Bullied by Budgets, Pushed by Patrons, Driven by Demand: Libraries and Tantalizing Technologies

Libraries are caught in the middle—between static or shrinking budgets on one hand and ever-expanding user needs on the other. How did we get here, and where do we go from here? This paper will offer two perspectives: Part I will present survey results about changing Library purchasing habits in light of changing formats, access, business models and user demands. Data from a previous survey on this topic will be compared and updated. Pricing trends and possible futures will be discussed. Part II will briefly trace the history of libraries’ roles in scholarly communication and connecting learners with knowledge. From there, we show an example of phasing in a patron-driven / demand-driven and short-term loan e-book program, complete with incorporating these tools in library instruction, research, and portable device loadability for field work.

May 1994: Statewide Library Network Urged; WPA and Libraries in S.C.; Library Directors' Forum

Inside this Issue: WPADirector's ForumArchivesM. L King LibraryElectronic Info

February 2003: Of Eunuchs, Formalized Curiosity and Libraries

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February 2000: Libraries as Camelot

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Libraries in the Cyberage

Carol Clancy, Senior Council for the National Center for Children and Families, makes a scholarly plea for libraries to filter pornography.

Libraries in the Cyberage--Part I

First Amendment issues heat up with the advent of the digital age and its ability to bring pornography to every library, free of charge.