Discusses three major motivations for in-house library research--planning, problem solving, and staff development--in terms of the functions and responsibilities of library management. Ten stages in a research project are identified and management contribution to each is described. It is concluded that the role of management is critical.…

Recounts events that led to the firing of Mary L. Jones, Director of Los Angeles Public Library (1905) and caught in public crossfire such figures as the mayor, city council, library board of directors, Charles Lummis (Jones's replacement), Susan B. Anthony, Anna Shaw, Herbert Putnam, and Melvil Dewey. (29 references) (EJS)

The greater organizational complexity of libraries and information centers in recent years has given rise to more complex problems for managers. To facilitate solutions, operations research (OR) techniques have been developed that consider the quantitative dimensions of problems along with their political and organizational aspects. Eight standard…

Discusses areas needing revision in the manual "Output Measures for Public Libraries," i.e., measurement objectives, research skills of output measures users, management versus research contexts, relating inputs to outputs, problems in data collection, user versus library performance, sample sizes, interpretation of output measure…

This kit on resource allocation in academic and research libraries contains nine primary source documents and a concise summary of a 1976 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) survey on management of fiscal spending activities in ARL libraries. Based on responses from 70 libraries, the summary discusses 3 specific subjects within the general…

This article discusses tools developed to aid the systems analysis process (program evaluation and review technique, Gantt charts, organizational charts, decision tables, flowcharts, hierarchy plus input-process-output). Similarities and differences among techniques, library applications of analysis, structured systems analysis, and the data flow…

Discusses four potential problem areas in the employment of temporary librarians in a variety of positions in academic libraries--orientation, supervision, acceptance and integration, and utilization--and notes the influence of time limitations on the work environment. Solutions are suggested, and further research is proposed. Fourteen sources are…

Following a brief survey of relevant literature on concept of learning materials center (LMC), this article describes the innovative approach to LMC organizational design recently adopted at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. It features a joint administrative structure and shared staffing between university library and college of education.…

Seven articles on library reference services highlight reference obsolescence in academic libraries, major studies of unobtrusive reference tests, methods for evaluating reference desk performance, reference interview evaluation, problems of reference desk control, online searching by end users, and reference collection development in…

Describes an exchange program between academic libraries in Sichuan Province and Washington State University, and discusses the Chinese approach to academic librarianship in the areas of management and personnel, access and circulation, automation, reference services, collection development and censorship, and library facilities. (CLB)