patrons. In trade journals, blogs, and at library conferences, professionals in the field have continually discussed the best methods for using web…

The use of interactive web technologies on public library web sites in the United States has been a topic of much discussion in recent years, and a shift in certain types of user services is underway. Terms like "Web 2.0" and even "Library 2.0" have become common in library literature and at conferences as those on the early…

This report marks the third release of library statistics data from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). It contains data on state library agencies in the 50 states and the District of Columbia for state fiscal year (FY) 2008. The data were collected through the State Library Agencies (StLA) Survey, the product of a cooperative…

This report reviews the background and rationale for a cooperative authority file building system and describes the services, products, and operation of the new Name Authority Cooperative (NACO). The document defines the relationship between NACO, other Library of Congress (LC) cooperative projects, and the Linked Systems Project (LSP). The…

This report marks the second release of library statistics data from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). It contains data on state library agencies in the 50 states and the District of Columbia for state fiscal year (FY) 2007. The data were collected through the State Library Agencies (StLA) Survey, the product of a cooperative…

This report provides an evaluation of the Online at PA Libraries project which was initiated in the Fall of 1996 by the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Office of Commonwealth Libraries and the Schuylkill Intermediate Unit. The report documents that the following goals were accomplished: (1) provide public access to the Internet through…

This document provides a detailed design for the data portion of the Mississippi Library Commission (MLC) public library network. The data network is based on Frame Relay technology, and would provide more functionality at a higher speed than a previously considered dial-in network could. The document is divided into 16 sections: (1) Introduction;…

This pilot study, which tests an instrument and a procedure for investigating the 16mm film resources network for the public libraries of New Jersey, presents data from a stratified sample of libraries to examine use patterns and scale, as well as the various mechanisms used to make the films available to the public. Where possible, costs and…

This survey of library personnel had the following objectives: (1) to determine the best subject areas in which to provide continuing educational opportunities for staff members, (2) to determine the level of subject content for each subject area, (3) to identify an expected participant enrollment for each level of each subject, and (4) to…

This study provides data on the relative effectiveness of library service to the blind and physically handicapped in two adjoining metropolitan counties in Michigan. Oakland County is served by a subregional program located in a local public library while Macomb County is served by the more remote Michigan Regional Library for the Blind and…

This report summarizes the findings, issues, and lessons learned from the Developing National Public Library and Statewide Network Statistics and Performance Measures study conducted between January 1999 and August 2000. The overall goal of the study was to develop a core set of national statistics and performance measures that librarians,…