Describes the development of the Collaborative Digital Reference Service (CDRS) by the Library of Congress and partner libraries that provides professional reference service to users through an international digital network of libraries. Discusses the benefits of searching library collections rather than just Internet sources and considers future…

The emerging technology of the World Wide Web is a natural source of acquisitions for archivists. This paper discusses two areas of digital communications: a university archivist's role in the support and management of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) home page, and the uses other archives and special collection departments at selected…

Two focus groups were held (fall 1996 semester) with selected faculty from the University of North Texas (UNT), College of Arts and Sciences to explore faculty perceptions of the Libraries' value to teaching and research and to learn more about what would allow faculty to make greater use of the UNT Libraries. The following major themes emerged…

This report on a machine-readable data files workshop highlights unresolved issues related to innovative approaches to collecting, describing, and providing service for computer files in research libraries. The remarks of four of the workshop speakers are presented. Margaret Johnson of the University of Minnesota gives a comprehensive review of…

This report contains data on state library agencies in the 50 states and the District of Columbia for state fiscal year 1996. The data were collected through the State Library Agencies (STLA) Survey, the product of a cooperative effort between the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies, the United States National Commission on Libraries and…

Describes library services that are offered at the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC), which is located at the University of California at San Diego. Topics discussed include the user population; online searching; microcomputer use; electronic networks; current awareness programs; library catalogs; and the slide collection. A sidebar outlines…

A survey was conducted (spring 1997 semester) with the faculty from the College of Arts and Sciences, University of North Texas (UNT) as a follow up to a focus group study conducted during the fall 1996 semester. Results from the survey echo results of the focus groups. Both studies indicate faculty from the College of Arts and Sciences are…

The papers in this collection, which explore selected aspects of scientific and engineering communication, are the results of a study designed to learn more about the relationships between information resources and scientific productivity. The first three sections contain three key papers related to a conference sponsored by the Council of Library…

The World Wide Web is a powerful and versatile resource for documents librarians. It can serve as a source of information for patrons looking for government information, as a means of publicizing and distributing local information and services beyond the walls of the depository library, as a tool for more effective administration of a documents…

Describes the development of OhioLINK, a statewide integrated information access network linking library collections at state schools, community colleges, two-year technical colleges, and the state library in Ohio. Discussion includes aspects of OhioLINK such as document delivery service; regional depositories; plans for extensive online access to…

Issues in the evaluation of the virtual law library are examined, including technological considerations, finance, and accreditation concerns. Conventional library evaluation and development of standards for virtual libraries are discussed. It is proposed that evaluation focus on information service outputs and access rather than library…

Noting that the changing nature of information delivery has established immediacy as the new basis for modern library service, this paper describes the new facilities design and floor plan for the library of Kapiolani Community College of the University of Hawaii. The new library was carefully designed so that students can move progressively from…

Survey data for the 1996 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Academic Libraries report are organized in tables according to sector (public or private) and by governing board. In addition to statistics for each library, summary figures for boards and sectors are included. FTE (full-time equivalency) Student Enrollment and…

Describes the library at Rockefeller University and considers how it may be a model for future research libraries, i.e., the distributed library relying on remote resources. Highlights include resource sharing and interlibrary loan; research and scholarly interactions focused outside the library; decentralization of research information; and a…

This paper investigates the need for electronic provision of information, and advises that the purpose and motivation for providing electronic resources be explored before embarking on a project to provide them. Many projects at universities and other institutes have been begun arbitrarily just because there happened to be financial resources…