Meaningful learning resources for earthquake safety and survival have become an increasingly important topic among geoscientists, especially educators and researchers. Various members of the public, especially K-12 (ages 5-18) learners, continue to depend on scientific trade books available at their local public and school libraries for…

Animated maps of the library stacks were integrated into the catalog interface at Pratt Institute and into the EBSCO Discovery Service interface at Illinois State University. The mapping feature was developed for optimal automation of the update process to enable a range of library personnel to update maps and call-number ranges. The development…

School librarians are natural partners in the effort to improve the education, social and employment outcomes of black males. School librarians in Durham, N.C., have been working to close the literacy gap for black males. One of the literacy initiatives centered on the work of Alfred W. Tatum who believes that efforts to engage black males in…

With their explosive sales and widespread availability over the past few years, e-books have definitively proven that they're here to stay. In this sequel to her best-selling book of the same title, expert Polanka dives even deeper into the world of digital distribution. Contributors from across the e-book world offer their perspectives on what's…

Academic libraries often serve as the protectors of challenged books. Pressure on public libraries to remove controversial works can and often does result in the restriction of access or removal of the work from those libraries shelves. Academic libraries, however, operate with a stronger sense of academic and intellectual freedom. To analyze how…

America is facing what many have called the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, with one in ten Americans unemployed. It's no surprise, then, that the 2010 book-buying survey of public libraries is on the dark side. Representing some 100 institutions nationwide distributed equitably by size, type, and location, "LJ"'s annual survey…

Minneapolis is a book lover's paradise. There are dozens of neighborhood bookstores, a sleek new $125 million Minneapolis Central Library, and Open Book, the nation's first facility devoted to the literary arts. No wonder it was dubbed America's most literate city last year. But one of the best-kept secrets is that Minneapolis and nearby Mankato…

To evaluate the extent of the book loss, the author identified several highly controlled areas of the collection where it was possible to determine losses and then used statistical sampling techniques to establish current loss rates together with the appropriate confidence intervals. (Author/NH)

Describes a project of the Levittown Public Library to determine its book loss rate, the methods of determining losses, kinds and ages of books lost, and use of the "Tattle Tape" security system to reduce book loss. (LS)

The objectives of a study to develop objective weeding criteria are described and the study findings are presented. (AB)

Raises questions regarding the Notable Books project. (AB)

A study of the effects on public library circulation of putting a group of selected adult titles in a prime physical location is reported. It is hypothesized that public library circulation of these titles will be significantly greater when they are collected and placed in a prime location than when they are scattered on the shelves of even an…

Social change in the 1960's has created a new climate for literary expression in the coming years. In order to emphasize the change in reading taste, and the corresponding change in writing fiction, the Oregon State Library sponsored a workshop dealing with book selection in this new era. Many communities in Oregon are conservative in their…

Describes the characteristics of British children's books that are apt to make them incomprehensible to American children. (PF)

As educational and cultural centers, public libraries are in the mainstream of American life. Persistent library crime, such as pilferage, theft and vandalism, represents much more than financial loss. It deprives the public of access to irreplaceable books, rare manuscripts and other reference materials. Equally important, it inflicts hardships…