Describes two main groups of home schoolers, "ideological" and "pedagogical." Highlights include a family's success with nondirective teaching; teaching styles; religious factors; the social impact; research results about use of public libraries; and 12 suggestions of how libraries can serve home schoolers information needs.…

Reports on a study of the diffusion of the Public Library Association's planning process. Two surveys are described: one of state library development agencies that determined techniques used to disseminate planning information; and one of small public libraries that determined the extent to which they had received and were using the planning…

Discusses the concept of Afrocentrism and presents the arguments of several scholars for and against the role of Afrocentrism in education. Implications for librarians are considered, and guidelines for related collections and services are offered. Major African studies repositories and suggested titles for Afrocentric collections are listed. (MES)

Describes the changing role of the library and the reference librarian and the effects of new information technology, changing demographics of student populations, and patrons' expectations for personalized service versus library instruction. Fees for meeting rooms, photocopying, videos, printouts of articles from online full-text, information…

Defines the concept of the virtual library, reviews factors in its inception, indicates prerequisites for its success, and explores the implications of the concept for librarianship, with an emphasis on the school library media center. (49 references) (KRN)

Discussion of mass media use by older women focuses on a study of 55 women (average age 82) that examined their perceptions of time, their preferred media, their perceptions of the role of the public library, and actual use of the public library. Implications of the results for information professionals and further research possibilities are also…

Describes the formation of an automated School and Public Information Network (SPIN) in Grosse Pointe (Michigan) among the public libraries and public school libraries for the purpose of resource sharing. Topics discussed include management issues, organizational perspectives, management by committee, the importance of cooperation and…

Summarizes the results of a survey of 200 public libraries and AIDS service agencies that was conducted to investigate the willingness of library directors to establish AIDS information services and the extent of cooperation between libraries and AIDS service agencies. Community responses are discussed, and implications for future development are…

Reports on a study that assessed key issues affecting public library roles in the use of nonbibliographic Internet information services and explored possible future roles for public libraries in the National Research and Education Network (NREN). (19 references) (EA)

Includes three articles that consider the effects of the Internet on public library reference services. Highlights include the reliability of Internet information sources, its timeliness as a tool for information access and dissemination, the Internet as change agent for libraries; reference publishing, helping the searcher refine requests, and an…

Describes New Jersey libraries' specific goals for providing the public with electronic access to bibliographic data and government information as well as electronic interlibrary loan and document delivery. Other highlights include results of a public library survey concerning electronic access to information, dial-in access to online public…

Provides an overview of library and information technologies in Tennessee. Highlights include the information infrastructure; school library connections to the Internet; networking among public libraries, including interlibrary loan and Internet access; automation and networking in academic libraries; library and information science education; and…

Provides an overview of library automation and public policy initiatives in the state of Washington. Highlights include access to government information; public library initiatives, including Internet access; access in rural areas; partnerships between libraries and government; higher education cooperation; community and technical college…

As the first of the baby boomers turn 60, public libraries are preparing to offer creative alternatives to retirement to a generation notorious for their idealism and activism. This report from the Americans for Libraries Council (ALC) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) offers guidelines, demographics, and examples of model…

This submission represents the views of a newly formed organisation known as Public Libraries Australia. Formed to aggregate the political, service and infrastructure capacity of Australia's 1510 (ABS June 2000) public libraries, Public Libraries Australia will support and represent public libraries on a national basis. Networked across Australia…