While connecting the nation's schools and libraries to the internet by modernizing and expanding the federal E-rate program currently dominates education technology efforts, a new report from the Alliance for Excellent Education urges that adequate broadband access be accompanied by a comprehensive "digital infrastructure" that unlocks…

Despite the recent turmoil in the U.S. economy, most libraries that were tracked by "Library Journal" won their referenda at a rate just slightly lower than 2007. Nearly three-quarters of operating referenda passed. Building referenda under $10 million passed at a whopping 85%, with those over $10 million batting slightly better than…

Following an earlier study of public libraries in Pennsylvania, issued in 1958, this "re-survey" has two purposes: (1) to determine the extent to which the 1958 Pennsylvania library program has been achieved and (2) to propose a revised or new Pennsylvania library program. The basis for the study is 1965-66 data which was obtained from…

This study analyzes the impact of library services in five medium-sized communities with differing geographic, economic, and social characteristics and determines the place of the public library within the pattern of city governmental services. Methods used for the study include interviews with community leaders, library trustees, librarians, and…

Describes a study that examined the impact of federated library systems on member library services, resources, and operations in Pennsylvania. The discussion includes a rationale for the research methodology used, and comments on the absence of reliable library statistics and published reports as a basis for comparison with pre-systems situations.…

The public library is a natural arena for intergenerational programs that can change "agist" attitudes by bringing older adults and youth together. This study determined the degree to which public libraries in western Pennsylvania perceive a need for programming for intergenerational programming, to what extent programs have been…

The Pennsylvania Master Plan Committee, composed of librarians from all types of libraries and also of other interested citizens, reports here on goals, present status, and recommendations for the future of Pennsylvania libraries. After statements of need for a master plan and an outline of its development, goals for effective, widely available…

ACCESS PENNSYLVANIA is a statewide database that combines resources of over 500 academic, public, special, and school libraries in Pennsylvania. This article discusses the program's background and stresses the commitment its members must make to serve the state's population through resource sharing. It focuses in particular on the incentive the…

Several trends have come together to intensify interest in how public libraries might best support the interests and needs of youth in their communities. This study reports on findings from the Public Libraries as Partners in Youth Development (PLPYD) Initiative, a four-year, nine-site initiative funded by the Wallace Foundation to develop…