The Index of American Public Library Circulation dates back to 1939, and the Index of American Public Library Expenditures to 1951. These indexes are based on annual reports from a sample of all American public libraries serving more than 25,000 people each. Using the 1982 American Library Directory, the researchers identified 1,586 public…

Database usage from a random sample of academic and public libraries in the United States and Canada reveals patterns of use in selected types of libraries. Nine tables present usage statistics. Factors that influence database use are briefly discussed. (AEF)

Reviews the role played by the International Federation of Libraries Association, International Standards Organization, and UNESCO in the establishment of international standards for library statistics. The Brazilian literature on the collection of library statistics is then analyzed to evaluate the extent to which such standards have been…

To investigate the experience of American and Canadian university libraries with remote access catalogs, self-administered questionnaires were sent to the 137 directors of all Association of Research Libraries (ARL) libraries and all libraries of Canadian degree-granting institutions. The study was designed to: (1) survey Canadian and U.S.…

Describes the use of questionnaires and interviews for a study on the use of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Library (Nigeria) by international students. Problems faced by students are highlighted, including the language barrier, new services, and unfamiliar library terminology. (Author/LRW)

This user survey was part of a three-part diagnostic study that sought to obtain information on how public libraries operate in Latin America (Argentina, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and Venezuela) and the Caribbean (Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, and Surinam) and the social role performed by this type of service in the region.…

The analyses reported here on the growth and change of medical school libraries are based on the annual statistics of 67 U.S. and Canadian medical school libraries, 1975-89, and 4 primary statistics from "parent," main campus libraries, all of them members of the Association of Research Libraries. The results show that medical school…

Describes results of a study of interlibrary loan statistics that was conducted at the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) Library (Saudi Arabia) in 1985-86. Results are used to examine collection development needs, departmental use, categories of users, time required to fill requests, and lending vendors. (five references) (LRW)

The three papers in this collection on library statistics were presented at the 1984 IFLA general conference. In "The Management Use of Library Statistics," Geoffrey G. Allen of the Western Australian Institute of Technology discusses current uses and misuses of library statistics and illustrates some practical applications of statistics…

Faced with growing problems in the management and direction of its periodical collection, in 1973 the McLaughlin Library at the University of Guelph established a Periodical Use Committee responsible for collecting and analyzing statistics on the use of periodicals within the library. Specific responsibilities of the committee included deciding…

Describes results of a survey of secondary school libraries in Israel that was conducted in 1983-84. Library characteristics related to type of community and type of school are described, including size of collection, hours of operation, and librarians' qualifications. School library use is also discussed. (six references) (LRW)

Argues that a mix of quantitative and qualitative measures is most efficacious in library collection analysis. Cases drawn from the literature in which a combination of these measures was profitably applied are considered, and the types of software packages for purposes of data manipulation are discussed. (Contains 15 references.) (KRN)

Examines the adaptation of a set of library performance measures derived from a UNESCO manual to Swedish libraries. The basic principles of the measurement process and general library objectives are identified, and the difficulties encountered during the study are explained. The Swedish results are compared to the ideal measures presented in the…

Provides nine articles: research on libraries and librarianship, 1997; changing faces of library education (ALA-accredited graduate program title changes); number of libraries in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico; highlights of NCES surveys; library acquisition expenditures; price indexes for public and academic libraries; state rankings of selected…

This book provides current coverage of the present state of libraries and publishing in the United States and abroad. It has almost 1,000 entries and is divided into two sections. The first section is an alphabetical listing of countries from around the world. Each entry provides data about the political and economic condition of the country,…