Like many young people, Aaron Schmidt loves electronic gadgets. But not for their own sake. He believes the future of libraries depends on how well we meet the needs of today's young adults, who are far more tech-fluent than most librarians. As reference librarian and all-around technology guru at Thomas Ford Memorial Library, Schmidt created the…

Examines the extent of change over a one-year period in the adult fiction titles most widely held by over 4000 OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. member public libraries. Findings indicate the most widely held titles are popular works that form a stable core from one year to the next. (Author/AEF)

Traditional output measures for library services do not address the use of electronic resources and services, and national efforts to formulate such measures have failed. Describes the efforts of the Federal State Cooperative System for Public Library Data to identify output measures and the merits of various measures for local use of electronic…

Presents results of an exploratory study attempting to establish a methodology for the unobtrusive analysis of a digital reference enterprise. Logs of over 3,000 questions asked of the Internet Public Library in early 1999 were analyzed on the basis of questions asked, self-selected demographic information, how those questions were handled, and…

With the emergence of Web help services, libraries are no longer the lone providers of information. Today's researchers need to find quickly information that is usable, relevant, authoritative, and verifiable. To meet that need, libraries must adapt traditional strengths of acquiring, describing, and serving information to an environment that is…

Describes the ideas, decisions, and discussions behind the Internet Public Library (IPL), their impact, and implementation on the World Wide Web. The focus is on the work of the following development groups: technology; reference; online reference help; online collections; youth; services to librarians; education and outreach; and public…

Examines the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) which provides access to the state's public library resources; federal, state, and regional information resources; and other electronic information resources. Describes OPLIN's role in Ohio, hardware and services provided, mission, origin, funding, staff training, databases, future plans…

This submission represents the views of a newly formed organisation known as Public Libraries Australia. Formed to aggregate the political, service and infrastructure capacity of Australia's 1510 (ABS June 2000) public libraries, Public Libraries Australia will support and represent public libraries on a national basis. Networked across Australia…

Discussion of library automation in Illinois focuses on ILLINET, the Illinois Library and Information Network. Topics include automated resource sharing; ILLINET's online catalog; regional library system automation; community networking and public library technology development; telecommunications initiatives; electronic access to state government…

Describes the range of products and services offered by VTLS, a company that offers comprehensive, integrated library automation software and customer support. VTLS's growth and development in the United States and abroad is described, and nine sidebar articles detail system features and applications in public, academic, and virtual libraries. (20…

This article examines the impact of end-users on the information profession and looks ahead to what the future holds. It examines three waves of end-users that emerged with new search technologies: (1) full-text, natural language online systems; (2) CD-ROMs; and (3) the Internet. In the 1980s, when full-text online systems such as Textline, NEXIS,…

This report provides a step-by-step look at defining, planning, implementing, operating, and supporting Internet services for library patrons. Experts from the Cambridge (Massachusetts) Public Library share their experiences pioneering a high-speed, graphical Internet service that supports the full range of multimedia materials available across…