Respondents to "Library Journal's" ("LJ") annual book buying survey of public libraries nationwide reported that adult book budgets were down eight percent overall, the largest plunge recorded since the survey began in 1998. What's more, for the first time ever, cuts were reported for every region of the country and every size of population…

When Louise Schaper opened the new Fayetteville Public Library (FPL) in Arkansas in 2004, she brought the state's second LEED Silver-certified building to completion. The green building fulfilled a community expectation for sustainable innovation established through complex public dialog, and the library went on to become the "2005 LJ/Gale Library…

Beyond the sprawling Denver International Airport, there's little to put Adams County, Colorado, on the map. The region's light rail only stretches south, so Adams County, a mostly working-class zone to the northeast, has come late to growth. There's no central city; the community is dominated by strip malls, big-box stores, and new developments.…

Discusses Indiana-Marion County Public Library's decision to implement centralized collection selection and to hire a collection development librarian. Benefits of centralized selection include the decentralization of subject materials and the consequent broadening of subject materials at branch libraries. Selection depends upon a knowledge of the…

Describes the collection development plan implemented by the Tulsa City-County Library system to support their perception of the role of the library as providing more than recreational reading. Topics discussed include raising staff consciousness, rejecting demand buying, evaluating the collection, streamlining acquisitions, and procedures for…

From 1963 to 1996, Director Charlie Robinson and Deputy Director Jean-Barry Molz led the Baltimore County Public Library, a system known for customer orientation, a philosophy of collection development heavily emphasizing best sellers, centralized materials selection, interchangeable adult and children's staff, and service fees. Upon retirement,…

Reports on the American Library Association's 1992 Midwinter Meeting. Topics discussed include the Kreimer v. Morristown case and its possible ramifications for other libraries dealing with homeless and other problem patrons; the White House Conference on Library and Information Services (WHCLIS); National Research and Education Network (NREN);…

Discusses challenges to sexual materials in libraries and suggests ways to fight against censorship. Topics addressed include gay and lesbian materials; access by children and young adults; public relations programs; possible responses; selection and reconsideration policies; and the library's role in the democratic process. (LRW)

Outlines the development of public library policies and relationships with local government. Discussed are the prototype library, the imbalance of funding between large and small libraries, lack of theory in library education, and implications of the collectivist theory. The need for strong leadership and evaluation of library programs is…

Discussion of financing database searching in the public library examines the role of the public library in providing access to information; costs of online services; and user fees. Techniques that a library can use to control online services and deliver them at a minimum cost are suggested. (eight references) (MES)

Describes one library's development of a CD-ROM lending collection. Topics include survey results, policies, procedures, troubleshooting, and promotion. A sidebar contains a brief bibliography of journals which review CD-ROMs and publishers who provide CD samplers. (AEF)

Report on the 1992 American Library Association (ALA) conference discusses featured speakers, political actions of the ALA Council, guidelines on patron behavior, the resignation of ALA Executive Director Linda Crismond, and conference exhibits. Excerpts from an address by new ALA president Marilyn Miller on empowering people through libraries are…

Traces the events which led to the dismissal of a disclosure lawsuit brought by the Moral Majority against the Washington State Library and discusses the factors which made possible this successful defense of the privacy of library users. The library's policy statement on privacy of circulation records is included. (RAA)

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…

Describes a study that investigated the use of electronic book devices by college students, professors, and librarians. Topics include the use of personal digital assistants (PDAs); challenges for libraries, including policies for PDAs; technological problems with PDAs; and student attitudes. (LRW)