Over the past decade, policy discussions about public access computing in libraries have focused on the role that these institutions play in bridging the digital divide. In these discussions, public access computing services are generally targeted at individuals who either cannot afford a computer and Internet access, or have never received formal…

In 2001, WorldCat, the primary international bibliographic utility, contained 45 million records with over 750 million library location listings. These records span over 4,000 years of recorded knowledge in 377 languages. Under the auspices of an OCLC/ALISE (Online Computer Library Center/Association of Library and Information Science Educators)…

Members of the Tennessee Library Association's Technical Services Roundtable examined the extent to which the developing technology of automation is being utilized by the state's libraries. The survey encompassed technical service activities and had a two-fold thrust: to determine how automation is being employed, and to compile an inventory of…

Over the last decade, studies of online catalogs have revealed that they frequently discourage users. Subject queries often fail to produce retrievals or produce retrieval sets that are too large and unwieldy to be easily scanned. Research shows that users are seeking alternative approaches to those that manipulate the subject headings in catalog…

This study reports on faculty response to the Journal STORage project (JSTOR), an online system for accessing digital back archives of core journals in history and economics. Data were collected about general journal use, Internet use, and JSTOR use via a survey administered to 160 historians and economists at the University of Michigan and at…

Historically, libraries have been an important component of the educational process, contributing to the success of the educational mission of schools. Education reform has prompted increased attention to the role school library media centers might play in the expanding role of computer- and technology-based education. However, policymakers have…