Describes the provision of library services to performing musicians in a music conservatory and focuses on their need for information in three main categories: (1) access to collections through library catalogs and other sources, (2) sources for the study of musical scores, and (3) research using sources for contextual and background research. (10…

Little is known about the information needs and information-seeking strategies of dance professionals. Dance, an interdisciplinary subject that draws from music, theater, and anatomy and physiology, among other disciplines, has only recently begun to be taken seriously as an academic discipline. This preliminary study explores the extent to which…

This bibliography contains 159 entries related to information dissemination in rural areas and the role of rural libraries in accessing information. The entries were derived from the AGRICOLA database produced by the National Agriculture Library (United States Department of Agriculture) and cover such topics as information needs in rural…

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…

The essays collected in this volume present the personal visions of several individuals, mostly librarians and other information professionals, on what the library might look like 25 or 30 years from now. The contributors represent a wide variety of libraries and related institutions on four continents. The essays collected are:…

Explores conflicting views of libraries as warehouses and providers of information. Provides background, highlighting rising serial subscription costs; develops understanding of the conflict by describing libraries based solely on ownership and access; and concludes that the successful library of the future will strike a balance between materials…

Discusses access to digital library collections and considers the users' needs and expectations, search strategies, cataloging as a collection or as individual items, improving accessibility for users with disabilities, and customizing access. Also provides a list of useful Web links. (LRW)

The challenge in protecting the collections of the Library of Congress is to sustain and preserve these collections while making them maximally available to Congress and the American people. This article discusses types of materials in the collection; how the collections are made accessible; protection controls; and the framework of the Library of…

Despite predictions that the Latino population will become the nation's largest minority group, mainstream publishing offers few titles for Spanish-language collections development. This article describes how the San Antonio (TX) public library has developed a "Latino Collection." Includes highlights on how the Queens Borough (NY) Public…

Discusses intangible and tangible benefits of scheduling technical services staff to assist at the reference desk: improved library service resulting from technical-services staff expertise, greater flexibility for reference desk staffing, enhanced bibliographic records for titles in the reference collection resulting in improved retrieval, and a…

The main function of the library of the future is to provide access to electronic sources stored elsewhere. In order to comply with the users' needs, therefore, flexible license scenarios are necessary. Another future function of the library will be to set up and maintain a personal alerting system and to assist users in organizing their own…

Considers the relationship of the quality of images with the needs of users of digitized manuscripts. Highlights include goals of digitization; for whom to digitize; experiences of the National Library of the Czech Republic digitizing and providing electronic access to historical documents; preparation of manuscript descriptions; usability of…

In August 1988, a survey of State University of New York (SUNY) archives and special collections was sent to all SUNY library directors, who were asked to distribute the questionnaire to individuals responsible for the archives and/or special collections in each library. This report presents the responses from 41 libraries (65% rate of return).…

Standards of bibliographic organization often are inadequate for those libraries with extensive African American studies collections or those with active user groups. This essay identifies areas where the standards are least effective. The experiences of the staff at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The New York Public Library,…

Analyzes the transaction logs of MAGIC, the University of Connecticut's Map and Geographic Information Center's Web accessible collection. Identifies the users of the digital collection and what information they use most. Twelve figures present statistics. (AEF)