Discussion of interlibrary loan transaction fees and their effect on user requests focuses on a case study of the library of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. Comparisons are made between charging and noncharging conditions, and it was found that only public libraries showed a decrease in interlibrary loans after fees were initiated. (31…

Describes a public library's winter vacation sleepover program for sixth and seventh graders. Planning, promotion, activities and games used, feedback, cost, and ideas for the future are discussed. (EAM)

Describes a literacy project (Preschooler's Outreach Program) sponsored by a public library and staffed by students from the children's literature classes at a Texas university. Shows that college students participating in this project have unique insights into literacy acquisition among young children and are able to put into immediate practice…

Presents a content analysis of PUBYAC, an electronic discussion list for Children and Young Adult Services in Public Libraries. Information is provided on the different themes and topics that appear in the list, the lifespan and liveliness of specific discussions, percentage of active participants, and distribution of messages by participant. (AEF)

Discusses possibilities for cataloging Internet resources and the role that the library profession can play. Topics include the Dublin Core metadata; public library projects (Michigan Electronic Library "MEL" and Librarians' Index to the Internet "LII"); academic library projects (INFOMINE, Scout Report); commercial sites…

The director of the Queens Borough Public Library (Jamaica, New York) examines the role of the public library in helping to prevent illiteracy and discusses innovative ways libraries can serve adult readers and learners, using the Queens model as an example. Includes a sidebar by Audrey Gorman "Toward a New Definition of Literacy." (AEF)

Considers the changing roles of public libraries and challenges facing them in the future. Topics include core skills needed by library professionals, print and nonprint materials, the inclusion of new formats, blending traditional and electronic library resources, the expanded roles and responsibilities of librarians, meeting user needs, and…

Examines implications of the introduction of Compulsory Competitive Tendering (CCT) to Victoria (Australia) public libraries and the revision or abandonment of previously dominant ideals of public administration. Topics include the role of government; public services as a competitive market environment; economic rationalism; and the threat to the…

Discusses expectations of public library reference service and the reality of what librarians can provide amid declining resources. Suggests reference librarians should define the gap between potential and reality in reference service, and inform the customers about how little money it would take to provide better service. Argues that librarians…

Reviews library news for 1997. Highlights public library budgets, examined by number of patrons served; Internet filters and censorship; librarians and the media; private and government funding sources; outsourcing; expectations for growth in the publishing industry, emphasizing the Asian economic crisis; and new ideas from the next generation of…

Describes how the Rochester Public Library (Minnesota) managed public access to the Internet for both residents and non-resident patrons. Discusses user needs, staff involvement, system software, fees, and handicapped accessibility. (LRW)

Describes how libraries can use statistics to make useful comparisons with similar types of libraries. Discusses public libraries, academic libraries, and school library media centers; considers print and electronic sources; and lists acronyms and applicable Web sites where statistics can be found. (LRW)

The Dewey Decimal Classification was not fulfilling genealogical researchers' needs, who search for ancestors by place (not subject). A new system that was developed at Rowan Public Library (Salisbury, North Carolina) is described. Also given are suggested additions to the Library of Congress Subject Headings to provide geographic orientation.…

Describes the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) advisory committees in terms of research, public, college and university, and special libraries. All four of the type-of-library advisory groups work to shape OCLC policies and programs, according to the particular needs of each group. OCLC's financial and programmatic success depends upon…

Examines users' accounts of asking reference questions in Canadian public or academic libraries. Discusses problems, including failure to conduct a reference interview, unmonitored referral, and failure to ask follow-up questions; and considers how the availability of electronic resources, including the Web, has changed reference transactions and…