This volume celebrates the first decade of Council on Library and Information Resources' (CLIR) Postdoctoral Fellowship Program by bringing together 20 past and present CLIR postdoctoral fellows to share their thoughts on their experiences, and more broadly, on the direction of academia. Each essay is a look into the working conditions associated…

A study was conducted of three key availability characteristics of material at the University of California (UC), Berkeley library system: (1) status of materials, (2) time required to obtain them, and (3) their location. These characteristics were examined in light of interlibrary loan criteria set forth in a major report on library cooperation…

An ongoing, multiphased project to measure and reduce book loss due to theft was instituted in the main library at the University of Kentucky. Though book loss was significantly reduced, the issue of whether an electronic security system is more effective than a manual checking procedure remains unresolved. (6 references) (EJS)

A study of the Purdue University Libraries was conducted to help allocate costs by user group and academic department. A circulation survey was taken to determine user identification. The sampling included reserve material used in the library, materials borrowed overnight or longer, and use of photocopy service. Copies of transaction cards were…

Randomly selected faculty from four state universities in Texas were surveyed to determine the degree to which the library and its resources influenced their decisions to accept university positions. Responses to the questionnaire reveal that faculty may take libraries for granted, as they are not exploited in faculty recruitment. (Author/CLB)

A STUDY OF EXTENSION COURSE PROGRAMS DESIGNED FOR PARTICIPANTS WHO CANNOT ATTEND REGULAR INSTRUCTIONAL CLASSES ON CAMPUS COMPARED MEMBER INSTITUTIONS OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR ACCREDITATION OF TEACHER EDUCATION (NCATE) AND INSTITUTIONS ACCREDITED BY THE REGIONAL ACCREDITING ASSOCIATIONS (NON-NCATE). THE PARTICIPANT POPULATION WAS INSERVICE…

Discusses six initiatives to find better ways of managing vast amounts of data in digital form. (MKR)

Developed by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Video Audio Compressed (VIDAC) is a compressed time, variable rate, still picture television system. This technology made it possible for a centralized library of audiovisual materials to be transmitted over a television channel in very short periods of time. In order to establish specifications…

Describes a study that was conducted at the Ohio State University library to examine interlibrary loan transactions and to determine (1) the ratio of unfilled to filled loan and copy requests, and (2) why the unfilled requests could not be satisfied. Interlibrary loan success rates using the OCLC Interlibrary Loan Subsystem are discussed. (eight…

Presents results of study conducted at Physical Sciences Library, University of California, Davis, employing unobtrusive observation techniques to determine user browsing activity. Tables indicating circulation, observed browsers, total browsers, books removed, books replaced, time duration, and browsing frequency by time of day are appended. (EJS)

Examines shelving policies for CD-ROMs that accompany books, based on experiences at Texas A&M University. After studying circulation data, loss rates, and the availability of replacements, it is recommended that the CD-ROMS be shelved with the books on the shelves instead of in a special separate location. (LRW)

Using circulation data to determine whether materials specifically acquired for the circulation collections of libraries at undergraduate institutions show heavy use, this study examined the first 3 years of shelf life of one year's book acquisitions at a small liberal arts college. Contrary to expectations of a high rate of use for newly acquired…

As the problems of book theft and mutilation of library materials were growing, a survey was conducted by the Periodicals and Reference Departments at the University of Memphis Library (Tennessee) in the spring of 1994. An 11-item questionnaire was distributed to 73 students. Students' attitudes toward the problems, their causes, and means to…

This study examined circulation and inhouse use of 13,029 randomly selected volumes--both serials and monographs in all subject areas--in a university library over a 7-year period. Results challenged inference of internal use from circulation figures and the appropriateness of weeding based on lack of circulation alone. A 26-item chronological…

This report describes the methods used to monitor the loss of library materials at Purdue University's General Library during the last 20 years. Data are provided on the following: a complete facility inventory taken in 1959; spot checks of high loss areas made on the basis of patron requests; an availability study in which patrons revealed the…