The relationship between the library and its patrons is damaged and the library's reputation suffers when returned items are not checked in. An informal survey reveals librarians' concern for this problem and their efforts to combat it, although few libraries collect objective measurements of errors or the effects of improvement efforts. Brigham…

Following a library-wide brainstorming session and retreat, the Dean of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library tasked an ad-hoc committee to discuss implications for the library and its users if certain processes were implemented or eliminated in order to streamline the processing of serials. As the library's collection continues to shift from…

This article documents the process used by the Hofstra University's Library and Faculty Senate to evaluate current serials title lists for different academic departments. The library has found that initiating this effort through the auspices of the Faculty Senate Library Subcommittee (FSLS) allows it to create an environment of legitimate concern…

This article describes the current distance education environment for university libraries and the distance education library services for faculty and students. The authors surveyed selected Association of Research Libraries (ARL) members to determine current services and the changes in distance education library services since the 1996 ARL SPEC…

This guide is the Northern Illinois University (NIU) Libraries' quick reference tool for providing information about its collections, facilities, and services. The articles are arranged in an alphabetic, dictionary format with numerous cross-references, and highlight information on the following: administrative offices; company annual reports;…

This report is structured to educate East Carolina University about library materials preservation. The library-wide preservation program began at Joyner Library in 1993 with the organization of the Preservation and Conservation Department. The planning phase of the preservation program began in 1995 with the appointment of the…

This report focuses on the process of educating faculty about scholarly communication issues, based on interviews with 23 information professionals in 21 ARL (Association of Research Libraries) libraries. Most interviewees were ARL library directors. The summary of findings highlights the following areas: goals; understanding the culture; a basic…

The goals of this SPEC Kit were to report on the extent to which ARL (Association of Research Libraries) libraries provide electronic reference services and to offer a snapshot of the types of users reached, questions received, policies established, data-gathering techniques utilized, and innovations implemented. The first section of the kit…

A literature review reveals that there is little interlibrary loan (ILL) cooperation among the academic libraries of Saudi Arabia, and this article proposes a model ILL Network to counter budgetary constraints and increasing amounts of information by sharing resources. Describes the model's organizational structure, governance, and operational…

First sale and fair use are two copyright principles of use in academic libraries that need to be reexamined in an information age offering possibilities of universal access and perfect distribution in the electronic document. Library services that are perhaps most affected by these concerns are in provision of electronic reserves and collections.…

Discusses the information on academic library practices provided in student employment manuals. Highlights include the mission statement, expectations of employment, enrollment and eligibility requirements, employment eligibility verification, application form, the hiring process, program policies, release of employment verification information;…

Discusses the acquisition of library materials in electronic formats, particularly CD-ROMs and machine-readable data files (MRDFs) in academic libraries, and considers possible problems that can result related to collection development policies. Cooperation in the selection process between subject collectors and technical experts is suggested.…

Contends that the corporate literature on customer service is significantly applicable to academic libraries, and chronicles the development, implementation, and evaluation of a customer pledge at the Wright State University Libraries in Dayton, Ohio. The text of the fall 1995 version of the service pledge is appended. (BEW)

Traditionally, archivists have been involved mainly in the intellectual preservation of library materials and the selection, appraisal, processing, and cataloging of library collections. Due to the relatively short (approximately 50 years) stability of the paper commonly used for printed and written documents since the mid-nineteenth century, the…

This Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) kit reports results of a survey of 64 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) institutions conducted in the fall of 1990 to gather information on the performance appraisal of collection development librarians. Data are reported on the frequency of the performance review cycle, reporting…