Investigation of interlibrary loan at the Library of Congress showed that academic libraries were the most frequent borrowers, more requests were for humanities materials, LC received more requests for old items than academic libraries, and 54 percent of requests were filled. Data tables show various distributions. (Author/JD)

Reports results of a pilot study and full survey of preservation/conservation concerns about the non-rare book collections at the Syracuse University libraries. The methodology is described, including physical characteristics of the collections that were examined and statistical analyses used. (CLB)

This study on the relationship between user preferences, library characteristics, and library use, employed a sample of 655 students in five medical schools. Findings, which support some traditional principles relating library characteristics to use, indicate that neither availability of audiovisual materials nor comfortable physical environment…

Universities conduct a variety of cost-allocation studies that require the collection and analysis of the library cost-data. Cost accounting methods are used in most studies; however, costs are attributed to library user groups in a variety of ways. Cost accounting studies are reviewed and allocation methods are discussed. (Author)

Discusses the need for standard and reliable sources of data on the costs of foreign library materials. A survey of price data available from vendors, bookselling associations, and librarians in France, Germany, and the Netherlands is described, and progress toward standardized price indexes is examined. (22 references) (CLB)

Describes a study that investigated factors associated with frequency of use of ERIC CD-ROM in an academic library, including gender, age, level of familiarity with computers, and level of study. The implications of the findings for the allocation of library resources and personnel to meet users' needs are discussed. (11 references) (CLB)

Reports findings of two research projects conducted at Temple University that investigated the usefulness of indexes as "memory assists" in locating specific items: title searching in the Social Science Index and the Humanities Index and author searches in those indexes and the Social Science Citation Index. Comparative performances are…

Data gathered in application of Paul Kantor's demand-adjusted shelf availability model to medium-sized academic library indicate significant differences in shelf availability when data are analyzed by last circulation date, acquisition date, and imprint date, and when they are gathered during periods of low and high use. Ten references are cited.…

A highly structured inexpensive teletype system used by several libraries in western Illinois has resulted in filling about 50 percent of the members' requests for monographs despite a nearly total lack of knowledge of each other's holdings. Recent experimentation with the OCLC interlibrary loan subsystem shows promise under similar conditions.…

Reveals that 62 of 64 responding academic institutions grant some librarians faculty status, and 40 grant faculty status to all librarians. Greatest differences in benefits for teaching and librarian faculty occur in length of contract year and publishing responsibilities. Three references and a copy of the questionnaire are included. (RAA)

Reports the findings of a six-year West Virginia University study that tested the "direct access" debate in its main library after undergoing the transition from closed to open stacks. Circulation, book availability, and search and library-use statistics are provided, and their implications are discussed. (Author/JD)

A course-integrated program of bibliographic instruction utilizing a lecture/ worksheet method significantly improved the skills of undergraduate music majors in the use of the music library card catalog and the Music Index. (Author)

Reports on a four-year study of use patterns of CD-ROM databases in a biological sciences library. More than half the individuals recorded all use within one month. Over a third recorded use on only one day. Results suggest that the library should emphasize point-of-use instruction for first-time searchers and deemphasize workshops. (Contains 11…

Describes a survey of CD-ROM users at the Pennsylvania State University library that was conducted to determine who the users were, which systems were most popular, how patrons perceived help available to them, and what types of instruction they wanted. Suggestions for improvements in service were also requested. (15 references) (LRW)

Contradicts Frank F. Kuo's conclusion that a slide-tape program is superior to the lecture tour by showing that better immediate recall of bibliographic instruction is not necessarily a result of such a program. The disparity between the two studies indicates the need for further research. (Author/JD)