Research has shown that principal support is a key factor in the implementation of effective school library or information literacy programs in schools. An international study of the principal's role in developing and supporting information literacy programs was conducted in Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Japan, Scotland, and South Korea.…

Long a controversial topic in the specialized world of reference librarianship, unobtrusive evaluation is a useful tool in gauging the degree to which reference librarians are effectively performing their jobs. Based on a nationwide survey of government documents reference service in Canada, This book examines the broad philosophical implications…

This paper reports the results of an international study of the principal's role in developing and supporting information literacy programs in Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Japan, Scotland, and South Korea. Principals and librarians in all countries except South Korea differed significantly on the amount of time they perceived the principal…

Arguing that physician/patient and librarian/user communications are similar, this article compares medical and reference interviews, focusing on physician or librarian attitudes and behaviors as it presents a series of verbal communication issues and outcomes. Offers suggestions to avoid communication problems at the reference desk, improving…

The Public Library Association's 1995 survey reported that while public librarians overwhelmingly support intellectual freedom, not all of them are absolutists. Librarians do take community censorship requests seriously and engage in practical self-censorship. Other topics include censorship demographics, the role of the library board, and…

Reports results of a study which gathered exploratory data about reference services to library school students via a questionnaire sent to librarians, faculty, and students. Possible contradictions between the daily reality of reference work and the idealism of reference codes of ethics which demand equal service for all patrons are considered.…

Discussion of professional ethics for school library media specialists highlights issues involving copyright. Ethics and the school curriculum is discussed, the librarian's code of ethics is reviewed, educating teachers as well as students about copyright law is suggested, and resources dealing with copyright issues are listed. (18 references)…

Eleven articles discuss the response of library users and personnel to automation. Topics covered include computerized reference services, online public access catalogs, paraprofessional staff perceptions of technology, organizational and managerial impacts of automation, workshops on new technology, gender differences in motivation to manage and…

A survey on the role of academic library committees showed that not all libraries use committees in significant roles; committees do not guarantee librarians a significant voice; librarians were positive about policy-related committees and negative about fact-finding and information-gathering committees; and smaller libraries used committees more…

Discusses methods of evaluation that can be used to measure public library effectiveness, based on a conference sponsored by the Council on Library Resources. Topics discussed include the Public Library Effectiveness Study (PLES), quantitative and qualitative evaluation, using evaluative information for resource acquisition and resource…

Discusses the role of research in graduate education for library and information studies from the perspectives of students, practitioners, and researchers. Results from two studies are examined that explored (1) research activities by academic librarians, and (2) practitioner and student attitudes about research and required research methods…

Public library programing for babies under 18 months and parents/caregivers is discussed. The results of a national study investigating programs for babies, reasons why they are not offered, librarian attitudes, and funding support are presented. Recommendations for practitioners and researchers are offered, and the questionnaire is appended. (41…

Five articles address issues concerned with personnel management in libraries. Topics discussed include ethical issues; hiring practices, equal employment opportunity and affirmative action in members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL); technological changes in libraries that affect motivation and work attitudes; career planning in…

Reports results of interviews with teachers, students, and school librarians in eight United Kingdom secondary schools regarding their use of multimedia encyclopedias on CD-ROM. Focuses on a content analysis of their comments on how access to multimedia encyclopedias changes the way students learn, and how they perceive it affects their learning.…

Examines articles published by college librarians in "College & Research Libraries" and "Journal of Academic Librarianship" from 1986 to 1996 to provide a profile of college librarian authors and to identify factors that contributed to their success in publishing. Highlights include gender, collaboration, reasons for…