Since the early 1990s, Carl Malamud has made it his business to return to the public what is rightfully theirs: free access to public information. Despite legislation that mandates such access to government information, some categories of information have been excluded, notable among them court opinions (with the exception of the U.S. Supreme…

Presents the text of the report's transmittal message by the President to the Congress. It stresses the importance of libraries, identifies specific responsibilities of the federal government, characterizes the needs of the disadvantaged, and encourages the use of new information techniques. (RAA)

Unless a limited set of specific goals is pursued with diligence, the local library may find itself running off in all directions at once, trying to satisfy every library-related need of a very heterogeneous "community." (16 references) (Author)

Assesses the state of the public library, briefly reviewing the history of the institution and discussing library purpose, services, and patrons at the present and in the future. Seven references are provided. (EJS)

Discusses library role in providing access to information on political candidates and issues. Press coverage, political party literature, Federal Election Commission, interest groups, monographs, serials, and online databases are highlighted. Lists of 15 references, 89 national organizations that rate members of Congress, and 9 active political…

The first librarian ever elected to US House of Representatives discusses personal impressions of Washington's war on libraries, federal Office of Management and Budget's Circular A-76, power for counterattack, modernizing the library mission, the primary censor, new terms of recognition needed for librarians, and eight elements in program for…

This discussion of the role of video in the public library reflects on the nature of the video market in 1987 and discusses how to buy feature, nontheatrical, and children's videocassettes. A source list for reviews and acquisitions is included. (EM)

Highlights program activities of the commission, and considers projected effects of the White House Conference on it. Future concerns are noted including the role of the school and public library, the needs of research and scholarship when knowledge is multiplying rapidly, and mediation between library and information services and users. (SW)

Describes the development of online computer searching, some problems experienced in libraries offering search services, and some future considerations. Includes the roles of government, libraries, and the commercial sector. (Author/LS)

A case study of one metropolitan Library's experience with cable television communications is reported in this article. (Author)

Discusses academic and public libraries that expand the range and type of their services via fee-based information services and private information businesses that charge fees. Questions of billing the total cost to the patron versus part of the cost are considered; and the impact of such fees on library cooperation and networks is described. (six…

Reviews predictions from the 60s and 70s on the demise of the library in the age of electronic information technology, surveys the present situation of libraries within society, considers questions pertaining to libraries and librarians in the future, and discusses the impact of new information services and systems on library functions. (JL)

Discusses how librarians in the new role of "informationist" can help doctors and researches of medical information. Describes existing models of the informationist; potential benefits of working across professional boundaries outside the library; professional requirements; and unresolved issues for the new role, including potential…

Suggests that digital resources and telecommunications give librarians the best chance in decades to reexamine and achieve many of their fundamental goals. Discusses the goals of providing the right information in appropriate formats, keeping the intellectual record, providing personalized information services, and serving as educators, and cites…

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)