Investigates the need for mechanisms for charging by digital libraries and other providers of online content, in particular for micropayments, i.e., charging for small amounts. The SSL (Secure Socket Layer) and SET (Secure Electronic Transactions) protocols for charge card payments and the MiniPay micropayment mechanism for charging small amounts…

Showcases the open-book design of a 36,000-square-foot library and media center for Olympic College in Bremerton, Washington. Discusses the architectural design requirments and need to phase construction, as well as costs and project history. Includes floor plan, general description, photos, and a list of manufacturers and suppliers used for the…

Evaluated the home pages of Hennen's 100 greatest public libraries for accessibility by people with disabilities. Explains library selection, which was based on HAPLR (Hennen's American Public Library Rating) Index Scores; and discusses accessible Web design and the Americans with Disabilities Act, universal design, and measuring accessibility.…

Reviews 50 years of published research literature in American library history that shows a lack of theoretical perspective. Suggests that library historians should join with critical theorists and with social and cultural historians to help place the library in a larger context of social and cultural forces. (Contains 131 references.) (LRW)

Describes procedures for librarians interested in building a World Wide Web site. Highlights include hypertext markup language; home pages; determining audiences and purposes; promoting safety; the planning process, including text length and density, links to external sites, and maintenance; and copyright concerns. (LRW)

Describes the development of a prototype system to analyze the ambiguity and complexity of cataloging rules to aid the quality control of cataloging standards. Highlights include AACR2 (Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, 2nd edition) rules, syntactic structure of rules, rule parsing, rule templates, relationships between rules, examples, and further…

Reports the results of a survey of main and undergraduate library reference departments at United States academic institutions conferring an ALA-accredited MLIS or equivalent degree. The survey solicited information about the employment of graduate assistants in such departments in six areas: recruitment, appointment, training, assignments,…

Examines the Government Printing Office's (GPO's) progress on its transition to a more electronic Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). Encourages GPO to expand its services and training beyond the FDLP, and to review and consolidate online bibliographic tools to be more intuitive and functional. (Author/LRW)

Responses from 174 British public libraries revealed great variation in staff recruitment and retention. Those with career development initiatives were twice as likely to be recruiting actively. A significant relationship appeared between retention and ongoing career development. Recruiting now emphasizes specific qualities, skills, and abilities…

These nine articles present narrative accounts of typical days in the working life of school librarians from all over the world. Includes school librarians, teacher-librarians, network librarians, Peace Corps volunteers, and Webmasters, as well as a report from the IASL (International Association of School Librarianship) Web site. (LRW)

Presents a brief sketch of A.J. (Jack) Meadows's career. Notes that he has written many significant articles and books in information science and related fields, many of them of seminal importance. Highlights his contributions to the field and to the many people who have worked with him. (AEF)

Considers the value of information contained within a library's online public access catalog. Assesses the value of MARC records; authority records; indexes; location and status information; and value for an individual. (LRW)

Discusses the fact that paper and microfiche materials remain a substantial part of most federal document collections and suggests ways to identify rare and unique documents that need to be preserved. Describes preservation activities and options and considers whether digitization is a good alternative. (LRW)

British librarians working as bibliotherapists developed linkages with community service and health care agencies. The project influenced emotional and mental well-being of participants, increased the use of social and cultural facilities, and may eventually affect family literacy. (SK)

Studied tribal libraries through visits to libraries in Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona. Tribal libraries serve as key information centers for the tribe's sovereign nation, and are almost always the education center of the community. However, they get minimal federal support, and few states enjoy a functional working relationship with them. (SLD)