As academic libraries focus on delivering new services in such areas as research data, digital preservation, and data curation, they have begun to explore alternative funding models and approaches to research. The Arizona State University (ASU) Library in Tempe works with the university's Office of Knowledge Enterprise Development to collaborate…

"Research Library Issues" ("RLI") focuses on current and emerging topics that are strategically important to research libraries. The articles explore issues, share information, pose critical questions, and provide examples. This issue includes the following articles: (1) Special Issue on Copyright (Prudence S. Adler); (2) Fair…

Stanford University's (California) Julie Sweetkind-Singer is a recognized authority on digital preservation, and has been honored by the Library of Congress for her work in the field. She currently serves as both the assistant director of Stanford's Geospatial, Cartographic and Scientific Data and Services and as head of the Branner Earth Sciences…

This discussion of the treatment of archives in Sri Lanka outlines their historical development and notes current activities, including records administration, storage considerations, conservation problems involving poor condition of records and use of microfilming, and education of the public to make use of archives. References are provided. (EJS)

Recent innovations in information technology have met, and in many cases, exceeded all but the most utopian visions for increasing access to research materials. Although the costs of the technology are high and the risks of losing access to digital information in the future because of hardware and software obsolescence are now widely recognized,…

Describes history of micrographics program at American Jewish Archives on the Cincinnati, Ohio, campus of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, which houses a large microfilm collection concerned with American Jewry. Highlights include technical aspects and scope of program, availability for researchers, and using the collection.…

Traces origins of the Genealogical Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon), highlighting microfilm technology, equipment used, development of the 16mm camera, film processing, quality control, filming techniques, specialized microfilming, archival storage (The Granite Mountain Records Vault), the genealogical library…

Provides a brief review of the basic elements of library security and preservation programs as a background for an exploration of security/preservation issues, problems, and policies. Discusses environmental control, disaster preparedness, fire protection, storage and handling, and controlling access to collections. (AEF)

Describes the value of defunct newspaper morgues, with a focus on the E. H. Butler Library at Buffalo State University (New York), and provides the historical background of two Buffalo newspapers. Discusses challenges facing the special collections librarian: storage facilities, requests for information by patrons from all over the world,…

Religious library associations offer practical advice, preserve the literature on microfilm, publish useful books and brochures, and index and digitize key religious journals. The services of six varied library associations are described. A sidebar presents contact information for the six associations. (AEF)

Recognizing that the fast-developing optical storage technologies provide a new dimension in publishing and information storage, retrieval, and distribution, this report examines the technical characteristics and capabilities of video and optical systems and the implications of this technology. The following aspects of optical disk systems are…

The Library of Congress has embarked on a three-year pilot program in image preservation and retrieval using optical disk technology. Print materials (text, maps, music) will be captured on digital optical disks, and nonprint materials (motion pictures, slides, drawings) on analog optical disks, or videodisks. (EJS)

This paper reports on a project that involved the digitization of manuscripts from the Boswell Collection (i.e., personal papers of James Boswell) by the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University (Connecticut). In this case, the digitization process was designed to serve a group of scholars already at work on a publication…

Discusses activities at the Library of Congress during 1996, including the Management Improvement Plan, legislative support to Congress, technology projects, service to Congress and the nation through technology, collections security, materials processing, storage, acquisitions, preservation, copyrights, exhibitions, restoration and renovation,…

The U.S. Bureau of the Census has published on CD-ROM data for the smallest geographic reporting levels, and depository librarians must decide what level of support they will provide for patrons who want to access the material. Discussion includes preservation and storage of census maps for easy access, and indexing the information contained on…