Presents four challenges faced by libraries and proposes research designs to address each of them. The challenges involve: invisible infrastructure; content and collections; preservation and access; and institutional boundaries. Proposes a mixture of research methods that includes surveys, case studies, documentary analyses, and policy analyses.…

Traditionally, archivists have been involved mainly in the intellectual preservation of library materials and the selection, appraisal, processing, and cataloging of library collections. Due to the relatively short (approximately 50 years) stability of the paper commonly used for printed and written documents since the mid-nineteenth century, the…

A focus group study of 29 Queens College/CUNY (City University of New York) undergraduates, born and educated outside the United States, determined that most described needs related to course work rather than language or culture. Participants commented on library hours, physical surroundings, research tools, personnel, collections, and copy…