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The library profession has been concerned with ethical issues since its beginning. Ethical issues raised in the early years dealt primarily with librarians’ responsibility to the employer or patron. The focus later shifted to questions of professional identity, organisational environment, and social responsibilities. Rapid technological change and the advent of the information age are forcing the library profession to rethink its mission and responsibilities. This paper expands research on a survey of librarians’ ethical values reported by Dole and Hurych (forthcoming) at the 1998 EEI21 Symposium. In the 1998 study, they conducted a survey of North American librarians and librarians at a conference in the Crimea (Ukraine) to examine the values considered most important by each group and to identify differences in the priorities of values assigned by the groups studied. They found that all three groups held similar values. The current study replicates the 1998 survey among librarians throughout the world. Additional professional and demographic data were collected during the second iteration to support consideration of professional training, library experience and type, and professional responsibilities as possible factors contributing to value formation.

The purpose of this paper is to report the second phase of a study on the impact of one North American academic library extending library privileges gratis to community users.

The paper reports the results of a web‐based survey of community users at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR), Arkansas, USA. The survey was conducted to obtain information on demographics and community users' perception of the value of library privileges.

Community users often have some connection to the university and tend to be satisfied with and value the privileges. Receiving the privileges may increase the users' good will toward the university and willingness to donate to development efforts. The benefits to the organization, such as increase in good will and social capital, are difficult to measure.

This paper reports a study of the perceptions of community users at one North American academic library and may provide guidance for other libraries contemplating the value of community outreach. The results of this study may or may not be generalizable to all academic libraries.

There has been little research that attempts to assess community users' perception of the value of an academic library extending library privileges to them. Previous studies surveyed librarians about their perceptions of the pros and cons of extending privileges.

The purpose of this paper is to assess whether Beck's research method and instruments, which were carried out in 2002 in larger and more research‐based libraries, are applicable to academic libraries of other types and sizes.

This paper reports the results of a year‐long study on the impact of assessment on library decision making in nine small to medium sized academic libraries in the USA. The study replicates Susan J. Beck's 2002 study on the impact of assessment on decision making in nine Association of Research Libraries (ARL) libraries in North America which was carried out in larger and more research‐based libraries. Directors and key administrators were interviewed to gather qualitative data. Two survey instruments were used to gather quantitative data: Beck's “Factors in decision‐making” survey and “Do you have a culture of assessment?” survey adapted from Amos Lakos (University of California at Los Angeles) and Betsy Wilson (University of Washington) – 1998; revised and updated by Shelley Phipps (University of Arizona) – 2002; additional revisions by Julia Blixrud – 2003. Qualitative data are transcribed and weighted. The quantitative data are run through standard statistical tests. The authors discuss their experience with the survey instruments and compare the results of their survey with those of Beck's.

Beck's method is transferable to different types of library, where similar findings result.

The paper offers insights into using performance measurement for decision making in mid‐sized academic libraries.

The purpose of this paper is to identify core values commonly held by library and information professionals and discusses whether Rushworth Kidder's concept of dilemma paradigms may be used to analyze and resolve conflicts between the right to access to information and other core values. Kidder identifies two types of dilemmas: “right‐versus‐wrong” and “right‐versus‐right”. He defines “right‐versus‐right” dilemmas as those that “however complex and varied, typically reduce themselves to one or more of the following dilemma paradigms: Truth versus Loyalty, Self versus Community, Short Term versus Long Term and Justice versus Mercy.”

The paper discusses Kidder's theory and applies it to several situations or scenarios reported by practicing librarians.

The analysis of the scenarios highlights the complex nature of dilemmas faced by library and information professionals.

The scenarios are limited in number and drawn from only one country. The authors recommend more research on the application of Kidder's theory to authentic library scenarios.

There is little discussion of Kidder in library literature. Despite the limitations, this paper will introduce librarians to dilemma paradigms as one possible tool for resolving conflicts.

The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a two‐year experiment at one North American academic library with extending free borrowing privileges to community users.

The paper reviews previous research on services to unaffiliated community users by academic libraries and employs quantitative measures to examine the costs and benefits of providing such services at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR), Arkansas, USA.

The data indicate that services can be provided to unaffiliated community users with minimal effort and cost. However, the benefits to the organization, such as increase in good will and social capital, are difficult to measure.

This paper reports on one North American academic library's experience providing service to unaffiliated community users and may provide guidance for other libraries in allocating resources for community outreach. The results of this study may or may not be generalizable to all academic libraries.

There has been little research that attempts to assess the economic impact of unaffiliated community users on academic libraries.

conference held in Dubrovnik, May 2004, which had the dual theme of human information behaviour and competences for digital libraries.

Librarians often have more reasons to say no to a gift than yes. But saying yes is easier so they often end up with many books they don't need. Or even want.

Washburn is a Carnegie Master’s University I with an enrollment of only 6,200 students. Unlike most of the 43 participating libraries in LibQUAL+™ 2001, Washburn University’s Mabee Library is not a large, academic research library. The paper describes Washburn’s experience with the 2001 LibQUAL+™ pilot project. The application of the survey at a small institution and the global nature of trends shown by the responses will be discussed. LibQUAL+™’s place within the strategic planning and assessment program at Washburn’s Mabee Library is also reviewed.

The purpose of this article is to describe the process of determining a fund allocation process that would further collection development goals by reflecting the university curriculum and support towards different programs.

The paper is based on a library's experience in using a Percentage Based Allocation formula.

The author describes the process and steps that led to the decision to use a Percentage Based Allocation formula, and the results of its implementation.

An allocation process that is tied into other collection development activities (a collection development policy; vendor slip plan profiles) strengthens the collecting goals of a library as a whole.

This article provides a model that other libraries can use as a template for developing their own budget allocation processes.