The innovative designs of three libraries are described: the Tempe (Arizona) Public Library, which emphasizes services for children and students; an underground library at Park College, Missouri; and a public library located in the Vancouver (Washington) Mall. The fourth article describes the work going on to restore the Los Angeles (California)…

Reviews the idealistic origins of the public library in the United States and the gradual shift from private to public financial support. It is argued that a skeptical attitude toward the public sector led to the recent financial crisis for public libraries, and that strategies for funding must include reaffirmation of the original idealistic…

Fifteen papers presented at the fourth annual conference of the North American Serials Interest Group addressed the topics of scholarly communication, optical data disks in libraries, differences among types of serials vendors, and organizational responses to the current journal pricing crisis. A transcript of the summary session and summaries of…

Identifies the optimal goal of knowledge workstations as the harmony of technology and human decision-making behaviors. Two types of decision-making processes are described and the application of each type to experimental and/or operational situations is discussed. Suggestions for technical solutions to machine-user interfaces are then offered.…

Discusses the need for the library profession to learn not only how to identify information needs, but also to create new services and delivery patterns around them. The existing literature on information needs and information seeking behavior is briefly reviewed, and a research agenda for the 1990s is summarized. (51 references) (Author/CLB)

Describes 35 items thought to be useful to academic librarians in evaluating and improving the role of curriculum libraries in the preparation and continuing education of teachers. Items listed are monographs, journal articles, and ERIC documents from the mid-1950s through the 1980s that include reviews of the literature and reports on research,…

Describes the Term Paper Clinic (TPC), a project in which students in a library reference class at the University of British Columbia offered reference assistance to other students. Appendixes include approaches and sources for the TPC search; instructions for the TPC search; a student library research guide; a report on user evaluations; and the…

Describes policies and services developed by public libraries to deal with the needs of both latchkey children and unattended adolescents. Issues addressed include students' rights to recreational activities, community involvement in library programs, patron conduct and supervision, and balancing the needs of all library patrons. (CLB)

Describes a colloquium on library service to children in the Soviet Union which was attended by a delegation of U.S. librarians. Distinctive features of Soviet library service are described, as well as practices shared by both countries. The colloquium recommendations for future projects are listed, and papers presented by Soviet librarians are…

Describes current developments in microcomputer technology, including CD-ROM, the 80386 microprocessor, and the graphic user interface. It is argued that, as the information handling capacity of microcomputers increases, the microcomputer industry will increasingly market information to end users, and the library will be challenged to provide the…

Describes the provision of corporate information services to a zoological organization of 1,200 employees located in two facilities. The discussion covers the history and development of the library collections, and services provided to users. (Author/CLB)

The increase in end-user searching, the advantages and limitations of front ends, and the role of the librarian in end-user searching are discussed. It is argued that librarians need to recognize that front ends can be of benefit to themselves and patrons, and to assume the role of advisors and educators for end-users. (37 references) (CLB)

Describes the growth of academic computing and the resulting need to redefine curriculum, university structures, and the relationship of the university to other institutions and society at large. Topics covered include courseware; the role of academic libraries; the incorporation of online catalogs into national academic networks; and university…

Explains the basic requirements of Proposition 48 and discusses why college student-athletes are an important target for library user education, and how libraries can help student-athletes maintain their eligibility. A library user education module for student-athletes developed at the University of Wisconsin at Madison is described. (20…

Compares the experience of watching television with the experience of reading books, and cites examples of television programs that have introduced viewers to the world of ideas and led them to look for more information in books. Librarians are advised to include a printed bibliography of related books when they check out a video masterpiece. (MES)