This study was the first phase of a multiple phase project to generate knowledge about the creation and rapid growth of information and referral (I&R) services in public libraries in the United States in the late 1960s and the 1970s. I&R service is defined as facilitating the link between a person with a need and the resources outside a library to…

This report discusses the ability of public libraries to address the problems of older Americans, particularly older women, and to make their lives more satisfying. A review of facts and figures about the older population is followed by a discussion of programs and responses to the needs of older Americans by libraries and other agencies, such as…

This report provides an overview of library and information services for older adults today. New programs are described which have been developed to serve older adults and to respond to their needs. The training of librarians to provide such services is also discussed. The first section of this report focuses on access and includes discussions on…

This study is the second of a two-phase survey of public library information and referral (I&R) service. In this phase, seven public libraries offering I&R services were studied in depth to provide descriptions of their operations, organizational factors, and the reactions of their users. Organizational factors and operations were studied through…

This flyer and kit present results of a survey conducted by the Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) about providing public services to remote users, as well as a variety of documents pertaining to services to remote users. In February 1993, a SPEC survey of 108 ARL members was answered by 75…