U.S. libraries gave the world a top talent when Deborah Jacobs left her transformational role as City Librarian of Seattle in 2008 to head the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Global Libraries program, the international sibling to the U.S. Libraries program. The initiative fosters national-scale projects with grantees in transitioning countries…

In the library world, there seems to be a fundamental conflict between reference and readers' advisory (RA). But in fact, the two are similar in approach, an insight that goes back to James Wyer's 1930 "Reference Work: A Textbook for Students of Library Work and Librarians." It defined the reference librarian as a mediator of information,…

This article features Laramie County Library System (LCLS) of Cheyenne, Wyoming, which is named as Gale/"Library Journal" 2008 Library of the Year. It is not just strong, effective publicity or the fine new building or even a staff built around its ability to connect with the people, although all of those things add to the impact of…

Public libraries were indispensable resources for newcomers during the height of European immigration to the United States. They were havens for the poor and jobless during the Great Depression and bridges between rural and urban communities during times of major demographic change. An increase in the Spanish-speaking population has inspired…

Describes the Electronic Information Network, a project created by the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh in conjunction with public libraries in Pennsylvania's Allegheny County. The project uses the library's vision, funding, and librarian expertise to provide public access to community information on the Internet. Sidebars present steps and issues…

Describes services offered and problems encountered at the Medina County (Ohio) District Library, winner of the Gale Research/Library Journal Library of the Year Award. Highlights include resisting pressure from the religious right to limit children's Internet access to protect them from pornography; a successful tax levy; and growth in…

Discussion of the NREN (National Research and Education Network) and issues of access focuses on the role of the public library. Highlights include current uses of the Internet; resource sharing; guidelines for public library service; availability of the Internet and NREN through public libraries; and a sidebar that lists sources of further…

Describes the Libraries Online program by Microsoft and the American Library Association that provides low-income communities with access to online information by wiring public libraries to the Internet. Highlights activities at the Brooklyn Public Library and discusses earlier pilot projects, including the Technology Resource Institute for Public…

The public library has become the locus for public anxiety about children's access to objectionable material on the Internet. Discusses Judith Krug's (Director of the American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom) defense of unrestricted access, acceptable use, and filtering software. Highlights six filtering programs (client and…

Discusses how to, or whether to, limit access to objectionable material available through the Internet in public and school libraries. Topics include the American Library Association's position; intellectual freedom; filters; personal responsibility; parental responsibility; censorship; creating choices; and policies and staff training to help…

As public and academic librarians rely more heavily on electronic resources to satisfy patrons' information needs, seamless searching across print and electronic holdings gets more and more essential. Enter the integrated library system (ILS)-independent electronic resource management system (ERMS), which promises to integrate, search, and expose…

"Community involvement," the standard cliche, does not come close to capturing the spirit and action that have structured the building, programs, collections, and services of the Haines Borough Public Library (HBPL), AK. Those achievements make HBPL the winner of the first annual award for the Best Small Library in America, cosponsored…

Committed to utilizing information technology, the Westchester Library System (New York) made the World Wide Web publicly accessible. Describes the planning, implementation, and management process; obstacles involving financing; establishing Internet connectivity; and vendor negotiations. Westchester hired a Web manager, created Internet use…

Presents results of a study on user needs, sources used, and search successes. Illustrates that despite increasing competition from other information sources available to the public--such as consumer media and the Internet--libraries are still a primary source of information and education for the American public. (AEF)

Examines results of a three-year survey by the St. Louis Public Library to measure benefits users derive from its services relative to costs of providing them; the ultimate goal was to develop and test a practical, conservative cost-benefit methodology. Cardholders surveyed were general users, business users, and teachers/caregivers. (AEF)