THE PUBLIC LIBRARY ASSOCIATION AND PUBLIC LIBRARY PLANNING

No abstract available for this article.     

PUBLIC LIBRARY COOPERATION AND COOPERATIVES:

This paper traces the development of interlibrary cooperation in the United States during the twentieth century. Unstructured cooperation, indicated by such activities as the National Union Catalog at the Library of Congress (1901) and the first interlibrary loan code (1917), continues today. Since World War II, structured cooperation, including regional networks, special activities, and multipurpose cwperatives, has become more prominent. A definition of library cooperation is offered, and differences between the terms system, network, and consortium are explored. Probable future develop ments in library cwperation are mentioned, including applications of computer technology and potential political benefits of multitype library cooperation.     

THE POTENTIAL OF PUBLIC LIBRARY BUREAUCRACY

No abstract available for this article.     

THE MISSION OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY

The author briefly describes arguments used in the quality versus demand debate, discusses how a number of public librarians have compromised between the two in their selection practices, and shows how battle lines are being redrawn with the rise of public libraries which claim to be exclusively demand‐oriented.

The bulk of the paper, however, reviews research done during the last quarter‐century in public libraries to determine whether any evidence has been found to support claims that demand‐oriented public libraries are filled with materials of dubious quality. While a great deal has been written on the quality versus demand issue, the author notes that much of it is rhetoric only; the research itself is scanty, in part due to the complexities of defining and measuring quality. However, three factors are identified which have been assumed to affect collection quality: the financial resources the library devotes to book purchases, the educational background of individual selectors, and the degree of contact such selectors have with the public. The author reviews studies relating to these factors and concludes that to date, there is no evidence to corroborate the belief that the quality of books in demand‐oriented libraries is less than that of their quality‐oriented counterparts. Suggestions for future research needed are included.     

MEASUREMENT OF SERVICE AT A PUBLIC LIBRARY

Simple, efficient, unobtrusive data collection and analysis techniques were applied to study volume of use, user activity, and availability of items sought by users in a public library. Stratified sampling methods employed to measure volume of use and user activity showed that this medium-sized public library provided approximately 4,000 user service hours per week. The average visit lasted 34 minutes with 32% of all visit time spent reading library materials. Overall availability of items sought by users in the adult section was approximately 38%. The application of these measurement techniques, which can be carried out by relatively untrained staff or volunteers, to pinpoint possible improvements in library service is discussed.     

PUBLIC LIBRARY PLANNING AND THE ALA/PLA PROCESS

No abstract available for this article.     

ADMINISTRATION OF REFERENCE SERVICES IN THE SMALL PUBLIC LIBRARY

No abstract available for this article.     

PUBLIC LIBRARY NETWORKING VIEWED FROM A STATE LIBRARY AGENCY

Especially over the past 30 years, state library agencies have played a major role in the planning and development of cooperative and networking activities among public libraries and between public libraries and other types of libraries. These activities have been carried out in a great variety of ways, with each state reacting to its own demographic, governmental, and library realities. The federal Library Services and Construction Act has been a major constructive force enabling state library agencies to be effective leaders in cooperative and networking activities. State library agencies and public libraries working together can continue to extend library services by taking leadership in networking activities.     

PUBLIC LIBRARY REFERENCE SERVICE:

No abstract available for this article.     

PUBLIC CALR TERMINALSTHE SOCIAL LAW LIBRARY EXPERIENCE

No abstract available for this article.     

MANAGING REFERENCE SERVICES IN THE SMALLER PUBLIC LIBRARY

No abstract available for this article.     

MILWAUKEE PUBLIC LIBRARY, 1942-1980:

The Milwaukee Public Library, with its present system of 50 automatic circulation control terminals, 17 CRTs, four mini-computers. 105 billion characters of on-line disc storage, seven tape drives, as well as the use of the City Hall main frames, has had a long history of data processing starting back in 1942. The disappointments, problems, and successes, especially with major control of its data processing operations, are spelled out. Also, a brief overview is offered of other system developments.     

PUBLIC LIBRARY COOPERATION AS SEEN FROM A MULTISTATE NETWORK

Cooperation among libraries in the Pacific Northwest is of long standing and is an example of regional cooperation among public libraries and other libraries through interlibrary loan, union catalogs, union lists, cooperative cataloging, and telecommunications networks between two countries and over a large and sparsely populated region. Networking has resulted in increased services to library users and in increased efficiencies in library operations. It has also introduced a whole set of new problems that must be discussed in the forum provided as a result of the cooperative arrangements and the need to extend them into the future.     

MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING OF PUBLIC SERVICES

No abstract available for this article.     

AUTOMATION OF SERIALS CHECK-IN

This paper discusses what "automation of serials" should mean. It should include the all important check-in function, which is complicated for various reasons. Administrators don't usually know that a central serials file is dynamite. After watching computers we have come to realize how efficient a manual system can be and why. A truly automated system does not yet exist, but there are some semi-automated operations. Since computerization is here to stay, this paper sounds a number of warnings, among them the specter of information inflation and bibliographic overkill. Yet in the future automated serials systems will be effective if they are on-line and comprehensive, including full claiming and binding control, and ideally the ability to write checks. Reasons are given to explain why NOTIS-3 is probably the best system now in operation, although apparently not yet cost effective. This paper ends with a discussion of costs. Good cost studies do not appear to exist; yet a computerized serials system should not cost more than a manual one.     

AUTOMATION OF SERIALS CHECK-IN

No abstract available for this article.