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As academic librarians with faculty status increasingly embrace research engagement as a core value and requirement, one of the little-studied questions is the extent to which they possess the requisite knowledge and skills to conduct high-quality research and scholarship and what further learning needs they might have within the organizational setting. This paper summarizes an institutional case study of the research knowledge of academic librarians employed at the University of Saskatchewan, encompassing their current research interests, experiences, competencies, environmental context, and learning needs. The goal was to develop a framework for additional educational activities and institutional supports that would enhance their knowledge and skills.

Describes and critiques emerging issues about Internet access in schools and school libraries. Discusses software products for filtering and rating expressive content on the Internet, reader-response-theory implications for filtering and rating Internet content, ambiguities, and the role of school librarians and acceptable-use policies. (AEF)

Explores the information needs of gay males in Edmonton (Alberta) and their perceptions of how successful the Edmonton Public Library is in meeting their needs. Data from self-administered questionnaires is reported, and findings indicate that when "coming out" the library was the most significant resource; however, there was dissatisfaction with other materials. (Author/LRW)

Describes a 1988 survey of Canadian public libraries that was conducted to investigate intellectual freedom and censorship pressures and practices. Relevant institutional policies are examined, age restrictions are discussed, collection challenges are described, the libraries' responses to such pressures are studied, and further research is suggested. (12 references) (LRW)

This paper sets forth chronology of disciplinary names that have been used in scholarly literature over past 80 years to characterize information science and its antecedents--bibliography, documentation, scientific information, information retrieval, information science, informatics, bibliometrics. Future research needs are discussed. Related conferences (1948-1978) and 57 references are appended. (EJS)

Survey which examined censorship requests in Alberta public libraries revealed that: more than one community challenge occurs in average week; in one out of three cases, impugned book was removed from shelves; high proportion of libraries reported no written censorship policies. List of 41 challenged titles is appended. (11 references) (EJS)

Describes and evaluates bibliometric patterns in articles published by former "Journal of Education for Librarianship" (JEL) during first 24 volumes of existence. Article scholarliness; refereeing policy; occupational status of authors; and most cited journals, authors, and titles are covered. Excluded items, publication format codes, and contributing authors appended. (30 references) (EJS)

Analyzes and evaluates the various conceptualizations of information science that have appeared in the professional literature over the past 80 years. The extent to which the professional community possesses a common and unified understanding of the domain of information science is discussed. (82 references) (Author/CLB)

Describes a survey of 47 postsecondary educational institutions in three prairie provinces of Canada that examined the extent of pressures to remove, relocate, or reclassify library materials between 1980 and 1985, and the effectiveness of written selection policies in dealing with such pressures. Specific censorship incidents are reported in tabular form in an appendix. (five references) (Author/CLB)

Describes how library decision-making was enhanced by a systematic study of patrons, services, and effectiveness based on the concept known as performance measures for public libraries. Improvements in the data gathering and analysis techniques are noted; also provided are survey instruments, examples of selected revised forms, and references. (SW)

Outlines theoretical and practical dimensions of the use of bibliometrics (i.e., the scientific study of recorded discourse) to enhance library school curricula. A proposal for a course at the master's level and future prospects for teaching bibliometrics are included. Twenty-six references and a course syllabus are appended. (EJS)

Converging communication technologies offer mesmerizing potentialities for global access to local culture. However, concerns about controversial images and ideas on the Internet have inspired both political and technological challenges to [...]

This study examines and evaluates the contents of the first 24 volumes of Journal of Homosexuality (JH), from 1974 to 1993. Data from each issue of JH, in terms of source articles and contributing authors, were collected and analyzed. JH is shown to be a scholarly journal, with high rates of citations per article, high levels of author education, a prevalence of scholarly methodological approaches, and a low rate of self-citation. Articles that disseminated the findings of empirical research noticeably decreased over time, while articles focusing on historical analysis noticeably increased. This trend was consonant with the change over time of JH's mission statement and editorial policy. KEYWORDS. Homosexual studies literature, homosexual research literature, content analysis, citation analysis, bibliometrics

The author discusses the information and collection requirements of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-identified, two-spirited, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) users in the U.S. and Canada. He mentions that in the film "Reaching Out," by Lynn Barnes, the role of the public library in connecting LGBTQ youth with other members of the LGBTQ community is emphasized. He also includes a list of recommended readings on LGBTQ-related service issues and policy framework on providing LGBTQ services and collection in libraries.