Literature in the field investigates and debates the importance of the MLIS degree in librarianship. This information is of limited use in Maine where over 30% of public library directors have only a high school diploma. The research questions guiding this Constructivist Grounded Theory study are: How do high school educated library directors in…

An increasing number of libraries and museums provide transformative learning spaces, often called "Learning Labs" and "Makerspaces." These spaces invite users to explore traditional and digital media, interact with mentors and peers, and engage in creative projects. For these spaces and programs to be sustainable, it is…

Special features include articles about the small public library: (1) the Public Library Association's Small and Medium-Sized Libraries Section; (2) a photo album of small public libraries in Mississippi; (3) small public libraries and public library standards; (4) the role of nonprofessionals; (5) training the nondegreed library worker; and (6)…

Discussion of the professional education of employees in small libraries focuses on the Minnesota Voluntary Certification Program and its core set of domain competencies. The program provides focused professional education for library employees without a master's degree and reinforces the professional values of the library community and libraries.…

This report describes how courses offered by the Department of Library/Media Technology at Northland Pioneer College (Arizona) can be effective in bridging the gap between the professionally trained master's degree librarian and the untrained library clerk or volunteer. The courses, which are typically offered on weekends, are designed to…

The Library of Michigan administers the Public Library Personnel Certification Program for Michigan. This handbook clarifies the certification guidelines and terminology used by the Library of Michigan staff and explains the procedures to be used by public libraries. Information on the following is provided: the certification program;…

This report on continuing library education in Idaho is divided into three parts. The first part is an evaluation of the state's first three-year continuing education plan. The evaluation, which showed that librarians found the effort to be an unqualified success, was carried out by interviewing librarians and reviewing plan objectives. The second…

Part of a series of needs assessment studies conducted at the Kent State School of Library Science, this study reports the results of a survey concerning library employment opportunities in Ohio for individuals with graduate degrees in library science. The three main objectives of the study were: (1) to estimate the number of professional and…

Describes results of a survey of rural public libraries that was conducted to determine what technology is currently available and in use. Highlights include library personnel education; cataloging and other areas of technical services; reference services; online databases; and suggestions for further studies. A copy of the questionnaire…

This paper describes the development of a public library in Clay Springs, a rural community in Navajo County in northeastern Arizona, with neither financial support from taxes (the town is not incorporated and there is no county library) nor the services of a professional librarian. Descriptions are included of: (1) activities that promoted…

Developed with the support of the German Foundation for International Development (DSE) and the University of Botswana (Africa), this five-week "long vacation" training program includes four modules designed to provide refresher and in-service training for those library assistants who have work experience but have not been able to attend…

Discusses the need for adequate staffing in rural public libraries to meet expanded information needs. Topics include libraries' changing roles in the community to meet future information needs, the difference between training and education, and the development of distance education programs by library schools for professional continuing…

Describes techniques developed for providing continuing education to individuals solving medical reference requests over a telephone teleconference network linking library personnel in nonurban public libraries, systems libraries, and small hospital libraries. Background, project aims, and teleconferencing techniques, including their advantages,…

Seven issues of a newsletter on recent library statistics provide information on Colorado public libraries, librarian and library assistant salaries, materials challenges, school library media centers, and circulation policies. One 1995 library survey compares average public library salaries with and without an American Library Association…

This report describes the work of the Task Force on Library and Information Services to Cultural Minorities, which was appointed by the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) to explore the status of services, resources, and programs for American Indians, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Afro-Americans, and to…