Considers changes that technology could make in libraries in the future. Highlights include digital formats; centralization of libraries and library services; the role of librarians; competition between libraries and for-profit information vendors; the publication process; the integrity of information in electronic format; costs; and access to…

Describes Gopher, a microcomputer-based software program that helps users navigate through the Internet using a hierarchical menu system to locate information. The idea of client servers is discussed; benefits for libraries are described; and the use of Gopher as the basis for a campuswide information system is explained. (LRW)

Reviews the development of the Vatican Library from the papacy of Leo III (795-816) to the present. The current status of the library is described, including print and nonprint collections, acquisitions and major bequests, access to the collections, and programs and services offered to scholars. (CLB)

Discussion of the influences of technology on the publishing industry focuses on locally loaded databases and database licensing to help integrate a variety of data into one system for libraries. Local online systems are described, and the responsibilities and roles of the library, the publisher, and the vendor are discussed. (LRW)

Argues that reference services will not only survive changes brought about by new technologies, but will be improved and enhanced as a result. Examples given include online public access catalogs, automated record-keeping operations, CD-ROM as an information storage medium, the continuing need for intermediaries in online searching, and copyright…

Librarians should become more active in designing information systems so that their extensive knowledge of how people articulate their information needs and evaluate their findings can be incorporated into new systems. These systems would be more responsive to user needs than those driven by the machine or data processing mindset. (EM)

Argues for simplification in the use and development of bibliographic standards to increase usability by librarians and patrons and to reduce costs for libraries. The application of technology such as hypertext is also considered. (EA)

Discusses ways in which new information technologies are creating change in the academic environment and in the roles of traditional knowledge centers, and describes a program in which three academic support services--the library, computer center, and media center--have integrated planning and services to provide access to information. (CLB)

Provides an overview of the American Library Association (ALA) 1991 midwinter conference. Highlights include federal legislation, the organization of library support staff, fees for library services, library collection preservation policies, electronic access, access policy guidelines for academic libraries, reference staffing for electronic…

Describes the alternatives used by the Penn State University libraries to respond to the challenge of providing access to the many different kinds of databases. Approaches include development of a generic interface based on the Z39.50 protocol; staff support, including instruction, reliable documentation, and staff involvement; and better user…