In the summer of 2013, staff in the Access Services unit of an academic library began a cross-training and collaboration project in an effort to provide continued library service to the campus community. The cross-training was established in an attempt to address a shortage of staff as a result of budget cuts. The cross-training resulted in the…

This article describes the planning process and implementation of a single service point at Yale University's Sterling Memorial Library. While much recent scholarship on single service points (SSPs) has focused on the virtues or hazards of eliminating reference desks in libraries nationwide, this essay explores the ways in which single service…

The University of Manchester Library (UML) is embarking on an ambitious new strategy that aims to align the library more closely to the work of the University--to contribute to the University's strategic success. This article describes elements of the strategy development and content, focusing on methods used; how the service has worked…

Birmingham City University's Library and Learning Resources' strategic aim is to improve student satisfaction. A key element is the achievement of the Customer Excellence Standard. An important component of the standard is the mapping of services to improve quality. Library and Learning Resources has developed a methodology to map these…

One of the toughest challenges in an academic library systems office is how to manage and present the extensive selection of electronic resources from a variety of vendors. At York College of Pennsylvania, the authors participated in an admissions-driven web revision cycle and used a campus-provided CMS for 8 years. During this time, they tried…

Purposeful assessment of space for the understanding and improvement of the academic library is a relatively new area of inquiry. This essay offers a framework to consider different factors affecting such an assessment and insights for undertaking a meaningful inquiry about the relationship of space to an academic library's evolving purpose as…

Library binding is one of the activities typically included in newly created preservation departments, but librarians continue to discover that transforming a traditional binding program into one that better meets preservation objectives requires considerable investment of time. This resource guide is intended to help libraries review their…

This article is a case study of the Virtual Business Information Center (VBIC), a collaborative effort since 1998 of the College of Information Studies, Robert H. Smith School of Business, and the University of Maryland Libraries. The case study traces its development, implementation, and evaluation and addresses collaboration among academic…

This essay surveys continuing education/staff development (CE/SD) in large academic libraries and reviews pertinent library and management literature. The steps leading to the development of a comprehensive CE/SD program at Indiana University are detailed. (Author)

This report describes the aspirations and inspirations as well as the data collection and analyses which constituted the first phase of activity under the Mellon Foundation grant to examine collection development and management at Cornell. The emphasis is mainly on analytical and planning processes rather than specific results during this first…

Mentoring is of proven benefit to a variety of organizations, including academic libraries. A formal mentoring program for library faculty in a medium-sized academic library was created to take advantage of what is offered. Goals and objectives were established, the responsibilities of mentor, protege, and the professional stakeholders were…

The primary purpose of this book it to assist library directors and those who want to become fundraisers for libraries to learn more about fundraising and find answers to their questions. The 12 case studies presented in this book address issues of building a major gift program; developing library capital campaigns; competing for National…

Presents differing interpretations of the Copyright Law by various university libraries, and examines implementation of the law into their library services with subsequent problems, modifications, and faculty/student reactions. (CWM)

Academic libraries are turning increasingly to internship/residency programs to enhance recruitment efforts. Outlines necessary components of an evaluation model for internship/residency programs based on a survey of academic library deans/directors and program coordinators. Identifies key evaluation factors that library administrators consider…

This SPEC Kit and Flyer focus on performance evaluation of library directors. The survey, included in the SPEC Kit, was sent to all 121 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) directors; 76 directors (63%) responded. The survey asked about factual attributes of director review processes, including frequency of review cycles, participants, and…