1. In times of economic constraint, librarians and other information professionals must make decisions in allocating their institution's resources among staff, collections, and services. Discuss factors that should be considered in making these decisions, and suggest measures that might ease such fiscal pressures..

2. Increasingly, libraries are shifting the balance from ownership to access. Explain why such a shift is taking place, and discuss the implications of this change for librarians in collection development, cataloging, reference, systems, and management.

3. Sixty years ago, a publication of the American Library Association Helping the Reader Toward Self-Education, stated that "Libraries are underdeveloped as regards to both the quantity and quality of their reader guidance work." They noted, however, that some librarians "recognize the need for a deeper understanding on their part both of the people who are their patrons and potential patrons, and the kinds of reading material needed for these patrons." Discuss the role of librarian as "reader's advisor" and the continued validity of this concept. Describe what preparation and skills are needed to fulfill this function.

4. Choose either an information institution (e.g., Library of Congress), or a type of library service (e.g., children's librarianship), or a library function (e.g., cataloging/classification). Identify three individuals who contributed significantly to the development of the institution, service or function you have selected, and describe in detail the nature and importance of their contributions.

5. "Disintermediation" is a term used to describe the current trend to eliminate the "middle man" in business and services. Technology makes it possible for consumers to go directly to the seller, by-passing brokers, agents and retailers. Discuss the potential impacts of disintermediation upon information professionals, information seekers, information systems, and upon library and information science education. Discuss what roles and skills are likely to be needed to ensure quality services in this environment.

6. A central and important area of study and practice in library and information science is the organization of information. Describe the tasks associated with the organization of information. Discuss issues which information professionals must consider in organizing information.

7. In recent years, the outsourcing of library services, especially technical services, has generated considerable debate. Analyze the benefits and drawbacks of outsourcing technical services. Discuss what librarians need to take into account in making outsourcing decisions.

8. The Internet not only makes available valuable new information resources, it also increases the availability of material of dubious origin, doubtful validity, debatable accuracy, and deplorable taste. Discuss the implications of this for information users and for librarians and libraries.

9. Professional associations (such as the American Library Association, the American Society for Information Science, the Association of Records Managers and Administrators, the Medical Library Association, the Society of American Archivists, and the Special Libraries Association) make important contributions to the field and practice of library and information science. Describe the current and historical roles, contributions, and services of professional associations, using examples from at least two of these associations.

10. Information systems can be evaluated according to a variety of characteristics, including standards of quality, accessibility, presentation, and utility. Discuss the problems associated with evaluating these aspects of information systems, and explain why they are so difficult to measure.

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