Information technology plays a role both in library administration and in the use of information resources. Viewed in historical perspective, the "computer era" is just beginning, and the prospect of the "electronic book" is good. Librarians must be computer-literate and lead students and the public in the use of new…

Many small and medium-sized companies see a library as a luxury they cannot afford. They may have room set aside with a small collection of books, periodicals or reports, yet the use of this often unsupervised storage system is minimal at best. These same companies, however, usually place great importance on maintenance of and access to…

To better serve the diverse and complex needs of the parliamentarian, parliamentary libraries are transferring the emphasis of their activities from collection building to the provision of increasingly more costly library services. Parliamentary libraries must accept that information prepared for members of parliament is more differentiated and…

This general discussion of adaptation of new technologies to the administration of libraries stresses the mismatch between the developmental pace of technology and the change adaptive capabilities of people, and advocates the participation of users in the planning and implementation of change. It explores the complexity factor in technology, the…

An experimental program placed computer terminals in four San Francisco Bay Area public libraries to be used to provide on-line computer search services to library patrons. The first few months of operation of the experiment showed that there was a significant impact on the participating libraries, on the library patrons, and on the community and…

Discusses factors that contribute to Santa Monica Public Library's excellence, including supportive city government and citizenry, city council, library board, lean top management, and the basic management team. Specific management principles and techniques, public relations, and measures of service at Beverly Hills Public Library are also…

This paper describes the status of library services in Natal, South Africa. Fragmented services dominate the area, with public, urban, and school libraries existing in complete autonomy from each other and ambivalent about each other's existence. Within school libraries, provision of services varies widely and reflects the wider apartheid…

The strong emphasis of technology is slowly diminishing the importance of the human element in libraries. The current changes in population demand cultural sensitivity training in all walks of life. Libraries and librarians have a role to play. They need to cope with the multicultural environment by understanding the basics of multiculturalism and…

Compares three system models (closed, open, dissipative) with traditional models for adoption of new technology and library operations. Argues that information-provider organizations (libraries) must be able to adapt to radical changes in their environments in order to remain viable economic entities. (Author/AEF)

Noting that some public, school, law, academic, and special libraries have adopted marketing as a management tool, this paper begins by discussing marketing principles as defined by the American Marketing Association (AMA). Librarians are advised to center their marketing activities around what is known as the "4 P's" of marketing:…

This essay suggests several criteria by which academic libraries' standards and processes might be judged: appraisal of interinstitutional cooperation, acceptance of new technologies, preservation of materials, role of library in total educational process, involvement of librarians in general unversity governance, and role of faculty users in…

Papers on the management of African library associations and services which were presented at the 1984 IFLA general conference include: (1) "The Contribution: The Zimbabwe Library Association" (Stanley M. Made); (2) "Libraries and Information Services in the Third World in Danger: The Case of Tanzania" (E. Kaungamno); (3)…

Arguing that traditional models are no longer effective in the information, age in which change will be a constant, this paper advocates the use of team-management to ensure two-way communication in an academic library. The need for both creative approaches to problem-solving and managing the library organization and a new organizational structure…

Academic libraries are in a period of transition, self-examination, and change. Management is considering new methods, such as management by objectives. Unionization is growing. Since funding tends to be diminishing while library growth continues, cooperative acqusitions promise improved accessibility. Ways to better serve users need to be found,…

This paper highlights some of the issues that arose during the drafting of a revised version of the IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions) Guidelines for Public Libraries. The sections of the new document are outlined as follows: (1) The Role and Purpose of the Public Library; (2) The Legal and Financial…