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…

The results of three surveys conducted in 1983--one of Texas Tech University students, one of the library staff, and one of faculty members--indicated that all three populations surveyed agreed that the library should provide bibliographic instruction for students. Preliminary profiles of user needs were developed on the basis of responses to the…

A three-year study investigated the territorial behavior of children in a spatially unstructured library setting. The children's various solutions to the lack of spatial structure are described, and implications for libraries dealing with groups of children are discussed. (Author/CLB)

Questions the future of the Master of Library Science (MLS) Degree in a field which in the past has criticized and doubted its professionalism. At a conference sponsored by the Association for Library and Information Science Education, educators and librarians discussed problems of the field and projected areas of change. (CDD)

Two approaches to informing engineering students of library resources are described. The first discusses the activities involved in presenting an overview of the library resources, and the second describes how to plan for student projects involving current topics of their choice. (SA)

A survey of 148 library and information science (LIS) educators determined that electronic information resources in LIS curricula have been integrated into basic and advanced reference courses: Internet resources were covered by 81% and Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) online union catalog by 53%. Lecture, demonstration, and hands-on practice…

A survey of 33 academic libraries in Louisiana was conducted in the spring of 1983 to determine the techniques used during the 1981/82 academic year to impart bibliographic or library instruction to students and faculty. A total of 27 responses were received. It was found that all but five of the respondents had a library instruction program; the…

The argument is made that English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) educators cannot prepare students for mainstreaming in American colleges and universities if the students are limited to ESL textbooks. When teachers assign library projects, they generally neglect the vital area of bibliographic instruction because they assume that the foreign student…

This discussion of ways to solve the problem of overdue library materials reviews three pertinent articles from the library literature, several studies of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Library system, and a 1985 study at a southwestern public library. Attempted solutions are cited, including fines, overdue notices, retrieval methods such as the…

The University of Wyoming (UW), the state's only 4-year institution, offers extended degree programs throughout the state and has as many students enrolled in credit courses off campus as on. This research was undertaken to gather data about student perceptions of library services and to establish baseline data on the characteristics of…

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…

Describes the use of library surveys as a tool for library planning in the United States from the late 19th century to the present. Different eras of library planning in the United States are identified, and the weaknesses and strengths of the survey method are discussed. (CLB)

Describes a study undertaken by San Jose State University of business-related ready reference searches done at that library. The results suggest that within certain restrictions of patron questions, librarian training, search cost, and the database, ready reference online searches can be the most cost effective approach to providing business…

Reports on a national study of the cooperative efforts undertaken by community college learning resource centers with other area libraries and non-library agencies. Focuses on kinds and extent of cooperative activities, and types of cooperating organizations. Explores relationships between selected institutional characteristics and cooperative…