To develop organizational recommendations, propose new management procedures, and assist in budget preparation, a management improvement analysis was undertaken at the Seattle Public Library. Discussions were held with library board and supervising staff on all aspects of organization, operations, and services; a trial budget procedure was…

Reports on study of academic librarians' perceptions of information processing and organizational climate. Findings discussed include significant relationship between democratic governance climate and information dissemination; high dependency on internal oral sources as input for decision making; minimal selection of information resources based…

Reports on survey studying the human-machine interface in Canadian university, public, and special libraries. Highlights include position category and educational background of 118 participants, participants' feelings toward automation, physical effects of automation, diffusion in decision making, interpersonal communication, future trends,…

A survey of 99 academic music librarians identifies current administrative practices regarding cataloging and attempts to determine how these practices affect user service and cataloger satisfaction. Highlights include the problem, administrative structure, physical facilities, location of cataloging tools, music catalogers' duties, support staff,…

This paper discusses the impact of globalization and new information and communication technologies on the structures and practices of higher education. The first section addresses the integration of library and information technology services, focusing on experiences at the University of the Sunshine Coast (Queensland, Australia). The second…

This document presents data from 122 U.S. and Canadian research libraries that were members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) during the 1999-2000 fiscal year. Since 1987-88, the number of preservation programs managed by a preservation administrator has grown irregularly from 66 to around 80 in more recent years. A fluctuating growth…

This document presents data from 123 U.S. and Canadian research libraries that were members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) during the 2000-01 fiscal year. Since 1987-88, the number of preservation programs managed by a preservation administrator has grown irregularly from 66 to around 80 in more recent years. A fluctuating growth…

This SPEC (Systems and Procedures Exchange Center) Kit and Flyer reports results of a survey conducted in January 1999 that examined how ARL (Association of Research Libraries) member libraries assure the safety and security of persons, library materials, physical facilities, furnishings, computer equipment, etc. Forty-five of the 122 ARL member…

Reports the findings of a questionnaire distributed to public libraries that serve populations over 100,000 that addressed the professional information needs of librarians. Three major areas are discussed: topics for staff involvement on a national level; conference program formats conducive for such involvement; and major concerns of public…

A survey of cataloging and reference department heads in ARL (Association for Research Libraries) member libraries showed that both professional experience and management coursework play a part in a librarian's promotion to department head. It is suggested that library management will improve if libraries require formal management preparation and…

A survey on the role of academic library committees showed that not all libraries use committees in significant roles; committees do not guarantee librarians a significant voice; librarians were positive about policy-related committees and negative about fact-finding and information-gathering committees; and smaller libraries used committees more…

This survey of 164 assistant academic library directors at comprehensive and liberal arts institutions was conducted to analyze the professional characteristics and role of assistant directors. Findings indicated similar characteristics within this group and differences in administrative and service responsibilities, depending on the preferences…

The diagnostic instrument SERVQUAL has been developed to measure customer expectations and perceptions of service. This article describes a study that investigated how applicable SERVQUAL is to academic libraries and how influential the study's findings might be in changing concepts of the management of academic library services. Two SERVQUAL…

Topics related to research library interlibrary loan staffing and organizational structures were explored through a survey conducted by the Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) of the Association of Research Libraries. Data gathered from 82 libraries show a very small increase in the number of full-time equivalents in loan units between…

The purpose of this study was to determine the current levels of automation and plans for future automation in state-supported, two-year community college libraries. A second purpose was to examine the impact of independent variables, such as enrollment and professional staff, on library automation. Eighty community college library directors and…