This paper highlights some of the issues that arose during the drafting of a revised version of the IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions) Guidelines for Public Libraries. The sections of the new document are outlined as follows: (1) The Role and Purpose of the Public Library; (2) The Legal and Financial…

Discusses results of a Web-based survey that was conducted to determine the extent to which Canadian public libraries are collecting multilingual materials, methods used to select materials, and whether public librarians are prepared to provide multilingual clientele with adequate materials and services. Examines constraints preventing public…

Overview of the new guidelines for school library media programs developed cooperatively by the American Association of School Librarians and the Association for Educational Communications and Technology reviews issues such as information studies curriculum, planning, media specialist roles, personnel, and information resources. (MES)

Describes the Health Information Project, a plan created by the Maryland State Department of Education that allows residents to obtain health information from public libraries. Examples of patron situations involving health questions illustrate the plan's main elements: collection development, staff training, networking with community agencies,…

Discusses the evolution of GIS (geographic information systems) services and the roles that reference and public services professionals may play in providing this technology to users: developing collections to incorporate GIS; providing access to spatial information and software tools; and facilitating intellectual access to GIS concepts and…

Discusses kinds of problems public librarians encounter in the process of providing legal and health information. Data are compared from two surveys of reference librarians who provide legal and health information services in Ontario (Canada) public libraries, and implications for collection development are suggested. (17 references) (LRW)

Reports on findings from a citation analysis of publications of university molecular-biology faculty that examined materials cited in published articles to determine the nature of information used in their research. Ranked lists of cited journals provide implications for library services, collection development, and the potential for electronic…

These articles address the core values of librarianship, focusing on democracy and public libraries; equity of access to information, including building collections, circulation policies, interlibrary loan, and intellectual property and licensing; intellectual freedom, including rating systems for various media; and library service in the light of…

Examines key management issues involved in delivering geographic information services on the World Wide Web, using the Geographic Information Center (GIC) program at the University of Virginia Library as a reference. Highlights include integrating the Web into services; building collections for Web delivery; and evaluating spatial information…

Discusses the need for staff development programs dealing with library service to students with disabilities based on a study of Australian school libraries. Concludes that there is a need for library-specific staff development programs that cover policy formulation, collection development, and adaptive technology, and suggests a model for staff…

Discusses issues related to managing electronic resources in academic libraries from a vendor's perspective. Topics include collection development policies; format and content; decisions to buy, borrow, or link to online resources; ethics and SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition); service, cost, and value; vendors'…

This revised edition of competencies for librarians serving children in public libraries was developed by the American Library Association. Highlights include knowledge of client group; administrative and management skills; communication skills; materials and collection development; skills in developing library programs, advocacy, public…

Interlibrary loan and document delivery services have the potential to provide a wealth of information for collection development librarians. Insights into book and serial needs, departmental emphases, instructional opportunities and distant learning are available from interlibrary loan and document delivery databases, provided librarians are…

This book, written by graduate students at the Catholic University (District of Columbia) School of Library and Information Science, examines current priorities, policies, and practices of public libraries. Following an introduction, "Reinventing Libraries: Responding to the Forces of Change" (Lisa Crisman), chapters include: (1) "A…

This notebook presents ideas for and readings about producing a well-organized and efficient school library program. The notebook is divided into 15 major sections, each of which begins with an overview of the topic, continues with practical discussions of different aspects of the topic, and is followed by background readings consisting of new…