Traditional libraries are being redefined. They are not only places to access books in print, but are also rich resources for digital assets. As a result, technology training programs need to progress beyond basic "mouse and keyboard" in order to meet the ever-changing needs and demands of the public. As library collections transition to…

Despite the recent turmoil in the U.S. economy, most libraries that were tracked by "Library Journal" won their referenda at a rate just slightly lower than 2007. Nearly three-quarters of operating referenda passed. Building referenda under $10 million passed at a whopping 85%, with those over $10 million batting slightly better than…

Declining reference statistics, diminishing human resources, and the desire to be more proactive and embedded in academic departments, prompted the University of South Florida Library to create a taskforce for re-envisioning reference services. The taskforce was charged with examining the staffing patterns at the desk and developing…

The academic library in the 21st Century must find innovative ways to remain central to the mission of the institution that it represents, and the people that it serves. Some of those ways involve what traditionally has been the province of student services. After hours events with music and art, poetry slams, and electronic gaming are a few of…

Florida's Ask a Librarian service (http://www.askalibrarian.org) brings virtual reference to users at their moment of need via the Internet. Ask a Librarian is a growing service with 76 participating libraries including public, school, four-year, and community college libraries. The following article describes how Ask a Librarian was developed…

The University of Florida Libraries took the opportunity of remodeling its Humanities and Social Sciences library to conceptualize the design of an info commons area for the new building. An Info Commons Concept Team was formed and charged with this task. The team used site visits, surveys, focus groups, and interviews to determine the needs of…

Funded by the Library Services and Construction Act, the 1997 Florida Library Youth Program is an extension of the successful and long-running Florida Summer Library Program to help librarians provide year-round programs for elementary school-aged children. The goal of the program is to introduce children to the library and its services, and to…

A survey of 104 Florida public library administrators resulted in a 70% response rate to a questionnaire investigating the value of a variety of types of activities associated with professional development. Presented as a poster session, this report indicates that the following professional and continuing education activities were considered the…

Designed to offer guidelines, ideas and help to those who provide library service to young adults, this manual includes information about the provision of young adult (YA) services in six sections. The first section, which addresses planning and administration, includes a definition of a young adult and a checklist for determining community needs…

This manual is a compilation, update, and rejuvenation of 10 of the previous themes from Florida's Summer Library Program, published to commemorate the 25th year of summer library programs in the state. The program is designed primarily for school age children, aged 6 through 12 years, to encourage library use for leisure and continued learning…

The George A. Smathers Libraries of the University of Florida is currently undergoing a major renovation. Library West, the building that houses the humanities and social sciences collection, will be gutted and expanded. The collection will be moved to off-site storage and the staff will be relocated for a two-year period. The reality of these…