Libraries offer a variety of services and play an assortment of roles. While few people disagree that libraries have been valuable institutions in the past, many wonder how necessary they will be in the future. Shrinking budgets make it harder for libraries to contradict these perceptions. This report examines the social and economic impact that…

The United States Department of Education, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Library of Congress, the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, and the National Institute for Literacy have formed the AMERICA 2000 Library Partnership to support libraries in their work toward the six National Education Goals announced by…

School library media specialists in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia were surveyed in April 1990 to determine their perceptions of their training needs as they are being called upon to use the latest information technologies to access, transfer, and store information. The 2,202 responses received represented a response rate of…

This investigative study, through a questionnaire survey, was conducted to determine if public libraries in Ohio saw a need for library programs/outreach to the homeless, and if, indeed, any libraries had a structured program to serve the special needs of the homeless population. One library from each Ohio county was selected through systematic…

Noting that the rapid evolution of telecommunications technology, the relentless advancement of computing capabilities, and the seemingly endless proliferation of electronic data have had a profound impact on research libraries, this Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) kit explores the extent to which these technologies have come…

The purpose of this practicum was to increase homework productivity and reinforce basic skills in a third-grade class. Other objectives were to relieve the burden of parents who were unable to help their children with homework and to improve communication between parent, teacher, and child. Homework assignments were made daily by the teacher.…

This theme issue of "The Bookmark" provides 1991 perspectives on several library service developments, including papers by three New Yorkers who played an important role in the White House Conference on Library and Information Services: Thomas Sobol, Commissioner of Education; Robert Wedgeworth, Dean of the School of Library Service at…

Libraries exist for the benefit of the mind, but they have practical problems coping with the acquisition, storage, and handling of the documents and records with which they deal. Any change in technology that would have a significant effect on the methods available for these procedures could have important consequences for library service. The…

The Vermont General Assembly mandated an evaluation of the regional library program of the Vermont State Department of Libraries. To carry out this charge, the department initiated a 14-month review of the program with three components: an internal review of library service, use, and costs; public library input derived from a detailed survey and…

A summary of Kentucky's involvement in the second White House conference on Library and Information Service (WHCLIS), this report describes the activities surrounding this event and Kentucky's Governor's Conference on Library and Information Services. The recommendations that were adopted at the Governor's Conference in 1991 are listed, and the…

At the 1989 annual meeting of the American Library Association (ALA), the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) used a think tank as a dynamic mechanism for exploring future directions both in the discipline of library user education and for the Bibliographic Instruction (BI) Section of ACRL. Discussion centered on the following…

A low-cost reading program at De Anza Junior High School, Ontario, California, designed to motivate reluctant junior high school readers and to develop an early interest in books in preschool children is described. A background history of the Preschool Story Hour is given and sources of books are suggested. Junior high students who may be…

Realia are toys, articles and other three-dimensional objects that a child handles, manipulates or plays with to gain direct experience and information about his/her environment. Realia may include: models, toys, games, tools, puppets, costumes, and musical instruments. Children of all socioeconomic levels have the same developmental needs for…

The Commission on Librarianship at Stanford was created in May, 1972, to examine the role and status of librarians at the university including professional relationships, effective use of librarians, salaries and personnel practices, and the involvement of librarians in the library and university environment. The Commission's study groups…

A series of eight articles discusses the perceptions of the school library held by students, teachers, and parents, and suggests several strategies to improve the services and image of the library. The areas discussed include public relations programs, services addressing current social issues, library material selection, and library teacher…