A brief review of measurements of reference/information service in libraries leads to the observation that few measures have dealt with the service product from the user's point of view. (9 references) (Author/NH)

Unless a limited set of specific goals is pursued with diligence, the local library may find itself running off in all directions at once, trying to satisfy every library-related need of a very heterogeneous "community." (16 references) (Author)

Examines the forces for change in reference and information work in the public library--politics and economics, society and the individual, the profession, technology, and the growth of information--and considers the possible future for such service in individual libraries. (CWM)

Presents the findings of a library survey, part of the Public Library I&R (Information and Referral) Project, to assess the nature and extent of I&R services. Discussed are simple and complex information-giving, constructing a public resource file, and a comparison model of high and low profile services. (SW)

Reports the results of an unobtrusive study, from a user's viewpoint, of reference services available in the Suffolk Cooperative Library System. The study raises questions of policy centering around user expectations of library reference services. (RAA)

Reports on a project which developed a measure of levels of difficulty of reference questions handled by the California Interlibrary Reference Referral Network, and identified indicative measures that would reliably stand for the concept of difficulty. Correlations of predictive difficulty and actual difficulty are discussed. (nine references)…

Reports on an evaluation of the higher levels of California's statewide reference referral network that involved an unobtrusive method utilizing existing records of actual reference transactions evaluated by panel of judges. Reference evaluation methods, findings of other studies, and other uses of the method are discussed. (Nineteen references…

This study was the first phase of a multiple phase project to generate knowledge about the creation and rapid growth of information and referral (I&R) services in public libraries in the United States in the late 1960s and the 1970s. I&R service is defined as facilitating the link between a person with a need and the resources outside a library to…

The 1972-1975 Neighborhood Information Center (NIC) Project was undertaken in Atlanta, Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, and Queens Borough to demonstrate the feasibility of using existing library branches as neighborhood information centers. This summary evaluation utilized data from site visits, interviews with staff and clients, a questionnaire…

Describes a study that examined the impact of federated library systems on member library services, resources, and operations in Pennsylvania. The discussion includes a rationale for the research methodology used, and comments on the absence of reliable library statistics and published reports as a basis for comparison with pre-systems situations.…

A search of various literature was conducted to learn what is known about the information universe of disadvantaged adults. More than 700 documents were discovered bearing on information needs, use, and information-seeking behavior of the aged, blacks, native Americans, Chicanos, migrants, the poor, and other disadvantaged. An overview of the…

This study is the second of a two-phase survey of public library information and referral (I&R) service. In this phase, seven public libraries offering I&R services were studied in depth to provide descriptions of their operations, organizational factors, and the reactions of their users. Organizational factors and operations were studied through…

Describes the Public Library Effectiveness Study (PLES), which was designed to apply models and methods of organizational effectiveness research to public libraries. Indicators of public library effectiveness are described, factor analysis results are presented, implications for evaluating library performance are discussed, and further research is…