The Islamic Republic of Iran's parliament, the Majlis, passed in 1990 a law setting out the functions of its national library. In 2005, the inauguration of the first stage of the new national library building was celebrated as a major national cultural and architectural achievement. This article looks at the origins and evolution of the National…

The goal of the new Stiern Library at California State University at Bakersfield, as outlined in the introductory comments to these building and design specifications, is to bring together under one roof the various sources of the university's information and knowledge--i.e., library, computing, and media services--and to deliver information…