Describes the "Excellence in Academic Libraries" award in the university division from the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL). Discusses the history of the award; results of the award; winning libraries as examples of excellence; cash award; and campus impact. (AEF)

Describes ways in which collection development at the Smithsonian Institution Libraries has been affected by the libraries' position within a museum context. The discussion covers the adoption by the libraries of a nomenclature that applies to management of museum objects collections and their capitalization on allied interests in such areas as…

Reports a survey of three top U.S. academic library holdings of the U.S. telecommunications periodical press. Shows a dramatic decrease in the proportion of telecommunications titles during a time when these publications were increasing in number and price. Suggests that the research library-centered information system is being bypassed. (SR)

Describes the International Youth Library in Munich, Germany, a resource on children's literature from all over the world which makes available to teachers and researchers books, texts, magazines, journals, essays, newsclippings, and special collections as well as a children's lending library of books in 12 languages. (SR)

Explores the use of "Journal Citation Reports" (JCR) for journal management in academic libraries. Outlines the advantages and disadvantages of using JCR citation data and researches the impact of journal self-citation on JCR rankings of library and information science and genetics journals. (Contains 41 references.) (Author/LRW)

The "LibQUAL+" diagnostic tool, product of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), shows that although a single factor dominates user thinking about library service quality, all items in the survey suffuse this factor. Several first-order factors contribute unique information to the notion of service quality. As different users…

Describes the ongoing Electronic Library Project at the University of South Carolina, aimed at integrating digital resources within the traditional university research library setting. Discusses the development, implementation and future plans of the Electronic Science Library and Electronic Academic Library. (AEF)

Presents five annual reports, from the American Library Association, Association of American Publishers, American Booksellers Association, Association of Research Libraries, and the Council on Library and Information Resources. (LRW)

This paper discusses the present scenario of automation activities of university libraries in Kerala. The survey findings mainly cover various aspects of library automation such as information technology infrastructure, in-house activities, information services and their usage, manpower development, and budget. The paper briefly describes the role…

This brief article reports on the 12th national Association of College and Research Libraries' (ACRL) conference held April 7-10, 2004 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. William Mitchell, head of the media arts and sciences program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an architecture professor provided the conference attendees with the opening…

Includes a 1991 lecture on the future of rare book libraries and a commentary from 2003. Topics include paper-based collections versus electronic resources; changes in general research libraries; budget shortages; changing priorities; reformatting library materials; and education for rare books and special collections librarians. (LRW)

By conducting a survey of a cross-section of researchers at six major research libraries, the author sought to determine the usefulness of specific online resources to find primary sources, to ascertain researchers' awareness of these sources, and to uncover their discovery methodology. The survey results demonstrate that the majority of…

Future Geographic Information Systems (GIS) librarians face a number of challenges that other Library and Information Studies (LIS) graduates may not when preparing for a career in academic librarianship. This article discusses these challenges and offers suggestions to help entry-level GIS librarians begin successful and rewarding careers.

How are academic libraries organizing themselves in order to engage in the content selection and digitization of local collections? Are libraries creating new positions or units, assigning responsibilities to existing departments, setting up cross-functional collaboration among existing departments, or using a combination of these strategies? Who…

Faculty were asked how important for their students the Association of College and Research Libraries' "Information Literacy Competency Standards'" outcomes are, and when students should display the relevant skills. Faculty believe most of the "Standards'" outcomes are important but show little agreement on when students should acquire them.