As host to visitors and transplants from around the world, Washington, DC, benefits from the constant infusion of different cultures. Although most neighborhoods lack a unified culinary flavor, make no mistake: DC is a city of distinctive areas, each with its own style, ensuring that hungry American Library Association (ALA) 2010 conference…

The lyrics from the Ervin Drake song made famous by Frank Sinatra, "It Was a Very Good Year," kept coming to mind in 2010, despite the economy. While the quantity of works produced declined, and publishers suffered along with everyone else, there was no diminution in quality. With reduced budgets for collections, librarians were forced to make…

Though some libraries thrived in 2009, many more took a beating, and the fiscal crises that have struck many states and thousands of municipal governments in 2010 increase the odds that the effects of the new Great Recession will be felt over the long term. The decline in payroll and collections budgets have led to a loss of expertise and key…

When flood came to Cedar Rapids city, the Cedar Rapids Public Library (CRPL), IA, lost 160,000 items including large parts of its adult and youth collections, magazines, newspapers, reference materials, CDs, and DVDs. Most of its public access computers were destroyed as was its computer lab and microfilm equipment. The automatic circulation and…

First offered to public libraries in 2004, downloadable audiobooks have grown by leaps and bounds. According to the Audio Publishers Association, their sales today account for 21% of the spoken-word audio market. It hasn't been easy, however. WMA. DRM. MP3. AAC. File extensions small on letters but very big on consequences for librarians,…

Public libraries were indispensable resources for newcomers during the height of European immigration to the United States. They were havens for the poor and jobless during the Great Depression and bridges between rural and urban communities during times of major demographic change. An increase in the Spanish-speaking population has inspired…

Discusses growth of associations in United States (groups that are membership-based, cooperative, nonprofit or not-for-profit, dedicated to common purpose, voluntary) and identifies nine different types: trade associations, professional associations, labor unions, sci/tech and learned societies, leisure associations, political action committees,…

Over 600 sources of print and nonprint information on energy are listed. Materials range from elementary to professional and technical levels. Each entry provides a description of an organization and its publication program, with examples of materials available. (KP)

(44 references)

Unless otherwise noted, the 91 citations in this bibliography refer to the issues of Library Journal'' in the year 1971. When possible a brief quotation from Library Journal's'' review accompanies the listing. Those wishing to consult the full review will find the LJ'' issue date and page number following the quotation. (Author/NH)

Discusses "A National Periodicals Center Technical Development Plan," published in August 1978 by the Council on Library Resources. Topics covered include the priority, the plan, purposes, the program, participants and price, the publisher, and parameters. (VT)

Reviews ten Web sites that are designed to answer basic legal questions for the layperson. They provide resources on a broad range of legal topics, such as divorce, real estate, and criminal justice, as well as legal forms and information on finding a lawyer. (LRW)

Genie Tyburski did not set out to be a law librarian. When asked at Drexel's library school what kind of librarian she wanted to be, she was surprised that "a good one" was not one of the options. But six weeks into the semester, she landed a part-time cataloging job at Community Legal Services in Philadelphia; six months later she was…

This article discusses the importance of association publications to libraries and describes how libraries can identify and obtain these publications for their collections. Advantages of association publications (breadth, timeliness, expertise, cost savings), directories and listings, and how to obtain elusive publications are highlighted. (EJS)

Description of "Decision-Analyst," microcomputer software tool designed to analyze complex decisions involving many alternatives, highlights step-by-step approach, documentation, microcomputer requirements, and purchasing information. Two microcomputer users' groups (Apple Computer, Microcomputer Users Group for Libraries in North…