With the advent of the big data internet era, the corresponding multimedia technology is also developing. At the same time, as an important place for students to improve their cognitive level and expand their knowledge coverage, the construction of knowledge and information in university libraries will have an important impact on the growth of…

The Public Libraries Survey (PLS) is a voluntary survey conducted annually by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). IMLS collects these data under the mandate in the Museum and Library Services Act of 2003 as stated in Section 210. The U.S. Census Bureau is the data collection agent for IMLS. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 survey is the…

The third Electronic Resources & Libraries (ER&L) conference gathered at Georgia Institute of Technology's Global Learning and Conference Center in Atlanta, Georgia, March 18-21, 2008. Over 360 attendees, from six countries and from 80% of the United States, represented their libraries and organizations resulting in a diverse and…

Results of this study evaluating library reference service indicate a statistically significant difference at the .05 level between obtrusive and unobtrusive evaluation methods. Library staff answer a greater proportion of questions correctly when they are aware of being evaluated. The 30 questions used, a report form, and references are included.…

This report reflects the results of an evaluation of the definitions used in the annual Public Library Statistics (PLS) program, a joint federal-state information collection project, and is intended to raise specific issues for discussion among the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the Federal State Cooperative System (FSCS), and…

Discusses the collection by library managers of demand and use data from their own libraries on a regular basis as a means of answering management questions pertaining to the "cost" of information, staff productivity, and levels of service. Examples of statistical records and recommendations for collecting data are presented. (Author/JL)

This study was conducted to test measures of library service developed in a 1974 national performance measurement study, and to develop personnel training programs in data collection and analysis in New Jersey public libraries. The study was conducted in three phases: (1) revision of original procedures manual; (2) measurement implementation in 25…

Discusses the strengths and weaknesses of patrons and reference librarians as sources of data for the evaluation of the effectiveness of answers to reference questions. Describes the Wisconsin-Ohio Reference Evaluation program and considers staffing patterns, time spent, collection size, and bibliographic instruction. Reference Transaction…

This is the fourth in a series of reports evaluating the Public Library Statistics (PLS) program, an annual census of public libraries in the United States. The census includes, in addition to a full count of public libraries and their outlets, a variety of statistics about the services provided by and, the financial condition and the staffing…

As resources become more constrained in the library community, many organizations are finding that they need to have a better understanding of their costs. To this end, this article will present one approach to conducting a cost analysis (including questions to ask yourself, project team makeup, organizational support, and data organization). We…

Describes a pilot project at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign reference and undergraduate libraries to test the feasibility of offering real-time online reference service via their Web site. Discusses software selection, policies and procedures, promotion and marketing, user interface, training and staffing, data collection, and…

This report begins with a brief overview of the types of libraries included in Louisiana's library infrastructure and a summary of the problems faced by these libraries. The major part of the report is made up of two-page profiles of each of the state's 64 parishes. Each profile contains a locational map; an economic summary; data on academic…

Information is provided on 217 public libraries, 65 academic libraries, and 164 special libraries in Oregon, as well as the Oregon State Library. Information is compiled from questionnaires completed by each library and other directory information sources. Data elements are based on those used in the Federal State Cooperative System for Public…

Reports findings of a Statistics Task Force investigation at New York University's Bobst Library, which reviewed the collection and publication of statistics and data related to library reference and information services and use of resources, and developed a framework for inclusions, definitions, procedures, and policies for data collection and…