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…

In the introductory paper Patricia Senn Breivik provides background information on and an overview of a national symposium. This introduction is followed by the full text of nine papers presented at the symposium: (1) "The Academic Library and Education for Leadership" (Major R. Owens, U.S. House of Representatives); (2) "Academic…

A seminar which considered problems and solutions regarding automated systems for access to multilingual and multiscript library materials was held as a pre-session before the IFLA general conference in 1986. Papers presented include: (1) "Romanized and Transliterated Databases of Asian Language Materials--History, Problems, and…

To investigate the experience of American and Canadian university libraries with remote access catalogs, self-administered questionnaires were sent to the 137 directors of all Association of Research Libraries (ARL) libraries and all libraries of Canadian degree-granting institutions. The study was designed to: (1) survey Canadian and U.S.…

This SPEC kit is based on a June 1987 survey of approval plan use by 94 members of the Association of Research Libraries. It reports on the current practices of these libraries, the perceived advantages and disadvantages of using approval plans, and the effect of increased library materials costs and library automation on such plans. It is noted…

The 29 participants in this meeting on retrospective conversion included research and public library administrators; representatives from the Library of Congress, the major bibliographic utilities, and the regional networks; librarians with experience in planning retrospective conversion projects; three authors of the "Issues in Retrospective…

This meeting on the retrospective conversion (RECON) of music materials brought together 21 individuals to plan the integration and coordination of RECON activities within the context of the music library community. Major music societies and professional music groups were represented as were music faculty and composing communities. This document…

The Library/Book Fellows Program began in 1986 with a grant to the American Library Association from the U.S. Information Agency, an independent agency within the Executive Branch. The purposes of the program are to: (1) increase international understanding through the establishment of professional and personal relationships and the accomplishment…

The second phase of a 1977 University of Pittsburgh research study that focused on the resistance to technology in libraries, this parallel study of library school students and faculty continued the investigation to determine: (1) the extent to which technological transformation of library systems will tend to encounter resistance as…

This document contains 13 papers by Soviet participants in the U.S.-U.S.S.R. Seminar on Access to Library Resources through Technology and Preservation: (1) "Automation of Information-Library Work at Scientific and Technical Libraries of the U.S.S.R." (A. S. Sorokin and V. M. Rostovtsev); (2) "Automated Information Systems for…

This task force report outlines a five-year strategic plan for the Indiana State University Library. The plan discusses expected changes and provides recommendations as to how to best meet new needs in eight areas: (1) the environment, including financial support, use of library resources, and changes in the composition of the user group; (2) user…

This workbook presents outlines of topics to be covered during a two-day workshop on the fundamentals for library automation. Topics for the first day include: (1) Introduction; (2) Computer Technology--A Historical Overview; (3) Evolution of Library Automation; (4) Computer Hardware Technology--An Introduction; (5) Computer Software…

This planning proposal recommends that Memphis State University Libraries make information on CD-ROM (compact disc--read only memory) available in the Reference Department by establishing an Information Retrieval Center (IRC). Following a brief introduction and statement of purpose, the library's databases, users, staffing, facilities, and…

This report describes the applications and work flow of a TRS-80 microcomputer at the Maine State Library, and provides sample computer-generated records and programs used with the TRS-80. The machine was chosen for its price, availability, and compatibility with machines already in Maine's schools. It is used for mailing list management (with…

Information on the growth of bibliographic utilities and academic library networking is presented in this report, as well as profiles of interlibrary loan activity at six academic libraries who are members of a major bibliographic utility. Applications of computer technology and network participation in academic libraries, and the major events in…