In this article St. Vrain Valley (CO) School District (SVVSD) librarian, Holli Buchter describes what took place in the school libraries in the district when the newest elementary school, Red Hawk, opened its doors. Red Hawk asked and answered the question: "Is the Dewey Decimal Classification system still the best way for students to locate…

The contributions in this volume represent a decade of OCLC's user behavior research findings that articulate the need for the design of future library services to be all about the user. Highlights include: (1) People associate the library with books and do not consider the library in relation to online resources or reference services; (2) People…

Eighteen scholarly papers and twelve abstracts comprise the content of the fourteenth annual Brick and Click Libraries Symposium, held annually at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri. The proceedings, authored by academic librarians and presented at the symposium, portray the contemporary and future face of librarianship.…

Discusses results of an empirical study of the library reference assistance process that indicate the need to incorporate a select strategy that librarians use in the choice of appropriate information sources. The reference process is examined, a model is presented, and the survey instruments and examples of reference transactions are appended.…

Describes an instructional model for teaching the optimization of search strategies based on a small group of related reference tools. (PF)

A Pathfinder functions as a step-by-step instructional tool which introduces a library user to the variety of information sources availabel in research libraries. (Author/NH)

Compares traditional online interview with the presearch counseling session (process whereby a librarian, acting in an advisory role, assists client searcher in devising his/her search strategy, before that searcher goes online) and presents a one-step model of a presearch counseling session. An online self-service worksheet and 102-item…

Building on a prior investigation of users' formulations and needs in fiction, this study was conducted to determine dominant patterns in public library user-librarian search interactions. Based on analysis of 134 actual user-librarian conversations about fiction recorded under everyday library conditions in Danish public libraries in 1976, it was…

Analyzes the search process, isolating the pertinent elements that make up a search and identifying the many decision points in the process. (Author/PF)

Explains the imposed query model of information seeking and incorporates findings and implications surrounding work on imposed queries into reference work with children. Highlights include a developmental view; types of reference questions; relevance; information services for children; stereotyping; modeling search behavior; and evaluating…

Describes development of an online catalog for Dartmouth College Libraries by Dartmouth and Bibliographic Retrieval Services (BRS). Highlights include Dartmouth parameters; capability of creating a fully inverted file for entire bibliographic citation provided by BRS software; features of BRS/Dartmouth user interface; telecommunications links; and…

Explores the significance of expert system design for library reference services and library education, focusing on model logic and modeling for query analysis. The approaches of some graduate library schools are reviewed. Appendices included a decision-support module, a reference module component, and a typology of queries and reference tools.…

Describes the Electronic Text Center at the University of Virginia that contains an online collection of full-text databases delivered through a single search program. Highlights include user support services; use of Standard Generalized Markup Language; users; and providing a model for other universities. (LRW)

Explores ways for librarians to improve search strategies in a globally networked computing environment. Discusses browsing versus more structured search strategies; thinking processes and information-seeking processes; supplementing the traditional reference interview with computer-based reference assistants; models for automating the reference…

This bibliography on users' machine-assisted information seeking behavior was compiled by the American Library Association's Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) Machine-Assisted Reference Section (MARS). Includes adoption of technology; digital library services; hypertext; interface design; models and theory; relevance; resource…