Kimbel Library launched its mobile environment and ran it in full production for several months yet usage patterns were quite low and flat. The library only saw a substantial increase in usage when new, value-added services were integrated into this platform. Upon implementing and integrating discovery services, chat and SMS capabilities, and…

User experience (UX) is about arranging the elements of a product or service to optimize how people will interact with it. In this article, the author talks about the importance of user experience and discusses the design of user experiences in libraries. He first looks at what UX is. Then he describes three kinds of user experience design: (1)…

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)

In 2011 the University of Wollongong Library undertook a significant review of its Resource Sharing services. This was prompted by constraints in the systems supporting this service, changes to the Library's key suppliers, Infotrieve Australia and the British Library Document Supply Service, and the need to deliver effective library services…

Discusses electronic information technology and possible effects on research libraries' transition from print-based collections to new configurations. Topics discussed include the effects of printing on the growth and spread of information; limits to dissemination and access; electronic mail (E-mail); and new methods for scholarly publishing and…

Electronic databases have grown tremendously in both number and popularity since their development during the 1960s. Access to electronic databases in academic libraries was originally offered primarily through mediated search services by trained librarians; however, the advent of CD-ROM and end-user interfaces for online databases has shifted the…

The 16 papers in this collection explore the microcomputer revolution as it affects library information systems: (1) "HyperMedia/Multimedia Technology and New Opportunities for Libraries in the 1990s" (Ching-chih Chen); (2) "Use of CD-ROMs in West German Libraries" (David I. Raitt and Ching-chih Chen); (3) "Purposes of Interactive Optical Discs…

Three beliefs about library networks are discussed and shown to be myths: i.e., networks save money, blur the lines between technical and public services, and, by breaking down barriers between libraries, will move the profession from a philosophy of ownership to one of access. (EM)

Describes factors in successful customer service programs that are pertinent to libraries choosing an integrated online library system. Topics discussed include quick response time; easy access to information; well-trained client representatives; low costs; cooperation with customers and vendors; and anticipating customer needs. (LRW)

The authors examine strategic priorities for local studies libraries in the context of the interactive Web. They examine the implications for access, investigations and the needs of different users. The philosophy that has previously guided local studies is articulated as a number of maxims, taking into account also social inclusion and lifelong…

The availability of electronic information sources in libraries has revived the debate over user fees. As increasing amounts of information are available only electronically, the cost of providing access becomes higher and harder to predict. User fees help to defray the increased costs of electronic information while allowing libraries to continue…

Libraries are moving into an era that incorporates improvements of a library's existing databases, embraces the research results of the information-seeking process, and makes fundamental improvements by adding new databases such as WordFocus. These new systems should convert the frustrated user of today's online public access catalog (OPAC) into…

Presents a library automation vendor's perspective on networking based on activities at Ameritech Information Systems. Topics discussed include the information explosion; information technology; user expectations and needs; remote access; the library of the future; systems integration; ownership versus access; copyright laws; and the role of the…

Discusses designating the Library of Congress (LC) as a national library. Topics addressed include problems with Congress; costs of serving the information needs of Congress; funds for electronic conversion; access to LC resources; user fees; reallocating federal library aid; and governance of LC. (LRW)

Library collections and their value and uses in the Library of Congress are the topics addressed in this pamphlet, which features two opposing papers. In "Collections at the Core," Stephen Ostrow argues that priority should be given to such collection-based activities as developing, preserving, and providing access to, in their original…