This study explores the extent to which undergraduate and graduate students in China differ in their digital library use. Unlike the factors promoting digital library use, non-use factors, perceived influences, and degree of satisfaction are quite different between undergraduate and graduate students due to their differing emphases and…

Although increasingly recognized as a future skills issue, the use of information in the workplace is a little studied area within library and information research. A substantial "pedagogic" literature of learning in the workplace exists, however, and this was critically reviewed to generate a repertoire of issues which could in turn be…

Interest in developing ways to assess information literacy has been growing for several years. Many librarians have developed their own tools to assess aspects of information literacy and have written articles to share their experiences. This article reviews the literature and offers readers a flavour of the methods being used for assessment:…

The purpose of this study was to explore and investigate the ways faculty at The School of Information Studies at Syracuse University use Networked Information Sources and Services to support their service tasks. Library and Information Sciences faculty were chosen as the population for this study. The study aimed to answer the following…

Reports results of a survey of library patrons which investigated: (1) reasons patrons choose the public library for popular nonprint materials; (2) whether patrons using the library for nonprint materials tend to use print materials during their visits; and (3) how use of nonprint materials affects patrons' perceptions of their libraries. (MES)

Case studies and user surveys are examined to determine which resources are likely to be used by varied types of information seekers. The study develops a profile of how adults learn and the relevancy of public libraries to their learning project activities. (Author/EM)

A library survey was conducted during February 1983 to ascertain the characteristics of the user population, user needs, and user satisfaction with library services in five science and technology libraries at the University of Texas at Austin, including the chemistry, engineering, geology, physics-mathematics-astronomy, and science libraries. A…

Describes a study that used the shelf availability research methodology to identify and quantify the causes of users' failures to identify and locate library materials. The factors resulting in unsuccessful searches are discussed, and recommendations for reducing these factors are made. (26 references) (CLB)

Student requests for online searching often show that faculty members have suggested inappropriate searches. A survey of faculty that examined their use of online searching in research and their communications to students about this research method is described, and ways in which librarians might improve the situation are suggested. The…

This review of the research on the use of card catalogs and online catalogs highlights research methodologies and significant findings. Discussion of the results focuses on user needs and satisfaction, and the need to separate bibliographic practices that are universally sound from those that are an adaptation to the medium. (CLB)

A study of the collection of college catalogs at a medium-sized university library found that they are used by many types of clients in addition to undergraduates; users need a current, comprehensive collection and are not bothered by a lack of shelf order; use is enough to justify the collection. (Author/EM)

Discusses the use of optical disk technology in online searching and compares three versions of the ERIC database currently available on optical disk in terms of hardware requirements, ease of installation, scope and cost of the system, search procedures, displaying and printing results, and documentation and user support. (CLB)

Analysis of user surveys at Texas A&M University indicated service is rated highest at the reference desk with 80.4% satisfied, while 55.3% found what they needed at the information desk and 55.3% in the database room. Although the information desk referred 62.5% to other sources, only 46.4% were satisfied with the referral. Includes survey…

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…

This report describes a survey of 942 California State University, Northridge, (CSUN) library patrons conducted from March 15 through April 15, 1987. The survey was administered by student interviewers who approached patrons exiting the two CSUN libraries and asked them questions from the survey questionnaire. Survey findings are briefly…