Presents data on the construction and renovation of academic and public libraries and two-year college learning resource centers for 1980-81. Information collected by this annual survey includes costs, area and capacity, and names of architects. Multiyear comparisons, data on Canadian public libraries, and a directory of architects are included.…

Prison libraries present a growing employment opportunity for librarians, but there is little statistical or descriptive information about prison libraries. A survey was conducted of Ohio prison libraries to create a profile and increase appreciation and understanding of them. Information was collected about library users, types of materials,…

A number of library projects show the cost-effectiveness of sharing space in buildings. Six tables provide statistics for new academic and public library buildings; additions and renovations; renovations only; and a six-year cost summary. Photographs of library interiors and exteriors illustrate the article. (AEF)

As library funding decreases, choosing to convert an unused building into a library is a beneficial alternative to building a new facility. Reuse saves money, building time, and gains greater community support. Offers advice on how to choose a location and what to look for in structure, mechanics, electrical resources; and discusses challenges in…

Outlines current and past library and information education and training in West Africa, focusing on the impacts of technological advancement; suggests information technologies that training programs should be able to access; and discusses formulating new curricula, staffing requirements, and further implications for the countries in this region…

Discusses the need for cooperation between architects and clients during the design process, and describes the working relationship between an architect and librarian during the design of a school library facility. Specific solutions for design requirements relating to book processing, reference services, and microform use are described. (CLB)

Discusses the applicability of for-profit customer service concepts to nonprofit library public service. Highlights include 10 elements of successful library customer service for children and youth; creating appropriate physical environments; understanding the customer; body language; organizational restrictions on staff; customer feedback;…

Describes the results of a survey of broadcasting libraries in Nigeria that used questionnaires, observation techniques, and interviews to generate data. Inadequacies regarding staffing, development, preservation and conservation practices, collection development, bibliographic control, space, and funding are discussed, and recommendations for…

Describes the planning process and discusses important issues impacting the design of a new library building at DePaul University, Illinois. Planning for the changing demands of students, curricula, and information technology is discussed and samples from the planning document are included. (EA)

Presents an overview of the benefits of portable library structures and discusses results of a national survey of 16 public library systems representing 18 portable facilities. Findings relate to common locations, user groups, cost effectiveness, advantages, and staff reactions. (Contains 10 references.) (EAM)

Presents an interview with two librarians who are participating in joint-use projects, one between a public library and a school library, and one between a public library and an academic library. Personnel, commingling collections, changing library roles, and governance boards are considered. (LRW)

Discusses changes in distance education and considers the resulting need for new types of library services. Topics include new Web-based contact center software; how to conduct virtual reference interviews; online reference service; the role of the physical library; staffing changes; and future possibilities, including impacts on costs of library…

Discusses the need for strategic planning in university libraries and describes the planning process, based on experiences at Brown University. Explains the role of task forces that were formed to address six main issues: service to users, collections, educational role, technology, staff development, and facilities and space. (LRW)

Describes methods used by the South Carolina State Library to make its library, both the workstations and the Web site, more accessible to visually and physically handicapped patrons. Discusses choosing new hardware and software, renovating the workstations, and becoming more aware of user needs; and lists resources for Web accessibility…

From classroom, to study space, to collaborative work or laboratories, students seek spatial, social, and intellectual connections, and most importantly, they seek the right space at the right time. The challenge for libraries is to provide different types of integrated spaces that balance the need to reflect and to absorb with the need to…