A 2008 article by Patrick Juola describes the digital humanities community as marginal to mainstream academic discussions and suggests that its work has little scholarly impact. At the same time, mainstream humanities scholars are using digital resources more and more, but these resources are chiefly produced by libraries and commercial…

Although many recent studies have been conducted on the implementation and results of patron-driven acquisition (PDA) initiatives at academic libraries, very few have focused on whether, or how, patrons' selections vary from selection choices librarians would have made. This study compares titles selected by patrons during a PDA pilot program…

Media centers have been transformed from warehouses for books and equipment into the hub of the learning community. Media specialists keep the hub functioning properly. If school library media specialists are doing their job well, they are making a difference in the ways teachers teach and in the ways students learn. On any given day, a media…

The transformation of information from a scarce to a superabundant commodity has driven three paradigms in the design of library space. These are the reader-centered, book-centered, and learning-centered paradigms. The first two competed inconclusively with one another throughout most of the twentieth century. Revolutionary changes in information…

Over recent years there has been considerable confusion over the use of the term "e-book", and this article examines the variety of definitions used to date while proposing a definitive construct. Beginning by examining the definitions of "book", the paper moves on to consider the essential element of a book--the content, and…

This article provides an overview of some of the main areas surrounding the broad topic of "Digital Libraries". This includes the advantages and costs of digitisation; the traditional and digital library; the library community and digitisation; and an examination of various digital library projects. It is not exhaustive, but hopefully, it provides…

Three award-winning papers from an Illinois Library Association competition discuss topics related to the future of libraries: recruitment and education of young librarians; traditional roles of librarians in the future, including preservation of books and the historical record; and rapid change in the library environment in response to…

Mass digitization of the bound volumes that we generally call "books" has begun, and, thanks to the interest in Google and all that it does, it is getting widespread media attention. The Open Content Alliance (OCA), a library initiative formed after Google announced its library book digitization project, has brought library digitization projects…

Discusses the importance of libraries, books, and reading. Highlights include: the role of libraries in our culture; literacy, reading, and writing as the essence of thinking; the relationship between the book and the reader; and the impact of information technologies. (MES)

Blogs and the whole gamut of interactive, Web-based tools are redefining how we connect with people and content on the Internet. This is the widely discussed next step known as Web 2.0, a truly revolutionary concept in which pervasive interactivity, where multitudes of users online actively exchange or contribute content, will transform the very…

Discusses the current and future status of printed books in light of rapidly progressing technology. Topics discussed include the digital electronic medium (DEM); electronic books and the electronic library; the decline of libraries and books; databases; reactive media, including television and video; interactive multimedia, including…

Provides "The Librarian's Bookshelf" a selected annotated bibliography of books (mostly published since 1995) to help librarians deal with the issues of providing appropriate service to children and adults. Lists titles alphabetically in several categories of technical services and issues, instruction, information services, legal issues,…

This report notes that although textbook prices comprise just one component of the price of attending college, such outlays are very frustrating to students and their parents. There has been a groundswell of criticisms against publishers, bookstores, and institutions of higher education that has translated into a mandate for action to make…

The rapid expansion of online publications has raised some concerns about the use of online databases in comparison with using traditional print publications. To determine the opinions of end users about using Dialog online databases versus their corresponding print versions, three libraries in Atlanta, Georgia--Atlanta-Fulton Public Library,…

This article presents an interview with Tom Peters, an academic librarian and founder of TAP Information Services, a firm that provides consulting services to libraries and other organizations in the information industry. Peters also serves as a consultant to LibraryCity, an ambitious project that seeks to make thousands of e-books in easy-to-use…