Archives can use the Internet to enhance access to information about holdings, programs, and services; improve efficiency of traditional reference services; and expand use without an increased burden on existing resources. Reviews the experiences of the New York State Archives and Records Administration which operates Internet services using…

Information on freebasing cocaine was requested from reference librarians at six public and seven academic libraries. None of the librarians refused to offer assistance, although assistance varied in its extensiveness. None of the encounters involved a reference interview or bibliographic instruction. Arguments in support of information…

Much is expected of today's school library media specialists with the many technological advances found in schools and library media centers. Oftentimes school library media specialists are spread thin in order to serve their patrons, and yet the public's demands for fast and quick access to information never stop. It pays for the school library…

This proceedings of the Brick and Click Libraries Symposium contains the following papers: (1) "Electronic Journals: Vendor Solutions to Access Issues" (Nona Barton); (2) "Tips on Funding" (Janice Borey); (3) "Why Are So Many Web Pages Still So Hard To Use?" (Jerry R. Brown); (4) "The Secrets of Full-Text Databases: The Overlap between a Same…

Discusses electronic reference in libraries and how it has changed over the years with changes in computer technology. Explains technical background and history as well as library and reference impact for three stages in the development of electronic reference: the need for search intermediaries, the emergence of CD-ROMs, and user access to…

Describes the World Wide Web "work page" of the Saginaw Valley State University Library (Michigan). Discusses the work page's goals: provide reference librarians with quick Internet access, reflect particular Internet uses, and contain the most-often-used search tools and resources all on one screen. Examines advantages of the work…

Describes how to use the Internet to access commercial online database services, such as DIALOG, and discusses the advantages in terms of costs, reference services, and accessibility. Outlines in detail how to save a search session or link another terminal to a Telnet session, and provides information and Internet addresses for eight vendor…

Discusses the use of the OCLC Authority File for answering reference questions. Contents of the authority file are described, including personal, corporate, conference, and geographic names, uniform titles, and subject headings; accessing the authority file is explained; searching strategies are discussed; and examples of authority records are…

Their personalities and backgrounds are very different, but James R. Jacobs and Shinjoung Yeo are passionate about the same causes: librarianship, open government, and empowerment through information. They balance each other. Yeo is focused, realistic, critical, and an excellent researcher. Her superhero alter ego is Wet Blanket Woman, able to…

A new library in San Jose opened on August 1, 2003. This library is the result of a unique collaboration between San Jose State University Library and the San Jose Public Library. The planning for this new library highlighted merging several key areas of operation, including Government Publications. Several years before the two libraries merged,…

This paper presents a discussion of what reference librarians require with regard to the bibliographic control of networked resources, based on 200 responses to a survey of U.S. reference providers and on comments made at an open meeting on this topic sponsored by the Library of Congress at the July 2000 American Library Association Annual…

This paper discusses one person's experience with the library and research services of the Australian Federal Parliament. The first section describes the multiple functions and roles of politicians, as well as their various information needs, e.g., the need for information on bills, for overseas travel, for writing speeches, and to develop special…

This study analyzes the use of external links on Ohio public library World Wide Web sites, focusing on methods used to facilitate access to Internet resources. The categorization of links was analyzed, with specific focus on the organization, scope, and presentation of links arranged topically. This study suggests that the public libraries of Ohio…

Because freely accessible resources allow searching without the constraints of costs for connect times, the Internet resources profiled in this article are intended for browsing. Includes references for some valuable patent information but not for extensive patent searching. (AEF)

Discusses the Open Source Software method of software development and its relationship to control over information content. Topics include digital library resources; reference services; preservation; the legal and economic status of information; technical standards; access to digital data; control of information use; and copyright and patent laws.…