This document contains eight papers by American participants in the U.S.-U.S.S.R. Seminar on Access to Library Resources through Technology and Preservation: (1) "The Automation of Libraries and Information Services in the United States" (Richard De Gennaro); (2) "Databases: Issues in the Bibliographic Control of Information in a…

Although originally compiled and published for the California Library Telecommunications Project (an analysis of the telecommunications needs and opportunities for the California State Library on behalf of the state's 169 public libraries), this report also cites examples of, and proposes options for, electronic text use in public libraries…

Reviews the ways in which technical processing personnel enable libraries to provide fast and accurate access to information, and discusses the impact of technological change on the role and duties of technical processing personnel, the nature of library service, and existing organizational structures. (CLB)

Erroneous belief that library users are increasingly experiencing information overload is a result of confusion between concepts of information explosion and information overload, and misinterpretation of implications of research findings. Suggested ways that users can prevent overload include limiting, selecting, and delegating information;…

Future library users will be oriented more toward information and access to it than to the medium containing the information. Both cultural and technological development will affect users' expectations and demands of academic library services. (Author/MSE)

Computer technology can liberate research from the bonds of time and distance and lead to a transformation of the library's role as an educational resource. (Author)

The appearance of revolutionary information technologies must elicit equivalent responses from the library profession. Creating local online databases--information dropshipping--is an activity that public and academic libraries can implement. Through technology, libraries can create a new domain on the production side of knowledge and information.…

Clifford A. Lynch, developer of MELVYL and former director of library automation at the University of California, is now executive director for the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI). This interview discusses Lynch's background, MELVYL, the Web and the role of libraries and librarians, community and collaborative filtering, the library of…

Provides an overview of technological change and the capabilities of technology in libraries. Three trends that drive changes in library technology are discussed: (1) integration of technologies; (2) idiosyncratic use of information; and (3) disembodiment of the library through electronic information. Areas of concern, including access,…

Considers future possibilities and needs in libraries, including fewer acquisitions due to rising costs; the demise of older materials; the influence of the nature of access on the direction of scholarly inquiry, i.e., the influence of technology; using electronic resources appropriately; and questioning established routines. (LRW)

Considers changes that technology could make in libraries in the future. Highlights include digital formats; centralization of libraries and library services; the role of librarians; competition between libraries and for-profit information vendors; the publication process; the integrity of information in electronic format; costs; and access to…

Discusses results of a survey that compared visions of library leaders to public attitudes about libraries and technology. Topics include conflict between the personal image of libraries versus impersonal technology; the need for reassurance that reading is not being replaced by computers; and the role of the librarian and the library. (LRW)

Discusses the need to think of public libraries as businesses rather than as functions of society. Topics include keeping old customers and attracting new ones; taxes; competition from the private sector; the use of technology; training people to use technology; mission statements; library services; and marketing. (LRW)

Offers a perspective on changes that have occurred in academic reference librarianship since 1980. Topics include librarians' responsibilities; the changing uses of reference services by students and faculty; technological advancements; the organization of libraries, including management styles and theories; roles of libraries and librarians; and…

Living in the vast shadow cast by the spires of the Magic Kingdom presents special challenges for Orlando's Orange County Library System (OCLS), the most formidable of which is increasing its relatively small user base. The library additionally faces tension between the administration and staff, political strife on the board, and looming contract…