Planning for customer-focused library services requires a reexamination of the business and customers. Libraries must continually collect and evaluate data about the community they serve to accommodate ever-changing needs. (AEF)

Trends in service marketing are explored as they relate to strategic vision, operational and organizational changes, and marketing tactics. Discussion includes the need for a market-driven culture, the use of training and incentives, the role of product management, and the significance of "mood." (Author/AEF)

Five articles describe the involvement of the Government Printing Office (GPO) and four depository libraries in the initial GPO Access Gateway Library Program. Technical issues and innovations are discussed, and the challenges of building such a program are outlined. (AEF)

A Florida attorney outlines multiple forum advocacy for children's issues. Suggests effective advocacy is based on strategies and procedures with simultaneous action in multiple forums, and requires a variety of stratagems over time. Suggests that it is advantageous to locate "partners" both inside and outside of government and to keep…

Provides an overview of the changing community college management landscape and compares the possible outcomes and influence on an institution of various college management styles. Suggests that the most successful colleges will be those that emphasize leadership, accountability, involvement, and integration over management, control, complacency,…

Discusses the historical development of "hard" and "soft" systems thinking traditions and examines how these traditions have been understood and applied in the field of instructional development. Proposes the need for a synthesis of the two traditions in planning, implementing, and evaluating instructional programs. (AEF)

Presents three articles that discuss customer service in libraries, with a focus on planning for service management, a customer service program for library staff, and a quality improvement process. Highlights include developing and implementing service strategies, dealing with requests, redefining work relationships, coworkers as customers,…

Summarizes the results of literature on color use in multimedia screen design for instructional purposes. Discusses problems and the lack of guidance for instructional designers. Suggests renewed research and the development of a connoisseurial approach to screen design, which values the contributions of both research and aesthetic experience.…

Technology Opportunities Analysis, a research management activity of the Georgia Institute of Technology, identifies and assesses the implications of emerging scientific areas and new research technologies and helps the university plan and prioritize research and educational efforts. Program design and activities are profiled, and a number of…

Presents research on the use of external information in the strategic management of retail banks in the United Kingdom. Explores the organizational role of the environmental analysis department, the character of business environment analysis, and the nature of information used in strategic management and its perceived importance. (Author/AEF)

An examination of the management techniques that underlie the information technology (IT) industry reveals a common strategy of dividing organizational functions into tasks in a "top-down" fashion. The research and development approach is recommended for design-in-action development and an open-ended IT strategy to facilitate an…

Explores the problems that embezzlement can cause to a child-care center and suggests ways to recover embezzled losses. Proposes accounting controls, fidelity insurance purchases, and criminal record checks of all prospective employees as some solutions for reducing the risk of embezzlement. (AA)

Proposes a Florida community college's integrated planning approach comprised of three key elements: strategic planning, operational planning, and effectiveness measures. This model, which uses the institutional mission statement as the initiating point, is an efficient and meaningful way to relate an institution's purpose, goals, and outcome…

California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo is exploring several cost-effective technological solutions to improve learning productivity, reduce labor intensity, and provide new ways to deliver education and better services to students while enhancing quality of instruction. Strategic planning and partnerships have been key…

Emphasizes the importance of the principal's strategic thinking for school success. Clarifies the processes and factors influencing strategy determination by comparing a competitive, advantaged-based approach with a value-based approach. Uses a private French religious school to assess each approach's main contributions and relative importance and…