Provides an example of procedures to be followed when investigating a sexual harassment complaint in libraries. Highlights include preparation, including reviewing personnel files; interviewing the complainant, including sample questions; interviewing the alleged harasser; gathering information from other sources, including third-party witnesses;…

Presents a list of commonly used elements found in a number of electronic information collection development policy statements collected by an American Library Association committee. The article concludes with a selected annotated bibliography of 14 sources relating to collection development policies for electronic information resources.…

Explains how to keep library systems healthy and functioning by taking sensible security measures. Examines why hackers would target library systems and how library systems are compromised. Describes tools that can help, including: firewalls; antivirus software; alarms; network analysis tools; and encryption. Identifies several strategies for…

Examines laws regarding the retention and destruction of library records. Issues librarians need to address are suggested, including a definition of public records, who determines what records can be destroyed, and penalties for violations; and a sidebar discusses the need for retention of historical records from public libraries. (LRW)

As a result of the 1992 federal appellate court decision, "Kreimer versus Morristown," libraries have the right to define appropriate patron behavior while in a library and to address behavior considered disruptive. Discusses details of the case and practical interpretations of the ruling. (JKP)

Defines copyright and examines the interests of computer software publishers. Issues related to the rights of libraries in the circulation of software are discussed, including the fair use principle, software vendors' licensing agreements, and cooperation between libraries and vendors. An inset describes procedures for internal auditing of…

Examines UNESCO guidelines for developing national library and information policies, and describes common policy elements of developing countries. Also identifies obstacles that Africa faces in creating policies: lack of awareness by government officials of information uses, the poor image of the library profession, and the low quality of national…

Approval plans are used by many libraries as an adjunct to title-by-title selection, and sometimes as a substitute for it. The author examines this approach to purchasing library materials, considering positive and negative effects approval plans may have on collection balance as well as on acquisitions budgets and workflow. The article also…

A number of evangelical Christian authors have wrestled with the subject of intellectual freedom--few, though, in the context of Bible college libraries. The secular concept of intellectual freedom is incompatible with Bible colleges in that it is absolutist and shuns any standard of morality. Theological, educational, and pragmatic factors…

Since the Office of Library and Information Services published the first Rhode Island trustees manual in 1980, Rhode Island public libraries have continued to respond to an ever increasing demand for service. In so doing, they consistently have taken advantage of new opportunities to provide this service more efficiently and effectively via…

FloriNet--the Florida Library Online Resource Information Network--was first envisioned by a Florida Network Planning Task Force in 1994 as the aggregate of networked information in Florida libraries, including library networks, independent libraries, statewide databases, Free-Nets, and as-yet unimagined information resources. This document is a…

This guide to the responsibilities and regulations for library trustees in Idaho includes a brief history of Idaho libraries; regulations for the appointment of trustees; a directory of the state's regional library system and the public, district and school/community libraries within each district; a description of state aid distribution to these…

The purpose of this study is to summarize and evaluate the Alameda County, California library system's two years of operation under a no-fines policy and a centralized overdues facility, leading to recommendations for future action. The objectives of the study are to: (1) present an historical summary of the changes in the library policies and…

Discusses technique and legal requirements for interviewing primarily from the library employer's perspective, drawing information from the writings of Fear and Lopez, personal experience, and specific libraries' policies. (CWM)

This study applied discrete choice analysis to the modeling of public library use and choice behavior. Five library use models and two library choice models were estimated from data obtained by a citizen survey in Kashiwa City, Japan. A library choice model was applied to predicting users' library choice under alternative library policies. (17…