Eleanor (Edwards) Ledbetter, who served immigrant populations in Cleveland throughout most of the Progressive Era and the Great Depression, was one of the first librarians to advocate for multiculturalism (then called cultural pluralism) as opposed to Americanism. In providing multicultural and multilingual library services for immigrants,…

This study is a survey of the town of Springfield, Vermont and an evaluation of its library resources and services developed as Phase II of the Institute on Developing Dynamic Public Library Services Responsive to Community Needs. Long range plans were developed to meet discovered community needs and techniques learned from participation in the…

As part of its bicentennial celebration, the Library of Congress is sponsoring the Local Legacies project, an unprecedented effort in which Americans across the nation work with their members of Congress to document unique traditions for the collections of the American Folklife Center. Libraries will have a critical role in directing documentation…

This five-year plan of the Chicago Public Library revises the plan of 1976-1980. Several operational/procedural objectives have been dropped and incorporated in normal operations. New goals, objectives, and tasks are service-directed with special attention to expanding services to affiliated and other cooperating Chicago libraries. The specific…

A survey designed to identify the nature and composition of a Spanish-speaking community, and to isolate needs to which the public library could respond, consisted of a bilingual questionnaire. Results reveal why the questionnaire was inappropriate, why the random sample was not representative, and why the interviews posed conceptual problems. (VT)

A survey of 18 San Francisco Bay Area libraries actively serving the Spanish speaking community was undertaken to determine the state of library service to this population. Investigation showed increases since 1967 in the number of libraries providing service to the Spanish speaking, in the size of Spanish language collections, and in the number…

As a foundation for the future plans of the Leominster (Massachusetts) Public Library, a study was undertaken to: (1) analyze the physical, economic, and demographic characteristics of the community and their implication for library service; (2) evaluate present library services and identify unfilled needs; and (3) identify goals and objectives to…

The efforts of the Chicago Public Library during the years 1976-80 will focus on: (1) evaluating, improving, and adjusting existing programs and developing new programs; (2) cooperating with other agencies and organizations in the community; (3) improving the functioning of the library as a research and reference center for the state; and (4)…

Based on 500 randomly selected interviews, data were gathered concerning the use of Burnaby Public libraries, Vancouver. Users were questioned about their reading habits, literature preferences, interests, and knowledge and use of the public library. The document contains details about the survey design, execution, and results. (EMH)

This study collects and analyzes information on the characteristics of the community and the public library system of East Brunswick, and provides an example of a library planning method responsive to community needs. Unobtrusive data collection techniques utilizing the 1970 census, local reports, and library records were the primary sources of…

This study focuses on certain demographic, commercial, and social characteristics of Johnston County and its towns as they relate to the library's organization, administration, resources, and services. Recommendations are given, as is a five year plan of service which lists objectives in the following areas: (1) administration, (2) information…

The project, intended to design and field test models of specialized library services for older adults, was conducted in two parts. Phase 1 consisted of collecting and evaluating data for use in designing models in Louisville, Lexington, Somerset, and Hazard, Kentucky. Data was collected by search of the literature, personal interviews, a…

One of a series on library services to disadvantaged adults, this guide gives a three step plan for assessing community information needs. Seven methods of information gathering are described, and the important factors to be considered in interpreting the information are outlined. A pre-planning information form, a sample questionnaire for agency…

Describes the cluster system of targeted marketing analysis, which uses geodemographic analysis to develop understanding of communities at the micro level. Characteristics of some types of neighborhoods found in the United States are described and the use of this approach by librarians conducting community analyses is discussed. (CLB)

Intended for public libraries that have not yet sponsored programs for the adult community, this manual describes the steps in designing and staging programs designed to bring together local citizens, public policy makers, and scholars in the humanities to discuss issues of concern to their state or community. Sections are devoted to the National…