Two of the most time-consuming jobs in the library are taking inventory and keeping track of in-house uses of library material. Librarians have long been searching for more efficient solution for these two activities. New technology can be the answer to creating efficiency for libraries. In fact, if one is a SirsiDynix library, there is an easy…

This study reports on the results of interviews conducted in December 2009 and January 2010 to identify innovative service trends in library and information services in the government and corporate arenas. The study was undertaken as part of a Library and Archives Canada (LAC) research project to inform the Government of Canada Assistant Deputy…

The last 5 years have heralded a number of important changes to virtual libraries in academic and public settings. Despite this continual effort to improve library catalogs and websites, the fundamentals of these online spaces remain relatively unchanged. Digital collections are within reach of many libraries, yet they remain difficult to…

As a concept, the next-generation catalog (NGC) is not new to librarians, who have been wishing for better OPAC interfaces for their integrated library systems (ILSs). The NGC has been the focus of discussion for more than 5 years now, from the 2006 report of the implementation of Endeca at North Carolina State University, to Marshall Breeding's…

Through the power of easily accessible and engaging new digital media technologies, family and oral histories can give voice to the unknown and overlooked stories of immigrants and their families--stories that often never make it beyond the children or the grandchildren. The academic library can be a natural focal point for this interaction and…

The Gerstein Science Information Centre (Gerstein Library) is one of 40 libraries within the University of Toronto (U of T) and is the largest academic science and health science library in Canada. It offers 109 computers and two networked printers for student, staff, and faculty use. In addition, the library provides patrons' laptops with…

In 2009, the author spearheaded the Thunder Bay Public Library's (TBPL) service audit on kiosks. A task force comprising staff from the children's, reference, and adult services departments was formed to work on the audit. Task force members worked together and studied how patrons and staff use kiosks, conducted a literature review, surveyed other…

What do Google Maps and a library's Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) have in common? Google Maps provides users with all the information they need for a trip in one place; users can get directions and find out what attractions, hotels, and restaurants are close by. Librarians must find the ultimate OPAC that will provide, in one place, all the…

Richmond Public Library (RPL) is a four-branch suburban library with the highest per capita circulation of any comparable library in Canada. While DVDs naturally fit into RPL's emphasis on popular material, circulating them using the standard model proved problematic: Long hold queues built up, DVDs idled on the hold shelves, and the circulation…

Dalhousie is a medium-sized university, with about 15,000 FTE students, located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is one of Canada's oldest and most prestigious universities, yet, like many other public institutions, it frequently suffers from a lack of adequate funding to fulfill all the conflicting needs of the various faculties and departments. This…

Reduced government payments to school districts in Ontario, Canada have made it increasingly difficult to add resources to school library collections. To meet the needs of its community, St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School will share a new facility with a branch of the Cambridge Public Library. Discusses how the partnership took shape and its…

Circulation for CD-ROMs rose from 56 per month in 1993 to 493 per month in 1996 at the City of York Public Library in Toronto, Canada. Discusses the need for technical expertise; quantity and quality of CD-ROMs; assessing the costs; product durability, damage, and losses; and legal issues under the North American Free Trade Agreement. Lists the…

Reports on a postconference workshop on virtual libraries that was presented at the third annual Computers in Libraries Canada Conference. Highlights include networks; technological change; administrative issues, including organizational structure, staff training, strategic planning, and financial resources; a case study of the University of…

Online library services have been mostly available uniquely in English. To serve the diverse communities that uses library services, a growing number of libraries have been investigating the ins and outs of offering virtual reference in languages other than English. Developing this kind of service in languages spoken by various library user groups…

Describes free-nets as free public access community-based computer systems; explains how libraries and librarians participate in the free-net movement; discusses Canadian free-nets; considers the public library/free-net analogy; and provides a survey of library services on Internet-accessible free-nets and civic networks. (Contains four…