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Although interest in the study of popular culture on the university and college level has increased greatly since the 1960s, there has been little written to date about collection development in this field. What has been written has typically described the collection development activities in particular academic libraries instead of attempting to address the topic generally. The lack of general guidelines for collection building in this area of study is not surprising. In the first place, popular culture is a relative newcomer to the academic scene with most programs and courses instituted in the last decade. Secondly, popular culture is a broad, diverse field of study with its researchers typically scattered throughout many of the more traditional departments of the university. As a result, the demands on the library have been less focused than if they had been coming from one clearly defined academic department.

As a result of rapid environmental changes, organisations of all types are rethinking their organisational structures in an attempt to provide greater effectiveness and efficiency. A few years ago business process re‐engineering (BPR) was considered the most promising way to restructure an organisation, but has become less popular as shortcomings associated with the process have become evident. Today, greater emphasis is being placed upon modifying the actual organisational structure. Most restructured organisations have moved away from rigid hierarchies to flatter, more flexible structures. Many of the same forces (including increased automation, changing information needs and expectations of users, reduced budgets and the need for staff to have more autonomy over their own work) that have precipitated the reshaping of other organisations have also affected academic libraries. This paper describes some of the factors leading to changes in the organisational structures of academic libraries and provides an overview of trends, excluding convergence, discernible in North America. The paper includes suggestions for steps to be taken to facilitate successful reorganisations, and comments on possible future developments that might radically alter the organisational structures of academic libraries.

The following is an annotated list of materials dealing with information literacy including instruction in the use of information resources, research, and computer skills related to retrieving, using, and evaluating information. This review, the seventeenth to be published in Reference Services Review, includes items, in English published in 1990. A few are not annotated because the compiler could not obtain copies of them for this review.

The dismissal of the ordinary and the embrace of chaos are characteristics of the thriller which has, over the last decade, accounted for nearly 25 percent of the best‐seller market. In spite of its existential overtones, the thriller, with rare exceptions, is seldom viewed as quality fiction, yet is not generally classified as genre fiction with attendant categorization by libraries and bookstores. Readers of thrillers in pursuit of authors must either search through the general fiction or “mystery” shelves where thrillers are sometimes placed. However, the latter solution offends both mystery and thriller readers.

For many years, academic librarians worked in a fiscal environment of rapidly increasing budgets. Management of growth was the major problem. Today, though, most academic librarians face “steady‐state”—or stagnant—budgets. This situation, more pronounced in recent years, has been with us for more than a decade, a fact most librarians and university administrators have been slow to recognize. These budgets require new fiscal management techniques whose key words are cost containment, substitution, choice, and priorities.

How do librarians charge back, charge out, and charge fees rather than have the cost of their operations totally accounted for as overhead expense? There is no one‐size‐fits‐all method of managing these finances; what you will do depends on your organization's goals and situation.

Financial reports are important for several reasons. They provide evidence of wise fiscal management and are a valuable public relations tool. External auditors are employed to supply an independent appraisal of the fiscal stewardship provided by libraries. Managers should keep staffs informed of the standard accounting practices auditors employ to facilitate responsible library operation.

From providing public Internet access in rural communities to pioneering the development of a model automated document delivery system, libraries of every type in the state are engaged in a variety of multi‐library automation and connectivity efforts. The following descriptions include projects from academic libraries, public libraries, state agencies, and a library school.