A multimethod exploration of undergraduates' high-speed Internet use in residence halls took a uses-and-gratifications approach and revealed Internet use as integral to students' lives. Students' negative comments about Internet distractions from academic work led to identification of an individual difference variable, internal locus of control of…

In conjunction with the American Society for Information Science and Technology's (ASIST) annual meeting in fall 2001, the Special Interest Group on Information Needs, Seeking, and Use (SIG USE) sponsored a research symposium on "Effective Methods for Studying Information Seeking and Use." This article briefly reviews six articles presented at the…

Describes a study that investigated the relationship between an institution's academic library performance measures and undergraduates' library use and educational outcomes. Discusses results of regression analyses and suggests that the most important implication of this study is the creation of a new model of academic library quality. (Author/LRW)

Considers the evolution of information architectures as a field of professional education. Topics include the need for an interdisciplinary approach; balancing practical skills with theoretical concepts; and key content areas, including information organization, graphic design, computer science, user and usability studies, and communication.…

A study of the dependency of persons on soup kitchens in Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Westchester County (New York) identified who uses these kitchens, the extent to which they are dependent on them, what other food programs they use, what their perceived need from other services is, and dependency differences of subgroups. (JS)

Surveys children's access to media sources and assesses their diversity of content. Finds that children have access to numerous old and new media, since most live in households that receive cable television and own VCRs. Suggests broadcasting and videocassettes offer little diversity in children's content, while cable enhances programing choices.…

Examines whether the special features of VCRs lead to transformations in families, or whether preexisting family relationships and media orientations determine the uses of VCRs. Finds that VCRs mainly augment and extend family television patterns, and suggests that VCR use is both a cause and a symptom of family conflicts. (KEH)

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)

Conducted chart review of inpatient dementia patients cared for by neurology, psychiatry, medicine, and surgery services at university hospital. Found differences in symptom profiles, hospital utilization trends, medical comorbidity, and post-hospitalization dispositions. Examined how patients entered hospital system, were assigned to different…

Describes the implementation of an electronic mail system at the University of Calgary Libraries, and reports the results of a survey that examined user satisfaction with the system and usage patterns by library staff. Suggestions for the successful implementation of electronic mail systems are offered. (CLB)

Describes a campuswide library services network at Lehigh University which includes electronic question answering, bibliographic services, and online search applications. Statistics on network use are presented. (eight references) (MES)

Discussion of methods for gathering journal use information in academic libraries (for retention decisions) highlights an 8.4-year time-series of weekly library journal pickup data. Use of the autocorrelation function, spectral analysis, and intervention analysis is described.(LRW)

Summarizes a Delphi study that identified high school students' most significant difficulties in using online and CD-ROM databases, suggested design elements and curricular and instructional strategies to make these tools more useful, and determined the most significant policy issues related to the use of electronic information resources in…

Describes a study conducted to investigate patron use of the online catalog at New York's Nassau Community College. Provides findings related to the number and types of patrons using information terminals, time required for searches, preferred methods for learning to use the terminal, and the most common searches. (MAB)

An overview of the current oral health status of Americans looks at the epidemiology of oral/dental diseases, rates of use of dental services, and expenditures for dental health care. Substantial progress in improving oral health is seen as are particular challenges resulting from the aging and ethnic diversification of the population. (MSE)