Discussion of issues in bookmobile services to migrant workers focuses on the experiences of the Fresno County Public Library. A profile of migrant workers is provided, and funding problems and options, the information provision aspect of library service, lending policies, and impediments to serving migrants are discussed. (three references) (MES)

Sandra Tauler has tailored her collection and services to the needs of a community that is 97 percent Hispanic. Unfortunately, that's only half the job. The other half is getting potential users through the door. The solution Tauler and other Imperial Valley librarians came up with was Proyecto Televista. With LSTA funding, and the assistance of…

This article details the work of Lorena Mata of the San Jose Public Library. Fresh out of library school, Lorena Mata has already made a mark on her community. At the San Jose Public Library (SJPL) she conducts public Internet classes in Spanish and English and gives quarterly English and Spanish-language presentations at neighborhood academies.…

Discusses the author event in libraries and the efforts Baker and Taylor has made to bridge the communication gap between publishers and libraries and to encourage author publicity events. Argues that events are good business for publishers, writers, and libraries; and outlines aspects libraries must consider in organizing such an event. (EA)

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)…

Describes the features of the Austin Public Library that made it Library Journal's pick for the 1993 Library of the Year Award. The library's outreach programs, use of total quality management, volunteer program, and the bonds between the library and the city government are covered. (KRN)

They're two very different women with the same mission: outreach to medically underserved populations. Both work for the National Network of Libraries of Medicine. Becky Hebert (left) covers the Southeast/Atlantic region, and Siobhan Champ-Blackwell, the mid-continental region. They spend much of their lives on the road, exhibiting at minority…

Karl Kendall knows that while comic books, computers, and daily movies will grab teens' interest, what they long for most is respect. As head of Teen Central, a 4,000 square foot space on the fourth floor of Phoenix's Burton Barr Central Library, Kendall provides teens with a place where their ideas and opinions are listened to, their talents…

Anyone who hires Loft Bell is getting two librarians: one who enthusiastically does the job, and another who develops new ideas, secures grants to fund them, and swiftly puts the ideas into action. There's nothing that makes a job more attractive to Bell than the freedom to try out new things. Jenny Levine, Internet development specialist at…

Examines innovative methods used by the Oklahoma City/County Metropolitan Library System to acquire, circulate, and display paperbacks. Treatment of uncataloged paperbacks and the use of bookmobiles are discussed; five tables compare paperback effectiveness to that of hardbound books. (SW)

Discusses the increase in circulation over the past seven years at the Queens Borough Public Library. Improvements in collections, promotion, and services responsible for this increase are examined, and circulation data are presented in graphs. (MES)

Two small associations joined forces October 13-16 in Columbus, OH, to create a more dynamic annual conference. The Association of Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL) met with the Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services (ABOS) so members could learn from one another and grapple with similar issues. Representing 36 states and New Zealand, 205…

Literary festivals offer a unique proposition to libraries: host one, bring the reading public up-close and personal with writers of all kinds, and they will bask in the glory of that connection. Indeed, festivals can be the pathway for libraries to "own" the literary niche in their community. Bob Cannon, executive director of the Broward County…

Profiles Dorothy M. Schirtzinger, library director at the Lee County Library System (LCLS) in Fort Myers, Florida. Discusses her education and early jobs; mentors; the educational mission of the library; increases and developments in staff, branches, budget, and in-library and outreach programs; automation; federal funding; and future plans. (AEF)

The baby boom generation--those born during the post-World War II years 1946 through 1964--has a track record of rebellion that has caused startling cultural and social transformations, including rock 'n' roll, the peace movement, civil rights, and agendas we can be less proud of. Reports indicate that this generation is again poised to create a…