Art. 1: Elzbieta B. Zybert,
Department of Information and Book Studies, University of Warsaw
Quality school libraries.

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The author presents changes gradually taking place in modern schools, resulting in their transformation into "quality schools". The work of E. Deming - entitled "the Complex Quality Management" is discussed, in the context of development of quality schools. School library, as one of subsystems of quality school, and essential element of an educational process, will definitely factor in the notion of quality/quality improvement in its work. The book presents methodology employed for the assessment of a library as a quality unit (ex. quality surveys), as well as the process of development of such libraries.

Art. 2: Wanda Pindlowa,
Department of Library and Information Science Jagiellonian University, Kraków
High-quality information services to users as the fundamental necessity for building a modern information society in the European Union

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The author focuses on quality of service to the users, with special attention directed to customer relations, users' input/suggestions. Also, the place where information services are delivered is evaluated - the design, equipment, work conditions (noise levels, adequate temperature, lighting), and access to computer stations. Furthermore, staff's competence and attitude towards the users is assessed, as well as the way the correspondence and queries are handled (time and relevance). Additionally, a few other issues are mentioned: databases and their quality, the Internet as a source and tool of information, influence of globalisation on improving the quality of information services.

Art. 3: Bozena Bednarek-Michalska,
Nicolaus Copernicus Unievrsity Library, Torun
The evaluation of the quality of web-based library information services

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The author discusses methods and criteria of library services' quality evaluation on the Internet. In her article the author underlines the importance of quality evaluation, as well as its application in information research. Librarians should know the criteria they adhere to while posting data on the Internet (as there are more and more subject-related websites). The accuracy of information and criteria should be closely scrutinised. It should be noted that there is no professional literature in Poland pertaining to the quality assessment of information on the Net, therefore, the author consulted mostly foreign data/materials. The text is supplemented with a long list of library services' web-pages thereby making it a truly valuable catalogue for every specialist in this field.

Art. 4: Miroslaw Górny,
Social Communication Division, Department of Linguistics, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan
Time as a quantitative measure of the quality of library services.

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The author discusses a collection of four time-related parameters of library services' quality evaluation. These are: time allocated for filling the service, time delay (period between the time the information is presented and the moment it becomes available in the library), time spent by a user to access the information sources, and a period during which a library makes the information accessible to the users. The author is of the opinion that quality assessment should deal with library resources and contents rather than the library as a whole. He also describes how time-measuring indicators may be applied in practice.

Art. 5: Jadwiga Wozniak,
The Institute of Scientific Information and Library Studies at the Warsaw University
The issue of quality in library resources' subject cataloguing

The author underlines the importance of quality in subject cataloguing of library contents. It is clear that careful research and summary of books destined for cataloguing greatly improves overall quality of services/information at a particular library. The author mentions library staff's shortcomings when it comes to their relations with users and states that users' confidence towards the library as an institution stems directly from their satisfaction with the good service and product offered. The language used for info-search is irrelevant - its most important role is to respond to the particular needs of a given library.

Art. 6: Jadwiga Nowacka,
Public Library in Suwałki
An analysis of local community needs as the bvasis for library services offered by the Public Library in Suwałki.

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Libraries' functions and tasks have been evolving for centuries. In the past, the libraries focused on gathering information; and cataloguing was a natural consequence of that process. Nowadays, especially with the emergence of public libraries, the process of disseminating information has become the most important task - overriding all other functions. In order to meet the above-mentioned goal, the community benefiting from library services should be analysed, and every library (especially public libraries) should undertake this task. This analysis can be done through the review and classification of library resources according to various age groups. Also, modern libraries' research and information science should be used, as well as methodology of sociology, psychology, pedagogy and other sciences. Co-operation with schools may prove to be very useful, as it involves the most open-minded group of users. Recently, many librarians have started the process of continuing education in their respective specialised fields, thus probing the needs of local communities. The author presents methodology and the results of the analysis conducted in the community served by the Public Library in Suwalki.