During the summer, thousands of soon-to-be college students will read books as part of campus-wide "shared reading" programs (also referred as to common reader programs, one book programs, etc.). Such programs are designed to provide incoming students with a common experience and invite exploration of particular themes (e.g., diversity, etc.),…

Professionally, school librarians are faced with an explosion of choices--search engines, online catalogs, media types, subscription databases, and Web tools--all requiring scrutiny, evaluation, and selection. In turn, this support "stuff" forms a basis for making additional choices about how and what they teach and what they assess. Whereas once…

"When you start your new job as a school librarian, one of the first steps you must take is to ask to see the district's book selection policy. If there isn't one, write one. Right away. It protects you, the teachers, and the district." That advice was part of the author's school library administration course at the School of Library and…

This collection of discussion papers focuses on the role of library and information services in the three main topic areas for the conference: Enhancing Literacy, Increasing Productivity, and Strengthening Democracy. The collection is one of many publications and projects either in support of, or which will result from, the second White House…

Focusing on the conference theme "Living Together: People, Libraries, Information," the opening speech of the 54th International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) General Conference was presented by association president Hans-Peter Geh. This paper reflects on: (1) the significance of holding the conference in Australia; (2) the role of…

Community education gives public librarians the opportunity to become engaged in a cooperative project which could lead to expanded services. The movement, started in 1936, has expanded throughout the United States. Community education programs attempt to foster community participation, develop interaction between schools and the community,…

This Bay Area Reference Center (BARC) workshop was designed to aid librarians in answering business-related reference questions. The seven papers presented were concerned with statistical questions, stocks and securities, consulates and foreign trade representatives, market surveys, small business, and other sources of information, e.g., the…

Intended to aid librarians, this guide explores the methods librarians can and do use to influence government publishers, printers, distributors, and indexers of government information, as well as those who create and interpret the policies governing those programs. Case studies from Canada, England, and the United States are cited to illustrate…

Concerned with formulating a methodology that would best enable West Virginia's Solar Technology Transfer Program to work, the participants in a planning conference held on April 18 and 19, 1979, met to isolate techniques and objectives that would most effectively allow consumer access to solar energy information, and emphasized the role of public…

Intended to aid librarians who are building collections of information about human sexuality, this selected list of references is introduced by an essay on the myths of sexual knowledge, the role of parents, the public's attitudes toward sex education, and the role of libraries. The list itself encompasses these areas: (1) resources for libraries;…

The Committee on Manuscripts Collections of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section prepared five statements on recurring problems which plague librarians and archivists. The topics discussed are appraisal of items donated to a library for tax purposes, obtaining legal title to gift materials, the responsibility of a library to make valuable…

Libraries have a special obligation to provide educational opportunity to all segments of the population, especially the disadvantaged and minority groups. Libraries have made some progress in this mission, but it is important to organize to continue work. Libraries should seek systematic participation of schools in joint programs, encourage the…

This anthology of opinions about the roles and functions of public and school libraries covers the following topics: (1) The School-Housed Public Library--An Evaluation; (2) School and Public Library Relationships; (3) The Case for Independent School Libraries; (4) Report on Killarney Branch Library (Vancouver); (5) Report on the Flint Public…

Thirty librarians from Great Britain attended the Seminar on Human Aspects of Library Instruction. This document is a transcript of the tape from the Seminar. It provides the text of the papers presented, and the verbatim oral questions and answers of the group discussions. The two papers presented are: (1) "Instruction or Induction: The…