Discusses challenges to bookmobile and public library service. Topics include needed flexibility of the library organization and employees, redefining existing services in light of emerging competition for funds and customers, direct competitors, and library services aligning with mission. (LRW)

Discusses results of interviews at Canadian public libraries that were conducted to determine who users thought were responsible for collection development. Concludes that librarian's work is misunderstood because of its hidden nature and suggests implications for the image of librarians, recruitment, and staffing and funding of libraries.…

Discusses problems with the growth and development of public libraries in Nigeria. Highlights include low patronage; lack of current materials; lack of trained personnel; inadequate funding; and suggestions for improvement, including the involvement of multinational organizations in funding. (Author/LRW)

The 40 tables of this report summarize information about libraries in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in fiscal year 1996. Includes information about public library service measures, administration and staffing, and other characteristics. (SLD)

This document contains brief answers to some of the most frequently raised issues related to running a small Vermont public library. Areas covered include accessibility, the American Library Association, automation, awards, binding, services for the blind and physically handicapped, the Board of Libraries, the Board of Trustees, book dealers, book…

Presents a case study that describes how the Fairfax County Public (VA) has reinvented itself as a public service corporation by developing a public-private model for fund development using a top managerial committee. Discusses volunteer programs, partnerships with local utility companies, and staff training in managing patron problem behavior.…

The purpose of this manual is to orient new system staff and advisory council members of the library systems in Texas to their roles and responsibilities. It contains information on the history, governance, funding, services, and administration of the systems. Chapter one, "The Role of Systems in Public Library Development in Texas,"…

Describes the library at Far Eastern State Technical University in Vladivostok (Russia) based on a visit that was part of a collaborative project with California State University, Sacramento. Highlights include staffing; problems with funding, space, and technology; library collections in the Department of World Politics and Law; and the nearby…

Reports the results of "Library Journal's" 1995 national budget survey of 1,624 small, medium, and large public libraries which asked how funding changed over the last fiscal year. Per capita spending, materials budget, salaries, political issues, and staffing are discussed, and tables show survey results. (LRW)

Describes the role and activities of Susan Kent, City Librarian of Los Angeles, who was named librarian of the year by Library Journal. Discusses political aspects; improving and expanding Los Angeles Public Library branches; public and private funding; the staff and union issues; national and international organizations; and career influences.…

The Texas Public Library Summary for 1999 contains summaries of the information submitted by Texas public libraries in the 1999 Annual Report/System Membership Application Form (ARSMA) and reported in detail in the Texas Public Library Statistics for 1999. The Summary provides an overview of Texas public library income, expenditures, services, and…

Profiles Dorothy M. Schirtzinger, library director at the Lee County Library System (LCLS) in Fort Myers, Florida. Discusses her education and early jobs; mentors; the educational mission of the library; increases and developments in staff, branches, budget, and in-library and outreach programs; automation; federal funding; and future plans. (AEF)

This document is a compilation of information supplied by Arizona public libraries. Data is arranged by a separate index divider for each of these county groups: Apache, Cochise, and Coconino; Gila, Graham, Greenlee, and La Paz; Maricopa and Mohave; Navajo, Pima, and Pinal; and Santa Cruz, Yavapai, and Yuma. Each section contains tables of the…

The purpose of this report is to provide a record of the development of the State of Louisiana's public libraries, to create an evaluation tool that is useful to local library administrators and trustees. With one exception, "Public Libraries in Louisiana: Statistical Report, 1996" is a summation of the annual reports submitted to the…

Discussion of rural library technology concerns focuses on the Kalona (Iowa) public library and its attempts to acquire up-to-date technology. Topics include costs, politics, Internet service providers, personnel concerns, funding, and national and state-based opportunities. (LRW)