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This article examines the partnership between the public library in Long Branch, New Jersey and Monmouth University School of Social Work and how these entities collaborate to meet the varied social service needs of library patrons. The objectives of the article are to introduce the concept of public libraries as an MSW field placement site and explain how such placements can address the needs of vulnerable and oppressed patrons. The article also discusses the potential benefits, challenges and considerations for schools of social work interested in placing MSW students in public libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic, which hit academic libraries in the United States during the spring semester of 2020, forced librarians and staff to redouble their efforts to reach out to users in light of newly enforced safety measures such as building closures, quarantine periods, enforced social distancing, etc. This article describes three services—one adapted, one newly developed, and one a collaboration across several units on campus—to allow users to continue receiving the assistance and the materials they needed despite the obstacles inherent to the pandemic. Unexpectedly, these changes also helped streamline processes in a post-pandemic academic library environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The USA PATRIOT Act (USAPA) celebrated its sixth anniversary in 2007 as an omnibus measure for granting expanded authority to federal officials for monitoring and intercepting communications in all formats. The great majority of USAPA is now permanent law, with only two of its original 16 sections operating under sunset clauses. One of those sections is the controversial 215, which grants greater access to "any tangible item" via Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) request procedures. Librarians interpreted that clause to include their records on patron activity and have therefore vigorously protested the federal government's challenge to their professional ethics and their patrons' privacy. It is a measure of their successful resistance that Section 215 remains open to review until 31 December 2009 and that the federal government felt obliged to specifically cite libraries as exempt from being issued National Security Letters (NSL). It is a measure of how far libraries have yet to go that the federal government still claims libraries are not "electronic communication service providers" and therefore not eligible to be served with NSLs, a position not held by any other concerned entity. As in so many other aspects of American culture since 11 September 2001, the struggle between individual liberties and national security continues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism's size and importance are underrated. National Geographic speculates that tourism is the largest industry in the world, generating one trillion dollars a year, and just. for the United States, travel receipts for 2002 were $67,451,000. For all of that activity, most patrons and librarians are only aware of booking Web sites such as Travelocity. This paper will discuss industry-specific sites that offer information for researchers and for travelers interested in going off the beaten path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the early 19th century, public libraries in America tended toward grand appearances befitting seriousness of purpose. Library design changed gradually throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, and more dramatically with automation and new technology. True to its roots, the public library continues to maintain areas for quiet, individual study. But, in addition, today's library has become a cultural center in the community, offering art galleries, auditoriums, meeting rooms, spaces for collaborative work, digital information and instruction, and even cafés. Change is inevitable, as innovations in library design and patron use illustrate. Yet, from the earliest libraries to modern times, one overarching constant defines their purpose: libraries inspire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholarly or research-based journal articles related to public librarianship and public libraries are posited in previous literature as not being useful to the public library practitioner, and potentially less valuable to the researcher than other forms of research. Building off previous research, this article explores journal-based public library research literature to determine the trends in authorship, coverage, and venues. Publication venues are relatively static, with Public Library Quarterly and Library Quarterly publishing most public library research literature. LIS educators and public librarians dominate authorship of public library research, and the topical coverage of that research is gradually evolving in response to new technologies and a renewed focus on user services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Student success" and the "user experience" are terms that have gained prominence in conversations around the ways in which academic libraries support and engage with their student populations. Ethnographic methods provide a unique opportunity to incorporate student voices into these conversations. This study reports on a longitudinal ethnographic study conducted at two academic libraries in the United States. Through a semi-structured participatory approach using whiteboards, the researchers garnered more than 2,000 responses. By coding that qualitative data, the researchers were able to examine student usage of library spaces, how students create informal learning communities within these spaces, and how students define success for themselves. The research specifically highlights the importance of using transitional spaces within libraries, highly visible communal spaces not specifically set aside for academic purposes to gather participatory data. This article shares key findings to inform both library practice and further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This phenomenological study examines the unique perceptions of immigrant women concerning the public library as a meeting place, a support to integration into American culture, and a provider of programs for acquisition of the English language. The library offers a place for observing the culture of the new country from a distance to active participation; it is an arena for comfort and consolation in a difficult life situation as well as an arena for activity and participation. It provides support in developing friendships, acclimating to a new culture, learning a new language, and providing avenues to employment. Three mothers, who fulfilled the criteria for the study, were selected from an initial focus group. Women from Kurdistan, Mexico, and Indonesia were interviewed individually to gain an understanding on the issues brought forth in the focus group. They participated in interviews over the course of 6 months. These programs became a fortuitous blending of an established community with a group of families looking for a support community in a new country. This study has implications for institutions serving immigrants as they look to find a community of support, to learn English, and to acclimate to American culture as they create a comfortable identity that blends their home country with the new country. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An online survey distributed to librarians at public libraries across North America established some interesting trends in public librarians’ perceptions of ebooks and teens. Some of the findings of this study are that teen library users strongly prefer to read print books for their recreational reading and show very little interest in ebooks or ebook programs offered by public libraries. Survey respondents indicate that teen library users remain largely unaware of or disinterested in the advantages of ebooks in providing them a convenient, private, and customizable recreational reading experience. Even when public librarians offer ebook programs for teens through school outreach, these programs tend to focus on the titles in the collection and the download process, rather than the specific benefits of ebook reading. More active promotion of these advantages could potentially appeal to teens, especially to non-library users and reluctant readers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In 2013, Bexar County launched BiblioTech, the first all digital public library in the United States. BiblioTech capitalizes on technology to reach beyond the library walls and integrate the public library in facets of everyday life previously unavailable through paper and print. At its core, BiblioTech changes the traditional understanding of how libraries operate. BiblioTech’s digital model prompts a paradigm shift and challenges the library to seek out new ways to serve otherwise disengaged patron populations. This article discusses the launch of BiblioTech---its impetus, mission, timeline, and challenges. The evolution of BiblioTech over its first four years of operation is presented, along with various community and intergovernmental partnerships that the library has forged in fulfillment of its mission. Finally, future opportunities and plans for development are also explored. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article focuses on the user's experience of pertaining electronic resources available at libraries in U.S. Topics include locating the desired content to view inconsistency in the e-resource journey; designing the user interface with its focus on identifying, locating, and accessing desired content; and attempting to assess the e-resources for contracts at the trial phase and involving library staff. Author also mention efforts to improve the user experience for e-resource librarians.

This article is introduced with a brief account of the historical development of free public libraries in the United States. This is necessary to set the stage for sound reasoning for charging for products and services in today's vanishing public library systems. To be sure, these libraries are closing everywhere because of the lack of proper funding for survival, and charging a small fee has been debated continuously for the survival of these cultural, social, and informational centers. This is not only a problem throughout the United States but also globally. There are a few public libraries that are investigating this strategy to further serve library customers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Every U.S. state and the District of Columbia has a law on the books that protects a library borrower's privacy, both an ethical and legal obligation of the library. In addition, FERPA further restricts access to users’ records. Getting the message across to staff can be a challenge, especially if you employ students or volunteers who may not share your strongly held sense of professional responsibility or nuanced appreciation. Using scenarios, or minicase studies, based on real-life experiences to generate discussion and expand the scope of their understanding can be a very effective way to transmit the message. This article outlines the method used at Penn State University Libraries to instruct frontline staff on policy, law, and the ethics of protecting the confidentiality and privacy of library users. Pedagogy of case study is discussed. Advice on designing a training session and examples are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Too frequently, and often too late, academic librarians learn of patron experiences involving problem patrons, misdemeanor criminal activity, or poorly secured areas. Regrettably, these experiences can irrevocably diminish perceptions of access to the vibrant learning spaces and services offered by our institutions. This article assesses the current state of security personnel staffing and patron security issues at 25 public, four-year universities in two southeastern states. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article contains news briefs of interest to librarians. An evaluation of the fifty worst inventions selected by "Time" magazine and their relevance to libraries and library services are presented. The influence of caregivers in the U.S. as a distinct user group is discussed. The social media web site Twitter processed 2 billion tweets per month beginning in May 2010.

The authors examine, based on a survey of users, the electronic document delivery methods currently in place as well as changes in the recent past and future developments. Interlibrary loan and document delivery staff from institutions across the United States were surveyed in order to ascertain what document delivery mechanisms are currently in place, how they are being used, and why. Findings from this study should lead to an increased awareness of electronic delivery options in libraries across the country and elucidate the dynamics involved at individual sites. This, in turn, will assist librarians in making decisions, based not only on their individual circumstances but on the experiences and trends found across a broad sampling of institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtually every public library in the United States provides public access Internet computers as a role central to its mission. This article addresses the issue of why the Internet matters for public libraries, both in terms of impacts on the general public, particularly the digitally disadvantaged (part one of the article) and impacts on libraries themselves (part two of the article). Each part of this report begins with an extensive literature review, followed by a data analysis section. In part one, the author uses the 2000 United States Census dataset to evaluate library efforts to bridge the digital divide, by analyzing differences in the growth of public terminals in library systems serving counties with different levels of household income, households in poverty, non-white households, and non-English-speaking households. The analysis finds no disparity in the number of public computers available in areas with high and low incomes but finds a significant—and widening—disparity in the number of computers available in areas with a higher versus lower percentage of non-white and non-English-speaking households. In part two of the report, the author uses a random effects linear regression model to estimate the effects of Internet access on library usage. This analysis finds that having Internet terminals (versus having no Internet terminals) has a significant positive effect on a library's visits and reference transactions, but not on a library's circulation. An increase in the number of Internet terminals has no significant effect, positive or negative, on visits, reference transactions, or circulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent recession-related rise in use of U.S. public libraries temporarily masks the declining customer numbers at many public libraries. This loss has been an international problem for over a decade. George Kerr was Customer Services Manager at West Lothian Council Public Libraries (Scotland, UK) when he undertook this study. Kerr recognized that the most efficient way to increase use was to get former users to return. Drawing on international examples, direct mailings, and a telephone survey, this paper examines that effort to win back what Kerr termed “lapsed borrowers.” Kerr's research confirms that libraries can win back a significant proportion of “lapsed borrowers.” The most effective method was for the library to contact customers directly and to offer them a “freebie.” Kerr presents cost data to demonstrate that the effort to win back lapsed users is cost effective. The lapse rate was reduced to just 33 percent. According to Kerr, lapsed borrowers should be the main target group for any new marketing drive. In the future, regular contact by e-mail could be a key to customer retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reference service via instant messaging (IM) has significant potential to benefit distance learners. There has been wide experimentation with IM to expand reference services in libraries across the US, with mixed results. Concern has been expressed that IM cannot provide the same reference experience as face-to-face interactions. One academic library, California State University, San Marcos (CSUSM) has provided local reference service via IM since 2007 and the authors will present evidence that IM can provide distance learners, as well as other library users, with greater access to librarians, while fostering high user satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the results of a survey on the impact of the economic recession on access services of libraries in the U.S. in 2009. The survey received over 100 responses. It enumerated the economic problems that affected libraries, including the ability to purchase requested materials, reduction of hours and reduction of services. It also identified the positive impact of the recession on library services, including higher circulation as patrons use free resources and increased use of interlibrary loans (ILL).

More than 5,000 households with a person identified as having a physical, mental, or emotional condition that impairs participation in activities were surveyed about their opinions concerning barriers to public library use and opinions about efforts by public libraries to be useful to people with disabilities. Results showed that perceptions of accessibility, collections, and presence of assistive or adaptive devices for people with disabilities were slightly more positive if someone in the household had used the public library in the past year. Data used for the study were from the October 2002 Current Population Survey, a federal survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Passed in 2000, the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) mandates Internet filtering for all public schools and libraries. Challenges to the law have been raised on constitutional grounds by free-speech advocates such as the American Library Association and the American Civil Liberties Union. After losing one such challenge in district court, the federal government appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, where the law was upheld in June 2003, though not without possible future concerns. CIPA has profound implications for K-12 school leaders and technology specialists, and a history of the law reveals much about its origins and purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The University of Maryland University College (UMUC) serves a dispersed patron base, and its library has developed, over time, a circulation system for distributing physical research materials to its patrons throughout the United States. This article discusses the development of this system and its associated interface/database management system which links the disparate databases necessary for the processing and shipping of materials. Using the Object Oriented Programming language (OOP) Java, Unified Modeling Language (UML) and interface design techniques, a project team redesigned workflows, created a federated interface that is easy to use and streamlined the distance education circulation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the University of Colorado at Boulder University Libraries, the Special Collections and Cataloging and Metadata Services Departments have been testing Innovative Interfaces' Millennium Media. In a recent project, librarians and staff digitized cover images and tables of contents for issues of selected journals from the Tippit Collection and linked the digitized enhancements to the catalog records for the associated titles. This article reviews the steps involved with the project, shows the results, and describes where this now ongoing effort will fit in the workflow of the departments involved. Serials Review 2007; 33:231-237. © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this selected, annotated bibliography is to provide the reader with sources published since 1993 that examine public policy research institutes or think tanks. As the number of institutes has increased both in the United States and internationally, academics have sought to analyze and measure the importance policy institutes have in shaping public policy and public opinion. Since public policy research institutes publish extensively, librarians will find this bibliography useful for understanding these organizations in connection with book selection, helping library users find public policy information, and teaching students to evaluate sources in information literacy sessions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the opinion of Deanna Marcum, associate librarian of the Library Congress, on the condition of cataloging and function of catalog managers in the U.S. In a speech she delivered in a leadership seminar, she conveyed that a large amount of budget is allocated every year for the development of library catalogs in the country. Several studies on library cataloging and classification are briefly discussed to support her proposition about the dramatic changes in the behavior of library users in searching for information.

Libraries are a symbol of a free, democratic society. Open access to information and patron privacy allow intellectual inquiry and the creation of new knowledge. Librarians have a long tradition of protecting these liberties. In the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, concerns have been raised that the passage of the USA Patriot Act and other anti-terrorism measures threaten these liberties. Librarians need to educate staff, users, and their communities as to the impact these measures have on libraries and access to information. Policies, procedures, and guidelines need to be developed that balance the traditions of intellectual freedom and issues of national security. This article examines access to government information issues and threats to patron privacy and confidentiality of patron records resulting from the passage of the USA Patriot Act. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides an overview of the various products available for library patrons with blindness or visual impairments. To provide some insight into the status of library services for patrons with blindness, a sample of American universities that are recognized for their programs for students with visual impairments was surveyed to discern which assistive technology products are available in their libraries. The results of the study are analyzed and conclusions are offered. doi:10.1300/J204v04n01_02 [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article reports on the International Evidence-Based Librarianship conference held in Brisbane between October 16-19, 2005. Nearly 200 participants attended the conference, from many countries around the world. The Great Britain, Canada, U.S., Australia and New Zealand were all represented, with a very stimulating mix of practitioners and researchers/academics. The focus was on developments in evidence: linking research with practice. A range of workshops and presentations throughout the event elicited much greater interaction and questioning than generally occurs in U.S. conferences. At the conference a \vide range of research projects in library and information science were reported and discussed. During the conference the emphasis was led on the point that libraries have a very active interest in understanding what their users needs are, what services they should be delivering and how they should be developing their services to better meet these needs. Workshops included case studies of generalised library activities and services to develop research questions which were not limited to the health sectors.

A university library implemented a three-pronged marketing action plan to increase library visibility on campus. The plan included a publicity campaign, a formalized liaison program, and a user satisfaction survey. The year-long effort did return library instruction statistics to earlier levels but did not increase reference usage. Several factors are identified as potential causes for its limited success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports are from a program planned by the Southern California Technical Processes Group (SCTPG) on "Managing the Electronic Monster; The Impact on the Library User" and a program at the University at Buffalo (UB) on the crisis in the scholarly communication system, "Publishing the Future: Scholarly Communication in an Information Age." The Southern California Technical Processes Group (SCTPG) chose "Managing the Electronic Monster; The Impact on the Library User" as an interesting title for the program reported on by Manuel Urrizola. Equating electronic resources with a monster certainly resonates with this column editor, who used the metaphor of battling the Hydra in a presentation at a past Florida Library Association conference. An impressive list of local California speakers addressed such issues as the single versus separate record approach, aggregator-neutral records, acquisitions and licensing of electronic resources, and public service concerns. Former Serials Review editor Cindy Hepfer played a key role in planning the content for the University at Buffalo (UB) program on scholarly communication entitled "Publishing the Future." The purpose of the program was to raise awareness in the UB community, especially among faculty, administrators, and students, to the growing crisis in scholarly communication and to look at some future developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the growing need for tools or systems that will provide more effective management of and improved user access for journal collections, especially for e-journals. The author briefly describes initial efforts at the local library level to develop management systems and mentions the rise of vendor-supplied solutions, which have become very popular. In spite of the current popularity of vendor-based solutions, the author argues that there is still a niche for locally developed journal management systems. One such system, developed at the author's home institution, Taylor University, is featured as a case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the changing educational landscape of the community college, reference librarians must adapt their service to fit the information needs of their patrons. One such update is synchronous digital reference, which applies instant messaging technology to library service. Todd Library at Waubon see Community College (Sugar Grove, Illinois) introduced this type of reference service in order to fulfill certain goals as out- lined in its mission statement and to satisfy the accreditation requirements of AQJP. Although the technological challenge has been met, follow-up will be necessary to gauge the overall effectiveness of this service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edward G. Miner Library, the health sciences library at the University of Rochester Medical Center, is reaching out beyond its usual user group to improve health knowledge of members of six inner-city African-American churches and one community center. With the Congregation Healthy Heart Action Partnership (CHHAP) and the Rochester Public Library as partners, and with funding from the National Library of Medicine, Miner is providing Internet access at the churches and training church and community members to use reliable health Web sites such as MedlinePlus. A train-the-trainer approach and follow-up meetings empower church members to carry the information to others. In addition to trainees learning about reliable health Web resources and Rochester Public Library's health resources, new relationships between libraries and churches have resulted. It is hoped that this program will help reduce health disparities between Rochester's inner-city minorities and residents of the surrounding suburbs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Agricultural Library (NAL) of the United States of America and its national and international partners have developed a number of innovative services and collaborative programs in the last ten years. NAL's collaborative efforts have focused on providing access to agricultural information through preservation of publications, Internet access, electronic networks, and development of discipline-specific Web sites. This article describes four case studies demonstrating collaborative innovations in agricultural information services, developed through different partnership models: Invasivespecies.gov Science.gov, AgNIC (Agriculture Network Information Center); and the National Preservation Program for Agricultural Literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a use analysis and the results of a user survey of Bowling Green State University Libraries' "Chat with a Librarian" service for the academic year 2001-2002. When appropriate, the results are compared with the results of other libraries' services. Information examined includes when and from where users ask questions via the services, how users find out about the service, and what types of questions the users ask, the status and affiliation of the users, and user satisfaction with the service. Most of this information can be compared to findings from at least one other academic library's study of a somewhat similar service. With a few exceptions, the findings are similar from service to service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the fallacy that real-time and asynchronous digital reference software are fundamentally different. Instead the author argues that the only real difference is lag time, and that this difference does not support the separation of digital reference functions. An attempt is made to create a unified model for digital reference and digital reference functions. Lastly, the author presents some practical considerations for libraries seeking to purchase digital reference software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on problems concerning public Internet access at the General Information Center of the Northwestern University Library in Illinois. Problem on public access issues; Details on the Internet tracking service used by the library; Web sites accessed by library users.

Examines the accessibility of electronic resources to library patrons from local online catalogs via uniform resource locators (URL) in Colorado. Use of Internet-based electronic resources in the libraries; Problem on online catalogs merging; Library management in maintaining URL in local online catalogs.

President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, and a library has served staffers and volunteers since its beginning. In this issue, Serials Review visits the Information Collection and Exchange (ICE) at Peace Corps Headquarters in Washington, DC, and learns about some of the unique things this library does to support its users all over the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the implementation of electronic books (e-books) lending in libraries in the U.S. The author believes that e-books lending is a delicate issue since it transforms the manner on how individuals access books in libraries. Moreover, she states that authors, publishers, libraries and library users are at stake on the said issue.

The article presents the author's views on privacy of the library user. The author observes that the undergraduates don't care about privacy and are posting details of their personal life on web. However professional ethics maintained by libraries in the U.S. operating under the American Library Association protects each library user's right to privacy and confidentiality. This means information sought electronically must be kept private as well.

The author emphasizes the importance of sharing library resources among libraries and information-based institutions in the U.S. during financial constraints. He cites the resources that public libraries can offer to students and patrons. He mentions the cooperation between the Northern Illinois University (NIU) and the DeKalb Public Library in the field of information resources sharing.