Focusing on management decisions in academic libraries, this article compares management information systems (MIS) with decision support systems (DSS) and discusses the decision-making process, information needs of library managers, sources of data, reasons for choosing microcomputer, preprogrammed application software, prototyping a system, and…

Reports results of study based upon analysis of factors that have militated against proportional representation of women as administrators in libraries belonging to Association of Research Libraries. Demographic and career variables are emphasized: family background and personal characteristics, mobility and career history, role models and…

This study compares attitudes of top level academic library managers with those of middle managers toward the provision of bibliographic instruction. Highlights include hypotheses and research questions; review of literature (doctoral dissertations, journal articles, reports, guidelines); methodology (design, population and sample, data…

Two articles describe National Shelflist Count project organized 13 years ago under auspices of American Library Association's Resources and Technical Services Division to collect and publish comparative data about strengths and growth of major North American research collections. History, limitations, usefulness, and recommendations of 1983 task…

A survey of the literature reveals that reliance upon student library assistants has become traditional in American institutions of higher education. The recent government-sponsored development of hiring policies, training programs, and evaluation procedures for student employees confirms their stability as academic library personnel. Forty-three…

This examination of trends and issues that have shaped two-year college learning resources centers (LRCs) focuses on functions within domain of LRC itself. Highlights include factors affecting organizational structure and design, changes in development of the LRC as an organization over the last decade, and LRC structure in practice. (52…

This book is designed to provide a foundation in the principles of supervision and to serve as a handbook for the day-to-day problems that arise in supervising student employees in academic libraries. Chapters 1-3 describe the role of student employees in the academic library, the role of the student employee supervisor, and basic principles of…

The Contributed Papers in this volume revolve around seven themes designed to appeal to any librarian exploring new frontiers: Advocacy, Collections, Leadership and Management, Information Literacy, Distance/Distributed Education, Collaboration and Partnerships, and Services for Users. The conference committee received 168 proposals. All were…

School libraries are changing due to developments in information technology, teaching and learning methods, and society. A meeting of 28 experts from 16 countries was convened to better understand current trends in tertiary libraries and the effect of these trends on the demand, organization, and design of libraries. Participants agreed that the…

This paper describes the increasingly dynamic involvement of information professionals in the learning and teaching process in higher education. The converged service model at the University of Birmingham (United Kingdom) is described. Established in 1995, the converged service brought the university library, computing service, television service,…

This SPEC (Systems and Procedures Exchange Center) Kit is based on a survey of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries in June 2000. The goal of the survey was to identify issues to be addressed and actions ARL might take to advance the preservation goals of the members. The survey was designed to gather data on recent changes,…

Describes and illustrates Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) procedures appropriate for book collection data analysis. Several different procedures for univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analysis are discussed, and applications of procedures for book collection studies are presented. Included are 24 tables illustrating output…

University of Akron administrators recognized that the library was the primary information resource on campus and the Web was another form of information. Previously, responsibility for Web development and policy passed between various committees and subcommittees. This article describes the implementation of a university Webmaster within the…

Discusses issues of management and change in library acquisitions in light of management and business literature and includes examples from academic libraries. Topics include essential elements of change, including the external environment, organizational capability, how individuals react to change; and leadership, including self-assessment and…

This case study examines social influences in research libraries' collection development. It shows that individuals' ideologies and political agenda shape their impression of user needs and their decision making. The study also reveals how the institution's operating structures, campus politics of interdisciplinarity, personnel deployment, and…