The conscientious selection of music materials requires an understanding of the needs of the public being served at least as much as it requires subject competence on the part of the selector. Online and print resources are available to aid in the selection of music materials in all formats, the most important of which are books, scores, audio and…

It has been over two years since Cy-Fair College Branch in Cypress, Texas, opened as a joint-use library for both a community college and a public library. Cy-Fair College is a brand new college and it partnered with Harris County to create a library for both the college community and the public. Two of the founding librarians reflect on what went…

Academic branch libraries located at a distance from the parent institution often face unique challenges in meeting users' needs for scholarly information. This is especially true for distant branch libraries that do not have a specialized function or collection, but who often face the challenge of meeting users' needs for scholarly materials…

Many libraries are using co-browsing chat products to provide reference services to their patrons, whilst their patrons are online and using the internet. The concept of such an online service is highly desirable, but many libraries are concerned that they will never be able to afford such a system. This may have changed: Instant Messaging (IM)…

The Islamic Republic of Iran's parliament, the Majlis, passed in 1990 a law setting out the functions of its national library. In 2005, the inauguration of the first stage of the new national library building was celebrated as a major national cultural and architectural achievement. This article looks at the origins and evolution of the National…

The University of Florida Libraries took the opportunity of remodeling its Humanities and Social Sciences library to conceptualize the design of an info commons area for the new building. An Info Commons Concept Team was formed and charged with this task. The team used site visits, surveys, focus groups, and interviews to determine the needs of…

A citation analysis indicated that 24 journals accounted for 85% of cited references on education of the hearing impaired from 1969-1983. Forty core journals are identified as important to professionals and collection developers monitoring the literature.(Author/DB)

Presents the Framework of Guidance for Building Good Digital Collections that was developed by the Institute of Museum and Library Services with other organizations to guide museums and libraries in digitization collection practices. Highlights digital collections, digital objects, and metadata, and discusses reusability, persistence,…

Examines the development of Nigerian University libraries and the political factors that created them and continue to effect their development, with a focus on those established between 1980 and 1984. Users, governance, finance, buildings, staffing, collection development, services, cataloging and classification, and automation are described.…

This paper describes the computerization of the libraries in the Chinese International School in Hong Kong. The Infant, Junior and Secondary libraries, with a staff of three professional librarians, one library assistant, and one audiovisual technician, needed an automated system which could support their bilingual curriculum. Two computer systems…

This document provides the 5-year (1997-2001) library plan for public libraries in Louisiana. It seeks to identify specific inadequacies in public library services, resources, facilities, and personnel. It also identifies the people who are to be served, and reveals geographical, sociological, economic, and educational barriers to the expanded use…

This 1996 National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) survey gathered data from a national sample of public libraries concerning the current level of public library involvement with the Internet. The purpose of this study was to: (1) provide policymakers, researchers, and library professionals with longitudinal data that…

Information is a consumer-driven commodity; the very existence of libraries and information centers is based on the patrons' need for specific information or material. This professional resource shows how to use management methods to implement a strong customer service program to deliver better service to patrons. This book outlines the reasons…

Increased student enrollment, collection growth, the need for multimedia workspace, and other technology changes are all reasons for embarking on a facilities project in a library media center. This book describes the keys to success for library media centers of the future, and addresses the need for developing support for the facilities plan.…

The purposes of this five-year Oregon State Library plan are: (1) to establish goals, priorities, objectives, and strategies for the development of library services within the state of Oregon; (2) to set forth methodologies to evaluate the success of the strategies in meeting the goals, priorities, and objectives; (3) to set policies and…