In this article, the author recounts her experience in 2005 as a library director at the Mount Laurel Library in New Jersey. She thought her people at the library were in fairly good shape in terms of the professional staff's understanding of the confidentiality rules governing their customer information. However, she was wrong. This was driven…

From the ascendance of the reference database and web sites offering endless opportunities for cyber-promotion to the crowds swarming through the doors to avail themselves of new computers, the Internet has transformed the way public libraries do business. That is not news. What is exciting, though, is how the Internet continues to change public…

When a challenge gets difficult, it's hard to believe that people challenge instructional materials because they care. It's even harder to remember that educators want the general public, legislators, taxpayers, and parents to care about education. Library media specialists and administrators have the same lens of stress that all adults have,…

Libraries need to weigh the benefits, usage, and cost-effectiveness of owning collections against seeking alternatives to deliver the information needed by customers. The University of Arizona Library investigated different approaches for meeting the research needs of East Asian Studies faculty and students under great pressure of physical space…

Pennsylvania public libraries began receiving increased allotments of state aid in 2000. In the first two years of enhancement aid, total state aid received by Pennsylvania libraries more than doubled. This reversed the trend of little growth in the years preceding 2000. The enhancement aid program also redesigned certain categories of state aid…

Despite a number of savvy strategies, it was a tough year at the polls for libraries. Both building and operating referenda had the lowest passage rates this decade, with only 52% of capital referenda and 57% of operating referenda finding success. In fact, in the 18 years since Library Journal has been tracking these votes, 2005 had the lowest…

The most elemental identifier of a book is the international standard book number (ISBN). It allows publishers, booksellers, and libraries to label works in a consistent way and to distinguish not only among different titles but also among different versions of the same title, such as newer editions, various bindings, audio products, and…

To administer successfully one must start at the beginning and consider actual events in the organization, events not dictated by administrative behavior but by individual behavior. (Author)

In a bibliographic essay, participation in management is explored. (PF)

Reviews the principles of the Theory Y approach, reports upon its coverage in library literature, distinguishes between the concepts of Theory Y and participative management, and discusses how Theory Y's application in a small academic library recommends its use for library operations in general. (Author)

Discusses the ideal goals and the real problems involved in running a prison library. (PF)

This paper presents general advice, illustrated by examples from the experience of the state of Ohio, on the use of written agreements, contracts, and the competitive bidding process, and indicates the benefits they can bring to a number of areas in library purchasing. Examples are concerned with the procurement of general supplies, binding…

This overview of library finance issues examines governance issues at the state level, the nature of state enabling legislation, the organizational framework at the state level, state-local relationships, constituency characteristics and requirements, and governance characteristics at the local and regional levels, as well as the need for improved…

Effects of budget adversity on acquisitions procedures in research libraries were studied through visits to ten ARL (Association of Research Libraries) libraries, interviews with more than 100 individuals, a literature search, and consultation of current ARL library annual reports. (Author)

A profile of Marty Martelle, director of the Sacramento City-County Library System. (PF)