The trajectory of U.S. higher education in the next 20 years is portrayed by some as an arc of potential disaster and by others as a slightly upwardly inclined plane that may have some dips along the way. Generally these scenarios focus on the teaching and learning program of higher education institutions and give very little attention to the…

Libraries and archives digitize their special collections in an effort to increase access to rare and unique items. To ensure that resulting digital collections meet user needs, institutions have made assessment, consultation, and user participation integral to digitization initiatives and the selection process. Institutions must also build…

In his article "The McDonaldization of Academic Libraries?" Brian Quinn explores to what extent and to what effect academic libraries have become "McDonaldized," according to the concept developed by sociologist George Ritzer. Quinn identifies a number of ways in which the four dimensions of…

This article reflects on the first eighteen months of a long-term project to digitize a large and still-growing postcard collection. The project is notable for its use of student workers, developing an active donor base, establishing a significant online presence, and igniting interest in, use of, and donations to the collection itself. Throughout…

Founded in 1887 as the Croatan Normal School, the University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP) is a smaller branch of the UNC System (with an full-time enrollment of about 6,500), yet with awarded diversity and a historical dedication to individualized service. Its dedication to services drives its approach to course reserves, which is to…

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to develop a system for automatic extraction of metadata from scientific papers in PDF format for the information system for monitoring the scientific research activity of the University of Novi Sad (CRIS UNS). Design/methodology/approach: The system is based on machine learning and performs automatic extraction…

Purpose: This paper seeks to provide an insight into the implementation of some of the innovative Web 2.0 applications at Jaypee University of Information Technology with the aim of exploring the expectations of the users and their awareness and usage of such applications. Design/methodology/approach: The study was undertaken at the Learning…

There is a general perception that as librarians, we know what constitutes and defines a rare book, that our heritage book collections are well-documented and their future survival is planned for and secure. This discussion paper asks whether our definitions of heritage material might be too narrow and whether they reflect the reality across all…

This report presents selected findings from the Public School Library Media Center Data File of the 2011-12 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS). SASS is a nationally representative sample survey of public and private K-12 schools, principals, and teachers in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. School districts associated with public schools…

Sooner Xpress service arose out of a need to improve and expand services for library users at the University of Oklahoma. After several years of service for our distance education students, a decision was made to expand those services to include all campus and local users in an effort to streamline retrieval services in the library. Both…

Without question, the ongoing transition from print to electronic periodicals has challenged librarians to rethink their strategies. While some effects of this change have been immediately apparent--greater breadth of material, easier access, exposure to new sources, publisher package deals, and open access--the broader outcomes on library…

The review and negotiation of license agreements has become a time-consuming but necessary part of the job of providing access to the electronic information resources required by libraries' patrons. The nature of these agreements may pose a number of barriers to the development of fully integrated collections. This article presents a fictitious…

The paper examines the constraints that hamper growth of university libraries in Pakistan. The study is based on personal observations and experience of the author, a review of relevant literature on the subject, and discussion with several senior library administrators. Issues identified are as follows: inadequacy of library collections, absence…

This report describes a study designed to assess the client and staff libraries at each of the 11 California Department of Mental Health (DMH) and Department of Developmental Services (DDS) residential facilities to determine their existing resources and their ability to meet the requirements of the changing facility populations. The study…

This study recommends a variety of actions to create and maintain a Montana union catalog (MONCAT) for more effective usage of in-state resources and library funds. Specifically, it advocates (1) merger of existing COM, machine readable bibliographic records, and OCLC tapes into a single microform catalog; (2) acceptance of only machine readable…