Examines the catalogs of 19 urban public library systems, 10 American and nine Canadian, to determine the extent of their holdings of 99 gay-related fiction titles in English for young adults. Data are tabulated by title, and a list of the titles surveyed is appended. (Author/LRW)

Describes a study that analyzed and evaluated interlibrary loan policies of 42 universities that were available on the World Wide Web to identify trends in service and help libraries develop their own policies. Appendices include results regarding eligible patrons, payment and fees, ordering procedures, missing materials, and notification…

Presents a rationale for keeping the school library media center's vertical files. Discusses reasons related to: student accessibility, supplement to the school curricula, local topics, and limited financial resources. Outlines ten guidelines for maintaining a useful and current file collection. (AEF)

Presents an overview of the need for a multicultural program in the Indian Prairie Public Library District (Illinois). Describes the grant-based collection development; cataloging; promotional materials; judging success of the program; and how improvements could have been made. (AEF)

In summer, 2002, the Education Division of the Special Libraries Association held a panel presentation on "Historical and Archival Collections in Education." From that session developed this article which discusses the need for finding aids, publicity, creative uses of the web, and collaborative ways to deal with these issues. Specific references…

For gay students, some always feel like they are wearing a mask. They cannot let their family, even their friends, see the real them. According to researchers, the road to adulthood for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered teens is riddled with more potholes than for other teens. For starters, gay teens are two to three times more likely to…

Many children today have never lived in a home without a computer. They are the "Net Generation," constantly "connected" by iPod, cell phone, keyboard, digital video camera, or game controller to various technologies. Recent studies have found that Net Genners see technology as "embedded in society," a primary means of connection with friends, and…

Like any well-run company deciding on what products and services to offer, a good library should pay attention to customer demand when it is building its business reference collection. What kind of information do business patrons want? Most are looking for company and industry details: a corporate address or name of an officer, financial data for…

One of the hardest administrative duties for teacher-librarians seems to be collection development. One would think that the selection of books would be effortless, especially with the number of online bookstores offering used book discounts or free shipping for large orders. Deepening budget cuts and limited or untrained staff means collection…

On January 15, 2005, a standing-room-only crowd of librarians listened as a panel of experts, moderated by Columbia University's Jim Neal, voiced support for the National Institute of Health's (NIH) proposal to mandate free online access to the research it funds. This article briefly discusses some personal accounts where open access would have…

This article traces the origins and development of archives in Pakistan. The focus is on the National Archives of Pakistan, but also includes a discussion of the archival collections at the provincial and district levels. This study further examines the state of training facilities available to Pakistani archivists. Archival development has been…

Greater access to archival materials remains a significant challenge to archivists, librarians, and researchers. In addition to official records documenting governmental activities and agencies, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has significant collections of donated personal papers. Some are processed, some are in the…

Woolmers Estate, near the town of Longford in northern Tasmania, was the home of the original Tasmanian branch of the Archer family whose head, Thomas, first settled there in 1816. It was occupied, in turn, by six generations of Thomas Archers, the last of whom died in 1994 without issue. During that 180-year period, a library of some one thousand…

This article examines the advantages of using automated media library systems and how to incorporate them in Montessori schools learning environment. Before even addressing the issue of Montessori philosophy and practice, Here, the author first address two principles: availability and accessibility. Availability is the first principle of a…

The work of librarians can be a lifeline to youths dealing with difficult personal issues, such as family strife, growing up, and sexuality. This paper presents an issue where school library books at Fayetteville High School are questioned because their books are too sexually explicit or mature for teenagers. In the midst of intense media coverage…