Research in academic libraries has recently seen an increase in the use of ethnographic-based methods to collect data. Primarily used to learn about library users and their interaction with spaces and resources, the methods are proving particularly useful to academic libraries. The data ethnographic methods retrieve is rich, context specific, and…

This citation analysis examines the use of Spanish- and Portuguese-language books and articles in PhD dissertations on Latin America at the University of New Mexico between 2000 and 2009. Two sets of data are presented: The first identifies the use of Spanish- and Portuguese-language books and articles across 17 academic departments; and the…

Report on current state of research in academic and research librarianship in Federal Republic of Germany highlights projects concerning acquisition of books; work procedure investigations; personnel requirements; cost accounting; investigations of library use (user research, user education); public relations work; librarianship; and subject…

This description of Info Trac, a laser disc periodical reference system, reviews professional reactions to the system and several user studies. Criticisms are discussed to define the role of such systems in research libraries, and data are presented in five tables. (17 references) (MES)

A report of the current state of librarianship in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) presents a brief history as well as an overview of the prerequisites of and organizations concerned with library research, and the objectives, methods, and results of intermediary but important research projects. Although the practice of library research is new…

This article explores the questions to what extent educational research addresses library use in education and how the library can contribute to intercultural education. The focus is primarily on elementary education in Europe. Analysis of research publications was based on searches for peer-reviewed journals in international databases, literary…

Reviews the controversy surrounding the Pittsburgh study of library circulation and collection usage and proposes the use of citation analysis techniques as an acceptable method for measuring research use of a research library which will complement circulation studies. Five references are listed. (RAA)

Most institutions of higher education have a mission that specifically addresses three areas: instruction, research, and service. The repertoire of activities and the complexity of the goals of the University Library mirror the goals of the institution, the academic units, and the faculty. The clients of the library are the students, the faculty,…

The goal of this study is to examine the characteristics of scholarly communication, with particular emphasis on the usage of the monograph, in the field of Spanish and Latin American literature over a 30-year period. In addition, this study examines the age of materials referenced in an effort to gain insight into the shelf-life of these…

Interest in developing ways to assess information literacy has been growing for several years. Many librarians have developed their own tools to assess aspects of information literacy and have written articles to share their experiences. This article reviews the literature and offers readers a flavour of the methods being used for assessment:…

Problems of indexing and index use lie at the heart of information use. They determine maximum possible use of information systems and sources, affect communication with users, influence the use of retrieved documents, and should form a more important field of research than past history indicates. Previous research provides some clues to user…

Extracts five conclusions from a survey of library material use studies: (1) recorded use in many libraries is low; (2) use within the library parallels circulation; (3) past use predicts future use; (4) recent materials are used more frequently; and (5) Americans use few foreign language materials. (FM)

Review of research methodologies used in studies of online public access catalog (OPAC) users finds that a variety of research methodologies--e.g., surveys, transaction log analysis, interviews--have been used with varying degrees of expertise. It is concluded that poor research methodology resulting from limited training and resources limits the…

Reviews research and writing on reference services in archives. Topics discussed include user studies of archives; the accuracy and efficiency of archival reference; the impact of technology on research in archives; interaction between researchers and reference archivists; and research needs in archival reference. (48 references) (LRW)

This paper is a review and analysis of published research in the field of shelf classification in libraries, as well as an assessment of future prospects. Past, present, and proposed rationales for shelving books are described; results of investigations, surveys, and user studies are summarized; and suggestions for further research are presented.…