To determine more rational and economical methods for serving the information needs of the public, a series of studies have been sponsored by the Association of Research Libraries. Libraries in the United States are characterized as independent agencies supported from governmental and private sources and serving a local clientele. Steadily rising…

The first of a two-part series covers research published since 1970 that is directly relevant to interlibrary loan in the United States, with emphasis on studies of total volume, growth rate, nature of exchange relationships, characteristics of requests and types of material requested, users and uses, and financing. (47 references) (EJS)

This discussion of the measurement of performance criteria and desired or acceptable level of achievement focuses on the performance criteria used for the evaluation of interlibrary services (success rate, turnaround time, cost, and impact of service). Document delivery, communication, and interlibrary loan research are covered. Fifty references…

Discussion of library cooperation focuses on a survey that investigated cooperation among university libraries in Ghana. Library cooperation in the United Kingdom, United States, and Nigeria is described; areas of cooperation in Ghana are discussed, including interlibrary loans, cataloging, and acquisitions; and recommendations for library…

Papers on library acquisitions, cooperative collection development, and the international exchange of publications, which were presented at the 1983 International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) conference, include: (1) "Acquisition of South Asian Materials for the Libraries of North America and Europe: Problems, Prospects, and…

Papers on national libraries which were presented at the 1986 International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) conference include: (1) "Dangers for the Modern Information Society in the Computer Age" (Franz Georg Kaltwasser, West Germany); (2) "Functions and Objectives of the National Libraries in the Developing…

The Association of Research Libraries' Office of Management Services (OMS), working with the Research Libraries Group, Inc. (RLG), began the North American Collections Inventory Project (NCIP) in July 1983 as a cooperative effort intended eventually to involve research libraries throughout the United States and Canada. The project's long-term goal…

In mid-1985, researchers contacted librarians at 23 United States and Canadian universities to determine what end-user activities were taking place with the involvement and cooperation of the library. Although most of those contacted were members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), a few non-ARL libraries known to have active end-user…

This volume presents data for the U.S. and Canadian libraries that were members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) during the 1991-92 fiscal year. The ARL membership consisted of 108 university libraries and 12 public or private independent research libraries. Overall, the 1991-92 statistics offer a gloomy view of the traditional…