One pressing issue in libraries today is the censorship of information. This study applies Kurt Lewin's gatekeeping theory to examine the decision-makers as well as the different pressures and constraints that are at issue in decisions regarding challenges and censorship attempts that occur in public libraries. Through an in-depth case study of…

In the United States, individual states have different means of determining and distributing funding. This influences library service and access to information particularly as it pertains to critical Internet access. Funding and service trends have changed, especially as it relates to public libraries, with some modifications working to their…

U.S. libraries gave the world a top talent when Deborah Jacobs left her transformational role as City Librarian of Seattle in 2008 to head the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Global Libraries program, the international sibling to the U.S. Libraries program. The initiative fosters national-scale projects with grantees in transitioning countries…

Opened in fall 2009, YOUmedia attracts high schoolaged teens who want a safe and welcoming place to hang out and socialize, as well as those with established or nascent interests in both digital and traditional media. With the guidance of staff and the synergy of peer involvement, participants discover and pursue their interests through both…

The purpose of this study is to gain a finer-grained picture and better understanding of the travel patterns of library users, and the activities, demographics, and other factors that affect library access. Previous studies of physical accessibility of public libraries, which have focused on library users' single-destination trips and their travel…

The article explores the concept of baby boomers as a "crossover" generation, one that embodies characteristics of previous and later generations. The context is the retirement of the baby boomers and its potential impact on the public library. Ethnographic method within a constructivist framework was used, employing the techniques of…

The pervasive, personal crisis of intimate partner violence (IPV) demands community information resources in workforce, health care, mental health, public housing, criminal justice, and social service arenas. Although generally underutilized, public libraries have a pivotal role to play as the only public institution specifically structured to…

Twenty-eight adolescent girls were questioned about their life concerns and the role of information in helping with these concerns. They were able to identify a number of information needs. Most thought that information was available to assist them but not from school and public libraries. The findings suggested possible reasons for this.…

The staff of libraries and the populations they serve grow increasingly more diverse. Library users of different ethnic backgrounds, with different abilities and different needs, challenge libraries to be the place for everyone to get the information and materials they need. At the same time, library staffs should mirror the diverse population…

This study of four public libraries in Northeastern Ohio was conducted to determine the amount, if any, of restriction of access of materials to minors. Four libraries were opportunistically selected, and the director and children's librarian in each were interviewed. The emerging hypothesis was that some restriction would occur. The written…

In less than five years, the California State Library-sponsored InFoPeople project connected 46% of California's public libraries to the Internet and established a highly regarded, sustained training program to assist librarians in taking advantage of the new networked resources and services. The primary objective of this Stage II report was to…

Presents an interview with American Library Association award winner and children's librarian Jane Botham covering such issues as library relations with the community, relations with other agencies, dealing with reactions to controversial books, library staffing, developing children's appreciation for the library, and children's need for adult…

Librarians must find ways to meet the information needs of patrons with various disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act codified what librarians have long espoused: equal access to information for people with any type of disabling condition. This study's objective was to identify and examine current or planned programs dealing with staff…

This report presents the methodology and results of a patron use and satisfaction survey conducted during four one-week periods in 1997-98 at the Ferndale Public Library (Michigan). Survey questions focused on patron self-description, library use, and resource evaluation. In all, 1,424 surveys were distributed and 1,222 returned for a response…

The African American church has a long history of service to its community. The church in African American life has always served as a source of support, learning, information, and improvement for its members and the community it serves. This project directed its resources and energies toward developing meaningful and effective strategies for…