This paper discusses the findings of a survey that examined the national bibliographies of 81 countries in Europe, North America, Central America, South America, and Oceania. Results are presented in the following areas: (1) the connection between legal deposit laws and national bibliographies; (2) coverage and scripts of the national…

In addition to a literature review emphasizing definitions, statistics, and legislation concerning learning disabilities, this paper presents the results of a 1987 survey of academic libraries regarding their services for postsecondary learning disabled students. Responses (n=525) to the questionnaire indicated that, as a group, academic…

Data gathered during visits to libraries associated with five major university programs in journalism and mass communication in the United States are summarized in this report. The report contains information about the collections, services, and facilities of the following university libraries: (1) University of Illinois Communications Library,…

Special circumstances surround the surveying of businessmen's information needs. The businessman's characteristics must be considered; he is pragmatic and practical is time-oriented, has simple and basic information needs, is probably unaware that the public library can help him, has limited and specialized information resources, and uses a…

A national standard for measurement of reference service would help librarians. Such statistics are necessary for evaluation of interlibrary cooperation in reference, but keeping statistics is time consuming and difficult. Librarians need a new way to quantify the work involved in answering a reference question. An improved format, applied…

In 1973, the Technological Institute Library, along with the other science libraries of Northwestern University, began a study of reference use. For each reference request received in the libraries, the date, time, duration, mode, class of question, and user type were noted. These statistics were tabulated and analyzed by computer. It was…

This paper presents the results of a survey that investigated which countries follow the United Nations recommendations by having a national policy for library services to visually impaired and other print handicapped children. Questionnaires were distributed to the 78 members of the IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and…

This paper discusses the impact of the Baby Boomer generation on public libraries. The paper has five main objectives: (1) to provide a statistical and demographic profile of the Baby Boomers at the local, state, and national levels within Australia; (2) to provide characteristics of the Baby Boomer generation; (3) to present comparative results…

Data from 43 responses to a questionnaire distributed to the academic members of the RASD Discussion Group in Reference Services in Large Research Libraries are summarized in tables. The purpose of the survey was to reflect patterns of staff size, services, and organization in reference departments in large academic libraries. The tables present…

Data from 16 university libraries in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand are used to determine, but not evaluate, the variety and extent of library services offered by ASEAN university libraries in the context of their organizational operating modes. These libraries, representing 80 percent of those queried, responded to…

The use of online searching by reference librarians to provide actual answers and not just bibliographies or current awareness printouts has the potential to save time and money for the reference department. The quick reference service can actually promote rather than compete with the library's online search service for in depth subject searching.…

Reports results of a survey of 293 colleges and universities that reveals a growing trend toward making computer software and hardware available to faculty and students, despite potential illicit copying software. The role of the academic library and copyright implications are discussed. Twenty-three references are cited. (EJS)

This paper presents a discussion of what reference librarians require with regard to the bibliographic control of networked resources, based on 200 responses to a survey of U.S. reference providers and on comments made at an open meeting on this topic sponsored by the Library of Congress at the July 2000 American Library Association Annual…

This paper reports on a 1999 study of services to visually impaired users in United Kingdom (U.K.) public libraries. Data were gathered using a mail questionnaire survey of all U.K. public library authorities: 208 in all, of whom 141 responded. Findings are reported in the following areas: (1) information needs; (2) the context of the provision of…

Presents the results of a study on data collection instruments, specifically questionnaires, used by libraries in evaluating resource use and institutional effectiveness. A number of causes for inconsistent survey results are identified and problems with imprecision in survey question terminology are discussed. (JL)