Considers the logico-analytic philosophy of library and information science (LIS); discusses Jurgen Habermas' theory of communicative action; examines how LIS, particularly research into librarian-patron interaction and information system design, favors an empiricist view of language and thus may be limiting its effectiveness; and suggests the…

Examines the characteristics of Web resources in Online Computer Library Center's (OCLC) Cooperative Online Resource Catalog (CORC) in terms of subject matter, source of content, publication patterns, and units of information chosen for representation in the database. Suggests that the ability to successfully use a database depends on…

Provides an introduction to and analysis of hermeneutics as an alternative research method for library and information science, discussing its philosophical advantages over quantitative research. The triadic process of interpretation is described as particularly suitable for advancing the theoretical foundations of library and information science.…

Describes the participant-observation technique for data collection and proposes its usefulness as a research methodology in library science. Procedural steps are outlined and suggestions are offered for successful completion of participant-observation research. (10 references) (Author/MES)

Discussion of shelf reading as a method to maintain library books in their proper location focuses on a statistical approach to determine when shelf reading is necessary. Uses sampling to obtain data on misshelved books over time and develop a control chart to assess when shelf reading is necessary. (Author/LRW)

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to study the impact of internet search engine usage with special reference to OPAC searches in the Punjabi University Library, Patiala, Punjab (India). Design/methodology/approach: The primary data were collected from 352 users comprising faculty, research scholars and postgraduate students of the university. A…

The public library is a product of modernity that follows in the wake of industrialization, urbanization, and popular movements, while at the same time the public library itself supports the building up and development of the modern. This article will examine the arrival of modernity and the prerequisites for the rise of public libraries, as well…

Librarians instruct students where to find information, but rarely demonstrate its management, while faculty have difficulty incorporating real-time laboratory experience with library research. This paper focuses on the development of a hands-on biology laboratory experiment in an introductory course that integrates bibliographic software into the…

Each year, the author's school district, North Syracuse (New York) Central School District, requires teachers to identify and work on specific professional development goals. She relates how she identified assessment as the area she wanted to work on during the 2005-2006 school year. For several years she had been wondering if the students were…

In developing a Library Orientation Tour, it is important to be perceptive about the needs of a college population. At Queensborough Community College the student population is a mix of traditional and non-traditional students from diversified backgrounds. The initial contact with the Library, and its resources, may be overwhelming for students…

Program presentations on issues related to bibliographic control and access to collections and business meeting minutes are combined in this report. Under the program title, "The Sum of the Parts: Sharing Responsibility," the following addresses are included: (1) "The Building Blocks: Elements in a System of Distributed…

Some of the conditions in research libraries which have shaped the Office of University Library Management Studies' (OMS) approach to library management studies are outlined, OMS activities during 1976 are described, as well as priorities for 1977. OMS work with member libraries in 1976 indicated that research libraries are primarily concerned…

The Office of University Library Management Studies (OMS) activities which are reviewed include providing member libraries with resources and services ranging from research and development programs to information collection and dissemination programs and training. In addition to conducting Management Skills Institutes and regional and special…

This collection of 15 essays, reports, and notes written by staff members of the Royal Institute of Technology Library (RITL) addresses various aspects of modern librarianship, and outlines some of the RITL contributions to the field. Designed to present a composite picture of the various activities of RITL since about mid-1973, these essays…

Since 1954 when Congress authorized the Copyright Office to prepare a series of studies to serve as background for revision hearings, copyright has been one of the major issues in librarianship. Although the impact that the New Copyright Law will have on interlibrary loan activity is yet to be determined, there is a need to know whether present…