In late 1981 and early 1982, a total of 775 public secondary school librarians, 507 elementary school librarians, and 324 public librarians in Minnesota were sent questionnaires asking about instances of censorship in their institutions from 1979 to 1981, and about their library selection and reevaluation policies. Response rates of 29 to 32% were…

A discussion of the problems U.S. librarians and educators face in dealing with Spanish-speaking children and adults; and a description of Project LEER, a program to aid school and public libraries in the selection, procurement, and processing of books in Spanish. (JB)

PUBLISHERS, LIBRARIANS, AND EDUCATORS MET TO DISCUSS THE CURRENT SCHOOL AND LIBRARY MARKET FOR BOOKS AND OTHER INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IN AN EFFORT TO INCREASE UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR RESPECTIVE ROLES IN MEETING THE GREATER DEMANDS MADE UPON THEM BY THE ADOPTION OF IMPROVED EDUCATION AS A NATIONAL POLICY. AFTER AN EXAMINATION OF FEDERAL EDUCATIONAL…

The manual is prepared for use in courses taught at the annual workshops sponsored by the Michigan Department of Education, Bureau of Library Services, for those public library personnel who need state certification. It includes the following sections: (1) The Public Library, (2) Selecting Materials for a Library, (3) Organization of Library…

Reports on the third "Library Journal" survey of public and academic audiovisual specialists and media librarians, which focused on the long-term outlook for audiocassette and videocassette collections. The survey covered present and planned budgets, circulation growth, selection criteria, theft, damage, competition from local stores,…

Library use is declining in the United States because print media is no longer the preferred media of a large majority of the population. Of the wide variety of media used for information, instruction, and entertainment, only a small variety is available through the public library. Selection of appropriate media formats for library acquisition…

Outlines circulation procedures for video games at four public libraries--Arlington Heights Public Library, Illinois; East Brunswick Public Library, New Jersey; South River Public Library, New Jersey; and Cloquet Public Library, Minnesota. Acquisition of materials, insurance fees, loan periods, and use of reserves are noted. (EJS)

A simple normative theory applicable to public library services was developed as a tool to aid libraries in answering the question: which books should be bought by the library? Although developed for normative purposes, the theory generates testable predictions. It is relevant to measuring benefits from services which are provided publicly because…

It is the purpose of this study to describe the size and scope of book collections in Communist China's public libraries, and to examine the criteria for book selection in these libraries. The chapters cover: (1) the historical background of Chinese Communist public libraries; (2) library organization - including function, objectives, role and the…

Reports on third annual mini-survey on religious books in 30 public libraries across nation covering seven areas: regularity of purchase of religious materials; percentage of book budget used; percentage of circulation; collection policies; gifts; patron demand; attempt to "balance" book collection on certain issues; pressure from…

Discusses the Hawaii State Public Library system decision to outsource library book selection to a vendor. Highlights include problems with the current contract, including lack of input from local librarians; and possible benefits of outsourcing, including the chance of having an outsourced baseline collection with discretionary funds for local…

This document is a guide to the selection, purchase, and use of children's books. Emphasis is put on the development of standards of evaluation through attention to certain features, such as quality of illustrations, language, and writing style. Reading aloud and teaching children to use books are other topics discussed. The project of writing and…

Concludes that too often secondary school and public librarians merely accumulate works of fiction as they appear on the market rather than develop fiction collections. Librarians should use bibliographic aids, patron suggestions, and critical reviews to identify and purchase books to truly develop a collection. (RAA)