Few academic librarians ten or fifteen years ago would have believed that those days of flat-lined budgets and miniscule raises could ever seem a golden (or at least silver) age by comparison. It turns out that there is something even worse than uncertainty, however--the absolute certainty of budgetary constriction and unwise decisions.…

The job of the contemporary reference librarian has a virtual component unimaginable a generation ago. Today's library professional can obtain an MLS (or equivalent) online with a minimal residency requirement. Not only the degree, but also library sources, and indeed patrons, have become virtual. Both books and periodicals can be consulted by…

This paper looks at the library's ability to spread environmental conservation efforts throughout the community. The paper suggests various ways library staff can explore environmentally friendly procedures within the context of the media center as well as ways to promote community interest and support. It identifies areas for improvement, ideas…

Librarians face a dilemma, one to which most of them appear to be oblivious. Everybody knows about lots of modern problems that confront libraries and librarians these days. The problem under discussion here is of another order altogether: that librarians are taken too seriously by some of the populace they serve; that they sometimes do not take…

This article will discuss the renovation and redesign project that took place at Gadsden State Community College's Austin R. Meadows Library. The process will be explained along with lessons learned and things to avoid. In addition, a cost breakdown will be provided. (Contains 2 tables.)

The controversy involving the challenge and possible banning of books has existed since the first person set pen to paper. These challenges have historically been based upon political and religious differences, but as time has passed, have become increasingly more to do with sex, race and culture. With these issues facing libraries, the role of…

The ubiquity of video games in today's society presents unique challenges and opportunities for librarians and faculty. A significant subset of video games use historical periods as a setting, some with greater adherence to history than others. Many students are playing these games and bringing preconceived ideas of the historical period to the…

Discusses the difficulties inherent in de-selecting (or weeding) a library collection. Examines the issue of making sound judgments regarding what should be weeded and how. Suggests alternatives to discarding books, such as remote storage, selling them back to patrons, and sharing within a consortium. (NB)

The Central Piedmont Community College Libraries moved from a separately maintained periodicals holdings list to a fully-integrated serials module. Establishing the serials module from scratch required the library to make a series of interrelated decisions beyond the realm of serials management and control. The implications of the serials module…

Describes JSTOR, a non-profit organization that creates, maintains, and provides online access to important scholarly journals. States that the JSTOR archive contains the complete back-runs of 169 journals and is available at more than 1,100 libraries across the world. (NB)

Describes the VISION Digital Library System, a project implemented by the University of Kansas that uses locally developed applications to segment and automatically index video clips. Explains that the focus of VISION is to make possible the gathering and indexing of large amounts of video material, storing material on a database system, and…

In 1998, Hagerstown Junior College, was renamed Hagerstown Community College and opened a new Learning Resource Center (LRC),which now holds the college library. The article details some of the administrative decisions that guide the services of the library and some of their plans for the future. Contains three photos: (1) LRC entrance; (2) LRC…

Suggests that when a new course is proposed, library staff should initiate a review of the collection and recent titles in the subject area. Adds that staff should then meet with the originating faculty member and discuss the resources needed for the course. Asserts that this process would make the library staff more proactive in course…

Offers suggestions to librarians for enhancing delivery of bibliographic instruction sessions. Includes topics such as "attitude matters more than content,""you may need a coffee bar for librarians,""rigidity is only good for dams,""learning travels up the fingertips," and "they want it convenient." (NB)

Describes the basic elements of instructional design: (1) assessing needs; (2) defining goals; (3) selecting formats and materials; (4) devising test and evaluation procedures; (5) constructing and teaching a prototype; (6) analyzing and evaluating the results; and (7) revising the instruction and recycling. Demonstrates integration of online…