As access services emerges as a discrete discipline within the field of librarianship, opportunities for access services librarians to meet and discuss the issues facing today's libraries continue to grow. One annual meeting that has attracted less attention over the years is the Ivies + Access Services Symposium. Held at various member…

Assessment in United States higher education has become very important in recent years. Virtually all colleges and universities are now striving to prove through empirical evidence that they are committed to improving student learning. Created in late 2005, the US Department of Education's Commission on the Future of Higher Education was charged…

This article describes the process and role frontline access and public service staff play in needs assessment and evaluation of user services, specifically in understanding the voice of the customer. Information includes how the University of Arizona Libraries have incorporated daily data collection into the strategic planning process, resources…

In order to be effective in the coming millennium, libraries will need to measure their performance rigorously against the expectations and real needs of their customers. The library of the future will need to be a customer sensitive, knowledge creating, agile enterprise. It must provide value to every customer, where value is the customer's…

Latin American libraries have experienced an important development in the last two decades. Telecommunications and Information Technologies (ITC) have been key elements in this process. There are leading institutions with remarkable programs; nevertheless it is necessary to design marketing strategies to improve their benefits. A case study based…

Summarizes users' opinions of a networked electronic library at Cornell University's Mann Library as part of the planning process for a major redesign. The system's impact on library collection development, preservation, technical services, information services and delivery, instruction, and computer support are described; and plans for library…

In a large-scale user survey at Washington State University (WSU), respondents rated current services, print materials, and electronic resources, and prioritized those services and resources in terms of importance to their work (outlined in appendix). Respondents also ranked services and resources that might be offered. User profiles were…

This report presents the results of a 1996 survey of library users at the Lupton Library at the University of Tennessee/Chattanooga that was designed to determine the needs of library clientele, identify areas of strength, and establish goals for the future. Comments of the faculty are reported related to staff, materials, computers, facilities,…

Describes three projects implemented by the Southern Illinois University at Carbondale's library that are designed to empower the patron: (1) patron-initiated borrowing; (2) Interlibrary Loan Link on FirstSearch databases; and (3) implementation of Web-based interlibrary loan request forms. Explains the role of institutional support and…

Traditional reference service at the Creighton University Health Sciences Library/Learning Resources Center has been transformed into a vibrant, information dissemination system. Maintaining routine reference skills and developing new ones is standard practice. The furious pace of demand for information, and the growing "technicalness"…

During 1993-94 the University Libraries of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, began formal needs assessment to collect data that reflect the information needs of university students, faculty, and staff. The program was implemented by a Needs Assessment Coordinating Group, an assessment consultant, and staff members. Data from the…

Compares 48 features of four versions of the ERIC database, two commercial (SilverPlatter, FirstSearch) and two free (AskERIC.org, SeachERIC.org), to determine whether features of the commercial versions were worth the cost to academic libraries. Reports results of a survey that investigated user preferences, and concludes that value added…

Describes the library instruction program at the University of California Santa Barbara, which uses a team-teaching method to cope with reduced staff and increased enrollment, collection, and teaching responsibilities. The benefits include a sense of departmental teamwork, improved student library literacy, and faculty and student goodwill. (EAM)

A study of the collection of college catalogs at a medium-sized university library found that they are used by many types of clients in addition to undergraduates; users need a current, comprehensive collection and are not bothered by a lack of shelf order; use is enough to justify the collection. (Author/EM)

Examines arguments in favor of membership in the Center for Research Libraries in light of changing collections and services, the cooperative collection development environment, and the needs of research libraries. The discussion covers classic arguments for participation and methods for assessing the value of four membership benefits. (76 notes…