The library budget, a topic of primary importance to the reference librarian, is thoroughly examined in this book, first published in 1988. Experts offer insightful suggestions for reference librarians to understand and take responsibility for budget issues, directly and indirectly.

1. Now That We Are Talking About the Budget Ruth A. Fraley 2. Reference Planning and Budgeting in the New Technological Era James A. Benson 3. What Reference Librarians Should Know About Library Finances Dale S. Montanelli 4. Changes in Attitudes, Changes in Latitudes: Reference/Information Services Management in a Time of Transition Edwin S. Clay III 5. Budgeting at the Library Department Level: A Middle Manager's Perspective Tamsen Dalrymple 6. Budgeting for Reference Services in the Academic Library: A Tutorial Gloria S. Cline 7. Budgeting for Reference Services as Part of a Library's Financial Planning Joan S. McConkey 8. Statistical Data as a Management Tool for Reference Managers, or Roulette by the Numbers Bruce Morton 9. Budgeting and Financing Reference Services: Managing the Unexpected and Unpredictable Gerard B. McCabe and Constance E. Gamaluddin 10. To Charge or Not to Charge: No Longer a Question? Sally F. Williams 11. The Reference Department Budget in the High Tech Era: An Endangered Species? Kathleen Coleman and Linda Muroi 12. Integrating Electronic Information Systems Into the Reference Services Budget Nancy L. Eaton and Nancy B. Crane 13. Budgeting for Reference Services in an On-Line Age Charles R. Anderson 14. Multiple File Computer Searching: Can Trends in Use Be Predicted? Jean E. Crampon 15. Financing and Managing Technology-Based Reference Services in the Undergraduate University Library Rodney M. Hersberger 16. InfoTrac: Is It an Appropriate General Reference Tool? H. Julene Butler and Gregory M. Kortman 17. Fee-Based Business Research in an Academic Library Mary McNierney Grant and Donald Ungarelli 18. High Priced or Over-Priced: They're Every Library's Problem Nancy R. Posel 19. Managing Difficult People: Patrons (and Others) Helen M. Gothberg 20. The Realities of College Reference Service: A Case Study in Personnel Utilization Terrence Mech 21. In Search of Insight: Library Administrators Work the Reference Desk Ralph E. Russell 22. Unobtrusive Evaluation: An Administrative Learning Experience Patsy J. Hansel 23. Reference Service vs. Work Crews: Meeting the Needs of Both During a Collection Shift Susan L. Seiler and Terri J. Robar 24. A Scenario of the Reference Librarian in a Small University Library Beatrice E. Flinner 25. Marketing the Library in a Time of Crisis: Rewriting Public Policy Statements Ruth E. Turner