The Future of the Library: What Is a Public Library For?

The author suggests that libraries have been transformed a third time. Originally, libraries were the only place that valuable, handwritten, rare books could be found. As mass production kicked in post-Gutenberg, the library became an efficient way for the community to access knowledge. Today, though, in a post-paper world, the library must adopt a new role, a place where the community finds ideas, inspiration and others on a similar journey. The librarian is no longer a guardian of valuable books, but a curator of curiosity, passion and interest.     

“Aliens” vs. Catalogers: Bias in the Library of Congress Subject Heading

Abstract

Aliens: It is the subject of conspiracy theories and nightmares, the name of a blockbuster science fiction/horror movie franchise, and also how the de facto national library of the United States refers to “persons who are not citizens of the country in which they reside.” In 2016, the Library of Congress announced that it would reconsider the usage of “Aliens” and its related terms in the Library of Congress Subject Headings, following a student-led movement to change the pejorative term “Illegal Aliens.” Yet, three years on, these terms remain in the LCSH. Using the “Illegal Aliens” controversy as a case study, this article explores how the LCSH works, its role in research, and its vulnerabilities to bias, and offers proposals for how librarians can help improve the situation.     

The Role of Legal Deposit of Books in the Polish Library Scheme: The Case of Poznań University Library

This article discusses the legal deposit system in Poland, outlining important issues, legal regulations, cooperation with publishers, and the importance of delivering books for academic environment. It emphasizes the significance of legal deposit for shaping collections and improving institutional quality. Poznań University Library is presented as an example of the Polish approach to the issue of book acquisition, including the library’s mission statement and elements of its collection development policy. The author also writes about tasks for the Legal Deposit Office and the library in the near future, including implementation of electronic legal deposit in Poland.     

Motivations for Library Use: Dover,Delaware, Library User Identity‐Motivation Pilot Study,December 2005

Under State Librarian Annie Norman, the Delaware Division of Libraries (DDL) has made notable progress in planning, measuring and advocating for programs and funds that have improved the libraries of that state. A visit to the state library's homepage (http://state.lib.de.us) immediately demonstrates the DDLS sense of purpose in the tagline motto, Delaware Libraries: Infrastructure + Capacity = Sustainability. DDL planning is ongoing, including a 2008 plan to move all the state's libraries forward in the critical areas of economic development, lifelong learning and health information. One document in this planning process was the 2005 pilot study to examine and categorize the motivations for why individuals use the public library. It is that study, a market segmentation study of the reasons why people use the library, that is published here. The study that is the basis for this report was produced under contract by the Institute for Learning Innovation (http://www.ilinet.org/display/ILI/Home). DDL would like to give a special thank you to Dr. John Falk of the Institute for Learning Innovation for his significant help with this study. Presented here in its entirety, the study report can be found on the Delaware Division of Library Services Web site at http://state.lib.de.us/For_libraries/planning/Dover%20Library%20Pilot%20Study%20Final%20Report1.pdf. The editors gratefully acknowledge the willingness of Delaware State Librarian Annie Norman and the Delaware Division of Libraries for the right to reprint this significant methodological example for PLQ readers.

The study is based on two surveys: the first a “user interception survey” of 113 pre and post interviews collected at the Dover Public Library across 20 hours through one week in November of 2005. The second part of the study involved follow‐up telephone interviews with over 25 percent of those who had participated in the first study.     

Impacts of Library Space on Learning Satisfaction – An Empirical Study of University Library Design in Guangzhou,China

The current generation of millennial university students is more accustomed to searching reference information online than visiting the physical library facility, compared to the previous generations of students. Studies have shown that the role of the physical library facilities as a mere collection point of reading and reference materials is being threatened by the availability of free and high-speed online search engines. University libraries have always been an integral part in higher education learning activities, and they are not exempted from this threat. Based on a structural equation modelling framework, we analysed empirically the importance of different library design features that help enhance students' learning satisfaction, and found that lighting environment, acoustic environment as well as location of the library building were the main determinants impacting on the use of the university library by students in a major university in China. We conclude the paper with our suggestions in modifying library design to accommodate students' learning needs, and more importantly in recon?uring the spatial and functional role of university libraries in this age of digital information from a mere provider of reference materials to a physical space of learning commons on campus.     

Pop-Up Library at the University of Birmingham: Extending the Reach of an Academic Library by Taking “The Library” to the Students

ABSTRACT

Aligning with student engagement and promotional strategies, a Pop-Up Library project was initiated at the University of Birmingham. This involved setting up temporary, staffed stalls in different locations across campus in order to informally communicate with students and effectively take “the Library” to them. This article discusses the planning and implementation of the Pop-Up Library, including the rationale for the initiative. Details are given of the stalls themselves, the wide range of staff involved, the many locations trialed, the promotional materials used, and the ways in which the venture was advertised and subsequently evaluated. Results of a questionnaire used on the stalls are presented. Conclusions are drawn as to the effectiveness of the Pop-Up Library as a communication tool, with particular emphasis on breaking down barriers between students and library staff, and proactively raising students' awareness of the many ways Library Services can enhance their learning.     

A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774–1873: Library of Congress,Washington, DC. Available from

《Journal of Government Information》2000,27(1):100-101

埃及亚历山大图书馆（The Library of Alexandria,Egypt）

始建于公元前3世纪托勒密王朝时期的亚历山图书馆，曾被视为“人类文明世界的太阳”，鼎盛时期馆藏书达90万卷，居世界之首，     

A Review of: “Encyclopedia of Infectious Diseases: Modern Methodologies. Tibayrenc,Michel, ed.”

ABSTRACT

Hospital libraries serving military bases offer a different perspective on library services. Two libraries located on islands in the Pacific Ocean provide services to active duty service men and women, including those deployed to other regions of the world. In addition, these hospital libraries serve service members’ families living on the base, and often citizens from the surrounding communities.