Explains the Bookends program, which combats a community's lack of books for its children. Describes how this grassroots nonprofit organization collects books for schools and youth organizations that either do not have operating libraries or have libraries that are so depleted that they cannot adequately provide all of their children with books to…

Describes the ways in which cultural factors shape interaction and perceptions in distance education and suggests implications for librarians and other information professionals. Reports an informal analysis of discourse in four university classes that examined text in journal assignments and email communications and considers community and…

Focuses on the Metadata Object Description Schema (MODS) developed by the Library of Congress' Network Development and MARC Standards Office. Discuses reasons for MODS development; advantages of MODS; features of MODS; prospective uses for MODS; relationship with MARC and MARCXML; comparison with Dublin Core element set; and experimentation with…

Includes 14 articles that explore school library programs based on quantifiable data and serious investigation. Topics include libraries and student success; accountability; political issues; principals' attitudes; gender; and motivation. (LRW)

Describes the political process behind the Uniform Computer Information Transaction Act (UCITA), a new article of the Uniform Commercial Code, and implications for academic libraries and higher education. Uses group theory as a conceptual framework and draws conclusions regarding the higher education community's responses to future public policy…

Discusses results of a survey designed to investigate the role of technology in research, both from the instructor and student standpoints. Results indicate a wide discrepancy between instructor and student expectations and methods, as well as an increasing demand on the part of students for full-text sources. (Author/LRW)

Discusses commercially available electronic books (e-books) and implications for librarians. Highlights include factors that influence its dissemination and use, including type of library, access methods, and the vendor; copyright; digital rights management; e-book hardware, including PDAs (personal digital assistances); comparing content vendors;…

Discusses picture books that are suitable for teens, particularly middle school readers, and provides detailed reviews for five titles that have appealing story themes and illustrations including: Tony Millionaires' Sock Monkey: A Children's Book; Mick Foley's Christmas Chaos; Mick Foley's Halloween Hijinx; The Book of Jack; and Moby Dick. (LRW)

This introduction presents a framework for discussing hypertext, previews individual articles, and discusses some relations of hypertext to library science. Historical notes are also provided, as well as biographical information on the authors of individual articles in this special section. (16 references) (CLB)

Reviews common law contract and tort bases for malpractice liability and their applicability to reference librarians, special librarians, and information brokers. The discussion covers the legal bases for professional malpractice liability, the librarian-patron relationship, the likelihood of lawsuits, and the need for personal liability…

Describes a survey of reference librarians that examined their behavior and preferences when searching for conference proceedings identified by a generic term for meeting and the name of the corporate body holding the meeting. Current cataloging practices are evaluated in light of the findings. The questionnaire used is appended. (eight…

This article describes the Software Evaluation Clearinghouse for Educators of the Hearing Impaired at Gallaudet University (Washington, DC). Software compatible with Apple and IBM hardware is collected, rated by clearinghouse members, and described in a printed catalog. Tips on starting a software lending library are offered. (PB)

Looks at current scenarios in the book worlds of the United States and the United Kingdom, including taxes on books, net book pricing, and public lending rights; traces their historical background; and shows differences in attitudes and priorities in these leading publishing countries. (34 references) (MES)

Summarizes strategies and techniques of effective bargaining that will empower the negotiator in virtually any bargaining situation, whether personal or collective. Sources of bargaining power and their applicability to particular negotiations are described, with emphasis on librarians as negotiators. (CLB)

Describes a study that examined the effect of adding retrospective conversion holdings to OCLC on the number of interlibrary loan requests received, and determined the added costs or benefits of the project. Findings discussed include the impact of the library's use of OCLC and the effect of types of materials cataloged on interlibrary loan…