Advocates of participative management in academic libraries point to increased job satisfaction and performance as benefits, while opponents favor less participative means such as consultive management, with librarians having input and the directors making the decisions. A survey of reference librarians in the Texas community colleges was…

Literature analysis indicates that surveys are not widely used in the planning process for academic libraries because of difficulties with design of user studies, translation of survey results into management decisions, and acceptance of survey data by librarians. Trends such as competition from private information sources will force a change in…

Questions presented in workbook format are interspersed with quotations from the literature about the library profession's stereotypes and self-image. The document opens with a synopsis of how librarians are portrayed by the mass media. Exercises about role perceptions are presented (e.g., define the terms "librarian" and…

This theme issue focuses on "creating the library's future" through creative library management. Seven articles provide a variety of perspectives on particular library management styles and approaches to library issues. The planning process, creativity in the work place, and innovations in libraries are discussed. (MAB)

This analysis of metaphors relating to libraries in the "Chronicle of Higher Education" found that (1) administrators view libraries as contributors to the social structure of an academic environment; (2) faculty regard libraries as the repository for physical information resources to support their research; and (3) librarians attribute…

This paper discusses the problems and difficulties faced by school libraries in the United Kingdom (UK), specifically England and Wales. These problems are lack of funding, lack of a central role in the curriculum, lack of a central role in the management structure, and inadequate staffing. Lack of library funding stems from overall under-funding…

Librarians from the University of Arizona describe the process of reorganizing from a traditional to a team-centered, user-focused organization. The reasons for reorganizing, the preliminary self-study process, the design and implementation of the new structure, staff participation and reaction, developing staff teamwork, and advice for other…

Addresses perceived problems of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) and the Government Printing Office (GPO) relative to a foundering program, electronic capabilities, costs to participating libraries, inefficient service, and accountability requirements. Unfavorable images have resulted and have been used by advocacy groups to bring the…

The shift in policy from market driven behaviour towards a more cooperative tertiary sector is having an effect on New Zealand academic libraries and their relationships. Despite this, there has been no investigation of collaboration specifically targeting New Zealand tertiary libraries. This research project examine the state of collaboration…

A study of library school faculty and academic library directors' perceptions of the educational quality of master's and doctoral programs in library and information science and of the professional contributions of library school faculties is reported. Perception rankings are compared to similar studies carried out in 1980 and 1986. (18…

In order to meet today's financial challenges, libraries must be ready, willing, and able to enter the arena of politics and compete for scarce public funding. This book offers librarians, library workers, trustees, and friends' organizations practical advice, case studies, and step-by-step guidance for evaluating the existing local political…

The 28 essays in this collection provide an overview of research in library/information science (LIS), present a practical context of such research, and consider related issues and concerns. The essays are: (1) "The Elusive Nature of Research in LIS" (Peter Hernon); (2) "Guides to Conducting Research in Library and Information Science" (Ronald R.…

This paper explores the challenges and opportunities facing libraries as they evolve into the electronic networked environment, and looks at options for libraries in the year 2000 and beyond. The internationally networked environment has fundamentally changed the way in which people acquire and use information resources and services. The paper…

This manuscript reports a study of the secondary-school library. The library, it is claimed, exists first to improve the curriculum, and second, to encourage reading as a leisure-time occupation. The purposes of this investigation are: (1) to list and describe activities and devices used in outstanding secondary-school libraries; (2) to present…