Discussion of violence in the workplace focuses on libraries. Highlights include types of violence in libraries; recognizing warning signs of employee violence; preventive action; and strategies for a safer library, including appropriate security systems and other devices. (LRW)

A survey of Illinois public libraries found that: security was a problem (58%); material theft was a problem (56%); periodical mutilation was a problem (42%); and a patron or staff member was expelled or arrested in the previous year (26%). Discusses perceptions of security, security incidents, electronic security systems, and security policies.…

Presents four challenges faced by libraries and proposes research designs to address each of them. The challenges involve: invisible infrastructure; content and collections; preservation and access; and institutional boundaries. Proposes a mixture of research methods that includes surveys, case studies, documentary analyses, and policy analyses.…

Emphasizes the need for collection development policy in community college academic libraries. Highlights areas of resource sharing, community analysis, and collection assessment. Also provides an overview of how to create a collection for development policy, and recommends books on writing such policy. Includes model policy statements. (NB)

An explicit, nondiscriminatory code of conduct that is based on due process standards, and the enforcement of relevant laws can constitutionally address offensive behavior problems in libraries. (AEF)

Describes the role of automation in library acquisitions and serials departments in support of collection development. Highlights include workstations and expert systems; links to external databases; vendor services, including serials services and online review and selection of approval books; and automated access to collection development…

Discusses collection coordination and development in academic libraries and describes collection development activities in the area of psychology at the University of Florida. Barriers to efficient collection development are addressed, including physical, organizational, and discipline-related problems; duplication studies are described; and…

Describes building security procedures developed at the Hampton Public Library (Virginia) to deal with problem patrons. Highlights include need for the library monitor program; staffing patterns; monitor selection criteria; training procedures; library behavior guidelines; library policy statements; theft detection systems; and sample job…

Focuses on effective technology training for library staff. Discusses helping staff overcome technophobia; suiting technology-based jobs with staff members' needs and capabilities; providing a policy/procedure manual to guide the training; the steps that should occur in training; aligning training with in-house library resources and services;…

Explains libraries' roles in protecting intellectual freedom. Outlines these faulty impressions: librarians endorse the content of their collections; "everyone" agrees on controversial material; representation of all viewpoints means equal numbers; and denial of reconsideration requests indicates librarians don't take challenges seriously.…

Describes the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) advisory committees in terms of research, public, college and university, and special libraries. All four of the type-of-library advisory groups work to shape OCLC policies and programs, according to the particular needs of each group. OCLC's financial and programmatic success depends upon…

Examines innovative ways for school libraries to collect organize, and make effective use of student work. Highlights include recognizing original work; student writing; student posters of favorite books or characters; databases for organizing information; videotaping of students' activities and presentations; electronic products; events;…

A selection of academic libraries was studied to examine ownership of best-sellers from 1940 to 1990. The trend is to keep a higher percentage of older best-sellers in fiction than newer ones. Nonfiction appears to be more sporadic but still follows this trend. Findings indicate new collection development policies may be needed to protect…

Considers the role of public library trustees in censorship challenges. Topics addressed include the need for clear library policies concerning censorship; informing trustees about First Amendment rights, challenges regarding problem patrons and age restrictions, the trustee as citizen as well as board member, and the board's need for appropriate…

Based on a 1993 survey of 187 children's librarians in 14 states, this status report summarizes and discusses data representing input measures, output measures, fill rates, and special questions about the relationship between school and public libraries. It makes recommendations for improving the quantity and quality of data used to make decisions…