Public libraries are heavily affected by political and policy-making processes that shape the funding, activities, and roles of libraries in society, with the explosion of information policy decisions in the past two decades significantly increasing the responsibilities of libraries while also increasing limitations on their activities. Research…

Recent government initiatives to combat social exclusion within the United Kingdom have served to place librarians and libraries as prominent players in the movement to providing information over a wider social context. For example, The Peoples Network is a government initiative to connect all public libraries to the information superhighway by…

This document presents the program and proceedings from the 68th International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Conference held in Glasgow, Scotland, August 18-24, 2002. Topics of presentations include: library services for parliaments; needs assessment; the effects of September 11th on information provision and privacy;…

These articles address the core values of librarianship, focusing on democracy and public libraries; equity of access to information, including building collections, circulation policies, interlibrary loan, and intellectual property and licensing; intellectual freedom, including rating systems for various media; and library service in the light of…

Presents perspectives from a library educator and three library administrators on the core values of librarianship, particularly public librarianship. The four contributors emphasize: cooperation for a shared endeavor, a passion to provide access, connecting information and people, and offering choice to individuals without restriction. (AEF)

This paper discusses the central role of effective communication in library leadership and how a leadership role in the library and information community can define and help establish an information infrastructure in our society. The opportunity for this leadership to exist in the convergence of libraries and computer centers is examined in a…

This paper explores what the rural library will look like in 2001, and envisions rural information needs and the roles the library will assume to meet those needs. Demographically, the year 2001 will see an aging population, low population growth, and a rising percentage of racial minorities. Key areas of public concern will be the environment and…

Discusses the experiences of four librarians who adopted marketing strategies to improve their practice and their institution's services, and examines the role of marketing in today's information society. (AEF)

Librarianship is in a period of great transition. Expanding uses of information technology and a dramatically changing demographic and economic environment are forcing librarians to re-examine their profession and to ask questions about their future relevance and viability. Change is and should be viewed as an ongoing and critical component of…

The Brick & Click Libraries Symposium is a one-day conference that focuses on providing library resources and services for students who are either on-campus learners or off-campus learners. It is sponsored by Northwest Missouri State University in order to offer academic librarians a forum for sharing practical information. The subjects and…