Presents results of a survey of ARL (Association of Research Libraries) members in the United States and Canada that was conducted to discover which electronic reference options are offered and their impact on library services. Online mediated searching, CD-ROM, end-user searching, and local databases are investigated. (nine references) (LRW)

Describes the functions of the Information Technology Section at Cornell University's (New York) Mann Library: (1) maintains and supports the library computer system; (2) develops software; (3) trains staff; (4) enables staff to make technical suggestions; (5) communicates library requirements to campus technical support unit; and (6) advises…

Describes three projects that illustrate the range of activities in which Cornell University's Mann Library technical services staff participate, including developing an organizational framework for numeric and full-text databases and bibliographic information for electronic resources. Sidebar articles describe the staff's computer workstations…

Discusses the impact of internetworking on academic research libraries with special emphasis given to collection development and resource sharing in an electronically networked environment. Topics addressed include a brief history of the Internet, NSF-Net, and NREN (National Research and Education Network); and future trends in the development of…

Chronicles the process of change begun at the Harvard College Library in 1990. Key factors are analyzed, including support from the University Library, Association of Research Libraries, and Council on Library Resources; strong leadership; organizational development; composition of task forces; time frame; concurrent changes; and development of a…

Analyzes available data to determine the validity of explanations offered for the shortage of qualified academic librarians. Highlights include recruiting academic/ research librarians; library school enrollment trends; placement data; future possibilities; salary and working conditions; and professional issues. (Contains 50 references.)…

Discusses the development of a new culture of research librarianship that is customer-focused, based on experiences at the University of Arizona library. Highlights include cooperative partnerships with users; LibQUAL+ as a tool to learn how users perceive library services in relation to their expectations; and staff participation in strategic…

For most research libraries, remote storage of significant portions of their print collections has become an economic necessity. Historically, user objections to remote storage have focused on access-related issues: i.e., lack of browsability, cumbersome requesting procedures, lengthy retrieval times, and lack of content information about…

Both the demand for, and supply of, mental health information has increased across all sectors. Academic, public and special libraries must locate, evaluate and select materials that support consumer education, academic teaching, interdisciplinary research, and professional credentialing. Selectors must navigate disciplinary barriers to develop…

Building joint-use libraries to foster new types of learning and collaboration is a growing phenomenon that is of great interest to academic library planners around the world. Noteworthy among these efforts, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library in San Jose, California, is a collaboration of a metropolitan university library and a major public…

Fifteen papers delivered for the Division of General Research Libraries at the 1992 International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions annual meeting are presented. These papers deal with national libraries, parliamentary (legislative) libraries, and university libraries. The papers are: (1) "Seeking Alternatives to National…

This document summarizes the results of a 1994 survey regarding the use of document suppliers by 90 ARL (Association of Research Libraries) members. A document supplier was defined as "a company or service that supplies documents for a fee." Document suppliers are increasingly used by research libraries as cost-effective solutions to the…

This report presents statistics on the 107 university libraries and 12 independent research libraries that were members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) during the 1990-91 fiscal year. Data are reported in alphabetical and rank order on collections (volumes in library, gross and net volumes added, monographs purchased, current…

The Research Libraries Group (RLG) hosted a symposium to explore opportunities for cooperative action--to take advantage of technology and to improve electronic access to information--particularly in the RLG context, and to develop strategies for making the most effective use of technology and electronic information in support of research and…

This resource guide focuses on handling library materials that are too deteriorated to benefit from other preservation treatments. Hopeless case items, that would require an unreasonable amount of conservation work to fix, can be resolved through a process of reselecting items by replacing them or reformatting them. The reselection integrates…