Describes the usability study that was designed at Hampshire College (Massachusetts) to see whether students were successfully using the library's Web site, particularly for reference services. Emphasizes the need for retesting and discusses results of the usability testing, including an increase in Web site hits and database searches. (LRW)

A brief questionnaire was sent to a random selection of 70 librarians in the State University of New York Librarians' Association Directory to determine the frequency of their use of humor at the reference desk and in the library instruction classroom, their perceptions of classroom humor, and their reasons for using humor in these situations.…

Illustrates how server usage statistics, email reference queries, and usability heuristics can be applied to create a more user-centered ready reference Web site, one that balances design, content, and functionality. Describes how the University of Washington redesigned their reference tools Web page to better meet user needs. (Author/LRW)

Analyzes survey results of university students who used the instant messaging (IM) reference service at Southern Illinois University Carbondale's library. Focuses on the results of two surveys, including a comparison of IM reference and traditional reference desk experiences; provides an overview of the IM reference system and usage data; and…

Describes a study that examined the use of electronic mail reference service in three library units at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Highlights include patron demographics, question classification, and use patterns; and recommendations for further research. (Author/LRW)

Describes 3.5 years' experience using BRS/After Dark and Dialog's Knowledge Index as the main systems of choice in the mediated search service of a department library on a large academic campus. Factors discussed include average use, costs, databases offered, system capabilities, comparisons of the two systems, and limitations of the systems. (13…

A survey of 121 academic libraries examined five general areas of CD-ROM use: (1) user and librarian acceptance; (2) impact on the printed source; (3) cost; (4) assistance and maintenance; and (5) user confusion with multiple computer resources. A copy of the questionnaire is appended. (12 references) (MES)

Examines how history graduate students seek information and how they use the university library in their information-seeking process, based on interviews at UCLA. Explores the use of new technologies and the reliance that history graduate students place on reference librarians and librarians in special collections. (Author/LRW)

Intended to provide a guide to the most useful, practical, and relevant methodologies developed and implemented over the past 20 years for assessing a library's effectiveness, this bibliography provides citations to 72 selected studies evaluating the use, collections, and services of academic libraries. The citations are organized into three major…

Review of literature describing use of Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN) in reference service shows that, although most authors ably describe RLIN's potential, very few have tested this potential in any meaningful way. It is suggested these impressions of usefulness do not justify expense of RLIN's use in reference service. (MBR)

Describes a campuswide library services network at Lehigh University which includes electronic question answering, bibliographic services, and online search applications. Statistics on network use are presented. (eight references) (MES)

Discusses reference-use statistics in academic libraries. Highlights include new functions and resources, limits of traditional counting methods, ranking the sources, the Internet's impact on instruction, computer-assisted versus one-on-one instruction, and creative solutions to reference services. (AEF)

This longitudinal study examined the library use patterns of 1,046 undergraduate students during their first three years of college. The significant changes in library use patterns have implications for the redesign of academic library services, including reference and bibliographic instruction. (Author/LRW)

This report documents a study undertaken to determine the feasibility of and need for an information desk at the Kent State University (KSU) Library. Study methodology included gathering information through a review of the literature and a telephone survey of six academic libraries in Ohio comparable in size and holdings to KSU in order to develop…

Fifty-five Association of Research Libraries member academic libraries were surveyed to determine trends in use of commercially available online numeric databases. Databases searched, searchers, users, publicity, library role in relation to numeric databases, and librarians' attitudes toward and knowledge of databases are examined. The…