One important responsibility of the library profession is the development and promulgation of a comprehensive, enlightened, well-reasoned, and sophisticated position on the question of censorship. (3 references) (Author)

The vice president of Gaylord Information Systems, a vendor of library products, reminisces about several items of library equipment and their evolution, including the card catalog, circulation products, and bookbinder's supplies. The common purpose of library products of the past and present--to help librarians help people find and use…

Historically, it's been an unavoidable truth: IT people and library people have not been inclined to come to the concept of service with the same view. For IT, it's been all about keeping the servers and systems up, the websites going, and the help desk calls and their turnaround times to a minimum. For library professionals, service has meant…

A brand is an idea in the minds of one's constituents that is created by what one says or does. The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) describes itself as a professional membership organization, serving the needs of 10,000 school library media specialists in the United States, Canada, and around the world. In this article, the author…

Librarians are effective in sharing their best practices with each other. Learning from each other is crucial, but not sharing their stories with other members of the school learning community keeps them wondering exactly what it is that librarians do. In this article, the author offers steps that can guide librarians to write for publications…

With the pileup of responsibilities that range from programming to outreach to web management, more and more librarians are finding vendor-based book selection enticing. Most librarians see vendor-based selection as an option to relieve the pressure and still provide good collections to their patrons. However, using vendors to help facilitate…

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is committed to bringing together museums and libraries across the country for conversations dedicated to developing a better understanding of the roles of libraries and museums as providers of public service to communities. The Future of Libraries and Museums in the 21st Century Planning…

"Third places" or public and informal gathering places have declined over the years. Third places, which are "neutral ground" where people gather to discuss, interact, and enjoy the company of those they know, are important for the health of communities. It's a known fact that teens have a strong need to socialize, and their third-space options…

Suggests ways media specialists can facilitate learning. (PF)

There is a distinction to be made between knowledge and information. Knowledge is orderly and cumulative; information is random and miscellaneous and may be collected simply because it is there. The information industry is flourishing, but knowledge institutions--colleges, universities, and libraries--go begging. The knowledge industry is actually…

The library should not be separated from the greater society. Following the internal, philosophic upheavals of the 1950's and 60's, the membership of the American Library Association (ALA) is now attentive to the changing needs of the society. Libraries should gain more public recognition to improve their position in budget allocations and…

Library cooperation in the Metropolitan Washington area is described, along with its problems and successes, and the significant role special libraries can play in an ambitious intertype library cooperative. (Author/PF)

Identifies the kinds of research (both intrinsic and extrinsic) in which the study of maps plays an integral role, and defines the function of the library in historical map research. Nineteen references are cited. (FM)

The article links the roles of libraries and professional library staffs to the newly emerging consciousness of the "library rights" of blind and print handicapped persons throughout the world. (Author)