This column assesses the state of library and information studies (LIS) research. Researchers and practitioners in various LIS fields address questions related to the research front and agenda for collection development; what the field needs to advance further; whether it needs a more sophisticated conceptual or theoretical framework; operational…

Presents four challenges faced by libraries and proposes research designs to address each of them. The challenges involve: invisible infrastructure; content and collections; preservation and access; and institutional boundaries. Proposes a mixture of research methods that includes surveys, case studies, documentary analyses, and policy analyses.…

This study of state university libraries in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates provides information on library organization and analysis of collections, services, staffing, budgeting, expenditures, automation, and information technology. Suggests further research is needed in collections, services and…

It is important that librarians research and plan to make the relationship between library collections and remote access comfortable and successful for users and the library. This article discusses the political, social, and economic advantages and disadvantages of remote access. (JMV)

Advances in information technology are forcing librarians and administrators to reinvent scholarly information exchange. The old question of what constitutes a research collection remains, but is transferred to a new medium. This is an opportunity to take advantage of the new possibilities and to correct some previous mistakes in collection…

Reports on an agreement signed by 15 leaders of large U.S. research libraries and archives to collaborate on the establishment of a National Digital Library Federation which will implement an open digital library consisting of digitized collections accessible via the Internet. Also lists the federation's mission, goals, and participant names and…

This report provides a review of Bulgaria's history as it relates to library collections, and describes the current state of preservation activities at key institutions. The discussion includes: the political history of Bulgaria and its library collections; the Soviet state and its aftermath; economic constraints; decentralization of Bulgaria's…

The Contributed Papers in this volume revolve around seven themes designed to appeal to any librarian exploring new frontiers: Advocacy, Collections, Leadership and Management, Information Literacy, Distance/Distributed Education, Collaboration and Partnerships, and Services for Users. The conference committee received 168 proposals. All were…

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) E-Metrics study was designed as an 18-month project in three phases: an inventory of what libraries were already doing about data collection for electronic resources and an identification of any libraries that could provide best practice; identifying and testing data elements that could be collected and…

This paper discusses the impact of change on the State Library of New South Wales (Australia), a large public research library charged with the care and continuing use of a documentary heritage. The first section provides background on the State Library, including history, collection, mission, and use. The second section describes library clients,…

This compilation contains copies of the following library documents that presented recent cases for new space: (1) Excerpts from "Harnessing Technologies to Unleash Their Potential" and "Kelvin Smith Library. The Electronic Learning Environment--Transforming Access to Knowledge: A Program Statement" from Case Western University…

Discusses various communities that have contributed to the development of the Yale University Library Electronic Text Center (ETC) and describes the evolution of the ETC from a center for the support of electronic texts in the humanities to an electronic resource center providing support in the creation of World Wide Web resources. (LRW)

Describes the development of an electronic text center in the Cornell University (New York) library. Discusses effects of spanning traditionally separate areas of the library, such as collection development, reference and instruction, information technology and support, and stack maintenance; staff skills needed; and the importance of…

It is generally accepted in the library world that an automated catalog means more accessible data for patrons, greater productivity for librarians, and an improvement in the sharing of bibliographic data among libraries. While the desirability of automation is not a controversial issue, some aspects of automating remain problematic. This article…