Describes NARIC (National Rehabilitation Information Center) that serves as a library of information related to disability and rehabilitation issues, primarily for the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR); and the ABLEDATA project which produces resource packets and maintains an informational database of…

Discusses the use of the World Wide Web to order books, find information about current books, and find out-of-print titles, and provides an annotated list of Web sites relating to bookstores and book reviews. (LRW)

Describes several projects aimed at building the Information Commons, including: Knowledge Conservancy plans to create a database of all freely available digitized content; the Universal Library, a project with the long-term goal of providing free, online access to all books; and several projects of the Creative Commons intended to build a robust…

Explores how budget cuts for libraries, university presses, journals, and the arts have combined to threaten the infrastructure on which professors and students depend. Includes sidebars on Appalachian State University's library, the Stanford and State University of New York (SUNY) presses, and the University of Iowa's history department. (EV)

Discusses how to create a good acoustical environment for college libraries, focusing on requirements related to the HVAC system and lighting, and noting the importance of good maintenance. A sidebar looks at how to design and achieve the most appropriate HVAC and lighting systems for optimum library acoustics. (SM)

Presents K-12 and college libraries/media centers considered outstanding in a competition, which judged the most outstanding learning environments at educational institutions nationwide. Jurors spent two days reviewing projects, highlighting concepts and ideas that made them exceptional. For each citation, the article offers information on the…

A follow-up to a previously published survey on the acceptance of the Canadian Journal of University Continuing Education in an electronic format, this article discuses ways to overcome criticisms of the peer-review process, ways in which library journal collections are changing, and the role of reader surveys in making format changes. (SK)

One challenge of teaching in a correctional institution is the lack of diversity among teachers compared to the prison population. In partnership with library staff, correctional educators can help students access the materials they find interesting and develop research skills to be used upon release. (JOW)

Explains portals as tools that gather a variety of electronic information resources, including local library resources, into a single Web page. Highlights include cross-database searching; integration with university portals and course management software; the ARL (Association of Research Libraries) Scholars Portal Initiative; and selected vendors…

Focus groups captured 35 adults' perceptions of an online library and information science master's program. Analysis of results using adult learning theories resulted in 10 recommendations for online courses. Student/instructor and student/student interaction was absent in theories but a key element in distance learning. (Contains 11 references.)…

Discusses various career paths that special librarians can have and provides two examples of librarians who included consulting and teaching jobs in their careers. Highlights include demonstrating value to management; accurate job descriptions; personal and professional responsibilities; networking; and knowing personal priorities as well as…

Discussion of the digital divide, the gap between those with access to computers and the Internet and those without, focuses on the role that libraries can play in helping individuals and communities with new information technologies. Topics include differences in types of access; the need for training and technical support; and social context.…

Discusses the emergence of general audience digital libraries (GADLs), a context that represents a hybrid of both traditional information retrieval, using primarily bibliographic resources provided by database vendors, and popular information retrieval such as public search systems on the Web. Reports findings of a study investigating end-user…

This study assessed undergraduate student performance in the production of bibliographic citations. A total of 1,958 papers from 2 private liberal arts colleges and 2 large state universities were examined. Data were analyzed by completeness of citations, subject, level, length of bibliography, campus, and type of material cited. (six references)…

Discusses affirmative action strategies in academic libraries that have attempted to improve the percentage of minorities in librarianship. The importance of stressing the value of greater cultural diversity within the academic library is discussed, and specific tools that can be used to increase the number of minorities are described. (39…