This System and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) flyer/kit is based on two research efforts: a 1986 SPEC survey on the collection and use of management statistics related to reference services, and a 1987 supplemental survey on qualitative measures of reference services. A brief introduction describes the survey and discusses the evaluation of…

Throughout 1999 and 2000, 234 academic institutions in Canada--66 university libraries and 168 college libraries--were asked to respond to a survey of library services for off campus users. Previous surveys were conducted in 1984 and then again in 1988. It was felt that with the advent of the World Wide Web, increased levels of library automation,…

This paper examines the belief that no more than half of the public school libraries in the state of Ohio are automated to any degree. The purpose of the research was to determine the degree and nature of automation at the public school libraries in Ohio. A written survey was mailed to 350 libraries that represented a randomized sample of the…

Eight articles discuss issues and strategies related to library personnel training necessitated by new technologies. Areas discussed include vendor training; aligning library planning, resources, and commitment to integrated library system staff training; training for public services; instructor-led versus computer-based training; leadership…

Presents results from a survey examining how academic libraries in the United States manage and promote their state document collections. A questionnaire focusing on general information, coordination of state documents, use of state documents, and electronic access to state documents was distributed to 350 libraries with 277 returned. (Author/AEF)

Outlines New York State's plan for all libraries to provide electronic services to their users by the use of computer and telecommunications technology. Recommendations of the initiative's organizing committee focus on: services and funding; equity and ease of access; profession and education; partnerships; standards and protocols; collection…

Highlighting the issues that confront small libraries who are exploring automation options, this report focuses on microcomputer-based automation systems for circulation and an online patron access catalog (OPAC). The information provided outlines some of the questions that librarians must ask themselves or vendors before they select a specific…

This study on the development of Southern African Third World States' academic libraries embraces three broad areas: (1) the multimedia library; (2) the development of university libraries in the Third World; and (3) the potential usefulness of the multimedia library in the conditions prevailing in the Third World. Searches of the literature on…

The first of two phases of this study consisted of assessing the need for a more formal library network in Virginia by surveying libraries, conducting site visits, interviews, and regional hearings, and reviewing documentation on existing levels of automation and networking in the commonwealth. Information gathered during this phase supported both…

A survey of the current practices in school library-media centers in the Southwest, Three Rivers, Pathfinder, and Arkansas Valley Regional Library Service Systems in Colorado was conducted in the fall of 1986. The survey covered reference materials; media selection; computer usage, including cataloging, online searching, and use of library…

This report reviews the background and rationale for a cooperative authority file building system and describes the services, products, and operation of the new Name Authority Cooperative (NACO). The document defines the relationship between NACO, other Library of Congress (LC) cooperative projects, and the Linked Systems Project (LSP). The…

This inventory provides profiles, tables, and listings describing automated library activities at 117 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) institutions. For the first time, the inventory includes analyses of aggregate information from individual library profiles. The analyses are divided into four categories that reflect primarily bibliographic…

The purpose of the School Library Resources Program was to provide direct support to local public and non-public schools in their efforts to develop and maintain high quality library and media resources as an adjunct to their instructional program. There were two major emphases in the 3-year old program during the 1984-85 year. The first was to…

This study evaluates user satisfaction and the cost effectiveness of the use of computer systems in the Braille and Talking Book Program of the Ohio Regional Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, and makes recommendations for patterns of service and funding. This report provides an executive summary as well as a 3-part presentation…

This SPEC (Systems and Procedures Exchange Center) Kit presents the results of a survey of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries designed to investigate the changes in research library systems operations since 1994 and to identify future trends. A total of 70 of 124 ARL member libraries responded to the survey. A copy of the…