With the introduction of the library's OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog), CD-ROMs, the Internet, and OhioLINK, the University of Toledo library is faced with technological, instructional, and other challenges. The main challenge is the lack of a mediated classroom for group instruction. Current paper-based teaching methods do not always allow…

Bibliographic Instruction librarians need a more balanced view of technology to present electronic resources in an appropriate context. To help library patrons see the benefits and drawbacks of using computer-based information sources, an assessment of librarians' attitudes, users' attitudes, and librarians' values is necessary. (Author/AEF)

This survey of 57 members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) examines technical and management issues in providing remote access to their online catalogs, as well as with instructions and services for remote users. It is noted that most ARL libraries have not yet conducted studies to project the extent of use of remote access, although…

Discusses the need to include communication skills as a component of training sessions for library staff who will be serving patrons using online catalogs and databases. Specific points that should be covered in training sessions are identified and training methods are suggested. (eight references) (CLB)

The purpose of this meeting was to solicit input for action on the topic of training information users in higher education with special reference to the needs of developing countries. Two documents which had been prepared to form the basis for discussion were introduced: a report of a survey that had investigated what was being done in selected…

Five brief papers explore the issues of "ownership" and proprietary interest in the online catalog, relationships between technical services and public services in the design and management of the catalog, and opportunities presented by the new technologies to alter ways of working together. (CLB)

This study examines the treatment given to libraries, librarians, and library usage in freshman English textbooks. The study follows criteria established by Virginia Tiefel ("Libraries and Librarians as Depicted in Freshman English Textbooks," College English 44, September 1982) in a study of texts published between 1952 and 1980. Tiefel found…

The third volume of this handbook for professionals in librarianship, archival studies, and information science in Eastern and Southern Africa focuses on the user of information and documentation establishments in Kenya. The six papers included in this collection are: (1) "The Online User in a Developing Country: The Case of Kenya" (S.…

This examination of the philosophy and objectives of academic library reference services provides an overview of the major reference approaches to fulfilling the following primary objectives of reference services: (1) providing accurate answers to patrons' questions and/or helping patrons find sources to pursue their research needs; (2) building…

Summarizes nine papers commissioned by the Department of Education for "Rethinking the Library in the 1990s." Common themes include user education, technological and social change, public policies, and changing roles for librarians. It is argued that these papers, which address adult services, need to be critiqued in terms of library…

Three articles examine the effects technology is having on academic library reference services and bibliographic instruction. Highlights include discussions of current and future reference librarian roles, specifically the "human touch" aspect of reference; and examples of reference services undergoing technological advancement and those that have…

Discussion of the influence of technological developments on social change focuses on the effects of information technology on academic reference librarianship. Highlights include reference skills; electronic resources; microcomputer technology; online catalogs; interaction and communication with users; the need to teach information skills; and…

The implementation of a wide range of CD-ROM services in the California State University (Fullerton) libraries is described in this report. The three-part CD-ROM "Master Plan" outlines the library's fundamental technological goals--i.e., to offer university-level technologies, to develop a CD-ROM end-user facility with ample resources and…

This study was designed to examine the means and timeliness of identifying and locating information in the present environment of the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) Library, and to determine the means of access that might best be employed during the next decade. Study methodology included an analysis of readings in the professional…

Discussion of developments in Nigerian higher education focuses on library services and user expectations. Topics include library automation; currency and timeliness; physical environment; preservation and conservation of library materials; information management; user education; translations to overcome language barriers; and the role of the…