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The article discusses the impact that self-serve and automation library services have on U.S. library patrons, librarians and other library staff. Topics, including the security of self-serve libraries, stakeholder engagement, cost effectiveness, the relationship between library administrators and staff and library users' attitudes toward automation in libraries, are discussed.

The article reports on readers' advisory services which suggest books based on tattoos of library users. it mentions several libraries who have started such programs, the use of the tattoos and the stories behind them to suggest books, and the libraries' plans to continue their programs.

The article discusses the author's views about how American libraries can lead the effort to combat fake news as of 2017, and it mentions media literacy in the U.S., as well as the ways that librarians can assist library patrons in accessing accurate information. According to a 2016 research report, a majority of adults in the U.S. receive their news in real time from online social media websites and services. Journalists in America are also assessed.

A calendar of events for library employees and users in the U.S. for March to July 2007 is presented. The National Library Workers Day is scheduled on April 17. The Music Library Association/Society for American Music Joint Conference will be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "The American Twenties" exhibition of the University of Texas at Austin is on display until July 29.

The article offers news briefs concerning the American Libraries Association (ALA). The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded ALA a grant to support the organization's efforts to ensure free public access to the Internet in all of U.S. public libraries. A fundraising campaign for the 2007 ALA PPO Cultural Communities Fund is underway.

The article offers news briefs related to American libraries as of March 2006. Flooding at Yale University's Sterling Memorial Library in New Haven, Connecticut, damaged some 3,000 books and a valuable collection of Cambodian newspapers that document the nation's genocide during the 1970s. Ongoing patron-behavior woes during after-school hours have prompted officials of the Wickliffe Public Library in Ohio to ban visits between 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. from youngsters under 14 unless accompanied by an adult or enrolled in a library program.

Discusses the provision of equal service access for library users in the U.S. Factors to consider in achieving equitable service delivery from libraries to public users; Concerns that emerge when outreach is segregated from regular library service; Services developed by the American Library Association for different and special populations. INSET: Celebrate Equitv with Carlo Hayden.

Offers library news for March 2002. Sentencing of a former librarian at the University of Alabama/Tuscaloosa to pay replacement costs for the destruction of books; Literacy program of the Chicago Public Library in Illinois; Complaint of black staffers at the District of Columbia Public Library about the decreased prominence of Black History Month; Charges against an 84-year-old man for stealing materials from libraries in California; Delinquent patrons at North Babylon Public Library in New York taken to court.

Describes the American Library Association (ALA)'s Midwinter Meeting, held in Washington D.C. in January 2001. Public awareness campaign which was unveiled by the ALA; Vote of the ALA to initiate litigation which challenges legislation mandating Internet filtering for libraries and schools, such as the Children's Internet Protection Act; Conference highlights and attendance; ALA sponsors and celebrity advocates.

Presents the American Library Association's division of the Reference and User Services Association. Focus of the membership unit; Publications and committees; Representatives; Sections.

Presents developments in library media services in the U.S. 'Media Port,' a videotape program that provides library patrons with local information; 'Listing of Archival Supplies and Services,' a brochure developed through the Historical Awareness and Assistance Project for Metropolitan Milwaukee; Launch of multimedia campaign to combat illiteracy in Alabama; Guidelines to help school librarians evaluate library media services.

Presents key findings of a survey of library user/non-user lifestyles in the United States. Activities, interests and opinions of male and female users and non-users; Negative correlates of library users and non-users.

Reports on the impact that AIDS has had on the library profession. Attitudes within the profession toward AIDS, HIV-positive people, and ARC (AIDS Related Complex) disease; Losses within the library profession due to AIDS; View that there is inadequate information for library users and staff; Obstacles to overcoming AIDS in the workplace; Comments from library employees on AIDS. INSETS: A personal note;Resolution on Freedom from AIDS Screening for Library Employees.

Presents the digests of several articles, research and statistics as of June 1987 that are of interest to librarians in the United States. Claim that the 'reference interview' between librarian and patron is partially a myth; Percentage of library patrons who read the entire nonfiction book they have borrowed; Use of database searching services in schools across the United States. INSETS: New librarians critical of their training;Libraries rally to aid refugees.

In this article the author, who wrote the book "Main Street Public Library: Community Places and Reading Spaces in the Rural Heartland, 1876-1956," discusses the role of libraries in the lives of library users and patrons. He presents information on a study he executed for the book, in which he studied public libraries the Midwest U.S., addressing topics such as the use of libraries as community centers, the role of reading in communities, and the function of communicative institutions.

The article focuses on a study on the growth of computer and Internet services in public libraries in the U.S. and how such services are financed. It notes that 90% of libraries provide formal training or information technology assistance to effectively utilize computers and online resources. According to the study, Internet services available in public libraries have increased. Also mentioned is an increase in the number of libraries which report that offering services for job seekers is important to the role of the public library.

The article discusses the decision of some library boards to curtail or eliminate Spanish-language acquisitions. Equating the acquisition of Spanish-language fiction with catering to illegal aliens is an idea that originates from the broader immigration issue in the U.S. The author advocates open information accessibility for the millions of Latino citizens who work, pay taxes, and are library users entitled to the same rights as any other U.S. citizen. INSET: READ MORE.

The article discusses developing inclusive spaces in the design of U.S. virtual and physical libraries, including so as to address inequality. The impact that inclusive spaces in libraries have on library patrons is discussed.

Looks at the implications of the U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) for libraries and librarians in the country. Effect of the CIPA decision on free speech of adult library users; Limitations of filtering software to block access to protected speech; Impact on intellectual freedom.

Focuses on the response of librarians and libraries to the U.S. Supreme Court decision which upheld the constitutionality of the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA). Issue regarding the provision of CIPA for libraries to purchase blocking software to protect young library users; Action taken by the Federal Communications Commission in response to the ruling; Impact on the finances of libraries.

Focuses on the digital divide and the U.S. Department of Commerce report, 'A Nation Online.' Controversy over the report's announcement that the gap is closing because more than half of all Americans are using computers and the Internet; Role of the library in helping communities with the challenges of new information technologies; Discussion of data and flaws in the report, including the measurement of Internet access.

Focuses on the Virtual Village Communication Center of the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County in Charlotte, North Carolina. Description of the renovated technical-services space, which has workstations using high-speed T1 Internet connections and general office-productivity software; Background on the computer lab and how it was designed to give the entire community access to computer technology, information, instruction, and services; Author's views on usage of the computer stations and assistive technologies for the disabled.

Presents the results of a survey conducted by the Library Research Center of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign about access control of the Internet in public libraries. Prevalence of Internet-management strategies in libraries, including written policies, parental permission for children's use of the Internet, and filtering tools; Questions raised by the survey.

Offers library science news in the United States. Speculation that Harvard University's Widener Library in Cambridge, Massachusetts will have to relocate; View of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on library Internet filters; Federal funds for the University of Southern California at Los Angeles to seismically retrofit its Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library; Others.

Cites survey findings regarding young people's attitudes towards librarians in the U.S. Ranking of librarians as sources of research advice; Things young people dislike most about libraries; Factors that drive students away from seeking a librarian's advice.

Presents readers' views on key issues relevant to libraries and library science in the U.S. Appropriate terms for library users; Proposed rules on access to library information on nuclear arms; Distribution of tax returns by libraries.

The article discusses the author's experiences as the executive director of the American Library Association (ALA), and it mentions leadership, teamwork, and his work in helping to establish the ALA's Office for Library Advocacy. The dues associated with an ALA membership are examined, along with information about conference registration, professional advancement, and the ALA's efforts to protect the privacy rights of library patrons.

The author reflects on the findings of the report "Opportunity for All: How the American Public Benefits From Internet Access at U.S. Libraries" from the University of Washington regarding the use and importance of internet access in public libraries. Internet use for employment applications, education, and researching health issues is examined and the risks of reduced access to technology and information caused by library budget cuts are explored.

The article offers information on library gaming programs in the U.S. It states that as gaming programs become popular, it is important to understand the facts about gaming and children including the common misconceptions. According to the article, a library gaming program is not just a source of entertainment but could also engage the library and its patrons with their community.

The article focuses on the "2007 Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study," which provides the most complete national picture of computer and Internet access in U.S. public libraries, conducted by John Carlo Bertot and Charles McClure of Florida State University. The study found that on average, there are 10.7 public access computers in each library branch. For the first time, the study asked if the wireless and wired Internet connections shared the same bandwidth, and nearly half of respondents answered yes.

This article states that U.S.Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ordered August 2, 2006 the full disclosure of court records related to Doe v. Gonzales--the challenge to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's 2005 demand that Connecticut's Library Connection consortium turn over records of patrons' computer use.

Presents the results of "Public Libraries and the Internet 2004: Survey Results and Findings," a report issued in June 2005 by the Information Use Management and Policy Institute at Florida State University in Tallahassee. Challenge facing U.S. libraries in providing enough workstations to meet Internet demand; Selected goals of the study; Key issues identified from the research; Implications of the data for many issues that affect public libraries and the roles they play, or can play, in the networked society.

Reports that the city council of Phoenix, Arizona has voted unanimously on September 8, 2004 to bar adults from unrestricted Internet access on all public library computers. Ruling of the Supreme Court on the Children's Internet Protection Act; Opposition to the council's action; Effect of the decision on the Phoenix Public Library.

Presents letters to the editor referencing articles and topics discussed in previous issues. "On My Mind," which focused on the role of U.S. librarians; "Why libraries Matter," which presented testimonies about libraries; "Serving Seniors: Dos and Don'ts at the Desk," which provided suggestions that would enable older library users to better access resources.

Focuses on the Staying Connected grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which will be given to state library agencies to help public libraries provide free access to computers and the Internet in the U.S. in 2004. Recipients of the grants; Benefits of the grants to the Tennessee State Library and Archives; Amount of matching state and federal money secured by the Alabama Public Library Service.

Presents updates on information technology and libraries in the United States as of December 2003. Explanation that the adoption by public libraries in the U.S. of the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology poses no problem for the privacy of library users; Information on library systems that are good for the use of public libraries; Web support to bibliographic identifiers.

Explains that the increasing number of seniors visiting public libraries in the United States poses a number of challenges to librarians. Reason for the increase in the number seniors in the country; Sociological and psychological conditions of seniors which librarians must take into account in their interaction with them; Suggestions on how should librarians deal with senior patrons. INSET: Health Challenges for Seniors.

Focuses on a study by the University of Washington for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation concerning its U.S. Library Program. Finding that Americans are willing to pay higher taxes to support free access to computers and the Internet in public libraries; Discussion of survey results, which indicates that the public thinks library computer services should be funded and maintained by government.

Focuses on concerns of library groups regarding the USA Patriot Act, anti-terrorism legislation that expands the United States government's powers. View that the measure threatens library users' privacy and First Amendment rights; Comments of Lynne Bradley of the American Library Association's (ALA) Washington Office; Excerpt from a statement issued by the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom.

Reports on a library program in Houston, Texas which will give library card-holding residents free access to email, word processing, spreadsheet software and document storage space. Positive reaction to the program; Technological facilities at the libraries; Cost effectiveness of the program.

Reports that the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has ruled, as of April 2001, that libraries which receive so-called e-rates must comply with the Children's Internet Protection Act in year four of the program. Details of the implementation regulations; Refusal of the FCC to take into account legal challenges.

Describes dual lawsuits filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the American Library Association, to challenge the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) in the United States. Why they are opposed to the legislation, which requires federally-funded libraries and schools to install Internet filtering software; Contention of the lawsuits that such filtering can block access to essential information; Comments of plaintiffs and defendants.

Reports on the possibility that Charles Allaway, a former janitor who killed seven people at a California university library in 1976, may be released from a state mental hospital. Allaway's successful insanity defense after his killings at the California State University at Fullerton; The decision by state psychiatrists that he had regained his mental health and was fit for release; Judges' previous denials of parole; The concerns of the victim's families, that Allaway might be released.

Discusses the author's experience as director of the Waukesha Public Library in Wisconsin. Visits by the state Attorney General Jim Doyle, United States Vice President Al Gore, and rock star Bon Jovi; How librarians can prepare for visiting dignitaries and their entourages; Advice for remaining flexible and having fun.

Reports on an ordinance passed by the Jefferson Parish Council in Louisiana which tightens penalties for viewing obscene or sexually explicit material on library computers. Possibility of a fine or jail sentence for those convicted; Procedure by which librarians are to report the patron, including confirmation by a co-worker that the material is offensive; Possibility that the ordinance will be argued against.

Focuses on the frustrations of Minnesota's Minneapolis Public Library workers in dealing with patrons who view sexually explicit Internet sites, which offend other patrons. Formation of a task force to define unacceptable patron behavior while online; Stance of library board and distrust of Internet filters.

Discusses United States Senator John McCain's call for an end to federal funding to libraries and schools which offer unfiltered Internet access to children. McCain's concern that children are able to view pornography on library computers; Support of former presidential candidate Steve Forbes of a proposed Holland, Michigan ordinance withholding funding from libraries that refuse to install filters on public computers with Internet access.

Reports that Anchorage (Alaska) Municipal Libraries Director Moe McGee asked city administrator to lift filters from the library's computers. Why the filters were installed on all municipal Internet connections, according to city administration; Comments of Alaska Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Jennifer Rudinger about the constitutional problems with using the censoring software.