Although cited reference studies are common in the library and information science literature, they are rarely performed in nonacademic institutions or in the atmospheric and oceanic sciences. In this paper, we analyze more than 400,000 cited references made by authors affiliated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration between…

Recent years have seen a growing emphasis on modern special collections (in themselves no new phenomenon), with a dichotomy between guidance for detailed cataloguing in "Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials (Books)" (DCRM(B), 2007) and the value of clearing cataloguing backlogs expeditiously. This article describes the De la Mare…

E-readers are increasingly popular personal devices, but can they be effectively used for the needs of academic libraries' clients? This paper employs an evidence-based approach that examines the role and efficacy of implementing an E-reader Loan Service at McGill University Library. Suggestions are offered as to what lending model and device…

Macquarie University Library's planning for a new library coincided with a major renewal of the university's curriculum and research activity. This provided a significant opportunity to re-think the presentation of the library collections in the new environment. This article describes how strategic alignment with university goals and the framework…

This article describes the card-sorting techniques used by several academic libraries, reports and discusses the results of card-sorting usability tests of the Western Michigan University Libraries' Web site, and reveals how the WMU libraries incorporated the findings into a new Web site redesign, setting the design direction early on. The article…

Supporting the information needs of researchers adequately is a major challenge for university libraries. This paper outlines results of a survey of 23 researchers conducted by Deakin University Library into their information needs and perceptions of the library's role and performance. The survey challenged established ideas about researchers'…

This Association of Research Libraries (ARL) kit on preservation of library materials contains: (1) descriptions of preservation programs and objectives from Boston University, the University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin, and University of California at Los Angeles; (2) a description of the Library of Congress' National Preservation…

This empirical research examined scale economies of academic research libraries and developed a total cost function for estimating economies of scale. Suggests that libraries in general, and academic research libraries in particular, are information provision organizations that provide multiproducts and multiservices. Findings indicate that slight…

The process of identifying items in a library's collection by assigning to each a unique machine readable code has been generally referred to as barcoding. Barcoding is often one of the first critical projects a library will embark upon in the process of automation. This Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) kit addresses many of the major…

Identifies library perception of forces out of control in scholarly communication system and proceeds to description of attempts libraries are making to regain sense of control. Points of similarity or contrast between scholarly publishers and research libraries are addressed, with emphasis on concept of selectivity. Seven sources are given. (EJS)

Describes a study that measures and analyzes the map collections of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) using data from 1984 and 1988. Size of collections and growth rate are examined, and a composite index is used to rank the map collections to determine whether maps receive the same attention as other materials. (14 references) (LRW)

This kit on the integration of nonprint media into Association of Research Libraries (ARL) institutions contains a concise summary of a 1977 phone survey with ARL members, eight descriptions of programs and services, and five acquisition and processing policies. To collect data on practices regarding the acquisition, processing, and use of…

This Association of Research Libraries (ARL) kit contains source documents providing information on the general background, statistics/criteria, formulas, and decision-making processes used in the allocation of materials funds in academic libraries. The kit comprises: (1) a working paper on "Guidelines for the Allocation of Library Materials…

In a March 1980 Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) survey on preservation activities in Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member institutions, 40 libraries reported having conducted a formal preservation study or needs assessment, 28 had adopted planning or policy documents, and 58 reported operating an active preservation program…

Discusses serials-related functions in academic research libraries, considers the operation of a separate serials department versus integration of serials functions within a general technical services department, and describes an analysis of advertisements for serials positions that was conducted to determine the need for serials specialists and…