Reports results of a user survey at the University of Washington libraries that measured satisfaction with library services and resources. Discusses differences in use patterns between academic areas; high satisfaction levels; shifts toward remote use and increasing importance of electronic resources, particularly electronic journals; and user…

Prior to 1997, the University of Oxford in Great Britain had approximately one hundred autonomous libraries with little coordination of services, collection development, or management among them. In that year a new director was hired with the mandate to integrate many of these libraries into one centralized system. Over the past seven years…

Although much attention has been given to the process of teaching older patrons about new technologies, the following study shows that younger patrons often require instruction in older technologies to feel comfortable using information in those formats. A survey was conducted among 80 undergraduate and graduate students aged 18-30, at the…

This paper presents the findings of a research project about Australian TAFE librarians' information literacy practices. The project addressed two research questions: What are the practices that TAFE librarians use to teach and foster information literacy? What changes have occurred since the last TAFE information literacy survey in 2001? During…

Summarizes views presented by three speakers from the Canadian library and information community in a workshop at a joint conference of two professional associations. Topics addressed were the state of research in public, academic, and special libraries; the need for library research; and how to find funding to support research. (CDD)

Replicates an earlier investigation of job satisfaction among library personnel in academic libraries, looking at such factors as different departments within libraries, supervisory level, length of time in the profession, age of the employee, and employee's career orientation. Both studies found significant differences in satisfaction between…

Reports the methodology and conclusions of a study that examined the research skills of graduate students by analyzing the bibliographies of over 600 master's theses. Presented by academic department, the results include the type of formats used (books, periodicals, etc.), currentness of citations, and possible source of indexing for the journals.…

Defines mechanical and expert selection of library materials and investigates the usefulness of mechanical selection in three test cases involving popular novels, German literature, and contemporary poetry. The cost of mechanical selection is examined and more quantification in selection practice is recommended. Data are presented in eight tables,…

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…

This review of the transition from library card catalogs to online public access catalogs (OPAC) (1981-1982) discusses methods employed by online catalog use studies (self-administered questionnaires, OPAC transaction logs, focused-group interviews, feature analysis, online search and retrieval experiments) and new directions for OPAC research…

This paper examines the elements of user studies and presents them as unified concepts within a model of information-seeking behavior. Definitions of information-seeking behavior, information needs, information gathering, information giving, and source preference are discussed. Thirty-two references are cited. (EJS)

Describes a study undertaken to determine the effect of teacher-utilization of media center resources in teaching upon student use of media center materials. The methodology and findings of the study are reviewed, a set of conclusions is presented, and sources for further study of experimental research are provided. (JL)

Describes a program developed to expose college chemistry students to some of the more modern information retrieval tools, as computerized online databases. Following classroom lectures and discussions, students individually develop a search statement relevant to their own research needs and run it in the Chemical Abstracts files. (BT)

A study of five Texas academic libraries provided information on OPAC use by Korean college students to assist system managers select OPACs. The study determined that academic level and age influence preference for the type of OPAC system, that more specific search instructions are needed, and that system menus were the most commonly used source…