Assessment in United States higher education has become very important in recent years. Virtually all colleges and universities are now striving to prove through empirical evidence that they are committed to improving student learning. Created in late 2005, the US Department of Education's Commission on the Future of Higher Education was charged…

Some academic libraries have adopted the idea of the information commons, a central location providing computers, information resources in various formats, and staff assistance. An overview of several information commons in the United States and Canada is presented, and missions, features, strengths and weaknesses are explored. A table identifies…

Discusses changes taking place in academic libraries and outlines the nature of entrepreneurship and innovation and their relevance to library development. Highlights include digital technology; the impact of changes in global learning and scholarly communication on library entrepreneurial opportunities; and a case study of entrepreneurial…

Focuses on information and written communications throughout American history. Discusses writing in several media, beginning in the mid 1400s; development of the scholarly journal in the 1600s; growth of academic libraries and the transformation of American scholarship; early views of higher education and libraries; the mission and developing…

This article employs a citation-tracking method for gathering and reviewing literature of academic librarianship. Each work discussed either cites the work of F.W. Lancaster, an early predictor and enthusiast of "paperless information systems," or another that cites it. The aim is to provide an analytical overview on how academic librarians saw…

Academic libraries need to change their recruiting and hiring procedures to stay competitive in today's changing marketplace. To be more competitive and effective in their recruitment and hiring processes, academic libraries must foster manageable internal solutions, look to other professions for effective hiring techniques and models, and employ…

Explores Digital Library development partnering as a strategic response to the problem of competitive convergence, and the value added to information by providing its "context of use." The latter is of strategic interest to libraries as the critical information need of library users shifts from information access to relief from abundance…

Discusses results of a Web-based survey conducted by the University of Maryland libraries among faculty and graduate students to determine their views on and use of electronic journals. Distinguishes between print and electronic format preferences for journals most central to research as well as less important titles, and includes copies of the…