This SPEC (Systems and Procedures Exchange Center) Kit reports results of a survey that examined how Association of Research Libraries (ARL) members currently provide printing services to their users and how the costs of those services are covered. Of the 122 members surveyed, 62 responded. Included in the responses was information on main, law,…

When a new library system, WestCat, was installed in the Western Michigan University Libraries (August 1998), an initiative was undertaken to announce its arrival, establish its identity, and train the university community in its use. To promote this initiative, two committees were broadly charged with the responsibilities of publicity and…

The British Library supports research by collecting and maintaining the national archive; by ensuring the provision of the national bibliography; by building up its collections of research materials from all over the world; and by providing access to its collections through reading rooms and interlending and document delivery services. This paper…

This SPEC (Systems and Procedures Exchange Center) Kit presents the results of a survey of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries designed to provide a description of how they are responding to demands for greater hours of access and service. Survey responses indicate what hours of access and service libraries are providing and…

Addresses the question of librarians' response to women's needs, examining the basic differences between public and academic libraries and their service philosophies in terms of the community of women library users, collection development of material on women's issues, access to information, and library services for women. (EJS)

Offers suggestions for cooperative sharing of resources and expertise between public librarians and their academic colleagues to establish access to popular cultural materials at academic institutions. Listings of materials for popular culture courses are included. (RAA)

Describes a three-phase national study examining the concepts of cooperative library ventures and combined libraries to determine which institutional structure had the most potential for improving school and public library services in the state. (CMV)

Presents interviews with Fred Kent, founder of the Project for Public Spaces (PPS) and Phil Myrick, PPS's assistant vice president, about transforming libraries into desirable public spaces. Discusses qualities people value in public spaces; great library buildings and what they are doing right; the first thing library directors should do when…

Describes the library at Far Eastern State Technical University in Vladivostok (Russia) based on a visit that was part of a collaborative project with California State University, Sacramento. Highlights include staffing; problems with funding, space, and technology; library collections in the Department of World Politics and Law; and the nearby…

Highlights some of the developments in the following areas that have taken place during the period 1977-87 in British university libraries: (1) library resources; (2) automation; (3) collection building; (4) technical services; (5) reader services; (6) management and staffing; and (7) cooperation. (71 references) (MES)

Describes the historical development of libraries in Ethiopia. Examines the National Library of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa University Libraries, the Institute of Ethiopian Studies Library, and the Ethiopian Science and Technology Documentation and Information Center. Discusses the development of special libraries, libraries and documentation centers of…

Selective review of the collection development literature for 1991 discusses the access versus ownership issue; organization, policy, and planning; budgets and finance; selection; assessment, weeding, and preservation; and special collections. (177 references) (MES)

Discusses results of the 1992 Index of American Public Library Circulation based on a survey conducted by the University of Illinois/Urbana-Champaign Library Research Center. Highlights include adult and juvenile circulation, operating expenses, salaries, library materials expenditures, expenditures per capita, and expenditures per circulation.…

Describes the characteristics and roles of traditional libraries and information services, and examines predictions about their future. Analyzes recent models of the electronic or digital library, and describes the concept of the hybrid library. On this basis, develops a generic model of the library, using that term in its broadest sense.…