Over the last century, school library standards have gone through a number of iterations, and expectations for student learning have evolved. While the school library of today looks and functions differently from the school library of the early 1900s, the vision surprisingly is still very similar. The goal of today's school library is to provide…

The current ARL report summarizes a multi-year effort that captures evidence in the form of narrative profiles as it delivers the message of the value and contributions of research libraries during transformative times. When ARL library directors were interviewed in 2005 and asked to describe a research library in the 21st century, there was…

Provides a historical overview of LOEX-of-the-West (Library Orientation Exchange) while introducing this special issue of RSR that includes presentations from the 1998 conference, "Library Instruction for the 21st Century." The first LOEX-of-the-West Conference was held at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon in June 1994. (AEF)

Discusses components of the emerging virtual library. Highlights include adopting technology to enhance library services; navigation problems; shared resources and services; costs; implementation challenges, including library instruction programs; control over intellectual content; technical design issues; and a brief overview of current virtual…

Examines how the role of academic libraries and librarians has changed drastically since the early 1970s. Suggests that the recognition of the educational role of librarians today is a result of the convergence of the widespread success of bibliographic instruction and the impact of electronic sources of information.(AEF)

Reports on a survey that revealed that few U.S. libraries (46 of 485 responding institutions) offer self-guided English-only or multilingual audiotape tours for user orientation. Barriers to their implementation included lack of funding and the prospect of frequent revision. Issues of technological advancement, appropriateness, and maintenance are…

Discusses changes in the academic library information environment and considers future possibilities. Highlights include making information useful, not just accessible; a brief history of reference service; technological advances; and the integration of user instruction and reference. (LRW)

The World Wide Web, with its captivating multimedia features and hypertext capabilities, has brought millions of new users to the Internet. Library staff who could create a home page on the Web could present basic information about the library and its services, showcase its resources, create links to quality material inside and outside the…

The term "multimedia" is defined as the integration of text, audio sound, static graphic images, animations, and full motion video. Multimedia encompasses a number of components and levels of sophistication, and has come to denote the cutting edge of a technology that continues to change with unprecedented speed. Gaining a proficiency in…

The administrator of the library of the future will be concerned with costs of new services, while the scholar will see a knowledge explosion within his or her own lifetime. Librarians must help scholars stay informed of new developments in their respective disciplines and teach them new techniques to access materials. (CDD)

Examines changes in behavioral science education in light of four trends identified in John Naisbitt's "Megatrends": high tech/high touch phenomenon; continuing need to reconceptualize purposes; growth of self-help skills; and concern with more and effective networking. Appropriate library responses to these trends are suggested. An…

Advances in information and telecommunications technology has increased academic distance education programs, prompting libraries to enhance access and services to off-campus students. This article summarizes distance education history and library-related technological advances, and also profiles distance education students. Library services…

Noting that telecommunications technology is making it possible to search library catalogs around the nation and the world via a modem and a personal computer, this paper highlights some of the reasons why a researcher would wish to search library catalogs through the Internet, which is a network of networks with connections to nearly 1,000…

Three articles examine the effects technology is having on academic library reference services and bibliographic instruction. Highlights include discussions of current and future reference librarian roles, specifically the "human touch" aspect of reference; and examples of reference services undergoing technological advancement and those that have…

Discussion of the influence of technological developments on social change focuses on the effects of information technology on academic reference librarianship. Highlights include reference skills; electronic resources; microcomputer technology; online catalogs; interaction and communication with users; the need to teach information skills; and…