Renovation and construction projects in 18 public and academic libraries across the United States are showcased, with 23 photographs illustrating library interiors and exteriors. Discussion centers on architecture, costs, technology infrastructure and equipment, preservation of old facilities, furniture, and library functions. (AEF)

Discusses the impact of information technology requirements on the costs of electronic libraries. Addresses key questions concerning hardware, software and network installation and upgrades and provides strategies for dealing with the needs for continuous funding and long-term financing that are essential for keeping up with the requirements of…

Examines implications of new technology for libraries. Discusses ways libraries interface with new home and business information services and information formats. Highlights include CD-ROMs, the Internet, library networks, technological development, electronic image delivery, costs and funding, and equipment. (AEF)

This volume is the pilot issue of the "Transforming Libraries" series, a quarterly subseries of SPEC (the Systems and Procedures Exchange Center of the Association of Research Libraries). Each issue will focus on a different application or aspect of library technology. This issue discusses electronic reserves. It is divided into five…

Describes the renovation of the Horace Greeley High School library (Chappaqua, New York). Discusses initial planning; costs; teachers' use of the library; new technology and the blending of print resources; and the appeal of the facility for students. Sidebars highlight the lighting design and renovation goals for the media specialist and…

Examines investments that will ensure that library information technology (IT) meets future academic needs. Looks back on the introduction of IT to research libraries. Assesses outcomes of IT investments in terms of cost and service benefits, and then focuses on developing new service models. (AEF)

Highlighting the issues that confront small libraries who are exploring automation options, this report focuses on microcomputer-based automation systems for circulation and an online patron access catalog (OPAC). The information provided outlines some of the questions that librarians must ask themselves or vendors before they select a specific…

Argues that, in spite of the financial burden on local, state, and federal justice systems, prison libraries must be transformed from access-to-the-courts programs and emerge as community information and cultural centers that provide both electronic and book formats. (AEF)

One of the most significant decisions in a library administrator's career is the decision to automate one or more of a library's operations. This book describes the present state of local library automation; the planning, selection, and implementation process; and the library administrator's role in the process. The bulk of the text provides a…

The traditional mode of operation of academic libraries is in crisis due to a combination of zero growth funding, rapidly escalating pricing on information resources (especially scientific journals), necessary investments in technology and human resource development, and increasing customer expectations. These issues are addressed as they relate…

Argues that evaluating a library's collection is not an acceptable substitute for evaluating the collection development process and its developers. With increasing materials costs, overselection can be much more serious than underselection. Several useful methods for evaluating collection development incorporate statistics regarding proportional…

The four basic criteria for the selection of library materials--quality, library relevancy, aesthetic and technical aspects, and cost--remain the same in the electronic era of information. What they mean and how they are used has changed. But even quality and cost, the two most controversial criteria, carry great importance for the responsible…

Describes one library's development of a CD-ROM lending collection. Topics include survey results, policies, procedures, troubleshooting, and promotion. A sidebar contains a brief bibliography of journals which review CD-ROMs and publishers who provide CD samplers. (AEF)

Examines the cost effectiveness of using CD-ROM encyclopedias in school libraries; finds print encyclopedias to be cheaper, but advocates the use of both. Sidebars include price comparisons of popular print and CD-ROM encyclopedias. (AEF)

Describes problems facing academic libraries today concerning the amount of literature and information available, costs, copyright issues affecting ownership, and technological changes. Strategies for dealing with diminishing funds and increasing information resources are suggested, and activities at the Association of Research Libraries (ARL)…