These proceedings contain 21 research reports and 56 position papers as well as capsule descriptions of 32 workshop forums, panel presentations, and group discussions that took place at the conference. The papers are organized into nine broad subject areas: (1) academic and research librarianship (recruitment, technology and change, faculty…

Examining the academic library within a contextual framework (of colleges, universities, and U.S. society), this book provides an analysis of the institution's content and function. The work emphasizes the structure, organization, decision making, and operations of academic libraries. The history, organization, and cultures of the academic…

Discusses the National Library of Australia's leadership of the Australian library system in light of the failure of key electronic aspects of the Strategic Plan. Topics include overseas collecting; electronic access; the Distributed National Collection (DNC); culturally discriminatory collecting policy; and costs of access, including user fees.…

Discusses the role of libraries in the Arizona Strategic Planning for Economic Development Project. Highlights include the Arizona example; survey results and implications for libraries; the Economic Development Information Center (EDIC), the project's players, collection development, and training sessions; some success stories; and the future of…

Describes the development of a courier service in Oregon for document delivery between libraries to support coordinated collection development activities. Organization of the service by individual libraries without dependence on the Library Services and Construction Act is discussed, and costs and response time are considered. (two references)…

Effective management of traditional materials will remain essential even when digital resources dominate scholarly communication. Examines traditional and digital objects in information services; provides an overview of collection management; discusses goal values, information services as purveyor and repository, the role of collection management,…

Explores the continuing role of the public library in society, discussing the mission of the library (highlights the Chicago Public Library's new mission statement), funding collections and buildings, technology, capital improvements, challenges to intellectual freedom, librarian education, library outreach, and private-sector partnerships. (PEN)

The introduction to this Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) kit explains the Conspectus method, which was developed in 1980 by the Research Libraries Group (RLG) as a means of systematically and qualitatively evaluating large library collections. The discussion considers advantages and disadvantages of this tool, which evaluates past…

This paper is a call for academic and public libraries to contemplate their role in meeting the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) information needs of their patrons. Librarians are urged to consider the potential negative consequences of neglecting to provide up-to-date and representative collections of AIDS materials. It is suggested…

This master plan for Colorado academic libraries assesses current strengths and weaknesses of public and private academic libraries in the state and forecasts the role of academic libraries in support of higher education. The plan consists of a series of recommendations divided into six related and overlapping sections: access, collection…

Notes that with the growing diversity in ethnic backgrounds, school librarians are challenged to find materials to meet children's cultural needs. (JC)

Describes the management principles used by the Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters Library to develop information services that support the agency's mission. The discussion outlines the steps involved in an action plan for making a special library a major focal point for organizational information services. (CLB)

Discusses areas of confusion concerning the role of public libraries that endanger the existence of public libraries. It is argued that the future of the public library depends on its responsiveness to the needs of the people that such libraries were created to serve, and suggestions for achieving this state are offered. (CLB)

Discusses the future of libraries in the electronic age both in terms of the facility itself and of the types of information to be stored or accessed in the facility. Library facilities must have the ability to adapt easily both to technological changes, changing patterns of service and use, and the growth and change of departments, within the…

Several brief articles examine how library and information workers in Australia, along with community historians, are meeting the challenge of finding, cataloging, preserving, and communicating local history to their clients and the world beyond. Describes cooperative initiatives by state, local, and regional libraries; discusses how technology…