The 2009 database marketplace is bounded by two extremes: massive digitization projects to increase access, and retrenchment owing to budget worries. Picture medieval monks hunched over their desks in the scriptorium as they labor to copy manuscripts. A 21st-century version of this activity is being repeated daily in the world's libraries and…

The world of government information mirrors the headlines. The resources in this list of Notable Government Documents from the American Library Association's Government Documents Round Table reflect the diversity of the profession, with topics ranging from "underappreciated fish" in Alaska to the Colonial papers of Sir William Johnson;…

Like every institution that uses energy, consumes resources, and engages in construction or renovation, libraries have an impact on the environment and on the critical problem of climate change. Taking action to protect library collections is not only an idealistic professional goal but also a very practical one. Disaster preparation measures and…

Microfilming is the sensible way to preserve books valuable only for their information. A bibliography on microforms and microform equipment is included. (PF)

Outlines the conference proceedings assessing the problems in preserving information, books and materials. Possible solutions are suggested. (KP)

Reviews methods being developed for mass deacidification of books to prevent deterioration of paper. The use of diethyl zinc, liquified gas, and morpholine, and the advantages, disadvantages, and cost of each are considered. A 26-item bibliography is included. (JD)

Proposes, in the spirit of good library keeping, a regional cooperative approach to the preservation of library materials which would embody conservation services of a lower order than a conservation laboratory: e.g., stack cleaning, facilities inspection and repair, and book dusting. (JD)

Discusses the threats to books and periodicals posed by such insects as book lice, termites, cockroaches, silverfish, firebrats, and beetles; reviews past methods of pest control; and describes a technique for insect control using microwaves. The results of tests of microwave effects on publications are reported, necessary precautions are…

The Deputy Librarian of Congress responds to a Library Journal editorial on the Library of Congress' role in the development of the diethyl zinc process in preservation technology. Safety issues, DEZ as prototype, progress and success claims, deciding which books to save, and why DEZ should be used are explained. (EM)

Reports on a survey of the book collection at the Wellsley Free Library (MA) to ascertain the age and physical condition of the collection and causes of damage. Cost implications and proposed solutions are discussed, and the significance of the findings for public libraries is considered. (five references) (MES)

Watergate has been an opportunity to work for badly needed changes in the way we handle public records. (Author/PF)

Focusing on networks, this review of some of the major library news stories of 1987 discusses OCLC, the Linked Systems Project, and rural needs in the context of networking. Salaries, preservation, funding, and several other issues are also discussed. (MES)

This article is about the work of Nick Bogaty, executive director of the Open eBook Forum. Nick Bogaty is not a librarian, but he plays nicely with them, along with publishers, hardware manufacturers, software producers, database vendors, and disability rights advocates. All are groups that share an interest in making e-books work for their…

Documents the debate that took place on March 19-20, 1979, between the library and publishing communities concerning the need for a National Periodicals Center and its potential roles in such areas as document delivery, bibliographic control, preservation, and communications. Librarians were generally in favor; the private sector remained opposed.…

The first part of this article describes a number of building blocks which, in judicious combination, can be used to create a broad preservation program for a library or archive collection. The second section outlines a strategy for evaluating library preservation needs and devising a program suited to them. (Author/PF)