This Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) kit on Bibliographic Instruction (BI) in Association of Research Libraries (ARL) examines current developments as well as anticipated trends based on a SPEC telephone survey of 25 ARL libraries with active BI programs. Two themes which ran through the mid-1985 interviews were the use of new…

Describes the background, goals, methods, and results of a needs assessment study at the New York Public Library. This structured, phased self-examination was designed to form a consensus about the institution's long term needs and priorities. (CLB)

Based on the concept that library use measurement should have as its basic starting point the individual patron, a method of data collection and analysis has been developed that explores individual patterns of borrowing over time. The method accounts for the number of visits on which borrowing takes place, number of items borrowed per visit, and…

In the summer of 1984, seven Library of Congress subclasses in the Columbia-Greene Community College Library were surveyed to determine if past circulation records could reliably predict future circulation. In the summer of 1985, a follow-up study surveyed 10 Library of Congress subclasses to verify the results of the first study. The second…

This collection of library documents, which illustrates current techniques for conducting user studies in order to facilitate specific public services planning and priority-setting efforts at the member libraries of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), contains excerpts from: (1) four general user studies conducted at the University of…

The following papers were presented at a joint conference of the Colorado Library Association and the Mountain Plains Library Association (MPLA) in October 1986: (1) "Development of a Strategic Plan for the Harold B. Lee Library--A Model for Public Service" (Larry Ostler); (2) "The Library Committee in MPLA Libraries" (Ronald…

This inventory provides profiles, tables, and listings of automated library activities at 115 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) institutions. The library profile covers 18 functions: (1) acquisitions; (2) serials check/claim; (3) serials/union list; (4) authority control; (5) cataloging/utility; (6) cataloging/local; (7) circulation; (8)…

Reports on output measures that can give children's librarians additional information to better control collections and make better selection and weeding decisions. Statistical comparisons utilizing circulation data (comparing circulation year to year, circulation to patrons served, circulation to number of materials owned) and availability of…

One in a series of reports on public service studies by academic libraries that are being administered by the Office of Management Studies (OMS) of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), this report on the self study of the Michigan State University Libraries includes a brief description of the overall project and an executive summary of the…

This final report is a product of a comprehensive 14-month Preservation Planning Program (PPP) self-study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh Libraries, working with the Association of Research Libraries' (ARL) Office of Management Studies. The PPP is designed to put self-help tools into the hands of library staff responsible for developing…

This study reports the findings of two surveys conducted in 1983 by the University of Wisconsin-Stout's (UW-Stout) Library Learning Center. The main objectives of these surveys were to question users with regard to which library services and resources users are aware of, which ones are used by what groups, how they are used, and what value is…

This book shows teacher-librarians and school library media specialists how to perform qualitative research and use the results effectively to promote the school library and build a shared understanding of the impact of school libraries on student learning. Hands-on guidance is provided for performing action research, including how to establish…

A comprehensive survey of the faculty members and graduate teaching assistants at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), was conducted in April 1987 with a response rate of over 75% (N=1,275). The purpose of the questionnaire--a product of discussions with the Faculty Senate Library Committee and library and campus administrators--was to…

This paper presents guidelines and tools for action research in the school library which will help the librarian justify expenditures and personnel and evaluate and plan services. It shows how statistics can be turned into meaningful knowledge about what is currently being done in the library, how well it is being done, whether it should be done,…

One in a series of reports on public service studies by academic libraries that are being administered by the Office of Management Studies (OMS) of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), this report on the self-study of the University of California, Riverside (UCR) Libraries includes a brief description of the overall project and an…