Examines the economic behavior of academic research libraries, arguing that academic research libraries seek to maximize universities' utility by expanding library collections. Findings are consistent with those from a previous study using a different ranking system and sample data and reconfirm that library collections contribute significantly to…

Discusses the results of an analysis of the reference process in which behavioral outcomes were distinguished from the causal factors that inhibit the delivery of reference service. Data on reference services in 16 libraries are analyzed and presented in five figures and three tables. A 26-item reference list is included. (JL)

Refereed articles from "College & Research Libraries" and "Journal of Academic Librarianship" between 1990 and 1999 were analyzed with respect to the research agenda developed by the Association of College and Research Libraries. The analysis found that articles on collections, services, staffing, and the Internet have…

A study to determine which reference works are most widely held, the age breakdown of reference holdings, and the relationship between size of school and size of reference holdings in a sample of schools with centralized media programs in Illinois. (Author/LS)

The data collected through the 1994 Federal Libraries and Information Centers Survey present a picture of federal libraries and information centers that provide a wide variety of services to their respective agencies as well as to the general public. Federal libraries and information centers reported holding over 51 million volumes or volume…

Data from a research project on the value and impact of public library book reading have provided insights into the role of the public library in the reading experience. The principle of equity of access was seen as crucial, in that it provided everyone with the opportunity to encounter reading material. Respondents also compared the buying and…

Discusses the concepts of marketing and relationship management as they apply to libraries. Topics include perceptions of the profession; environments that libraries operate in; connecting content and users through access and services; and the need for reliable and consistent collection of effective data. (Author/LRW)

Describes a study of Institutes of Health Sciences (IHS) libraries in Botswana that determined the state of the collections and services and examined how well the libraries provided complements to classroom-based student learning and to lecturers' research. Results showed that college library standards were not met and recommends strategies for…

This self-study--part of a series of studies conducted at Michigan State University Libraries--was undertaken to make recommendations for improvements in public services. The study team was directed not to limit its analysis to immediate concerns, but also to take a long-term view of the development of library service. Task forces were organized…

To enable the William R. Perkins Library to focus attention on its collection development operation, a six-member study committee was appointed to review within the present and future environment of the university current collection development policies and procedures and to suggest changes as appropriate to ensure effective use of the library's…

This report is the unofficial, pre-publication summary of Louisiana 1994 IPEDS (Integrated Post-secondary Education Data System) academic library statistics forms. The primary impetus for this publication is to provide Louisiana academic library directors a timely and more user-friendly presentation of IPEDS statistics. Libraries are grouped…

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…

Describes the development and application of a structural equation model, which allows librarians to qualitatively measure library users' perceived quality, satisfaction, and loyalty with a library and the degree to which elements of library services, collections and environments contribute to perceptions. Reports results of a survey of users at…

Presents four challenges faced by libraries and proposes research designs to address each of them. The challenges involve: invisible infrastructure; content and collections; preservation and access; and institutional boundaries. Proposes a mixture of research methods that includes surveys, case studies, documentary analyses, and policy analyses.…

This paper describes a study designed to determine the status of the vertical file in public high school libraries in one Illinois county. The purpose of the study was to examine how vertical files were maintained, promoted, and used in the libraries. The data were collected via telephone and on-site interviews. All 22 library media centers in…