Over the past few years, access to quality and meaningful training opportunities has become more challenging. Library training coordinators across the United States express the same frustration of trying to fill classes with staff members from library branches that often cannot spare a team member for training. In this article, the author, who is…

In 2008, we started by pulling a sample of 483 public libraries from across the country, using 2007 public library annual report data. Because small libraries have different needs and resources than larger libraries, we stratified the sample to make comparisons by size, according to the following population groups: fewer than 10,000 served;…

Self-service is a hit. From gas stations to banks to grocery stores--it has become table stakes for retailers who aim to satisfy an increasingly independent consumer. Libraries are no exception, and, in fact, with their card catalog past, they may well have been in the vanguard in enabling customers to find what they want on their own. Card…

Bill Schickling has spent a good chunk of his professional life at what is now Polaris Library Systems, shaping both the older Galaxy system and the newer Polaris integrated library system (ILS). When he joined the company as a programmer in 1987, it was still part of Gaylord, known mostly for its furniture and supplies division. Schickling was…

Digital inclusion is the ability of individuals and groups to access and use information and communication technologies. Not all members of a community benefit equally, and some communities have been left out altogether. This paper is a guide for fostering digital inclusion throughout the United States so that everyone can take advantage of…

America needs greater access to broadband Internet to spur economic growth, innovation, and job creation. To date, gains in household broadband take-up are not evenly distributed across all demographic groups or geographic areas. While from 2001 to 2007, the percentage of households in the United States with access to broadband Internet services…

The Commission on International Adult Education (CIAE) of the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) provides a forum for the discussion of international issues related to adult education in general, as well as adult education in various countries around the globe. The following purposes summarize the work of the…

Issues 266 through 282 of "Fast Facts" from the Library Research Service present data collected from libraries in Colorado and throughout the nation. Topics addressed in these "Fast Facts" from 2009 include interlibrary loan in academic libraries, public librarian salaries, book, newspaper, and periodical prices from 2004 to…

Reviews the history of rural public library service in the United States from the first library extension movement in the 1890s through the effects of the Library Services and Construction Act of 1964. (FM)

Discusses the roles academic and public libraries can play in the process of economic restructuring and development. A business school library in Hungary is described, and its role in economic restructuring and the education of future managers is discussed; and the role of public libraries in the United States is examined. (four references) (LRW)

The 108 university research libraries with the largest collections and 11 public and special libraries with large research holdings are listed. Data include rank (universities only), numbers of volumes, volumes added in 1991-92, current serials, permanent staff, and total expenditures in 1991-92. University libraries' total operating expenditures…

Six articles provide an overview of map librarianship in the United States and highlight the following areas: microphotography, cartography's photographic revolution; major sources for map acquisitions; preservation (processes, equipment, and supply dealers); map collections in public libraries; and suggestions for improvement in map…

Describes an annual forum of academic and public librarians from the United States and Mexico that discusses common interests such as resource sharing, collection development, and literacy programs and considers longer-range programs. Sidebar articles cover Spanish language publishing in the United States and an annual book fair held in Mexico for…

Presents: "Research on Libraries/Librarianship in 1998"; "Assessment of the Role of School/Public Libraries in Support of Education Reform"; "Number of Libraries in the United States, Canada, and Mexico"; Highlights of NCES Surveys"; "Library Acquisition Expenditures, 1997-1998: United States Public,…

Describes the range of products and services offered by VTLS, a company that offers comprehensive, integrated library automation software and customer support. VTLS's growth and development in the United States and abroad is described, and nine sidebar articles detail system features and applications in public, academic, and virtual libraries. (20…