As academic libraries focus on delivering new services in such areas as research data, digital preservation, and data curation, they have begun to explore alternative funding models and approaches to research. The Arizona State University (ASU) Library in Tempe works with the university's Office of Knowledge Enterprise Development to collaborate…

The desire of academic institutions to link up to the virtual repository is a global phenomenon. Traditional scholarly publication through established journals characterized by peer review is being challenged by less formal net-based communication that links scholars essentially instantaneously. The contention is that universities need to preserve…

In the spring of 2011, the Penrose Library at the University of Denver began the process of storing all materials, services, and staff to temporary locations in preparation for a building renovation project. The library was faced with the challenge of delivering all materials from an off-site storage facility within two hours of request. A new…

Renovating, expanding or building new libraries today is a challenge on several levels. Libraries in general are faced with image issues, such as the assumption that a library building exists only to house print material followed by the equally erroneous assumption that everything is now available online, thus rendering a physical building…

The internationally recognized "NMC Horizon Report" series and regional "NMC Technology Outlooks" are part of the NMC Horizon Project, a 12-year effort established in 2002 that annually identifies and describes emerging technologies likely to have a large impact over the coming five years in every sector of education around the…

An automated retrieval system, adapted from a commercial warehouse application, has been installed at Georgia Southern University and has been well accepted by patrons and library personnel due to its reliability, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and responsiveness. (Contains 1 figure.)

In the summer of 2004, Georgia Southern University began a library construction project that was to last 4 years. An important aspect was the installation of an Automated Retrieval System (ARC) to house a substantial portion of the library collections so that more space could be available for students, faculty, and the services to meet their…

Academic libraries are turning to automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) as a long-term cost effective means of gaining additional space in their open stacks areas by removing lesser used books and other materials for storage and placement into ASRS bins. The new library building under construction at the University of Nevada-Reno will…

This article explains how the document management team (circulation and interlibrary loan) at the University of Maryland University College implemented Microsoft's SharePoint product to create a central hub for online collaboration, communication, and storage. Enhancing the team's efficiency, organization, and cooperation was the primary goal.…

Not since the age of Gutenberg has an information upheaval so thoroughly disrupted the processes of scholarly knowledge creation, management and preservation as the digital revolution currently under way. Academic libraries have traditionally been structured to effectively facilitate the access, use and storage of mostly static, print-based…

The rise of digital repositories is helping libraries reinvent themselves. The benefits to libraries and universities creating institutional repositories (IRs) are great as libraries restructure, pursue collaborations, and re-position themselves to become major digital publishers and broadcasters in the scholarly world. They will no longer be…

S. R. Ranganathan's five laws of library science, originally published in 1931, provide the basis for reflections on current trends in academic libraries.

An increasing number of academic and research libraries have built high-density shelving facilities to address overcrowding conditions in their regular stacks. However, the work performed in these facilities is physically strenuous and highly repetitive in nature and may require the use of potentially dangerous equipment. This article will examine…

Examines the intersection of conservation and digital imaging based on guidelines at the Cornell University (Ithaca, NY) library. Discusses the digitization of artifacts; assessing the condition prior to scanning; scanning considerations, including temperature and humidity, lighting, and security; stable storage of artifacts after scanning; and…

Describes the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC). Identifies the reasons consortia and vendors might want to engage in collaborative licensing ventures; describes the process used in the CIC for coordinating the acquisitions and licensing of these resources; and discusses problems encountered. Includes guidelines for collaborative…