Minneapolis is a book lover's paradise. There are dozens of neighborhood bookstores, a sleek new $125 million Minneapolis Central Library, and Open Book, the nation's first facility devoted to the literary arts. No wonder it was dubbed America's most literate city last year. But one of the best-kept secrets is that Minneapolis and nearby Mankato…

Each weekday when school let out, the Queens Library at Far Rockaway--a branch of the Queens Library in New York City--would fill with nearly 100 teens. Drawn by the public-use computers, many others, who had dropped out of school, would also crowd in. To invoke a cliche, the situation was both an opportunity and a challenge. The popularity of the…

What is the appeal of anime? For one thing, the graphic storytelling is uniquely compelling and spans multiple genres. It tends to be targeted to different audiences: young children and families, males or females aged 10-18, or strictly adults for the mature genre called hentai. In America, almost all animation is produced for and watched by…

Outlines circulation procedures for video games at four public libraries--Arlington Heights Public Library, Illinois; East Brunswick Public Library, New Jersey; South River Public Library, New Jersey; and Cloquet Public Library, Minnesota. Acquisition of materials, insurance fees, loan periods, and use of reserves are noted. (EJS)

An American librarian describes her experiences running a children's library in a rural town in the Philippines. Discussion includes frustrations and rewards; the children's favorite books; storytimes and games; community efforts; and her goals to leave the library a better organized, more inviting place and to teach the children how a library…

Its director describes a successful public library program for lending toys and games. (PF)

Recommends that libraries include conservative 'Moral Majority' as well as liberal views of human sexuality in their acquisition of books for young adults to provide a balanced collection and blunt atttempts to limit academic freedom through censorship. Five 'New Right' choices are reviewed. (RAA)

Describes use of telephone sales as marketing tool for sale of materials from publishing industry to children's libraries. Nine guidelines designed to protect consumers, overall reactions of librarians who have purchased goods and services by telephone, and sources of free and inexpensive information on telemarketing are included. Ten references…

Offers definitions, statistics, and suggestions for public librarians working with homeschoolers. Library concerns are addressed, including censorship, negative staff attitudes, technology demands, and administrative limits; and ways to make homeschoolers more welcome are suggested, including compiling homeschooling resource materials, library…

Designed for use by public and school librarians as a starting point in developing educational programs, this annotated list of resources on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) includes pamphlets, films and video, fiction and non-fiction books, posters, organizations, and hotlines. The importance of AIDS education programs is emphasized.…

Compares five public library early childhood centers with regard to origin and purpose; scope of collections; types of services; differences between these services and those traditionally offered. Factors to consider before starting center, those which contribute to success or failure, and competencies needed by staff are discussed. Sixteen…

Discusses the rise in circulation in the Douglas Public Library District (Colorado) due to expanding educational options. Highlights include the Charter Schools Act, library skills instruction, home-schoolers' use of the library, materials availability, year-round reading programs, Internet benefits, and staffing increases and changes. (AEF)

Describes an outreach program developed by a public library system for introducing library services to parents of preschool children enrolled in a Head Start center. Topics discussed include the importance of reading to children; sensitivity to bilingual needs; adult literacy needs; sample picture books; and nonprint materials available at the…

Describes a project at the Denver Public Library (Colorado) called "Kid's Catalog" that involved creating a child-oriented online catalog with a graphical user interface. The catalog's software is designed to search, make cognitive links, and present a list of materials. Research was conducted at the library and three elementary schools…

Discusses teenage pregnancy and sexuality and suggests ways in which librarians can help provide access to appropriate and needed information. Highlights include developing policies and procedures for dealing with sexual issues, collection development, organizing information and making it accessible, and a brief teen pregnancy bibliography. (LRW)