It's well known that technology is changing at an increasingly rapid pace and that many public libraries throughout the United States are attempting to adopt new technologies to better reach their patrons. In trade journals, blogs, and at library conferences, professionals in the field have continually discussed the best methods for using web…

U.S. public libraries provide free public internet services to the communities that they serve, but require robust, high-speed broadband internet connections to continue meeting public demands. The 2008-2009 "Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study" ("PLFTAS") illustrates challenges that public libraries encounter in achieving broadband…

Explains 10 basic steps for librarians who are interested in applying for E-Rates, the Universal Service Fund financed by the telecommunications industry as part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Provides discounts on technology services including telecommunications services, Internet access, and internal connections for all public and some…

The purpose of this study was to determine what recent progress had been made in Georgia public elementary school library media centers regarding access to advanced telecommunications and computer technologies as a result of special funding. A questionnaire addressed the following areas: automation and networking of the school library media center…

This paper examines the history of academic libraries with special emphasis on the beginnings, growth, and progress in the uses of technology in those libraries. The earliest libraries were maintained for the preservation of knowledge and information. Access to the items in these collections was limited. With the growth of higher education in the…

Describes the Linked Systems Protocol, a draft national standard for bibliographic information retrieval aimed at developing an extended protocol for the movement of bibliographic information from one system to another, and its implications for library automation, the individual librarian, and the library user. (CLB)

Productivity of University of Wyoming (UW) subject bibliographers can be significantly increased by developing a network of microcomputer-based workstations with custom and off-the-shelf software; telecommunications to CARL (Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries), OCLC, and other databases; and a network server to provide special services and…

Describes objectives and technical design of the NCSU (North Carolina State University) Digitized Document Transmission Project, a collaborative project among the NCSU libraries, the National Agricultural Library, and 11 land grant university libraries, which is exploring issues involved in developing network-based document delivery systems for…

Describes remote access to the Norwich University (Vermont) online library catalog. Promotion of this service and impact on library attendance, circulation, and interlibrary loan are addressed. Sample screen displays and tables presenting attendance and circulation statistics are included. (five references) (MES)

Questions the wisdom of permitting visions of the electronic library to drive budgets and strategic planning. Social and economic realities limiting user access to information, new roles for librarians, and models that guide management of information resources and services by real librarians for real users are discussed. A proposed action agenda…

Contains part of a speech given at the workshop "Student Access to New Information Technology in the Library Media Center." Suggestions for technological change are offered, including carrying out existing functions more effectively, changing work roles and organizational structure, developing new functions, and goals; and implications…

Discusses the impact of electronic publishing, information networks, and new ways of accessing information on libraries. It is noted that the virtual library will still need human direction and that librarians' primary responsibilities will be in finding knowledge and teaching. (EA)

Outlines New York State's plan for all libraries to provide electronic services to their users by the use of computer and telecommunications technology. Recommendations of the initiative's organizing committee focus on: services and funding; equity and ease of access; profession and education; partnerships; standards and protocols; collection…

The availability of serials through databases has provided libraries with a new format for acquiring information. The extent to which the growth in electronic databases can help the librarian control costs while meeting the demand of accrediting agencies was studied through an exploratory survey of the 48 specialized accrediting agencies of the…

Suggests that the traditional concept of library resource sharing achieved through interlibrary loan cannot be justified and proposes expanding resource sharing to all library functions with information resources represented in machine-readable form accessible via data communication networks. The changes that would occur in the publishing process…