In this brief article, University of Dayton Discovery Services Librarian Christina Beis describes how she manages the life cycle of electronic resources which includes access, discovery, assessment and problem resolution. Adoption and development of new workflows is essential to the success of this newly created position. Beis describes how she…

This new report details findings from a study OCLC conducted with libraries in mid-2011 to learn about their priorities, initiatives, thoughts on the future of their service points and the sources they use to keep up with developments in the library field. Most community college library staff: (1) Consider licensed e-collections and e-books to be…

This article reports research into the perceptions and predictions of academic librarians regarding the future role and development of e-books, and e-book collections and services. A number of recent studies reported in the literature review indicate increasing interest in e-books. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 academic…

Describes how, at several new college libraries, the online resources come first, to the distress of some librarians and faculty members. (EV)

ARL is the bimonthly report on research library issues and actions from ARL (Association of Research Libraries), CNI (Coalition of Networked Information), and SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition). ARL reports on current issues of interest to academic and research library administrators, staff, and users; higher education…

Using the example of the Virtual Library of Virginia, describes how library consortia are in a state of transformation as technology enables the development of virtual libraries while expanding opportunities for sharing printed works. (EV)

Discusses how some prominent institutions prompt debate by subcontracting the labor-intensive work of putting documents online to vendors in developing countries. Libraries counter that contractors treat overseas employees well. (EV)

Describes Louisiana State University Libraries' Electronic Imaging Laboratory for preservation. The project uses digital imaging technology to reformat rare book materials for access. This technology can exist with traditional conservation procedures. (JLB)

Describes the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD), an effort involving over 120 universities around the world. It aims to enhance the skills of all graduate students preparing theses or dissertations so that they are empowered to create an electronic thesis or dissertation and to effectively use digital libraries. (EV)

Reviews the history of the University of Michigan's UMLibText project that was designed to provide expanded and/or enhanced access to electronic information resources. Current holdings on the system are described; access and user support are discussed; use data and trends are examined; and future directions are considered. (Contains two…

Introduces five articles on Cornell University's (New York) Mann Library by discussing the ideal research library; traditional and new models of the research library; how Mann Library is evolving to meet user expectations; and staff participation. Sidebar articles cover selected digital library projects, online primary journals, and a project…

In the humanities, scholars accord libraries high prestige and use them extensively. Despite the availability of electronic mail and digital libraries, humanists persist in more traditional forms of scholarly communication. Because it will be many years before print records can be given digital form, this population will likely continue library…

Although making college libraries accessible by computer appears simple to laymen, developing a fully digitized library is not simple. Many technological and behavioral questions are unanswered, concerning copyrights, accuracy, and the issue of who will use the new technology and how. In addition, users' desire for hard copy persists. (MSE)

Presents a conceptual and organizational model for systematic selection of electronic publications that was developed at Cornell University's (New York) Mann Library. Described are the concept of information genres, the role of genre specialists, and a selection review board. The model is a method of mainstreaming electronic publications into the…

Describes research and development of the Mercury Electronic Library Project, which was developed at Carnegie Mellon University Libraries to design an advanced retrieval system. Topics discussed include system architecture; security; performance, including automated and manual assessments; enhanced retrieval, including available databases;…