A survey was conducted of the existing library legislation in 14 countries, four developing nations and ten developed countries, with varying forms of local and national government. The countries were chosen to show different aspects of existing laws. Particular attention was paid to Europe and Africa, where rapid development is taking place, and…

Reviews John Wallace Metcalfe's writing on the nature and function of the public library in Australian society, the constitution and regulation of education for librarianship, and techniques for cataloging and indexing. (51 notes with references) (Author/CLB)

Some of the themes and issues raised at the 50th Anniversary Conference of the Library Association of Australia are summarized in two articles. Highlights include historical development of the association, achievements in professional standards and recognition, and the need for policies to guide future development. (CLB)

National bibliographic developments worldwide are planned with awareness of international context and of advantages of following internationally used standards. The information gap between librarians in rich and poor countries through unavailability of high technology in poor countries where international bibliographic tools are in use appears to…

Traces the development of the National Library of Canada, focusing on the significance of this history in the context of national development. Future issues facing the library are identified, and the inherent ambiguity of recognizing international standards while protecting a specific national heritage is discussed. (9 references) (Author/CLB)

This examination of the relationships between bibliographic utilities, online vendors, and local systems in the automated library environment, discusses library autonomy and standards, as well as customized options and quality of service offered by utilities and vendors. Suggestions are offered for maintaining relationships in a changing…

Describes management techniques used by administrators of special libraries to meet library standards while facing drastic reductions in budgets and staff. Ways of managing library acquisitions, stretching staff utilization, and assigning additional responsibilities to special librarians are suggested. (CLB)

A history of school libraries in England and Wales shows progress to be inconsistent, with centers of excellence the exception rather than the rule. Only when high-quality school libraries are clearly linked to effective learning will the teaching profession become firmly committed to the resource center's role in the school. (EM)

The achievements of the Library Association of Australia in the areas of professional development, library education, and standards of library service are reviewed in six articles. The role of the Board of Examiners and achievements in special librarianship and library technical staff development are also discussed. (11 notes with references) (CLB)