Sailor, Maryland's public information network, has become a national model for public libraries and states planning telecommunications networks and library systems integration. This article summarizes the design and implementation of the network's Internet resource collection development, highlighting the database committee, editorial board,…

Reprints the introduction to a past theme issue that discussed library instruction and reference services in academic and public libraries. Topics include library instruction as part of public services; and two main viewpoints of library instruction, one of which believes in its value and one which believes it is unnecessary. (LRW)

Describes a study designed to ascertain the extent to which the public library model of universal service generated Internet use among information gatekeepers in an African American inner city community. Analyzes use or non-use of the library, library computers, and Internet resources using an innovation adoption model. (Contains 37 references.)…

Change Analysis; Discusses after-school homework programs in public libraries that help latchkey children and others who need extra support and encouragement. Considers changes in librarian's attitudes toward homework help; the history and need for community-based after-school programs; scholastic benefits for students; and library staff benefits,…

Describes indexes to Web resources that have been created by librarians to be more discriminating than the usual Web search engines, some of which are organized by standard classification systems. Includes indexes by solo librarians as well as by groups of librarians, some in public libraries and some in higher education. (LRW)

Reports on two pilot studies conducted in the United Kingdom, one at a university library and one at a public library, that investigated the use of electronic books. Both studies raised concerns regarding the usability of the products and conclude that improvements are needed in terms of portability, readability, and navigability. (LRW)

Discusses security and safety issues for public libraries, especially high-profile central facilities, in light of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Highlights include inspecting bags as patrons enter as well as exit; the need for security guidelines for any type of disaster or emergency; building design; and the importance of communication.…

Provides a history of Raleigh's public library for African Americans and its founder, Mollie Huston Lee. Highlights include African Americans in North Carolina, public library service for Blacks, library collections, circulation, branches and bookmobiles, and creation of a county-wide library system. (LRW)

Compares users of a traditional human-mediated checkout system with users of a self-service system in a Canadian public library to determine if and why patrons will use self-service if given the option, and how library staff might play a role in the successful implementation of self-service checkout. (Author/LRW)

The Florida Library Research Project uses the community education process--involving the community, sharing resources, and promoting lifelong learning--to further the mission of the curriculum in appropriate areas. Elementary school children are introduced to library resources and research tools and library volunteers visit classrooms to help…

Discussion of controversial fiction for older children and young adults focuses on two main issues: the relocation of controversial material, and why material is challenged. Includes a list of books that were challenged in schools and public libraries in the U.S. and Canada from 1984-1999. (LRW)

The readers' advisory service was a product of social forces operating in the context of early twentieth century capitalism. The work of French regulation theorists provides a framework for analyzing these forces using the concepts of regime of accumulation and mode of regulation. Libraries were connected in a society-wide project, as opposed to…

Examines the legal issues surrounding Internet filtering in public libraries. Discusses First Amendment rights and responsibilities; recent court cases; legal problems with limiting Internet access; librarian intervention; less restrictive means to protect minors from harmful materials; and possible liability issues. (LRW)

In 2001 youth services librarian Wendy Wilcox begged her boss for the chance to make West Bloomfield Township Public Library (WBTPL) one of 20 demonstration sites for the Public Library Association (PLA)/Association for Library Service to Children initiative Every Child Ready To Read. While all participating libraries teach parents and caregivers…

Judy Nelson thinks it's important to understand what the community wants for its young people, "which means lots of listening." We need to give taxpayers more good reasons to support libraries, she says, and the community's problems and unmet needs are opportunities for libraries to be an integral part of the solution. One problem Nelson…