This paper presents the results of a survey that investigated which countries follow the United Nations recommendations by having a national policy for library services to visually impaired and other print handicapped children. Questionnaires were distributed to the 78 members of the IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and…

Describes the Library of Congress's selective acquisition process. Topics include the collections policy statements; the Exchange and Gift Division; overseas offices; the Order Division; and electronic resources, microforms, and serials and periodicals. (LRW)

Examines how various public libraries in the Chicago area approach the issue of whether or not to allow coffee and food in the library. Discusses competition with "glossy new" bookstores; research, marketing, and experiments using bookstores as models; and the development of public lounges/coffee shops which are separate from the rest of…

Examines an effective response to library or archive theft and vandalism of valuable materials: the restricted access reading room. Discusses the need for an alert staff, user identification, restriction of carry-in items, electronic surveillance, record keeping, limits to quantities of collection materials, exiting procedure, photocopying, theft…

Discusses libraries and issues relating to censorship, social protest, and First Amendment rights. Topics addressed include materials selection based on objective criteria; removing inappropriate material; intellectual freedom; limited versus absolute censorship; and possible errors in selection decisions. (LRW)

Gives a historical explanation of library confidentiality policies and procedures and reviews notable invasions of patron privacy through use of library records by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service. Also reports on a study that examined patron confidentiality policies in Texas academic library reference…

Examines interlibrary loan (ILL) charges for photocopied material at two academic libraries, the University of Arizona and the University of Nevada, Reno. Statistics were reported for separate academic units to determine which were the most active users and which were charged the most, and recommendations are made for dealing with ILL charges.…

Relates the work of Archibald George William Dunningham, a librarian from New Zealand who worked as a consultant for the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in the newly developed nation of Indonesia from 1953 to 1968. Discusses meeting with leaders of librarianship, education, and government to help formulate…

Examines aspects of censorship that professional educators do not usually acknowledge--a silent, self-imposed censorship. Asks at what point book selection policy becomes a means to justify rejecting the purchase or provide for the removal of specific titles from the bookshelves. Suggests a solution: a written selection policy at the school and…

Examines shelving policies for CD-ROMs that accompany books, based on experiences at Texas A&M University. After studying circulation data, loss rates, and the availability of replacements, it is recommended that the CD-ROMS be shelved with the books on the shelves instead of in a special separate location. (LRW)

Offers suggestions for libraries on how to develop a customer service plan to provide excellent service, create a positive environment for staff members, foster new and continued positive relationships with patrons, and evaluate customer service goals and objectives. Also discusses policies and building appearance. (Author/LRW)

Discusses philosophical issues and human elements in reference desk scheduling for public and academic libraries, highlighting institutionalization of a desk scheduling policy, the relationship between scheduler and schedulee (impartiality, consistency, flexibility, collegiality, diplomacy, dedication to reference service), and conflict management…

Argues that unless issues of machine help and human help are given explicit attention by the library profession, the disappearance of human help in patron assistance without input is likely. Discusses convergent commercial- and academic-sector trends, implications for the profession, and three policy alternatives. Presents a patron self-help…

One of the most important policy documents for a school library media center is the selection policy or the collection development policy. A well-developed selection policy provides a rationale for the selection decisions made by the school library media specialist. A selection policy represents the criteria against which a challenged book is…

Designed to help library students gain an understanding of building library collections for specific communities of users, this text presents the process of collection development. Emphasizing collection development in general, rather than the process in any particular institutional setting, the book provides a discussion of needs assessment,…