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The article focuses on the history of paper specifications of the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) in 1895-1980. It says that the Printing Act of 1895 has provided GPO the power to set and employ quality standards to obtain paper from the marketplace. It mentions that the Paper Specification of GPO specified paper composition as well as the initial acidity from at least 1950s onward. It adds that the specification offer enough data, which can be used to compare the paper selection of GPO.

The article discusses serial set publications in the U.S. It notes that the rational of compiling, editing and printing of U.S. Federal documents, known as the American State Papers (ASP), can be found in the report titled Republication of Congressional Documents, published in January 4, 1832. Information on number of the publications, series and pagination is offered.

This article focuses on the publication of some student papers from government documents courses. The editorial team selected five papers on government information topics that they found interesting: "Government Gone Mad? Is the United States Government in the Business of Restricting Public Access?;" "United States Agency for International Development (USAID);" "A Social History of Paperwork Reform Efforts;" "Internment of Italian-Born Immigrants During World War II;" and "Adding Little ZIP to the Mail." There is an abundance of information published for and by USAID. However, the majority of these publications are not depository items. They are produced for USAID employees and partnership organizations around the globe. While often technical, statistical, or instructional in nature, many of these publications can be a great resource for information on developing countries, and in particular for tracking progress in a variety of areas, such as health and education. The best place to locate USAID publications is online, often as downloadable files available through their web site, or through their well-organized, up-to-date database, which includes citations to many current and historical documents.

The article discusses the problem in accounting the public documents of the first 14 Congresses in the U.S. It cites various problems associated with congressional printing of documents for the House and Senate during the first 14 Congresses. It cites Timothy Pickering, who introduced a series of resolutions on Congressional printing and passed by the House on December 14, 1813. It also examines several publications and reprint of reports from the House and the Senate and bibliographies on the early Congressional documents. Moreover, it supplicates for a national census of public papers of the first 14 Congresses through the "Documentary History of the First Federal Congress," by Dr. Charlene Bangs Bickford.

In search of a cohesive tool for managing license agreements, the University of Florida Libraries has devised an in-house project. This paper tracks development of the project from its theoretical inception, which began in 1997. The project was intended to he an all-encompassing database that allowed tracking of license agreements from the time they were received in the Serials Acquisitions Unit to their final signature. The discussion follows the progress of the database development and details the current portable document format (PDF) project in place, which uses scanned license agreements linked to the OPAC (online public access catalog) title record for ease of access and tracking by libraries staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compares the results between Web-based and written library satisfaction surveys at the Western Kentucky University (WKU) in Bowling Green. Frequency of use of WKU Libraries' electronic and printed resources; Helpfulness of WKU library personnel; Adequacy of WKU Libraries' collections in meeting information needs; Influence of method on the differences in mean response.

Inspired by pandemic-transformed instruction, this paper examines the digital accessibility of five tech tools used in information literacy sessions, specifically for students who use assistive technologies such as screen readers. The tools are Kahoot!, Mentimeter, Padlet, Jamboard, and Poll Everywhere. First, we provide an overview of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and digital accessibility definitions, descriptions of screen reading assistive technology, and the current use of tech tools in information literacy instruction for student engagement. Second, we examine accessibility testing assessments of the five tech tools selected for this paper. Our data show that the tools had severe, significant, and minor levels of digital accessibility problems, and while there were some shared issues, most problems were unique to the individual tools. We explore the implications of tech tools' unique environments as well as the importance of best practices and shared vocabularies. We also argue that digital accessibility benefits all users. Finally, we provide recommendations for teaching librarians to collaborate with campus offices to assess and advance the use of accessible tech tools in information literacy instruction, thereby enhancing an equitable learning environment for all students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present findings from a three-year research project funded by the US Institute of Museum and Library Services that examined how advanced broadband measurement capabilities can support the infrastructure and services needed to respond to the digital demands of public library users across the US. Previous studies have identified the ongoing broadband challenges of public libraries while also highlighting the increasing digital expectations of their patrons. However, few large-scale research efforts have collected automated, longitudinal measurement data on library broadband speeds and quality of service at a local, granular level inside public libraries over time, including when buildings are closed. This research seeks to address this gap in the literature through the following research question: How can public libraries utilize broadband measurement tools to develop a better understanding of the broadband speeds and quality of service that public libraries receive? In response, quantitative measurement data were gathered from an open-source broadband measurement system that was both developed for the research and deployed at 30 public libraries across the US. Findings from our analysis of the data revealed that Ookla measurements over time can confirm when the library's internet connection matches expected service levels and when they do not. When measurements are not consistent with expected service levels, libraries can observe the differences and correlate this with additional local information about the causes. Ongoing measurements conducted by the library enable local control and monitoring of this vital service and support critique and interrogation of the differences between internet measurement platforms. In addition, we learned that speed tests are useful for examining these trends but are only a small part of assessing an internet connection and how well it can be used for specific purposes. These findings have implications for state library agencies and federal policymakers interested in having access to data on observed versus advertised speeds and quality of service of public library broadband connections nationwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stamp collectors frequently donate their stamps to cultural heritage institutions. As digitization becomes more prevalent for other kinds of materials, it is worth exploring how cultural heritage institutions are digitizing their philatelic materials. This paper begins with a review of the literature about the purpose of metadata, current metadata standards, and metadata that are relevant to philatelists. The paper then examines the digital philatelic collections of four large cultural heritage institutions, discussing the metadata standards and elements employed by these institutions. The paper concludes with a recommendation to create international standards that describe metadata management explicitly for philatelic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which editor discusses articles in issue on topics including adoption of National Information Standards Organization’s Shared Electronic Resource Understanding at U.S. Academic Libraries; and recommendations on vocabularies and standards for capturing metadata.

The article reports on the submission of student papers that tackle issues on government information in the U.S. According to the article, the topics include historical problems associated with information access, the challenges in carrying out instructional services, the development of various government programs as well as its efforts in placing restrictions in terms of access to information. In addition, it states that the articles are contributed by librarians and educators who taught government information subjects.

The article presents guidelines issued by the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) about documentation. Advertisements are even worse when GPO actually catalogs them and patrons looking for the statistical abstract end up with an ad telling them how to order it. Of course, if they are ads for publications GPO no longer distributes to depositories in paper, they are really annoying. The author has added some tips which he never wants to see again in microfiche. There are even worse when Of course, it is tempting to say microfiche of anything, but there are some things that the author actually prefer in microfiche, like congressional bills and flood insurance studies and the catalog of copyright entries. Color microfilm is expensive but if the issuing agency felt color was worth to expense, then it should be filmed in color.

As a doorway for users seeking information, library websites should be accessible to all, including those who are visually or physically impaired and those with reading or learning disabilities. In conjunction with an earlier study, this paper presents a comparative evaluation of Ivy League university library homepages with regard to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates. Data results from WAVE and AChecker evaluations indicate that although the error of Missing Form Labels still occurs in these websites, other known accessibility errors and issues have been significantly improved from five years ago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing upon findings from a national survey of U.S. public libraries, this paper examines trends in Internet and public computing access in public libraries across states from 2004 to 2006. Based on library-supplied information about levels and types of Internet and public computing access, the authors offer insights into the network-based content and services that public libraries provide. Examining data from 2004 to 2006 reveals trends and accomplishments in certain states and geographic regions. This paper details and discusses the data, identifies and analyzes issues related to Internet access, and suggests areas for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper identifies and reviews some of the currently relevant components of collection development that contribute to the need for having a written collection development policy (CDP). The requisite elements for a pertinent and usable CDP are identified, being mindful of the need to customize these policies for each library’s unique needs. The literature review validates the long-standing purposes of CDPs, quantitative studies of existing CDPs, and some of the inherent drawbacks in the creation and application of these policies. The author presents a case study demonstrating the processes necessary to create a CDP for a medium-sized academic library. This includes more current and relevant considerations for a modern CDP. The paper also includes best practices identified throughout the policy creation process, which have the potential to be applied to other similarly situated libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) established requirements for both public libraries and public schools to adopt filters on all of their computers when they receive certain federal funding, it has not attracted a great amount of research into the effects on libraries and schools and the users of these social institutions. This paper explores the implications of CIPA in terms of its effects on public libraries and public schools, individually and in tandem. Drawing from both library and education research, the paper examines the legal background and basis of CIPA, the current state of Internet access and levels of filtering in public libraries and public schools, the perceived value of CIPA, the perceived consequences of CIPA, the differences in levels of implementation of CIPA in public libraries and public schools, and the reasons for those dramatic differences. After an analysis of these issues within the greater policy context, the paper suggests research questions to help provide more data about the challenges and questions revealed in this analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As college campuses closed for in-person classes and shifted to online instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020, US academic libraries also scrambled to provide continued access to library services and resources to support remote learning, teaching, and research. One important question is how academic library technical services responded to the public health emergency and adapted to new challenges to continue to serve the academic community. This paper illustrates a survey study that investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on US academic library technical services units in terms of disruptions and alterations of existing normal operations. The study revealed that technical services librarians and staff made determined efforts to continue performing as much of their pre-pandemic work as possible under the challenging circumstances. Unsurprisingly, library collection building practices and collection budgets were seriously affected by the pandemic. The study also showed the limitations of institutional preparedness and response to the public health emergency. Lastly, the study explored the personal experiences and perceptions of working from home during the pandemic and found no significant changes in work productivity, motivation, or concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the Association of Research Libraries' Special Collections Task Force's interest in "hidden" special collection materials, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Conservation Unit undertook a conservation needs survey of the Rare Book and Special Collections Library's backlog of uncataloged rare book materials. The survey evaluated the binding structure; physical, biological, and chemical damage; and unique features of more than 4,000 randomly sampled pieces from the collection. The information gathered would aid in planning for the integration of immediate preservation actions with future cataloging projects and to better direct future conservation efforts. This paper details the development of the survey, interprets the results, and suggests methodologies for assessing other rare collections as well as approaches to integrating the identified immediate preservation needs with cataloging and processing projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2014, the Library of Congress (LC) rejected a proposal to change headings in the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) that refer to undocumented immigrants as "Illegal aliens." Two years later, a Subject Analysis Committee (SAC) working group submitted recommendations regarding how and why LC should change the LCSH "Illegal aliens."1 That same year, LC decided to cancel the "Illegal aliens" subject heading, which Congress subsequently sought to block.2 Congress eventually required LC "to make publicly available its process for changing or adding subject headings . . . [and use] a process to change or add subject headings that are clearly defined, transparent, and allows input from stakeholders including those in the congressional community."3 In response, LC paused their plan to change "Illegal aliens." In June 2019, a new SAC Working Group on Alternatives to LCSH "Illegal aliens" was convened to survey local institutions implementing changes to the subject heading and to chart a path for librarians to address the subject heading at the organizational level. At the 2020 ALA Annual Conference, the working group presented their report. This paper builds upon that report and details next steps both for the working group and library professionals who plan to implement changes at their own organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the results of a study to compare contemporary e-journal licenses from two research universities in the United States and Spain in terms of e-reserves, interlibrary loan, text and data mining, authors' rights and treatment of copyright exceptions, usage statistics, governing law, data privacy, and obligations entailing security. The data include a higher proportion of scholarly society and academic press publishers than earlier license analyses. This analysis compares license terms over time, across publisher types and between the two libraries, and it compares findings with recommendations from model licenses. The results show progress toward model license goals in some areas, but deficiencies in others including self-archiving, usage statistics clauses, and clauses related to e-resource data privacy and library security and disciplinary obligations. Our findings also raise questions about international ILL and governing venue clauses in library licenses outside the North American context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper details an approach for accurately machine sorting Library of Congress (LC) call numbers which improves considerably upon other methods reviewed. The authors have employed this sorting method in creating an open-source software tool for library stacks maintenance, possibly the first such application capable of sorting the full range of LC call numbers. The method has potential application to any software environment that stores and retrieves LC call number information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is a systematic review of the library and information science (LIS) literature related to international students and academic libraries. A systematic review involves the methodical collection and analysis of a body of literature and is growing in popularity in the LIS field. Three wellknown LIS databases were systematically searched for articles related to the topic, and manual bibliography searches were conducted to find additional publications. Journal articles, book chapters, and conference papers were included or excluded based on established criteria. Findings show that articles published about international students and academic libraries have increased steadily between 1990 and 2014. The majority of authors are affiliated with universities and institutions in the United States, although an increase in represented countries is apparent. Fewer than half of the articles can be considered original research, and surveys are the most popular method for data collection. The LIS field--and international students--would benefit from further exploration of this topic, particularly from original research with practical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of the "Library Resources & Technical Services" journal while representing the collections and technical services interests of the American Library Association. The fifty year history of the journal is discussed as well as plans for future publications. The article evaluates the types of documents published in the journal, the way subjects have shifted across the decades, and the themes and topics that the previous journals have focused on.

This paper examines factors that limit the ability of institutions to digitally preserve the cultural heritage of the modern era. The author takes a wide-ranging approach to shed light on limitations to the scope of digital preservation. The author finds that technological limitations to digital preservation have been addressed but still exist, and that non-technical aspects-access, selection, law, and finances-move into the foreground as technological limitations recede. The author proposes a nested model of constraints to the scope of digital preservation and concludes that costs are digital preservation's most pervasive limitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a brief overview of the current state of copyright law in the United States, focusing on the negative impacts of these policies on libraries and patrons. The article discusses four challenges current copyright law presents to libraries and the public in general, highlighting three concrete ways intellectual property law interferes with digital library services and systems. Finally, the author suggests that a greater emphasis on copyright literacy and a commitment among the library community to advocate for fairer policies is vital to correcting the imbalance between the interests of the public and those of copyright holders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing studies have extensively explored factors that affect users' intentions to use university library website resources (ULWR); yet little attention has been given to factors affecting university library website design. This paper investigates factors that affect university library website design and assesses the success of the university library website from both designers' and users' perspectives. The findings show that when planning a website, university web designers consider university guidelines, review other websites, and consult with experts and other divisions within the library; however, resources and training for the design process are lacking. While website designers assess their websites as highly successful, user evaluations are somewhat lower. Accordingly, use is low, and users rely heavily on commercial websites. Suggestions for enhancing the usage of ULWR are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With an abundance of library resources being served on the web, researchers are finding that disabled people oftentimes do not have the same level of access to materials as their nondisabled peers. This paper discusses web accessibility in the context of United States' federal laws most referenced in web accessibility lawsuits. Additionally, it reveals which states have statutes that mirror federal web accessibility guidelines and to what extent. Interestingly, fewer than half of the states have adopted statutes addressing web accessibility, and fewer than half of these reference Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act or Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 1.0. Regardless of sparse legislation surrounding web accessibility, librarians should consult the appropriate web accessibility resources to ensure that their specialized content reaches all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The American Library Association (ALA) Preservation Statistics Survey, a national survey on the preservation activities of cultural heritage institutions, was introduced in 2012 in response to the decision of the Association of Research Libraries' (ARL) decision to discontinue its long-running preservation statistics program. This paper presents the history of both surveys, discusses the rationale for collecting national data on these activities, and how the data has been used. The paper also includes key results, derived from analysis of both surveys. The surveys suggest that institutional support for preservation activities has declined significantly since its peak in the early 1990s. Preservation programs continue to focus on text-based materials and seem to employ fewer nonprofessional staff than they did five years earlier. The benefits and challenges of conducting a voluntary national survey are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This survey investigates artificial intelligence (AI) literacy among academic library employees, predominantly in the United States, with a total of 760 respondents. The findings reveal a modest self-rated understanding of AI concepts, limited hands-on experience with AI tools, and notable gaps in discussing ethical implications and collaborating on AI projects. Despite recognizing the benefits, readiness for implementation appears low among participants. Respondents emphasize the need for comprehensive training and the establishment of ethical guidelines. The study proposes a framework defining core components of AI literacy tailored for libraries. The results offer insights to guide professional development and policy formulation as libraries increasingly integrate AI into their services and operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the role of librarians in United States as information professionals to ensure the understanding of the value of employing a fact-based criterion for evaluating resources. Topics include disregard for facts in news and by political leaders in the U.S. , the use of information literacy in providing us with diverse perspective to work within academic communities, and the combination of information literacy and archiving.

The US cataloging community is an interorganizational network with the Library of Congress (LC) as the lead organization, which reserves to itself the power to shape cataloging rules. Peripheral members of the network who are interested in modifying changes to the rules or to the network can use various strategies for organizational change that incorporate building ties to the decision-makers located at the hub of the network. The story of William E. Studwell's campaign for a subject heading code illustrates how some traditional scholarly methods of urging change--papers and presentations--are insufficient to achieve reform in an interorganizational network, absent strategies to build alliances with the decision makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade, libraries have taken advantage of emerging technologies to provide new discovery tools to help users find information and resources more efficiently. In the wake of this technological shift in discovery, privacy has become an increasingly prominent and complex issue for libraries. The nature of the web, over which users interact with discovery tools, has substantially diminished the library's ability to control patron privacy. The emergence of a data economy has led to a new wave of online tracking and surveillance, in which multiple third parties collect and share user data during the discovery process, making it much more difficult, if not impossible, for libraries to protect patron privacy. In addition, users are increasingly starting their searches with web search engines, diminishing the library's control over privacy even further. While libraries have a legal and ethical responsibility to protect patron privacy, they are simultaneously challenged to meet evolving user needs for discovery. In a world where "search" is synonymous with Google, users increasingly expect their library discovery experience to mimic their experience using web search engines.1 However, web search engines rely on a drastically different set of privacy standards, as they strive to create tailored, personalized search results based on user data. Libraries are seemingly forced to make a choice between delivering the discovery experience users expect and protecting user privacy. This paper explores the competing interests of privacy and user experience, and proposes possible strategies to address them in the future design of library discovery tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies have analyzed the occupational socialization of public school educators, including principals and school teachers; however, very few studies have documented or synthesized the experience of novice school librarians. This study contributes to the understanding of novice school librarians' professional identities by analyzing their critical events in the workplace. Participants' critical events were identified using a modified version of the narrative inquiry tool Mystory. After an examination of three novice school librarians' critical event narratives, this paper explores the significance of those critical events on participants' professional identity formation. Common findings relate to professional impact, professional respect, and professional confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic libraries face many challenges in collecting and maintaining streaming videos, particularly as demand for this unique format continues to increase. At the Oviatt Library at California State University, Northridge, it was determined that streaming video activity needed to be examined and that there was a strong need to develop a workflow for incoming video requests. A Video Streaming Decision Tree Committee composed of librarians and staff from various units within the library including collection development, acquisitions, cataloging, and music and media. Its charge was to create a decision tree workflow for incoming streaming video requests. The committee designed and implemented a detailed decision tree that accounts for many of the complexities of streaming video. This paper discusses various factors involved with collection development for streaming video and provides a detailed description of the committee's workflow for the format. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the summer of 2010, two researchers interviewed twenty-three library administrators of comparable academic libraries at American universities for their views of the value of research in academic libraries. The interview questions focused on the administrators' perceived value of academic librarians' research, incentives given to academic librarians to research, factors that influence the administrators' thinking about academic library research, opinions about the changes in Americans libraries in the past decades, and directions that they see the academic library heading. This paper reflects the answers of these (anonymous) administrators and attempts to analyze patterns in their responses that will be of value to the academic library and its community in America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a historical review of the events and institutional influences in the nineteenth century that led to the development of the Library of Congress (LC) card distribution program as the American version of a national bibliography at the beginning of the twentieth century. It includes a discussion of the standardizing effect the card distribution program had on the cataloging rules and practices of American libraries. It concludes with the author's thoughts about how this history might be placed in the context of the present reexamination of the LC's role as primary cataloging agency for the nation's libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canada has a long history of adapting United States subject access tools, including the Library of Congress Classification (LCC), Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), the Dewey Decimal Classification, and the Sears List of Subject Headings, to meet the specific needs of Canadians. This paper addresses the extensions to these American tools for English-speaking Canadians. While the United States and Canada have many similarities, differences exist that require changing terminology and providing greater depth and precision in subject headings and classification for specifically Canadian topics. The major effort has been for Library and Archives Canada (LAC) systematically to provide extensions for LCC and LCSH for use within its cataloging records. This paper examines the history and philosophy of these Canadian efforts to provide enhanced subject access. Paradoxically, French-speaking Canadians may have found it easier to start from scratch with the Répertoire de vedettes-matière because of the difficult decisions for English-language tools on how much change to implement in an environment where most Canadian libraries use the American subject access tools. Canadian studies scholars around the world can use Canadian records, especially those maintained by LAC, to obtain superior subject access for Canadian topics even if they obtain the documents from other sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research study assesses preservation education offered by continuing education (CE) providers in the United States. Educators teaching preservation workshops for regional field service organizations and other local and regional preservation networks were surveyed about the type and number of workshops offered, content of preservation offerings, audience, faculty resources, future plans for curricula, and availability of continuing education credits. The investigators hypothesize that preservation workshops offered by CE providers serve multiple purposes for the library and archival science professions, becoming not only an avenue for professionals to continue to develop or reinforce their knowledge and skills in preservation, but also often the primary source of rudimentary preservation education for library and information science professionals and paraprofessionals. This paper reviews the literature relevant to the study of preservation in the CE environment, describes the research methodology employed in designing and conducting the survey, presents the resulting data, and analyzes the trends revealed by the data in order to understand more fully the goals and objectives of CE in preservation during the last decade and to gauge future directions of the field. This paper concludes by presenting plans for further research, which will expand upon initial findings of this survey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community colleges educate an estimated two-fifths of United States college students. Yet community college librarians do not disseminate enough research to enable their colleagues and their libraries to reach their potential. Little is known about what types of supportive measures might increase productivity. The authors collected quantitative and qualitative survey data, finding that a slight majority of participants conduct research, but less than one third of those who research share their findings. Key challenges include lack of time, lack of funding, and lack of confidence. A new baseline understanding will provide a foundation for initiatives to support increased representation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technical services functions in academic libraries have evolved in response to fiscal pressures and advances in technology. In this study the author investigates how technical services in large research university libraries are adapting to support the changing roles of academic libraries. The author conducted hour-long phone interviews in early 2014 with the representatives from nineteen out of the twenty-five university libraries in the Technical Services Directors Large Research Libraries Interest Group. This paper presents the results and discussion based on the interview data: use of the name, Technical Services; new and emerging functions of technical services; organizational structure of technical services units; change drivers that are affecting technical services now, and those that will soon; and challenges in managing technical services. Five models of a technical services organizational structure were developed from participants' organizational charts and interview data. This research also highlights the skills needed among technical services personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demand-Driven Acquisition (DDA) has been commonly adopted by academic libraries in the United States for acquiring e-books in recent years. Implementation of the e-book DDA model varies by library. This paper introduces and demonstrates a scenario analysis approach for libraries to evaluate, identify, and select a DDA plan that works best for them based on their DDA program data. This approach helps address some key questions facing libraries with a DDA e-book program: How may a DDA program be evaluated under different scenarios? Does a short-term loan (STL) option make sense? And, is the current DDA implementation a good fit for the library? The implications and related issues are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study seeks to extend wicked problems analysis within the context of a library's support for virtual reality (VR) and the related extended reality (XR) emerging technologies. The researchers conducted 11 interviews with 13 librarians, embedded IT staff, and/or faculty members who were involved in administering, managing, or planning a virtual reality lab or classroom in a library (or similar unit) in a higher education setting. The qualitative analysis of the interviews identified clusters of challenges, which are categorized as either emergent (but solvable) such as portability and training; complicated (but possible) such as licensing and ethics: and/or wicked (but tameable). The respondents framed their role in supporting the wickedness of VR/XR in three basic ways: library as gateway, library as learning partner, and library as maker. Five taming strategies were suggested from this research to help librarians wrestle with these challenges of advocating for a vision of VR/XR on their respective campuses. This research also hints at a larger role for librarians in the research of technology diffusion and what that might mean to their role in higher education in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the results of a survey of readers regarding the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA). Survey results are discussed for topics including the demographics of LITA members, the level of satisfaction that readers have with LITA and the journal, and readers' views on the direction that LITA should take in the future.

This paper analyzes results of a survey on shelf-ready materials management and cataloging practices in US academic libraries with various collection sizes. The survey respondents consisted of managers and librarians in technical services operations. Survey questions addressed topics such as the volume of shelf-ready materials, perspectives on shelf-ready expansion, the effect of local cataloging practices on shelf-ready services, the amount of cataloging and processing errors, and quality control. The majority of participants were from small- and medium-size academic libraries, and print materials were the prevalent format for shelf-ready treatment. Two main reasons for shelf-ready implementation across libraries of all sizes were the need to improve materials turnaround time and the desire to redeploy staff for other projects or tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the results of a nationwide study which examined the design, layout, content, site management, and usability of 1,469 academic and public library websites from all 50 states in the United States. Our findings show common trends for homepage design, navigation, and information architecture. Library websites were found to consistently provide information about hours of operation (97.9 percent), library address (91 percent), news and events (88.9 percent), access to OPACs (84.6 percent), online renewal (77.7 percent), contact information (72.5 percent), and ability to give feedback (74.2 percent). Websites were mainly designed (33 percent) and managed (50 percent) by librarians as part of their professional job duties and the majority did not conduct any web usability testing (72.3 percent). This study provides a profile of how the nation's academic and public libraries design and manage their websites and how this compares to recommended best practices from the research literature. Library websites rated high in general usability based on recognized heuristics; however, a need to conduct usability evaluations remains. A basic set of guidelines for library webpage design is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During spring 2020, emergency remote teaching became the norm for hundreds of higher education institutions in the United States due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Librarians were suddenly tasked with moving in-person services and resources online. For librarians with instruction responsibilities, this online mandate meant deciding between synchronous and asynchronous sessions, learning new technologies and tools for active learning, and vetting these same tools for security issues and ADA compliance. In an effort to understand our shared and unique experiences with emergency remote teaching, the authors surveyed 202 academic instruction librarians in order to answer the following questions: (1) What technology tools are academic librarians using to deliver content and engage student participation in emergency remote library sessions during COVID-19? (2) What do instruction librarians perceive as the strengths and weaknesses of these tools? (3) What digital literacy gaps are instruction librarians identifying right now that may prevent access to equitable information literacy instruction online? This study will deliver and discuss findings from the survey as well as make recommendations toward best practices for utilizing technology tools and assessing them for equity and student engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents results from a fall 2003 survey of heads of cataloging at Association of Research Libraries United States academic libraries. The survey focused on the current number of professional catalogers and their responsibilities as well as future projections for demand for catalogers and thoughts about their roles. The study found that the numbers of professional catalogers are remaining constant or decreasing, and approximately one third are projected to retire in the next decade. In addition, the role of the professional cataloger is perceived as continuing to evolve toward more cataloging-related activities and management and less direct cataloging. Most respondents predicted the professional cataloger has a role in the future and felt prepared for that future. Some respondents suggested that metadata cataloging would be a rowing role in that future. This paper concludes with additional questions about the future of professional catalogers and cataloging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In fall 2002, the University of Tennessee Preservation Office conducted a condition survey of circulating materials in the school's John C. Hodges main library. The objective of the collection condition survey was to evaluate the physical condition of the collection and the effect of human and environmental factors in order to develop a long-range preservation plan. The project used a random sampling method, and a database and online survey form created with SPSS software. The results of the survey contribute an understanding of the national preservation picture. Locally, the results indicate action should be taken in several areas, including environmental conditions, staff and patron education, and reformatting. Other libraries in the early stages of establishing a preservation program can employ the techniques used in Hodges Library to develop their own preservation plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Libraries may vary in the level and fullness of cataloging they give to video recordings and in the methods they use to provide access to them. This paper reports the results of a survey exploring the level of cataloging and access methods applied to videos, the degree to which catalogers view screen credits, and how often various credit information is included and used to create access points in catalog records in selected U.S. public and Association of Research Libraries member libraries. Resources for cataloging videos also were examined. Results showed that most libraries cataloged videos at the full level and provided access points to similar types of information in catalog records. Academic librarians reported viewing videos and providing access points to certain information to a greater extent than public librarians did. This study offers a general picture of the credit information libraries include or omit in video catalog records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pennsylvania State University Libraries developed a committee organizational structure (composed of a steering committee and functional expert teams) to administer and manage its integrated library system. This paper will summarize that organizational structure and highlight management trends that were revealed as a result of a survey to CIC (Committee on Institutional Cooperation) libraries. Key patterns emerged in the areas of decision making, collaboration and reporting structure, and communication that may serve as standards in the discussion revolving around the best way to administer and manage an integrated library system. Decision making is being brought to the functioned level, the need for positive collaboration between library departments is being realized, and the distribution of expertise throughout the libraries has facilitated the communication process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]