Ask Here PA is Pennsylvania's new statewide live chat reference and information service. This article discusses the key strategies utilized by Ask Here PA administrators to recruit participating libraries to contribute staff time to the service, the importance of centralized staff training, the main aspects of staff training, and activating the…

This 1976 inventory is published to indicate the extent to which current cooperative library programs are operating, and to describe programs which may be appropriate for libraries not now participating in these organizations. Data for the inventory was gathered in questionnaires and distributed by the Bureau of Library Development in November…

The participants in the Workshop on Cooperation Between Different Types of Libraries, which was held in November, 1971, in Philadelphia, was surveyed in an effort to determine their attitudes toward interlibrary cooperation. Followup studies were conducted after the workshop to discover what, if any, effect the workshop had on the participants'…

This study examines children's uses of reading resources in neighborhood public libraries that have been transformed to "level the playing field." Through foundation funding (US$20 million), the public library system of Philadelphia converted neighborhood branch libraries into a technologized modern urban library system, hoping to…

Intended for Pennsylvania librarians, those who use libraries, and those responsible for libraries, this directory of cooperative library organizations in the state provides information on current operating programs and describes those which may be appropriate for libraries not now participating in them. With few exceptions, the members of the…

In Pennsylvania 375 public, academic, and special libraries were surveyed in an effort to gather information concerning their interlibrary loan activity during April, 1978; personal discussions with librarians across the state were also conducted. Both sources were used in the development of recommendations for improving bibliographic access. The…

In 1977 the Public Library Commission, in conjunction with the State Library of Pennsylvania, received a Library Services and Construction Act, Title III Grant to conduct a feasibility study of technical service operations in various types of libraries within Beaver County. Its objectives were to: (1) analyze existing library materials purchasing…

The lack of proximity to large information centers combined with limited budgets, resources, and expertise prompted the special libraries of Berks County, Pennsylvania, to attempt a network for interlibrary sharing. Information specialists from large an small industrial, medical, and public resource centers organized and operated a network of…

Describes telefacsimile (FAX) technology and discusses the Associated College Libraries of Central Pennsylvania project which is planning to implement a FAX network for member libraries. Guidelines for FAX use within Pennsylvania are included, and sidebar reviews recent developments in FAX add-ons, standalones, and applications. (MES)

In attempting to reappraise the role of Pennsylvania district center libraries, this field study focused on: the actual use made of the libraries, the effects of distance on use, and the relationship between use and the socioeconomic characteristics of library users. Methodology involved the study of 10 representative district library centers,…

A five year plan and budget for Pennsylvania library cooperative activities is outlined based on two goals: (1) libraries should support state educational, industrial, governmental, health and other information programs by joining in a statewide library network to provide all publicly available information in the state to any citizen; and (2)…

This manual is designed to provide information to interlibrary loan (ILL) practitioners about the philosophy behind interlibrary loan, as well as a functional knowledge of its routines. The first part of the manual presents general and background material about interlibrary loans. Included in this section are a glossary of library terms, the…

Policies and procedures are outlined for the Online Database Information Network (ODIN), a cooperative of libraries in south-central Pennsylvania, which was organized to improve library services through technology. The first section covers organization and goals, members, and responsibilities of the administrative council and libraries. Patrons…

This study analyzes the impact of library services in five medium-sized communities with differing geographic, economic, and social characteristics and determines the place of the public library within the pattern of city governmental services. Methods used for the study include interviews with community leaders, library trustees, librarians, and…

Describes a study that examined the impact of federated library systems on member library services, resources, and operations in Pennsylvania. The discussion includes a rationale for the research methodology used, and comments on the absence of reliable library statistics and published reports as a basis for comparison with pre-systems situations.…