The independent research libraries have diverse origins and have traveled many paths toward today's complex of library resources in this country. The motives for their founding are many, and their varying sizes belie the uniform significance of their collections to the national resource. (Author)

Reports on the excellent public library system of Barbados. (PF)

Argues that the role expected of libraries is significantly different now from what it was for nearly 95 percent of the span of library history, and that this change of purpose has not been reflected in the current budgetary and management priorities of librarians. Nine references are cited. (FM)

The theme for the celebration of the Library of Congress treasures, "The World Encompassed," is suggested by the title of a nephew's account of Sir Francis Drake's circumnavigation of the earth. This account is part of the Sir Francis Drake collection donated by patrons to the library. In April 1581, Drake was knighted by Queen Elizabeth…

Librarians and Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) personnel were interviewed at eight urban college and university campuses to determine the extent to which their respective libraries have responded to educationally disadvantaged students. (Author)

Discusses four types of services requested of libraries and strategies for providing them: collecting material about oral history, collecting published and semi-published oral history transcripts for research, serving as a repository for unique oral history materials, and establishing a program to create new oral histories. References are…

Intended to aid librarians who are building collections of information about human sexuality, this selected list of references is introduced by an essay on the myths of sexual knowledge, the role of parents, the public's attitudes toward sex education, and the role of libraries. The list itself encompasses these areas: (1) resources for libraries;…

The Committee on Manuscripts Collections of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section prepared five statements on recurring problems which plague librarians and archivists. The topics discussed are appraisal of items donated to a library for tax purposes, obtaining legal title to gift materials, the responsibility of a library to make valuable…

A photographic fact finding tour of successful multimedia resource centers can assist a library in the transition to handling non-print materials as well as traditional print materials. (STS)

This essay examines American awareness of Soviet literature and writers and vice versa and discusses problems involved in making Soviet literature available to Americans. Highlights include accessibility through public and private libraries and establishing and publicizing a Soviet writings library collection. Some Soviet publications and…

The years 1952-1972 saw a tremendous activity and development in special librarianship. The natural improvement on the special library concept of service which began about midway in the two decades, and which was recognized by users and management, is the present challenge facing special librarians. (64 references) (Author)

Presents arguments in support of public library acquisition of videos. Some potential benefits for children and adults of watching videos are cited, e.g., learning about good acting, screenwriting, cinematography, directing, music, and good literature. (MES)

Before 1870, copyright registration and deposit were functions of several government departments. After the first Federal copyright law was passed in 1790, copyright registration was performed by the clerk in the U.S. district court for the district where the applicant resided, and single copies of copyright deposits were sent to different…

Discussion of way in which books have functioned within framework of American librarianship highlights acquisition of books (libraries attempting to fill needs of everyone in geographical area, libraries devoted to filling needs of self-selected part of society, libraries devoted to collecting particular subject), and role of private collector of…

A brief review of the recent years of civil dissent and conflict in the U.S. and the underground press movement is presented as an introduction to this proposal that the university library of the State University of New York at Buffalo establish a system to acquire and house alternative materials. The author, assistant reference librarian,…