Few public buildings, and no libraries, have ever received the sort of acclaim that Seattle's central library garnered even before it opened in May 2004. "The Seattle building is thrilling from top to bottom," wrote Paul Goldberger in "The New Yorker." Herbert Muschamp, in the "New York Times," agreed: "In more…

As institutional roles change in response to contemporary pressures on them, new opportunities arise for combining forces to achieve common objectives. With today's technological revolution in handling information, the role of the public library is both challenged and reaffirmed. Resources may be allocated from state and national levels of…

The state of Washington studied ways to deliver library materials by mail, with patrons ordering from a Sears-type catalog of materials. Investigation techniques included a literature search, on-site observations, personal interviews, statistical analyses, mathematical modeling, and computer simulation. It was concluded that mail order book…

This report presents statistics concerning the library needs in the state of Washington as of 1975. The resources of public and academic libraries are examined in the following areas: professional and support staff; collections of print and nonprint materials; acquisition of materials; hours of service; and operating expenditures. Data are derived…

This study of public library services and needs in the city and county of Spokane and the surrounding area was conducted to present and evaluate available alternatives for providing effective library service for all the residents of Spokane County and the surrounding counties which comprise Spokane's natural trade area. Information for the study…

The Library Development Division of the Washington State Library and the Library Futures Planning Task Force developed cost data and a computer simulation model in order to construct a series of alternatives for extending library services to areas of the state now unserved. User needs were assessed, and cost data were developed for mail-order…