This handbook provides public libraries with a source of hints, ideas, and suggestions to increase the diversity of their personnel in a non-discriminatory manner and with equality in personnel policies. The guide includes the following sections: (1) Why This Handbook?; (2) Getting Started; (3) Policy Statement--creating a policy, examples, and…

In support of the stated goals and objectives of Lane Community College (LCC) in Oregon, the college library is developing a unified program of library and media resources and services. The purpose of the program is to enhance instruction and learning in a manner consistent with the philosophy and curriculum of the college. The goals of the…

When the Mississippi State University (MSU) Library undertook a major reclassification project in March 1989 to convert 175,000 Dewey Decimal titles into the Library of Congress Classification, the Technical Services staff involved in the planning realized that communicating policies and procedures to all levels of library personnel would require…

This is the fourth in a series of reports evaluating the Public Library Statistics (PLS) program, an annual census of public libraries in the United States. The census includes, in addition to a full count of public libraries and their outlets, a variety of statistics about the services provided by and, the financial condition and the staffing…

Published 10 times a year, Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) Kits and Flyers contain information on issues of concern to libraries and librarians; they are the result of surveys on topics related to practice and management of library programs in the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). This document focuses on the organization of…

Discusses three major components of library security: physical security of the environment; operating procedures for library staff, the public, and security personnel; and a contract security force (or campus security in academic institutions.) Topics include risk management; maintenance; appropriate technology, including security systems and…

Discusses violence in the workplace and suggests a three-tier approach to dealing with violence in libraries that focuses on personnel issues: (1) preventive measures, including applicant screening, supervisory training, and employee assistance programs; (2) threat management, including policy formation and legal action; and (3) crisis/post-trauma…

Four articles discuss the recruitment and use of volunteer workers in junior and senior high school libraries. Topics addressed include written policies; communicating ideas with the staff; program flexibility; volunteer program evaluation; scheduling; Friends of Libraries groups; and the use of volunteers for booktalks. (LRW)

Describes results of a survey of Canadian academic libraries that was conducted to determine the provision of services to the disabled, i.e., students with visual, hearing, or motor deficiencies. External resources are described, the role of library staff is emphasized, and library policy statements concerning the provision of special services are…

Written from the perspective of a working director, this book is a guide to setting fair and appropriate behavior rules and training staff in how to implement them. Policies for exhibit and meeting room use; issues surrounding street people, the mentally ill, and substance abusers; sexual deviancy and parental child abuse in the library;…

The purpose of this guide to local history resources in Ontario (Canada) public libraries is to evaluate current trends, problems, and innovations, including the use of new technologies. The guide was developed from a survey of Southern Ontario Library System (SOLS) members; a total of 58 libraries provided information about their local history…

There are many different approaches to the concept of "quality," which focus on both "what" defines the quality of a service and "who" defines quality. A study funded by the British Library (England) sought to define an approach to quality appropriate for the delivery and effective management of public library…

Being "good enough" is no longer adequate for today's library and staff. Total Quality Management (TQM) is a system and philosophy which guides a unified effort towards delivering excellent goods and services. In this video, not available at ERIC, Connie Merritt shows how TQM helps all of a library's departments work together to satisfy…

This manual was designed to give student employees of the Mitchell Memorial Library at Mississippi State University an understanding of what to expect from faculty and staff, and what is expected of all student employees of the Library. In general, the manual is aimed at helping student employees: develop a philosophy of service and promote a…

This survey was conducted to determine to what extent ARL (Association of Research Libraries) libraries permit food and drink to be consumed in library facilities, whether there has been a shift in recent times toward a liberalization of policy and practice, how restrictions are enforced, and whether there are particularly successful strategies…