Even as librarians have spent the past twenty years documenting the rich world of scholarly communication beyond the catalog, repositories and catalogs too often remain completely siloed from each other. Current practices and tools to unite the two focus entirely on matching names, an imprecise method requiring substantial time spent on review.…

Any librarian who has managed electronic resources has experienced the--for want of words--"joy" of gathering and analyzing usage statistics. Such statistics are important for evaluating the effectiveness of resources and for making important budgeting decisions. Unfortunately, the data are usually tedious to collect, inconsistently organized, of…

This article describes the development of the Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA). The VIVA statistics-processing system remains a work in progress. Member libraries will benefit from the ability to obtain the actual data from the VIVA site, rather than just the summaries, so a project to make these data available is currently being planned. The…

As technology is shaping today's art world, parallel changes are happening in the ways art book collections are identified and acquired. The purpose of this article is to identify the changes transpiring in the worlds of the artist and library acquisitions, and to evaluate the ways in which the changes effected by technological applications in the…

The Oklahoma Department of Libraries (ODL) launched Oklahoma's statewide database program in 1997. For the state's academic libraries, the program extended access to information, increased database use, and fostered positive relationships among ODL, academic libraries, and Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE), creating a more…

Addresses changes in cataloging at the University of California, Berkeley. Discusses experimentation with pilot technical services (OCLC PromtCat, Bibliographic Record Notification, and Repeat Search); technical services staff reductions and the emergence of a new staffing model and motivating supervisors and staff to become more flexible and…

This report presents recommendations for the upgrading of higher education information resources in Papua New Guinea (PNG) according to acceptable norms, effective sharing of resources through phased introduction of automation and networking, and the creation of a database of information resources. The report was based on a survey of 41 PNG…

This article is taken from a full report submitted to the Council of Chief Librarians for California Community Colleges. Examines current trends, practices, and expenditures for electronic journal resources in the community college system and makes recommendations for state-level initiatives in the areas of funding, consortial arrangements, and…

Fifteen papers delivered for the Division of General Research Libraries at the 1992 International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions annual meeting are presented. These papers deal with national libraries, parliamentary (legislative) libraries, and university libraries. The papers are: (1) "Seeking Alternatives to National…

Describes three projects implemented by the Southern Illinois University at Carbondale's library that are designed to empower the patron: (1) patron-initiated borrowing; (2) Interlibrary Loan Link on FirstSearch databases; and (3) implementation of Web-based interlibrary loan request forms. Explains the role of institutional support and…

Describes the effects of economic factors on information services in Mexico. Topics discussed include librarians' salaries; inadequate library budgets; acquisitions in academic libraries; the development of public libraries; library networks; national databases; microcomputers and library automation; library research; effects of devaluation; and…

Examines the role of the serials vendor in the collection assessment and evaluation process in academic libraries. Topics discussed include the subscription agency's resources, including databases; issues of quality, accessibility, and manageability; costs, both present and future forecasts; availability, including document delivery; and issues of…

Discusses the development of electronic libraries at Cornell University's (New York) Mann Library and elsewhere and presents an overview of changes in services and staff responsibilities needed to address user needs. Sidebar articles discuss Internet access to government information; changing staff roles; geographic information systems; the Mann…

The traditional mode of operation of academic libraries is in crisis due to a combination of zero growth funding, rapidly escalating pricing on information resources (especially scientific journals), necessary investments in technology and human resource development, and increasing customer expectations. These issues are addressed as they relate…

Explores issues related to the selection and purchase of digital content in academic libraries, including commercially-produced databases, electronic journals, and books and other electronic resources that are purchased from vendors; and in-house digitization projects. Considers the degree to which standard collection management principles apply.…