Six myths regarding libraries are discussed: libraries are at center of intellectual life; book is sacred; libraries are responsive to information needs of various publics; objective evaluation is common decision-making practice; librarianship model fosters active client-oriented behaviors; library school education alone provides sufficient…

A questionnaire survey was conducted to determine the use and training of nonprofessional personnel (including student assistants) in academic libraries with student enrollments of 500 - 6000. (Author)

Presents reactions of four professionals in library field to two-part article concerning future of academic librarianship. Topics covered include academic library administration, library education, current and future job skills and requirements, fundamental changes necessary before librarians can accept new responsibilities, and additional…

A simplified form of utility theory is applied to libraries to provide a tool for defining library goals and analyzing library behavior. (Author/PF)

A pilot study conducted to identify concerns of public services middle managers on costing and use of performance measures found the librarians interviewed had little faith in their usefulness. Implications of these findings are discussed and specific ways to increase the usefulness of such measures for library decision-making are suggested. (CDD)

Links the origin, decline, and renaissance of bibliographic instruction to the increasing specialization and democratization of education and reviews the history of the academic library and the role of the academic librarian in American higher education. The value of concept-oriented bibliographic instruction is stressed. Included are 18…

Presents results of survey assessing the opinions of 76 Association of Research Libraries library directors concerning 19 educational competencies for research librarians. Results are analyzed regarding importance of competencies, their need in different positions, their possession by beginning librarians, and the adequacy of instruction in…

Review of literature dealing with education for academic librarianship highlights history; length of education; amount of education, including need for advanced subject specialization; role of library schools; "Standards for College Libraries"; librarians' functions within libraries; and the organization of academic libraries. Thirty-three…

This study was designed to investigate the instructional effectiveness of six methods of library instruction. The results indicated that the self-paced audiovisual tutorial study followed by a summary and question/answer session was the most effective way of increasing student achievement. (4 references) (Author/SJ)

Describes a study that investigated the skills that bibliographic instruction (BI) librarians in academic libraries thought were needed to provide adequate BI and where these skills should be taught or acquired. Training for BI offered in library schools is examined, and recommendations for further study are suggested. (19 references) (LRW)

Training of supervisory personnel in libraries is a relatively new practice. The first year of an in-house program is described with suggestions for increasing its effectiveness. (10 references) (DH)

Responses of 100 librarians to a questionnaire revealed a profile of the educational background and attitudes of science librarians involved in bibliographic instruction. A follow-up survey explored the degree to which library school curricula prepare librarians for bibliographic instruction. (11 notes with references) (Author/CLB)

Summarizes results of a survey of 54 entry-level State University of New York librarians, including background data (position title, year of library degree), an analysis of 27 professional activities, and methods of preparation for job responsibilities--library school education, on-the-job training, self-instruction, continuing education (actual…

Randomly sampled librarians were asked to rate 56 categories of baseline knowledge and skills according to their importance and degree to which respondents considered themselves knowledgeable. Highlights include areas of knowledge; library education effectiveness; and the importance of knowledge and experience, the library position, and the…