Mission statements are expected elements of business plans and corporate communications. Yet, practice in creating them and monitoring their impact varies and skeptics wonder about their usefulness. A survey of business literature provides a context for school library mission statements. Mission statements define the nature, purpose, and role of…

Evidence-based library and information practice (EBLIP) provides school librarians a systematic means of building, assessing, and revising a library program, thus demonstrating a school library program's worth to the larger school community. Through survey research collecting both qualitative and quantitative data, 111 public school librarians in…

This narrative, single-case study examines how liaison librarians at the University of Minnesota (UMN) came to include advocating for reform of the scholarly communication system among their core responsibilities. While other libraries may hire a coordinator or rely on a committee to undertake outreach programs, UMN has defined baseline expertise…

Writing a mission statement is difficult, especially today when the need for libraries is being openly questioned. Now more than ever, librarians, trustees, and patrons must determine how libraries can best serve their communities and express their conclusions in their mission statements. A clear sense of purpose provides an essential foundation…

Since its establishment in 1839 to serve the branches of state government, the Illinois State Library has undergone an evolution in the methods, resources and services provided. Over the years, the State Library's sphere of service has expanded to meet the information needs of the public through a statewide network of libraries and regional…

In this article, the author discusses her personal experience of coming up with a mission statement for her library. A significant part of that goal was to identify what a best-practice library looked like so that she could emulate the model in her library. The entire process is described in this article.

This position paper addresses general topics to be considered when organizing library software collections. Tasks involved in organizing and cataloging educational software collections are discussed, including arrangement/classification; the type of catalog; descriptions of the software; the general materials designator; storage requirements; and…

This Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) kit, an update of a 1975 kit, considers trends in the development and use of goals and objectives statements in Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member institutions, as illustrated in documents received in response to an August 1979 SPEC survey. The kit comprises: documents on developing…

Stressing the importance of the annual report as a library management tool, this article discusses the development of policy documents or statements, housekeeping documents (statistics, memos, correspondence), information communication, the results of effective communication, contact with the community, and management skills. A 10-item background…

Arguing that complaints are inevitable and that complaint handling should be an integral part of the library's public service program, this paper identifies and discusses the components of such a program. Concerns discussed are those that should be of general interest to all types of libraries, and the primary focus is on external complaints,…

In response to a May 1983 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) survey, 94 university library members (90% of this category of ARL membership) provided information and documents about current library branches, changes during the last 5 years, and current and planned automation activities. It was found that 63 respondents (68%) considered their…

Based partly on an online policy manual developed at the University of Houston, this policy statement for the Online Database Retrieval Service (ODRS) at Murray State University, Kentucky, provides guidelines for the librarian administering the service and for librarians conducting online searches. Eleven sections cover: (1) a statement of purpose…

This collection of statements of goals and objectives from member libraries of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) contains: (1) sections from management review and analysis program reports from the University of Washington Libraries and the University of Rochester Library; (2) a detailed organization description from the Columbia…

Prepared by the Task Force on Library Legislation appointed by Wisconsin's State Superintendent of Public Instruction, this final report presents policy statements and action recommendations addressing issues related to the organizational and funding problems of public libraries, public library systems, and multitype library cooperation. The…

This report on a survey of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries on building security and personal safety policies examines three areas in detail: (1) general building security (access to the building, key distribution, patrols or monitors, intrusion prevention, lighting, work environment after dark); (2) problem behavior…