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The Gerstein Science Information Centre (Gerstein Library) is one of 40 libraries within the University of Toronto (U of T) and is the largest academic science and health science library in Canada. It offers 109 computers and two networked printers for student, staff, and faculty use. In addition, the library provides patrons' laptops with wireless connectivity and docking ports throughout the building. The public PCs and printers are heavily used, especially by students (both undergraduate and graduate). Over the years, a tremendous amount of paper has been fed into Gerstein's printers. The staff became dismayed by the sheer volume being consumed. This article discusses the partnership formed during the summer of 2009 between the Gerstein Library and the campus sustainability office to embark on a pilot paper-conservation project. The driving force behind this initiative was to lessen the library's impact upon the environment, with budget benefits a secondary goal. A central theme in this initiative has been the importance of first reducing, then reusing, and, finally, recycling paper. Combining all three Rs is the strategy that will have the greatest ecological and economical impacts. (Contains 6 figures.)

Argues that advanced networks, particularly BITNET, NSFNET (National Science Foundation Network), Internet, and NREN (National Research and Education Network) can simplify global networking as well as library functions and interfaces; provide easier and more cost-effective connection of the research and education communities; and transport very large amounts of information. (LRW)

The rise of technology gives individuals new options when it comes to viewing and managing their collection of reading materials. Where there used to be wooden bookshelves filled to the brim with bound volumes of paper, there now sits a small, handheld, battery-powered device that, when one thinks about it, does so much more than simply show one text against a background. If one acquires electronic copies of his/her favorite books, he/she can store hundreds, even thousands of them in the palm of his/her hand in the form of simple ones and zeros. Add to that the ability to save notations, have an integrated dictionary, and share and discuss via the web, and people begin to see how technology has taken the traditional book to a whole new level. These devices are netbooks, tablets, and e-readers. Each has its own array of makes and models. But which one is best for plain old reading? In his role as technical support professional for an academic library, the author set out to find the answer. In this article, the author shares the results and discusses how to choose the right reading device for libraries and their users.

The University of Minnesota-Duluth is the second largest campus in the University of Minnesota system. The UMD library, which serves more than 11,000 students and 500 faculty members, is primarily an undergraduate library. The reference team consists of eight librarians, including author Sunshine Carter, reference and electronics resources librarian, and author Thomas Ambrosi, head of reference services. The reference team assists with more than 13,000 in-person and 3,000 chat reference questions per year. Team members single-staff the desk 66 hours a week during the school year, with reduced hours in the summer. Their paper method did have its value. However, the downsides were many. The data needed to be gathered and entered into a spreadsheet by student reference worker, which took valuable time away from other tasks. However, in less than an hour, using Forms in Google Docs, the team was able to build a workable system after years of delay. Forms created an "aha!" moment for the team: nothing to install, nothing to purchase, accessible from any service point, no server space to negotiate, statistics automatically compiled, and easy to analyze. (Contains 3 figures.)

Since the early 1990s, the Lloyd Sealy Library, where all four of this article's librarian-authors work in various capacities, has been providing the students and faculty of John Jay College of Criminal Justice with extensive electronic access to books and journals. In early 2009, the librarians at Lloyd Sealy decided to test a recent electronic innovation--portable ebook readers or e-readers--to see if this technology would be advantageous for use by the college community. They also wondered if the e-readers could provide a cost-effective alternative to the traditional acquisition of books. Lightening the burden of overflowing library shelves and overstuffed student backpacks has always been a prime consideration for them. Initially, the project was to compare Amazon's Kindle and Sony ebook readers, the two main portable readers on the market at that time. However, the Kindle could not be purchased and used without maintaining a credit card account. The authors instead decided to concentrate on Sony's offerings. They acquired four Sony e-readers--two PRS-505 models and two PRS-700 models. Funding for the project came from a student technology fund. After studying the results, the authors have justified this marked preference with the fact that younger people are very comfortable using technology and would prefer e-readers as a practical convenience when the devices are just handed to them. Another reason that students might prefer e-readers is that today's students associate new technology with the ability to cut and paste, adding to the ease of writing papers. Though there is no doubt that ebooks will be an expanding part of information delivery in libraries, the dedicated e-reader has not yet reached a point where the technology is worth investing in, particularly in these tough economic times. For the short term, until technology can match delivery, librarians should focus on finding ways to provide ebooks through available and existing means, including standard computers, PDAs, and other mobile devices. For now, at least, software that can more easily and inexpensively be adapted to existing technology (such as the Kindle app for iPhones) appears to be a better solution for an academic library than the adoption of e-reader hardware itself. (Contains 2 figures.)

The wonderful Web 2.0 is a famously slippery concept to define. The very ambiguity of the term is Escheresque, self-referential to its ever-changing meaning. As Tim O'Reilly, CEO of O'Reilly Media, described it, "Like many important concepts, Web 2.0 doesn't have a hard boundary, but rather, a gravitational core." As Illinois State Library's information technology coordinator, the author has come to realize that embracing this essential Web 2.0 philosophy is a useful tool in unlocking the true potential of digital collections. In this article, the author contends that until people embrace Web 2.0 concepts, digital repositories cannot evolve beyond very useful cataloging tools. The author's interpretation of Web 2.0 is that it is a blurring of boundaries. This is the powerful philosophy that guides the three parts of this article: (1) joining existing tools to put digital images in context; (2) creating tangential or related stories (which the author has taken to referring to as the "long tale"); and (3) enabling audience participation to enrich the content. (Contains 4 figures.)

In the early 1990s, Northern Michigan University started distributing laptop computers to its faculty and students. Soon, a taste for technology developed and the university community craved more. Having tempted their taste buds, they quickly found that patrons were no longer satisfied with traveling to the library and asked that they bring services and materials to them. As the head of technical services and systems at this 4-year undergraduate institution of higher learning, the author of this article was given the task of preparing this additional service. Here, she discusses their expanded service for Library Materials Access, including wired access over the Internet, wireless access, and a chat reference service and online course guides.

Outlines the proposed Public Communication System (PCS) being explored at the University of Wisconsin and University of Iowa to provide coalition-based, nonprofit public access to the Internet/NREN (National Research and Education Network) and associated information resources. Funding, organization, prospects for success, benefits to the public, and technical operation are described. (EA)

Summarizes issues discussed at an institute held at Cornell University on the impact of electronic publishing on library collection development. Topics discussed include libraries of the future; the National Research and Education Network (NREN); a definition of an electronic library; scholarly communication; implications of national networks; and pricing policies and finance. (LRW)

It's an obvious observation that librarians today find themselves dealing with collections of ever larger proportions of electronic content. The degree to which that shift has already taken place varies from one type of library to another. Some organizations, especially those involved with specializations in biomedical, scientific, or business, may already handle electronic content almost exclusively. Each component of the collections of academic libraries may vary according to discipline. Public libraries today continue to manage printed materials in very high proportions. In the public library sector, the circulation of physical materials continues as a key activity, supplemented by increased involvement with the delivery of electronic information to users in most of the forms seen in academic libraries. Public libraries have long been in the business of providing access to ebooks, audiobooks, and other digital versions of long-form monographs. While the author doesn't have precise projections for the proportions of formats that will constitute public libraries in the future, he is confident in a growing shift toward electronic content while maintaining significant holdings in print for the foreseeable future. But more than anything else, he is sure that the wheels of change people see today will turn ever faster as the years move on. Given this transition toward more digital collections, the author gives a lot of thought to the implications this trend brings to the technologies needed to support libraries. He doesn't necessarily have all the solutions in mind, but he thinks that it's important to conceive of technology infrastructures not locked into even the most progressive views of current library roles or views of what is anticipated in the near future. He just doesn't think that people can always predict what will happen next, and he hopes that the technologies that are developed today will be designed with the greatest amount of flexibility possible so that they can provide great support regardless of which of the current trends that are seen in play actually become dominant in the next round.

Nowadays, it's possible to look to the open Web for subscription-based services that allow one to sidestep slow-moving institutions in order to serve one's users. More often than not, systems offices will not interfere, as they're heavily involved in triaging their workload. Happily, taking an active stance in learning a new technology before it receives a formal imprimatur can transform one into an expert, which is a nice way to be known. But life without a systems office has its costs. The author of this article shares his success stories on considering new, technology-intensive services. These stories suggest that a lot can be done on a shoestring, especially if one takes the initiative. He stresses that when it comes to taking a risk on a new or emerging technology, it's better to focus on the core academic goals of the user community.

Notebook computers of increasing power and portability offer unique advantages to library users. Connecting easily to a campus data network, they are small silent work stations capable of drawing information from a variety of sources. Designers of new library buildings may assume that users in growing numbers will carry these multipurpose machines. Buildings will offer access to online utilities. (DB)

Discusses document delivery services in the light of new technology. Topics addressed include the historical influences of the printing press; the influence of microcomputers on the publishing industry; copyright issues; the changing role of publishers, researchers, and academic librarians; information partnerships among publishers, librarians, and patrons; and information networks. (LRW)

Discussion of job satisfaction and the level of job performance focuses on the effect of automation on job satisfaction among reference librarians. The influence of stress is discussed, a job strain model is explained, and examples of how to design a job to reduce the stress caused by automation are given. (12 references) (LRW)

Summarizes issues raised at a seminar on electronic libraries that was held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Topics discussed include network development; CD-ROM; technology costs; the relationship between academic computing centers and libraries; development of a national Information Infrastructure (II); digital library systems (DLS); and a system for scholarly communication. (LRW)

Discusses issues related to the idea of a virtual library, or electronic library, in an academic setting. Topics discussed include access to academic libraries via personal computers; online catalogs; wide area networks, such as Internet, and their impact on library and computer center services; administrative issues; human and technological issues; and technological advances. (seven references) (LRW)