Search

The article reports that the collections of the New York State Library in Albany will be available to all New York residents. In a six-month pilot project, all residents of New York State will now have access to the collections of the New York State Library in Albany. Previously, access was available only to state officials and employees, legislators, members of the state bar, state licensed physicians, and local government historians. With the project, announced by New York education commissioner Richard Mills, all New Yorkers 18 and older can borrow directly from the library's circulating collection, as well as getting remote access to the library's NOVEL online databases, New York's statewide virtual library. NOVEL includes a range of resources, including full-text electronic-collections of national and international newspapers and magazines. The policy addresses a 2000 New York State Regents Commission on Library Services report that outlined ten recommendations to improve library services in New York State, which included improving access to the collections of the state library.

The article presents the "Library Journal" (LJ) Index of Public Library Service 2021 in the U.S. Topics include the public libraries eligible for the index and repeat and new star libraries from 2009 to 2021, an interview with directors of new or returning 2021 Star Libraries on topics including how their libraries were positioned to cope with the pandemic, and frequently asked questions about the LJ index and its Star Library ratings.

The article discusses how libraries in the U.S. are providing services for people that are incarcerated. Topics covered include the findings of Jacob Kang-Brown and Ram Sabramanian's Vera Institute report "Out of Sight: The Growth of Jails in Rural America," the challenge of sorting information about library services to people who are or have been incarcerated and their families, and way to support the families of people who are incarcerated or recently released.

The article discusses how libraries and archive genealogy services are adapting to widespread DNA testing and challenge brought by the Covid-19 pandemic. Topics include the hosting of virtual events by the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library (CHPL), Ohio, an excellent resource for genealogy experts when researching Hispanic genealogy from afar, and comments from Ayshea Khan, the Asian American Community Archivist at the Austin History Center, Austin Public Library in Texas.

This section offers news briefs related to libraries in the U.S. as of August 2018, including the addition of five companies to Consortium, an Ingram Publisher Services LLC brand; the launch of a library card by Kent District Library for active military and veterans; and the funding received by the Navajo Nation Library from the Navajo Nation Council to digitize its Oral History collection.

The article focuses on Harvard Law School (HLS) which will take its collections of legal materials available online to the public. Topics discussed include HLS Library which will scan and digitize the collection in collaboration with California-based legal research and analytics firm Ravel Law to make the collection available for online, digitization of the official print version of the historical court decisions in the U.S., and the employees who worked during the library's operating hours.

This article discusses the factors which may contribute to campus literacy programs in the U.S. as of March 1, 1991. The Federal Student Literacy Corps provides funding over two years to institutions of higher learning for developing courses that address literacy and include a volunteer component for students to become involved in field service work. The second edition of the book Literacy Action: A Resource Book for Colleges and Universities written by Louisa B. Meacham, covers all the major issues involved in establishing and running a campus literacy program. College and university librarians support student literacy initiatives or the literacy efforts of their local public libraries by providing office/meeting space for student literacy coalitions, space for tutoring/student training sessions and access to bulletin boards and campuswide publications. They can also develop professional collections of literacy materials for program coordinators, tutors and trainers. Support may also be given through the creation of a demonstration collection for tutors to review literacy materials. If there are children's titles in education or library science collection, it should be made available to student tutors to use in family literacy activities.

This section presents information on several computer software and CD-ROM packages for U.S. libraries. Get-A-Ref version 4.0 is a tool for researchers, scientists, physicians, graduate students, or anyone else who must access and update personal libraries of reprints. The Third College Edition of Webster's New World Dictionary database holds approximately 30 megabytes of standard dictionary data including 140,000 lexemes, 180,000 definitions, 51,000 etymologies, and 50,000 classification descriptors. Utlas International has released a CD-ROM containing over 460,000 full MARC serials records to complement its CD-CATSS cataloging system. The records consist of the pre-1987 authenticated CONSER files from the Library of Congress and the National Library of Canada as well as original serials records from selected Utlas customers. The Unisys Corp. has completed negotiations with the University of North Dakota for the implementation of a PALS Library Management system to serve libraries statewide. The network will allow the Grand Forks Public Library and the North Dakota State Library to make their combined 1.7 million-volume collection available to any library system.

The article features several digital developers who helped influence the future of libraries in the U.S. These include head of information technology (IT) services Nathaniel Rasmussen of Schlow Centre Region Library of State College, Pennsylvania, library data strategist Kristina Spurgin of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Libraries, and curator of rare books Jay Moschella of Boston Public Library.

Reports that the King County Library System in Washington has made electronic audiobooks available in its eAudio collection. Way that books are played on MP3 players; Titles bought from the company Audible.com; How library patrons want to download electronic books themselves.

Presents resources for digital imaging projects. Variables involved depending on the project; Questions needing to be answered for a given project; Resources from the United States Library of Congress (LC) and the US National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Understanding underlying technical issues; Use of Kodak materials; List of published and Internet resources.

Reports that the Hearst Corp. has donated photographs and clippings from the defunct newspaper the "Los Angeles Herald Examiner" to the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL). Statement of Sanford Paris, president of the Board of Library Commissioners, that the donation will improve the library's resources; Description of the collection, which covers the history of Los Angeles from 1900 to 1989; Outlook for the collection to be available at the Central Library building when it opens in 1993.

Describes how the Saint Louis Municipal Library Cooperative employed an integrated computer package for the Missouri library. Courses and workshops attended by library staff and officers; Barcoding the collection; Effort to make computer available by appointment for use by individuals of the community; Vendor support for the Book Trak program; Funding for the computers.

A news brief is presented which discusses the increased demand and availability of electronic books in United States libraries, despite frustrations involving the pricing and availability policies of the publishers. Statistics are provided which indicate that nine out of ten public libraries offer electronic books, that average circulation quadrupled from 2010 to 2011, and that the most active borrowers of electronic books are adults between the ages of 35 and 44.

The author investigates the 2011 suit brought by the Authors Guild (AG) organization against the HathiTrust, a collaborative digital archive project between several research universities including University of Michigan, Cornell University, and Indiana University. The author notes that AG's president Scott Turow formerly supported libraries. She points out that HathiTrust has not violated libraries' fair rights under copyright law by making its collection available for full-text searching.

The article discusses the challenges faced by college and university libraries in the U.S. as institutions begin reopening in fall 2020. Topics covered include the closing of academic libraries in the U.S. in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, modification in the plan of University Libraries at Baylor University in Texas to reopen the library as a study space, and the need of libraries to maintain digital services that have served their communities since March 2020.

Focuses on an online collection of sheet music dating from the late 1890s to the Big Band Era of the 1930s and 1940s posted by Mississippi State University. The collection, which was donated by Charles H. Templeton; Where the paper archive is located; Collaborators on the effort.

Reports on the efforts of the United States Library of Congress (LC) to reassemble Thomas Jefferson's personal library of 6,487 books in honor of the library's bicentennial. Destruction of Jefferson's original collection by fires in the 1800s; Donation of $1 million by Dallas Cowboys owners Jerry and Gene Jones, which has allowed LC to locate and purchase copies of the same editions owned by Jefferson.

Reviews are presented of Web sites including cqpress.com/product./CQ Voting-and-Elections Collection.html, Ropercenter.uconn.edu. and brain.gallup.com

In this article the magazine proposes a new format for the evaluation and ranking of public libraries in the United States. The measures suggested will improve self-evaluation of institutions, encourage peer review, give rise to queries about statistics and provide a system of advocacy for individual libraries. INSETS: Gaining Needed Data;National Ratings 101.

The article examines the increasing use of audio media and the response of U.S. libraries to the needs of users. The article surveys the continuing popularity of older media formats such as audiobooks and compact discs, but notes that many libraries are offering content in digital files that can be downloaded from collections stored online. INSETS: INDUSTRY OVERVIEW;WHAT'S ON THAT DISC?.

Any magician would be proud of the database industry. Disappearing acts, metamorphoses, and even a bit of pure trickery characterized this "magical" year. The dirtiest trick award goes to the divine/RoweCom/Faxon debacle. This show unfolded over several months and continues, as both RoweCom and parent company divine have filed for bankruptcy. EBSCO having recently acquired what's left of RoweCom's subscription businesses worldwide and is working with publishers to strike a deal that will help libraries pull their undelivered serials out of the bankruptcy hat. NorthernLight Web search engine has already discontinued its article sales service, Special Collection. Factiva has offered Special Collection's corporate customers a subset of Factiva's content to replace the lost service. CSA removed its indexing/abstracting files from both Dialog and EBSCOhost, although the files are still online through CSA's own online system and other systems. Standard & Poor's NetAdvantage, its primary online product marketed to libraries, consists of Stock Reports, Industry Surveys, Corporation Records, The Register, Bond Guide, Stock Guide, Dividend Records, The Outlook, Security Dealer Directory, Mutual Fund Reports, and Earnings Guide. INSET: Company Profiles.

Focuses on the Kalamazoo Public Library in Michigan, which was chosen Gale/LJ Library of the Year 2002. Evidence of strong public support for the library because of the willingness of voters to be taxed at a rate more than four times that of the average for public libraries in the United States; Idea of the building strategy that modernizes existing sites and the maintenance of a traditional library is essential; Topics of the digital divide,efforts to reach new library users, Internet filters, literacy, and director Saul Amdursky.

Reports that in 1999 the New York Public Library (NYPL) acquired the archives of the upstate New York artists' retreat known as Yaddo. Items included in the collection such as manuscripts and paintings; Artists associated with Yaddo such as Truman Capote and Aaron Copland.

Reports that New York Public Library (NYPL) leaders and city politicians gathered for a virtual tour of the design for the Lincoln Center's Library of the Performing Arts (LPA). LPA undergoing a two-year, $30 million renovation; Improvements to the renovated library.

Relates how Doheny Memorial Library (University of Southern California) librarian Anthony Anderson is collecting materials on the Los Angeles riots of 1992 for a bibliography on the event. `Los Angeles--A City in Stress: A Bibliography'; Its online availability at USC library.

Discusses the relationship between automation vendors and libraries in the United States. How the Internet is shaping library systems; Integration in the education marketplace; Estimated library systems revenues for 1998; How vendors made their money; Core business of vendors; Dealing with year 2000 computer conversion problems; Migration to Windows-based interfaces; Services provided outside of systems sales.

Reports on the development and implementation of public access microcomputer services at the San Bernardino Public Library in California. Application of computer technology in various areas of library management; Steps in the development of the library's computer system; Education programs on computer technology developed for library patrons.

Presents the program of the 1982 conference of the U.S.-based American Library Association (ALA) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Focuses on various video program development projects undertaken by Tucson Public Library (TPL), Arizona for libraries. Details on the Sonoran Heritage project that involves creating video programs on the making of musical instruments from natural materials; Video facilities that can be availed by TPL Mission Branch Library; TPL recommendations for librarians opting for video production.

Highlights the midwinter meeting of the American Library Association (ALA) organized during January 31, 1981 to February 5, 1981 in Washington D.C. Emergence of doubts about the future of federal library legislation and disagreements over the organizational future of ALA; Issues discussed in the meeting; Plan for a summit meeting scheduled for April 1981.

The article provides information on the Public Libraries Survey (PLS) Report issued by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) on August 2, 2018 which offered a look at public library use, financial health, staffing and resources in the U.S. active public libraries in fiscal year 2015. Findings include total public library visits in 2015, number of collection items made by the library during the period, and how libraries are working to rebound from the Great Recession of 2009.

Discusses the `Y2K+3' copyright problem which may affect manuscript collections in libraries and archives throughout the United States. Copyright rule of 'life plus 70 years'; Expiration of ancient copyrights on unpublished materials; Explanation of the relevant legislation enacted in 1976 and 1998; Application of the statutory copyright law instead of the common-law copyright; Effect of publication between 1978 and 2003 on previously unpublished materials; Ethical dilemmas including depriving heirs of revenue; Advice to librarians.

Reports on the growth of audiocassette and videocassette collections in public libraries in the U.S. Range of budgets for audiovisual (AV) materials; Development of AV collection policy; Number of videos and audiocassettes held by several libraries; Problems in AV lending; Use of videotape security systems.

Reports on an increase in the Virginia Libraries state aid in two legislative sessions through the Virginia Library Association's lobbying campaigns. Percentage increase of the funding formula; Creation of a Joint Subcommittee on the Funding of Libraries through the lobbying campaigns; Introduction of a legislation by the four most influential members of the House of Delegates and Senate.

Discusses market prospects of the automated circulation system for libraries in the United States. Measures illustrating the growth of automated circulation system; Vendors who market minicomputer-based circulation systems; Description of microcomputer-based circulation systems; Reasons for the installation of larger automated circulation systems in the libraries.

Presents the views of administrators of both big and small research libraries in the United States with regards to the question of necessity of investing in network or cooperative services. Importance of network services in library development; Possible drawbacks of networking and establishing interlibrary cooperation; Preparations needed before investing in network services.

The article evaluates reference web sites which are recommended by librarians including the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL), available at biodiversitylibrary.org, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, available at cbpp.org, and the Occupy Wall Street website at occupywallst.org.

The article discusses the digital media lab at the Barrington Area Library in Illinois. With $20,000 in funding from the Ferry Family Trust, library staff were able to equip a small room with a single workstation fully equipped a computer, two monitors, software, a scanner, and more. Since November 2010 the lab has been used by both adults and students a total of 493 times.

The article offers a look at the digital image gallery debuted by the New York Public Library (NYPL). On March 3, the NYPL launched an online gallery of 275,000 images from its vast collection, accessible via its web site at no charge. Treasures in the NYPL Digital Gallery (http://digitalgallery.nypl.org) include Civil War photos, New York City historical items, 16th-century maps of North America, sheet music covers, floor plans of prewar apartments, Yiddish theater placards, Japanese prints, menus, Russian civil war posters, theater photos, and more. NYPL president Paul Le Clerc told LJ that the nexus of the project dates back to 1999. Users can tackle the massive trove by browsing broad topics, collections, subject words, or names and searching by keyword(s) or identification number. The library's Digital Imaging Unit has produced high-resolution scans or digital photos of 200,000 items. Additional images were digitized by outside contractors. Another team created metadata for each item, making sure that title, creator, date, medium, subject, collection name, and a link to the library's catalog record are attached to each entry. Le Clerc says use of the gallery has been "colossal--four million hits the first day," with roughly 3.5 million hits daily since then. "We've been running 800 million hits a year on the NYPL web site, and I think this year we'll hit one billion," said Le Clerc.

Reports that state budget cuts in Virginia will cut into the budgets of the Library of Virginia (LOVa) and public libraries in the state. Number of agencies outside higher education that received budget cuts; Amount of the permanent reduction in the library's overall general fund appropriation due to budget cuts during the previous two years; Remarks from the LOVa; Description of how the LOVa plans to handle the reductions, including a loss of 59 positions, a cut in the materials budget, closure of reading rooms one day a week, the elimination of the Digital Library Program, and cut of the Building and Construction Grants program; State funding for local libraries.

Reports on donations, gifts, and bequests given to libraries around the United States in early 1999. How Irwin Uran, a reclusive philanthorpist, donated $1 million to establish a Judaic Studies collection at the Loudoun County Library in Leesburg, Virginia; How a donation to the Tulsa City-County Library will lead to the opening of a Hispanic Resource Center; Amount of money the Harvard University Library received from the United States National Endowments for the Humanities.

Presents information pertaining to academic, public, and special libraries. Grant received by the University of Iowa's School of Library and Information Science; Increase in state aid to New Jersey libraries; Data collection and measurement toolkit issued to librarians in Canada by the Canadian Health Libraries Association; More.

Discusses key issues relevant to the collection of paperback novels in the Westville Public Library in Illinois. Range of novels in the library's collection; Maintenance requirements of paperback novels; Policy implications on library science.

Reports on the results of a survey which reveals that Kern County Public Library in California is in the mainstream of library service. Increase in library circulation; Growth of service populations; User satisfaction.

Reports on the New York State Archives and New York State Library's sponsorship of a series of conservation workshops in Albany, New York. Topics to be discussed in the workshop; Contact information.

Studies the cooperative collection development in multi-type library networks by the Missouri Library Association. Topics covered in the report on guidelines and procedures for collection development projects; Aim of the report to form the foundation for cooperative collection development within the new Missouri Library Network; Information regarding the availability of the report.

Focuses on Harvard University's attempt to build a case for greater cooperation within Harvard's university library community in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Goal of maximizing advantages of Harvard's decentralized library system; Creation of an online, computer-supported system; Utilization of new technology to improve access.

Focuses on Houston Metropolitan Research Center's (HMRC) establishment of a program to document the history of the Mexican-American population in Houston, Texas. Effort to enlarge library holdings with records of Mexican-American organizations and oral history interviews; List of documents HMRC wants most.