The role of public libraries is changing in response to a multitude of influences and trends. The exponential growth of technology as the primary method of information access, funding challenges, changing demographics, and other mitigating factors have forced public libraries to become more than book repositories. Community library leaders and…

In the library and information science (LIS) literature, there are examples of librarians leading educational development initiatives, often centered on information literacy (IL). However, there does not appear to have been significant exploration in the educational development literature of librarians acting as educational developers. This…

In this study, researchers used basic qualitative research to understand the spaces, resources, and services available to K12 students in their school libraries. Using observation and semi-structured interviews with K12 teacher librarians, this research allowed for a comparison of the K12 and post-secondary environments through which the authors…

In the case of libraries, archives, and museums (LAMs), the concept of convergence has become commonplace in recent time. Convergence addresses both physical spaces and the services provided. What is currently known as convergence within these institutions, should perhaps more accurately be described as reconvergence, as "in the late 1800s…

This document analysis examined the academic library and the changing role of the academic librarian in higher education. A comparison of the trends and issues reported by prominent librarians in the 20th century was made to those reported in the 21st century. Emphasis was placed on the following decades: 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s in the 20th…

With the change in Ohio's Operating Standards in July of 2002, students across Ohio began losing school library learning opportunities. District after district made financially based decisions to minimize, and in a few cases totally eliminate, school library programs. Across the state, many of Ohio's children lost precious learning opportunities.…

For-profit schools constitute the fastest-growing sector of higher education institutions in the United States. Yet accompanying the phenomenal growth of these proprietary colleges and universities has been considerable controversy over the role that the profit motive should play in higher education. The literature of higher education contains…

This article highlights a successful collaborative project between the Toledo-Lucas County Library System, a university professor, and a local production company in order to expand the library's African American oral history collection. The project, made possible from a state technology grant, also resulted in the production of 20…

School librarians nationwide seek to produce evidence of the library's impact on student learning and achievement. While classroom teachers demonstrate their impact through the use of standardized test scores including end-of-grade tests and SAT/ACT tests, school librarians have long used informal or in-class assessments to gauge student learning.…

In response to the rapid advances in information technology, greater pressure has been placed on academic libraries and teaching faculty to incorporate information literacy skills into the curriculum. Although these skills have been taught for decades, the principles and concepts of information literacy have taken on new urgency as they are…

As librarians work to prepare themselves and their colleagues to function in the rapidly growing world of information they often find themselves feeling alone and overwhelmed. One group of Ohio school librarians took on the daunting challenge of keeping up with the continually changing world of information technology and together developed an…

Because Ohio public, school, and special libraries did not have the infrastructure of their academic counterparts, they turned to a regional OCLC network, OHIONET, to provide Internet access. This article provides an overview of the Internet and OHIONET, discusses OCLC's role in providing services to members via the Internet, and describes the…

This brief article responds to the research finding that effective school libraries have clear roles focused on student achievement. Based on recent research findings, Ross Todd, Carol Kuhlthau and an Ohio team concluded that eight characteristics can be used to place a stronger emphasis on learning. The characteristics include: (1) Resource…

This article describes a role for the academic library in the campus outcomes assessment process and reports on a study to determine the impact of the Ohio State University (OSU) Libraries' instructional program on several required general education courses. Although university curriculum documents prescribe research-related learning objectives…

This survey of public library use in Arthur, Illinois, reveals that 14 percent of nearby Amish population have purchased nonresident, family library cards. Comparison with rural populations in downstate Illinois and library use in Ohio Amish settlements suggests changes in Amish culture and role of public libraries near Amish settlements. Includes…