Presented in this report is an extensive evaluation of three library projects located in Chicago, Peoria, and the suburban Chicago area. All the projects reviewed have strong and weak points. Generally, the strong elements are a vigorous commitment to the people served, emphasis on inexpensive paperback books and collections of books stressing…

Describes a user-oriented model for setting priorities for services in a medium-size scientific/technical research library. A survey of the research staffs of three organizations regarding their conception of library priorities is compared with the budgets and opinions of the three library directors. The questionnaire used is included. (Author/JD)

This segment of a series of studies to ascertain the degree to which visually impaired persons use the programs of the Library of Congress National Library Service for the blind and physically handicapped (NLS) describes current issues of concern to the network of local and state libraries serving the target group. Five major issues are examined:…

This report provides preliminary findings and a summary of study activities for Stage I of a project that examined public library Internet services that could impact the Digital Divide. The first section discusses the E-rate program and the Digital Divide, including closing the gap in the Digital Divide and public library Internet connectivity and…

Describes the Chicago Public Library model for regional libraries and discusses the planning and implementation of the regional concept by three public libraries. Topics discussed include advantages of the regional approach, criteria for location, levels of services offered, and guidelines for deciding whether the regional approach is appropriate…

This report describes the findings of a study conducted for the New Jersey State Library (NJSL) with two major objectives: (1) to determine how much it costs two State Contract Libraries (the Central Library of the Newark Public Library and the Bureau of Law and Reference of the New Jersey State Library) to provide supplemental question handling…

This summary reports the findings of a study conducted for the New Jersey State Library (NJSL) with two major objectives: (1) to determine how much it costs two State Contract Libraries (the Central Library of the Newark Public Library and the Bureau of Law and Reference of the New Jersey State Library) to provide supplemental question handling…

Two parallel streams of work are the subject of this review: (1) the design of a long-range work program and planning process, and (2) the development of analytical techniques which give information about the use of libraries, new or old, and their service areas. The analytical model of library behavior proved illuminating, but is an area of…

This report contains annex materials from a study conducted for the New Jersey State Library (NJSL) with two major objectives: (1) to determine how much it costs two state contract libraries--the Central Library of the Newark Public Library and the Bureau of Law and Reference of the New Jersey State Library--to provide supplemental question…

A synthesis of the literature on the advertising and promoting of online bibliographic retrieval services in academic libraries was conducted to suggest specific approaches and methods that can be used to make the academic community more aware of these services. Six levels of activity in program planning for promoting online services are…

The major dimensions of interlibrary cooperation which have implications for manpower development in librarianship are identified, categorized and described. These dimensions include: (1) the "power budget" of a cooperative; that is, the capability of a cooperative as represented by its structure, resources, and decision-making processes to…

Texas A&M University's Evans Library conducted a survey (SERVQUAL) to measure service quality in terms of tangibles (appearance of facilities, equipment, personnel, and communication materials), reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. Discrepancies between expectations and perceptions were found in reliability, responsiveness,…

This 2-volume report measures and records the use of 16 public library children's services in Connecticut to provide management information and a model to improve the quality of services from collection development to the provision of reference and referral services. The first volume discusses the purposes of the project; examines documentation…

New Zealand librarians, using 95 indicators of performance, rated their libraries highest on service indicators and lowest on local government relations. Factor analysis was used to derive 13 dimensions of effectiveness. The indicators ranked highest in a prior survey of stakeholders are spread across nine of the dimensions, which fit four models…

Discusses new technologies and the value of one-on-one personalized interaction in the reference environment and reports results of an informal survey of practitioners that investigated their views on the influences of theoretical models and new technologies on reference service. Highlights include collection development; interpersonal relations;…