Sixteen scholarly papers and twenty abstracts comprise the content of the eighteenth annual Brick & Click Libraries Conference, held annually at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri. The proceedings, authored by academic librarians and presented at the conference, portray the contemporary and future face of librarianship.…

Twenty-one scholarly papers and fourteen abstracts comprise the content of the ninth annual "Brick and Click Libraries Symposium," held annually at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri. The peer-reviewed proceedings, authored by academic librarians and presented at the symposium, portray the contemporary and future…

Explores use of uniquely developed microcomputer programs at Purdue University Undergraduate Library which provide reference service when reference personnel are unavailable. These programs, which allow patrons to query specific subjects of interest, also generate statistical summaries used for development of library instruction programs,…

The Machine Readable Collections Reading Room of the Library of Congress is described with an emphasis on the reference assistance required and how it compares with assistance required in other areas of the Library of Congress. The interaction between users and librarians is shown to be like that of bibliographic instruction. (EAM)

Discusses the use of the World Wide Web by academic libraries for reference and instruction. Widespread availability of software for browsing, creating, editing, and mounting World Wide Web pages necessitates discussion on the development of a library Web site; Hyper Text Markup Language; software evaluation; suggestions for writing Web pages; and…

This annual collection contains 18 papers about the use of Macintosh computers in libraries. Papers include: "The Macintosh as a Wayfinding Tool for Professional Conferences: The LITA '88 HyperCard Stack" (Ann F. Bevilacqua); "Enhancing Library Services with the Macintosh" (Naomi C. Broering); "Scanning Technologies in…

Provides practical information for librarians beginning to use online searching for reference services at the high school level. Selection of equipment, software, and database vendors are discussed, as well as financing, involvement of the school administration, and working with users to determine their information needs. (CDD)

Reviews student use of electronic searching tools and the effect of software changes on user satisfaction and success. Discusses the results of two surveys of InfoTrac users before and after software changes at Northern Illinois University, and proposes three strategies systems developers can take to balance the differing needs of sophisticated…

Discussion of the distribution of government information on CD-ROM to federal depository libraries focuses on a survey of a sample of federal depositories that investigated the availability of hardware; software; staff, including staff training; reference service; and bibliographic instruction. Suggested GPO (Government Printing Office) guidelines…

Describes the provision of library instruction and reference services to students enrolled in distance learning courses at 73 Florida-based colleges and universities by the Florida Distance Learning Reference and Referral Center (RRC). Explains the use of chat software which allows real-time virtual reference assistance that supplements email,…

Examines four areas of planning for libraries before incorporating CD-ROM reference systems: (1) hardware, including a microcomputer, CD-ROM reader, and printer; (2) databases; (3) search and retrieval software; and (4) user education. (3 references) (MES)

Describes the Intelligent Reference Information System (IRIS) at the University of Houston libraries which includes a local area network of CD-ROM databases and an expert system to recommend reference sources. Effects of IRIS on public services management, bibliographic instruction, and collection development are discussed; and network licensing,…

The author of this article is an automation librarian, but at times he also works at the reference desk, as well as teaching library instruction and literacy classes. Working at the reference desk, he learns how users handle their library's information technology. This article explores the conclusions that the author has reached regarding the…

Describes chat reference service to elementary and secondary school students at Baltimore County Public Library and Harford County Public Library (Maryland). Discusses funding; developing an audience and promoting the service; appropriate software; hours of service; technical issues; meeting student needs; relationships to curriculum; and teaching…

This study analyzed CD-ROM searches in five science and engineering databases in an academic library. Results indicated that users were usually able to obtain results and print records but that few used more sophisticated techniques to refine their searches. It was concluded that instruction in CD-ROM database searching should be a high priority.…