Reports on the third "Library Journal" survey of public and academic audiovisual specialists and media librarians, which focused on the long-term outlook for audiocassette and videocassette collections. The survey covered present and planned budgets, circulation growth, selection criteria, theft, damage, competition from local stores,…

Carefully orchestrated public relations and publicity campaign at Free Library of Philadelphia motivated an estimated 35,000 patrons to return almost 160,000 overdues during "no fines" week. Coverage by radio stations, newspapers, and television aided recovery of materials including rare 1910 score of a Rachmaninoff symphony which was 31…

Libraries face problems because of lack of discrimination between similar and same in dealing with circulation systems, shared systems, collection development and evaluation, classification systems, and in tailoring collections to meet user needs. (Author/SJ)

Suggestions are given for improving the availability of a library's most-requested books. (PF)

Indiana's Michigan City Public Library was the first in the nation to serve all regardless of residence and the first to establish a branch library in a large, enclosed, heated shopping mall. The results of these new services are discussed. (Author/NH)

The current position of the American Library Association (ALA) on intellectual freedom was not a development and refinement of its earlier positions, but a reversal of an older posture. (Author)

Reports on third annual mini-survey on religious books in 30 public libraries across nation covering seven areas: regularity of purchase of religious materials; percentage of book budget used; percentage of circulation; collection policies; gifts; patron demand; attempt to "balance" book collection on certain issues; pressure from…

This essay on library book selection critiques Nora Rawlinson's article on practices at the Baltimore County Public Library which appeared in Library Journal, November 15, 1981, p. 2188, and discusses library circulation statistics in relation to book selection. (EJS)

Summarizes and responds to librarians' objections to books-by-mail programs: limited selection, potential loss of library patrons, loss of identity of library providing service, and postal rates. Effectiveness of mail order catalogs, program costs, and comparisons of walk-in and books-by-mail circulation statistics are discussed. (6 references)…

Presents results of survey of 52 public libraries designed to determine which circulation and overdues activities affected overdue rate. Tables summarize findings on mean overdues rate, and effects of charging fines, restricting borrowing privileges, loan period, renewing books, notices sent, telephoning, court cases, population serviced, and…

A library is not a theoretical thing: it is part of the total social fabric. To ignore public opinion is to invite the kind of retaliation that would severely cripple the library's ability to operate. (Author)

A library should be a place where a person is free to turn on sexually as well as intellectually." (Author)

This academic library book buying survey examines full-text databases; electronic journals; top circulating subjects; price increases for serials and resulting subscription cuts; the influence of digital choices on purchasing decisions; circulation versus use statistics; and electronic books. (LRW)

Statistics on book budgets, population served, and collection size of individual public libraries in New York State were correlated with their circulation data to examine efficiency of scale for mid-size libraries. Findings show that circulation increases erratically with increased book budgets and size of population, but consistently with…

Reports results of a survey of public libraries that investigated trends in audiovisual materials. Highlights include format issues; audiobooks; media budgets for various formats; video collections; DVDs; circulation; collection sizes; music CDs; and future possibilities. (LRW)