This unobtrusive study conducted at the Brigham Young University Library was designed to determine whether reference questions are appropriately referred by student and paraprofessional assistants. Issues addressed included: (1) the percentage of questions assistants cannot answer themselves that are referred to professionals; (2) the percentage…

This study examined whether user satisfaction with library services is affected by certain objective and subjective librarian behaviors exhibited during the reference interview. A patron survey was conducted during July 1993 in three branches of Cuyahoga County Public Library, located in northeastern Ohio. The sample was determined by the patrons…

A survey instrument was designed and administered to obtain a broad base of information concerning the presence of computers and computer literacy classes in public libraries in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Minnesota. The results indicate that 50.8% of the 100 libraries that responded to the survey (80.6% of the original random sample) have public…

This investigation of a methodology for evaluating the reference effectiveness of academic libraries in New South Wales tests the answering of questions with a set of 10 questions seeking general background information on a range of topics. Student volunteers pose the questions by unobtrusive methods to reference staff at three college libraries.…

In order to ascertain the extent to which undergraduate full-time and part-time students at Lake Forest College, Illinois, were aware of existing library reference services, a telephone interview of randomly selected students was conducted in spring 1982, using a revised questionnaire originally developed for a similar study at the University of…

Library effectiveness--in particular, user satisfaction--is difficult to measure because it is a vague, subjective concept that is different for every person who enters the library. Library assessment traditionally has been measured by: (1) how well it has been meeting its stated goals and objectives; (2) the library processes, which include…

This study describes two surveys of the users of the Public Documents and Maps Department of the Duke University Library. The information gathered in the course of this inquiry is reported: (1) in a profile of the users of the department's reference service, and (2) in a comparison and analysis of the evaluations of reference encounters by both…

The purpose of this study was: (1) to examine the opinions of a selected group of public and private high school students regarding their perceptions of the level of accessibility to their school libraries (accessibility defined as times when students think they were allowed to be in the library); (2) to determine whether or not students feel the…

Public schools in Ohio are adopting whole language, literature-based curricula. As a result, teachers are using the public library more frequently, borrowing greater quantities of books and materials, and asking librarians to assume non-traditional roles such as that of curriculum planner and teacher. The purpose of this study was to examine how…