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An overview article about self‐service ought to start with a definition of the concept. Although many of us have some idea of what constitutes self‐service, it is difficult to find a good definition. None of the encyclopaedias I examined had a separate entry for self‐service. The concept appears though in articles about retailing and self‐service restaurants. In the tenth edition of the Merriam‐Webster's Collegiate Dictionary the following definition was given: “the serving of oneself (as in a restaurant or service station) with goods or services to be paid for at a cashier's desk or by means of a coin‐operated mechanism”. This definition is old‐fashioned and much too limited. It does not cover all the aspects of self‐service that have been made possible through technical development. At the end of this article I will come back to a definition more applicable to self‐service for libraries, but I would like to start with an overview of different aspects important to a self‐service library.

Communications regarding this column should be addressed to Mrs. Cheney, Peabody Library School, Nashville, Term. 37203. Mrs. Cheney does not sell the books listed here. They are available through normal trade sources. Mrs. Cheney, being a member of the editorial board of Pierian Press, will not review Pierian Press reference books in this column. Descriptions of Pierian Press reference books will be included elsewhere in this publication.

The appearance of job security demands at the bargaining table is on the rise in the United States. Job security has increased relative to income security in the hierarchy of employee concerns. Management has, in several instances, responded to these concerns. This piece will outline the many reasons behind, and offer examples of, the increased emphasis on job security provisions. It will also detail some of the current roadblocks in this area.

All items listed may be borrowed from the Aslib Library, except those marked, which may be consulted in the Library.

Since more than 450 million people worldwide suffer from mental disorders, interventions that promote mental health have been called for. Mindfulness-based coping (MBC) is an intervention based on coping skills from cognitive behavioral therapy integrating mindfulness practices. The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the MBC program for psychiatric outpatients. The study employed a mixed research method with a qualitative approach using semi-structured patient interviews and clinical assessments from patients' therapists and a quantitative approach using instruments measuring mindful coping, mental ill health, and life satisfaction. The study sample included 38 psychiatric outpatients from a district psychiatric outpatient service in Norway. Results suggested that although use of the different skills varied, participants had a positive experience with the program and positive changes in psychological functioning were observed. Findings provide knowledge regarding the design of interventions integrating mindfulness to promote more adequate psychological coping.

This paper aims to summarize the major theoretical elements in the definition of a global ruling class. It then examines how neoconservatives in the USA took power and used regime change to install US-friendly governments in other regions. A strategy of tension is used to press the American population into conformity. But the real revolution is to what extent factual politics escape any attempt to democratic control.

The research relies on case studies of material already published and provides a synthesis.

Three case studies show how far the Deep State already goes. Democracy is on the brink of survival.

This paper is an original hypothesis of the potential end of democracy as we know it, supported by empirical data.