In 2008, researchers at the Library Research Service (LRS) undertook the "U.S. Public Libraries and the Use of Web Technologies" study, with the intent to document the use of various Internet technologies on the websites of public libraries throughout the nation (Lietzau, 2009). The results of that study set a baseline for the adoption…

Self-service is a hit. From gas stations to banks to grocery stores--it has become table stakes for retailers who aim to satisfy an increasingly independent consumer. Libraries are no exception, and, in fact, with their card catalog past, they may well have been in the vanguard in enabling customers to find what they want on their own. Card…

Libraries have been around for thousands of years. Many of them are considered great because of their magnificent architecture or because of the size of their collections. This paper offers ten case studies of libraries that have used technology to achieve greatness. Because almost any library can implement technology, a library does not have to…

This report presents selected findings from the Public School Library Media Center Data File of the 2011-12 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS). SASS is a nationally representative sample survey of public and private K-12 schools, principals, and teachers in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. School districts associated with public schools…

This article presents the results of a comprehensive survey of integrated library system (ILS) vendors conducted by the author and commissioned by "Computers in Libraries" CIL. The survey was intended to: (1) provide an up-to-date comparison of functionality currently available in ILS products; (2) provide a comparison of support services…

This report investigates current trends in libraries and museums regarding the use of digitization and other technologies. In 2001, the Institute of Museum and Library Services conducted the first-ever study of the status of new technology adoption and digitization in the nation's museums and libraries. The baseline study identified pockets of…

This study aims to contribute to the understanding of the library occupation and its capacity to accommodate to several pervasive changes now confronting the field, including moves toward professionalization and unionization, and reorientation of its service role toward working-class clients, and preparing itself for computer-inspired automation…

Presents the results of a survey of library schools regarding: (1) the content of basic reference courses; (2) the extent to which electronic retrieval has been integrated into general reference courses; and (3) faculty opinions on the potential impact of electronic retrieval on the role and responsibilities of the reference librarian. (20…

Provides an overview of TESTLAB, a cooperative project of libraries in Austria, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom that addresses improved library access for visually impaired users. A sampling of TESTLAB projects is presented, and a TESTLAB survey on electronic service provision is described. Future efforts and implications are…

Automated circulation systems in libraries for the blind are described in this report of research conducted by the Subcommittee on Computerised Booklending of the Round Table on Libraries for the Blind (RTLB) of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA). Responses to the RTLB questionnaire from 12 libraries in 9 countries are…

Provides an introduction to "From the Top: Profiles of U.S. and Canadian Corporate Libraries and Information Centers," a compilation of profiles of selected North American corporations. Areas covered in the profiles include professional profiles of library administrators, history, physical facilities, staff size, user populations,…

This study evaluates user satisfaction and the cost effectiveness of the use of computer systems in the Braille and Talking Book Program of the Ohio Regional Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, and makes recommendations for patterns of service and funding. This report provides an executive summary as well as a 3-part presentation…

Discusses concerns for academic libraries identified by a survey of editors and manuscript readers of this journal. Highlights include technology; leadership; library users; management issues, including recruitment, communication, and new services; access versus ownership; funding; copyright; licensing; teaching and research; electronic…