What began with a few libraries' early application of ethnographic methods to learn more about user behaviors and needs has grown to become a significant body of work done across many institutions using a broad range of methods. User-centered investigations are increasingly influential in discussions about the shape and future of the research…

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is committed to bringing together museums and libraries across the country for conversations dedicated to developing a better understanding of the roles of libraries and museums as providers of public service to communities. The Future of Libraries and Museums in the 21st Century Planning…

This paper discusses the most common forms of international cooperation between legislative libraries from the perspective of Eastern European legislative libraries. The focus is on experience sharing and on the present place of these libraries in expanded European and world-wide communities, as is represented by the European Centre for…

The increased competition for public funds will soon make inter-agency cooperation a necessity. In particular, the merging of school and public libraries will result in a reduction in duplication of services and savings in the areas of personnel services, building space, and acquisition of materials. The planned high school for Anderson County is…

This document contains two papers that discuss information provision to customers at the University of Melbourne (Australia) library in light of the merger of the library with information technology (IT) and multimedia education. The first paper addresses the following issues involved in providing this service: content--collection and access…

The link between classrooms and the library is emphasized, and cooperation between librarians and instructors in developing library instructional programs is advocated. A context for academic library instruction is developed by examining its history. The philosophical rationale for library instruction is generally traced to the lectures of Ralph…

This paper examines information technology and learning; the role of the teacher-librarian and resource services in relation to the technologies; and the perceptions primary school teachers have of teacher-librarians in the integration of information technology into classroom programs, with an emphasis on the factors that facilitate the…

There are 11 papers from the Division of General Research Libraries in this compilation: (1) "National Library and Information Needs: Alternative Ways of Meeting Them, with Special Reference to the Role of National Libraries" (Maurice B. Line); (2) "Managing Change in National LIbraries: The Library of Congress" (James H.…

Focusing on the conference theme "Living Together: People, Libraries, Information," the opening speech of the 54th International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) General Conference was presented by association president Hans-Peter Geh. This paper reflects on: (1) the significance of holding the conference in Australia; (2) the role of…

This paper examines how collaborative partnership roles are defined in an educational community. The central research question is: in situations where reading instruction is presented through a literature-based approach and library instruction is supported through a resource-based approach, how is the teacher-librarian partnership enacted in a…

Academic liaison--the two-way communication between a particular academic area and the library, focused through an individual or group of library staff--has received little attention in the debate about performance measurement. Changes have taken place in higher education libraries in both scale, with the growth of student numbers, and intent,…

Defined in terms of their institutional role and historical development, national statistical libraries are discussed in the context of present structures, size, personnel situation, technical equipment, financial structure, general and specific activities, areas of specialization, and growth rate, as well as the interlibrary cooperative efforts…

This special issue of "ARL: A Bimonthly Report" contains the remarks that William G. Bowen delivered to the research library community in October 2005 at the 147th Membership Meeting of ARL. For the past 17 years Dr. Bowen has served as President of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. In these remarks, entitled "New Times Always; Old Time We Cannot…

A year-long study focused on how the teacher-librarian partnership was enacted within different elementary school contexts where there is a literature-based approach for instruction. Teachers and librarians at two schools were observed for a total of 392 hours. Purposeful conversations to gather information or interviews were employed in…

Argues that reading is a useful tool in successful living as well as a pleasure in itself and discusses the importance of making books accessible to children and teaching them how to select appropriate reading materials. (CHC)