Understanding faculty work practices can translate into improved library services. This study documents how education and behavioral science faculty locate, retrieve, and use information resources for research and writing and how they publish and store their research materials. The authors interviewed twelve professors using a structured interview…

This paper outlines the case studies of two librarians who work closely with graduate students in fine arts programs. Realizing that graduate students can often experience a unique form of research anxiety, both librarians collaborated with faculty to embed themselves into the research methods courses of their programs. Both librarians found that…

Responds to the suggestion that services provided by research libraries must adapt to changing research patterns. It is argued that research patterns need to be evaluated as well as described, and that research libraries must define their goals and relate activities to those goals as well as to current research patterns. (seven references)…

Discussion of humanities research focuses on the humanist patron as author of the text. Highlights include the research process; style of expression; interpretation; multivocality; reflexivity; social validation; repatriation; the image of the library for the author; patterns of searching behavior; and reference librarian responses. (37…

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.…

To ascertain current status of academic library services to support literacy education, a survey was conducted using 20 pairs of community college and four-year college libraries in eight eastern states. Results revealed that all colleges in sample have literacy-related programs and that nearly all programs received library support. (11…

This study of public library employees' perceptions of library goals based on one case study reveals that staff hold generally conservative views of public library purpose and prefer goals that are print-based and directly related to reading. Most significant influences on perceptions are local practice and practical considerations. (24…

Discusses networked information resources used by reference librarians in research libraries. Highlights include the NREN (National Research and Education Network); the Internet; network architecture; the national information infrastructure; the effect of electronic information on reference desk transactions; the changing nature of research; the…

Discusses the research methodologies of humanities scholars and describes a project developed at the University of California at Berkeley that promoted collaboration between reference librarians and humanities faculty to increase faculty awareness of library services and resources. Highlights include new technologies and librarians' integration…

Reviews studies of humanists' use of information and discusses three characteristics of the behavior of humanists in relation to trends in the application of new information technologies to the humanities: (1) reluctance to ask questions of reference librarians; (2) regard for influential peers; and (3) concentration on research specializations.…

Describes a qualitative study of the research and teaching habits of early adopters of electronic journals that was conducted at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Discusses perceptions, expectations, and changing practices pertaining to electronic journals and other electronic resources, focusing on shared behaviors and values and…

These guidelines were developed by the Reference and Adult Services Division of the American Library Association to encourage library schools to add training in genealogical research to their curriculum. Highlights include course objectives; the library's role in serving genealogical patrons; genealogical research methodology; reference…

Results of this examination of the information needs and gathering behavior of social scientists, especially historians, suggests that existing library and information services may be based on a misunderstanding of their needs. Factors that need to be studied are identified, and research models are suggested. (CLB)

A survey of 43 Texas community college libraries reveals that although 90 percent of these colleges have a developmental education program, less than 28 percent provide large number of library services to such programs, and particularly lack bilingual handbooks and special library instruction for developmental students. Twenty-two references are…

Huddersfield University Library (England) has undertaken a wide range of evaluative studies of its services and systems, using various data collection techniques such as: user surveys; exit interviews; online and CD-ROM analysis; benchmarking; user groups; staffing and staff development evaluation; suggestion sheets; student project work; group…