Assessment in United States higher education has become very important in recent years. Virtually all colleges and universities are now striving to prove through empirical evidence that they are committed to improving student learning. Created in late 2005, the US Department of Education's Commission on the Future of Higher Education was charged…

"Research Library Issues" ("RLI") focuses on current and emerging topics that are strategically important to research libraries. The articles explore issues, share information, pose critical questions, and provide examples. This special issue presents a report released by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Joint Task…

The Association of Research Libraries E-Science Working Group developed a survey to "build an understanding of how libraries can contribute to e-science activities in their institution" and "identify organizations and institutions that have similar interests in e-science to leverage research library interests." The August 2009…

Like many libraries, Seton Hall University Libraries has suffered budget cuts that forced a reduction in serial subscriptions. As science librarian, I report on my efforts to streamline subscriptions and to address the question "Why are science journals so expensive?" Our science journals are significantly more expensive than journals in…

Database usage from a random sample of academic and public libraries in the United States and Canada reveals patterns of use in selected types of libraries. Nine tables present usage statistics. Factors that influence database use are briefly discussed. (AEF)

Comparative statistics are tabulated for volumes in the library, volumes added, current serials, total staff, and total expenditures for 113 university and 12 non-university libraries. The data are from the Association of Research Libraries. (LB)

To investigate the experience of American and Canadian university libraries with remote access catalogs, self-administered questionnaires were sent to the 137 directors of all Association of Research Libraries (ARL) libraries and all libraries of Canadian degree-granting institutions. The study was designed to: (1) survey Canadian and U.S.…

This SPEC (Systems and Procedures Exchange Center) Kit presents the results of a survey of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries designed to provide a description of how they are responding to demands for greater hours of access and service. Survey responses indicate what hours of access and service libraries are providing and…

Data on research library holdings include volumes in the library, volumes added in 1990-91, current serials, total staff, and total expenditures for 107 university libraries and 12 nonuniversity libraries. University libraries are ranked. A pie chart of average operating expenditures, indicating percentages for salaries, books, serials, and other…

Developed for students at the University of North Texas, this directory lists 482 libraries with computerized catalogs that can be accessed through the Internet. Most of the libraries are academic libraries, the majority of which are located in the United States. The list also includes libraries located in Europe, Australia, Israel, and elsewhere.…

The 1990-91 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) preservation questionnaire, the results of which are reported in this volume, was designed to yield statistical information on the current level of preservation efforts in research libraries and on the key organizational, functional, and fiscal components that characterize preservation programs.…

These papers discuss various options for a computerized national bibliographic network and highlight the problems and potential of developing such a database. Following a brief explanation of the conference purpose and organization, 10 primary papers are presented: (1) "A Brief Overview of Computerized Library Networking in Canada," by…

Noting that the primary function of electronic mail within research libraries has changed from interlibrary loan to administrative purposes in the last four years, this kit begins with an overview of the results of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) surveys of the use of electronic mail (e-mail) in member libraries conducted in 1984 and 1988.…

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 what methods are used to value or appraise research library collections, in order to provide librarians with information useful to them in discussing these issues with their…

Data on 106 university and 12 nonuniversity research libraries include rankings based on a national index, the number of volumes held, volumes added during the year, current serials, total staff, and total expenditures. Most data are for main campuses only. (MSE)