Discusses the mission of public libraries in light of the decision to purchase Madonna's book "Sex." Three viewpoints are presented: a critic of selection policies that are too broad in the name of intellectual freedom; the director of a small public library with a limited budget; and a library historian. (Contains 18 references.) (LRW)

Discusses virtual libraries in corporate settings from the viewpoint of five special librarians. Highlights include competitive advantage, space and related collection issues, the use of technology, corporate culture, information overload, library vulnerability and downsizing, and the importance of service over format. (LRW)

Because of the high incidence of special-collections thefts and embezzlements during the past decade, library management must reassess its "user friendly" philosophy for both library patrons and employees. An internal control system is described. Causes of theft, and policies and procedures for protecting the collection are discussed. (AEF)

The development of the Internet and the online collections accessed by it has created major adjustments in all library functions, including collection management and budgeting. The authors share how two public libraries have come full circle in electronic collection management, beginning with early selection, followed by current weeding programs…

In a record of library activities in Wisconsin in 1974, the activities of the Division for Library Services are described along with the Wisconsin Library Network and the state and regional library networks, services, and resources. Lists of library and media organizations and education programs are followed by a directory of academic, public,…

Since the organization of the United States Bureau of Education in 1867 statistics of public libraries have appeared periodically in the annual reports. It has been the purpose to gather such statistics every five years, but it has not been possible to carry out the plan with perfect regularity. For forty years every annual report of the bureau…

Academic librarians are increasingly expected to advocate for scholarly communications reforms such as open access to scholarly publications, yet librarians do not always practice what they preach. Previous research examined librarian attitudes toward open access, whereas this article presents results of a study of open access publishing and…

This study focuses on a quantitative assessment of undergraduate student use of SFX citation linking software. The study seeks to reveal whether or not students are using SFX, and, if so, how they are using it. Study participants were Penn State Altoona students, all of whom had received basic library instruction. Their research sessions were…

This survey was conducted to determine how ARL (Association of Research Libraries) libraries are participating in extension/outreach through three objectives: identify the level of involvement; determine the types of outreach service, as well as user populations; and ascertain the impact on the library, including its financial donor programs. A…

This report provides information that characterizes libraries in California, profiling each library within its appropriate library type, i.e., public, academic, special, state agency, and county law. The data were gathered through the annual report forms for fiscal year 1988-1989 that were returned by 866 libraries of an estimated total of 1,000…

This report presents an overview of health science libraries and the biomedical communications network in Wisconsin, and a list of goals and recommendations related to the role of the state government in the development of health science library services. It is noted that health science libraries in the state range from hospital and academic…

This survey updates a 1976 survey conducted by the Division for Library Services of Wisconsin. The original survey obtained broad information on patterns of participation in cooperative activities by all types of libraries, including volume demands, referral patterns, and needs for interlibrary loan and reference between different types of…

This SPEC (Systems and Procedures Exchange Center) kit is based partially on the results of a fall, 1984 survey of the 117 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) members to determine the extent to which they have reorganized staff and the role played by automation in planning organizational change. Particular attention was paid to the integration…

This annual report details the activities and accomplishments of the Library of Virginia for the 12-month period ending June 30, 2001. Following messages from the Board Chairman and the Librarian of Virginia, the document reports on: acquisitions; "All Virginia Reads: An Evening with William Styron"; conservation and preservation; volunteers; the…

This five-year plan for the administration of Utah's Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) program contains the following sections: (1) principles; (2) assumptions; (3) the current scene of Utah libraries, including public libraries, academic libraries, school library media centers, and private and research libraries; (4) establishment of…