As more students, faculty, and staff from traditionally underrepresented groups enter universities and colleges, academic libraries must find ways to reach out to these groups in order to better meet their unique educational needs. In this article, librarians from two large public universities describe how they used data about their communities to…

Nassau County (New York) library system conducted a study to ascertain the level of library service in governmental and nongovernmental departments, agencies, offices and organizations in Nassau County; to determine what additional library services were needed; and to recommend how they could best be achieved. (Author/PF)

This study has been undertaken to determine the library needs of Auburn, Massachusetts, and to analyze the existing library services. The community analysis includes use of the 1970 U.S. Census, interviews and other available data and the survey of the library includes samples of the circulation, registration, and shelf list, and analysis of the…

Community analysis is a systematic gathering of facts and observations about the area served by a library branch; it provides a method that allows us to convert impressions into facts that young adult (YA) librarians need to prove that the library is helpful and that its services are visible. (Author)

Explores the increasing difficulty that library decision-makers will face in proving the value of libraries to society, and suggests appropriate questions that they will want to ask in their use of community analysis. (Author/PF)

As a foundation for the future plans of the Leominster (Massachusetts) Public Library, a study was undertaken to: (1) analyze the physical, economic, and demographic characteristics of the community and their implication for library service; (2) evaluate present library services and identify unfilled needs; and (3) identify goals and objectives to…

Libraries in five Swedish communities obtained money for their activities during the year 1970, which those working in the libraries were permitted to use at their discretion. Article took into account the local conditions and traditions and the knowledge of the librarians in increasing cultural facilities and services for the community.…

Community analysis has been a prescribed tool of public librarianship for over 25 years. Although its value has been recognized in published public library standards, librarians have rarely used this method of improving library services. Emphasis is placed upon the need for the development of a community analysis methodology for librarians. It is…

This study: (1) identifies the library-related needs and interests of the residents of the Wisconsin Veterans Home (WVH), (2) searches for clues on activating a program of library service, and (3) explores the feasibility of establishing the WVH as a community library for King, Wisconsin. The needs assessment recounts procedures and presents the…

This study of the public libraries in one county in central Iowa examines the workings of the Earlham, Truro, and Winterset libraries, and explores the elements in their respective communities which affect current library services and which have potential implications for future library planning. In addition to detailed profiles of the three…

This study collects and analyzes information on the characteristics of the community and the public library system of East Brunswick, and provides an example of a library planning method responsive to community needs. Unobtrusive data collection techniques utilizing the 1970 census, local reports, and library records were the primary sources of…

Once a librarian has made the decision to conduct a study of the economic community, several interrelated questions must be addressed: What is meant by the term "economic community" and what is known about it? What will be the objectives of the survey? Which businesses, industries, and services should be included? Who will conduct the…

To assist the public library in choosing between alternatives in the allocation of resources to satisfy library needs, this community analysis presents 44 recommendations for the improvement of library facilities, staffing, services, materials, funding, and public relations. The report provides a comprhensive view of Muskogee, its population, user…

Community characteristics must be identified and analyzed before relevant library planning can occur. Although census data indicate that the Kent County resident is not the type of person usually thought of as the typical library user, there is a record of active community participation in the county which indicates a strong potential for…

This study is an analysis and synthesis of information available about Williamsburg, Virginia and the Williamsburg Public Library to determine the library's relationship to the community it serves and evaluate the services it provides. Data were collected using the techniques taught in seminars presented by the Community Analysis Research…