Questions the impact of the new copyright law and warns librarians against expecting too much from resource sharing. (Author)

One of the most important groups in the community is the local government. If local officials back intellectual freedom, the library gains powerful allies. (Author)

Examines arguments now being presented in support of public library networking and resource sharing and suggests ways to obtain harder evidence that might serve to legitimize these beliefs: estimate benefits, build in evaluation, support estimates of benefits, seek cheaper alternatives for accomplishing same goal, consider alternatives to…

Partnerships formed between public libraries and school library media centers where resources and facilities are shared have increased. Discusses the experiences of Washoe County Library System (Nevada), the New Orleans Public Library (Louisiana) and their respective school districts. Partnerships increased collections, space, and financing but…

Discusses the potential for linking large metropolitan public libraries to international interlibrary loan networks. Issues involved in international networking, including funding, standards, network connectivity, and protectionism, are discussed. Examples of libraries capable of participating and brief descriptions of their collections are given.…

Discusses evaluation procedures for public libraries. Topics addressed include accountability; cooperation among libraries; economic factors; evaluation options, including the use of staff and/or consultants; problems uncovered; and factors to consider when deciding to keep or discard materials, including community needs, circulation statistics,…

Offers a brief history of library youth services and the political strategies behind them. Topics include the role of women, outreach programs of public libraries, tax support, library development after World War II, federal legislation and funding, National Library Week, school libraries, parent involvement, collaborative partnerships, and…