A review of research on use of the library by workers in the humanities. Includes tables of citations and humanities journals studied and a generalized profile of information seeking behavior of scientists, social scientists, and humanists. (LS)

A pilot study at the University of Arkansas proved the success of a manual system of selective dissemination of information for researchers. Forms, a summary of activities, and an evaluative questionnaire are included. (LS)

This new column discusses the need for gaining administrative and academic support for library instruction programs to improve "library literacy," i.e., the learning of the basic skills for finding information, and summarizes the findings of a five-year experiment at the University of Colorado to improve/increase faculty and student…

Describes in detail the Library and Research Consultations (LaRC) program for graduate students offered at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Copies of the program's brochure and questionnaire are provided, and preliminary evaluative data are tabulated. (JD)

Describes a study that electronically monitored 11 public access terminals at the University of Colorado libraries to produce transaction logs that were used to gather statistics and analyze users' behavior when searching online catalogs. Implications for search instruction and systems design are suggested. (Contains 13 references.) (LRW)

Because instruction in library search strategies is often neglected in social work education, about 75 major social work and social science textbooks were reviewed and divided into 3 groups by the amount of coverage of library research skills. Strengths and weaknesses along with suggestions for a model orientation to library use are provided. (EAM)

Discusses the need to reevaluate bibliographic instruction in academic libraries for an expanded online environment based on experiences at Moorhead State University (Minnesota). Topics addressed include the addition of databases to local online catalogs; student searching; search patterns; database characteristics; student search skills; library…

Reports on a study of the effect of small-group, active-learning approaches to bibliographic instruction and psychological type on learning and confidence. No significant relationship was found between students' scores and teaching method or psychological type. A significant relationship was found between knowledge scores and the librarian…

The Portable Librarian'' concept consists of a reference librarian who goes from place to place throughout the library building offering assistance to the timorous'' and the confused.'' (NH)

Cost benefit accounting is not being used in academic reference libraries today but administrators are beginning to require quantitative evaluation of services provided. Several systems are described and evaluated. (35 references) (DH)

Patron use of periodical indexes was studied by interviewing patrons on random basis as they used periodical and newspaper indexes. A questionnaire was designed to gather information on citation elements, how patrons locate magazines in library, and how they use university's serials holdings list. Seven references and questionnaire are appended.…

Discusses the controversy over whether or not libraries should charge fees for online bibliographic services, reviews the evidence for imposing fees, for maintaining free services, and outlines the relevance of certain sections of the United States Code to decisions concerning the provision of information. Twenty-four references are included. (JL)

Includes articles on the use of online databases for historical research, machine readable data sources for historical research, the librarian-historian interface in reference service, and a sampler of databases for searches in history as well as a selected list of guides to history databases and data archives. (JL)