The recent resurgence of interest outside the library field in independent study and the development of formal programs for nontraditional study provide new opportunities for public libraries to serve the independent learner. (Author)

Discusses the effectiveness of nonbook activities as a public service or in support for other services in the public library, and describes the programing activities of the Logan Square branch of the Chicago Public Library. Ten references are listed. (CHC)

A 3-year project to generate awareness and utilization of the nontraditional services offered by the Florida public libraries is described. The presentation is divided into two sections: an overview of the program to date and examples from the media campaign. Within section 1, three distinct phases of the project are identified and described:…

Examines the role of the public library in providing outreach services to migrant farm workers, citing experiences of three public library systems in the areas of information and referral, bookmobiles, and funding. Physical and psychological inaccessibility are discussed. Three references are cited. (EJS)

Paradoxically, for reasons both philosophical and practical, public libraries are uniquely positioned to assist the 72 million Americans who, by virtue of being illiterate or marginally literate, are not ordinarily library users. A formal link between libraries and literacy can be traced back to the 1920s when the American Library Association…

The public library is part of a large and complex network of institutions which provide nontraditional, continuing education to adults. Attempts have been made to ally these institutions in a single coordinated approach to community-based education, the ideal being a "communiversity"--a federation of all the educational and cultural…

A 1991 national survey by the Center for the Study of Rural Librarianship at Clarion University of Pennsylvania measured user reaction to bookmobile services. Respondents reported that bookmobiles have an overwhelmingly positive impact on their lives, and the vast majority (71 percent) put the value of services received in excess of $20.00 per…

The results of a survey of the history of library uses of television from its earliest beginnings through the present expansion are presented in tabular and narrative form. The Detroit, Michigan, and Mobile, Alabama, public libraries are used to exemplify the contrast between early television usage in the 50's and 60's and the usage of Cable TV…

The State Library of Florida sponsored a conference in 1974 to provide an interchange of ideas between public libraries and specialists in adult basic education (ABE). Nine papers were given covering existing ABE programs, the role of libraries in ABE, how to find and evaluate materials, and methods of interagency cooperation. Nine appendixes…

The Council on Library Resources, which for many years has identified library issues and developed new approaches to library operations, is interested in addressing the challenges public libraries face in an era of information revolution. Through a grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, the Council has established a program to study innovation…

Part two of the final report on the adult independent learning program focuses on the following: (1) discussion of the 11 data collection categories developed to meet the information needs of specific groups--advisors working with adult learners, planners monitoring service performance, library policy decision makers responsible for determining…

The developing role of the library as a center for cultural activity was the principal subject of discussion at the sixth Anglo-Scandinavian Library Conference. Aspects of this growing function which were treated in participants' papers included: the spectrum of activities which is encompassed by the word "cultural"; the library's role…

Provides an overview of this special issue of Wilson Library Bulletin on library services to a growing racially and ethnically diverse population. Highlights include nationwide responses from professional associations and government agencies; reaching community libraries; making library activities accessible to underserved populations; and the…

Rural librarians in Colorado, Kansas, and Oklahoma are involved in a 1-year project designed to assist them in implementing humanities programming for adults; "Women of the Plains and Mountains" is one of three packets compiled for the project. The packet is designed to provide a step-by-step guide for the librarian with little or no…