Describes operations research as an important management tool that can aid library managers in effectively using available resources and as a set of analytical tools that can enable researchers to better understand library and information services. Early history, definition, models, applications to libraries, and impact are noted. Twenty-five…

Discusses what librarians have written about futures research and examines the application of various methods of such research in librarianship. An extensive bibliography is included. (CHC)

A number of sample inventories were conducted to measure the effectiveness of the Tattle-Tape book detection systems used in the Moffitt Undergraduate Library and the General Reference Services area of Doe Library, and to establish baseline data for missing materials in four branch libraries (Education-Psychology, Engineering, Environmental…

These proceedings include four articles intended to familiarize librarians with many facets of operations research and how they might be applied to their institutions. The first paper provides a brief definition of operations research. The second presentation, by Ralph Shoffner, relates, in the form of concrete examples, the questions one asks…