This course syllabus describes methods for optimizing online searching, using as an example searching on the National Library of Medicine (NLM) online system. Four major activities considered are the online interview, query analysis and search planning, online interaction, and post-search analysis. Within the context of these activities, concepts…

The results of a managerial rotation program in a medium-sized academic library reference department are presented. After meeting certain minimal eligibility requirements, librarians in this department take turns on a 2-year cycle serving as head of the department. This case study is used as a model to assess both the advantages and disadvantages…

This guide for users of the Adelphi University Libraries provides instructions for accessing the bibliographic records of the libraries' holdings, which have been stored online since 1968. The steps necessary to search the Adelphi Libraries Catalog Online (ALICAT) by author, title, subject, or call number are explained using text and…

This paper examines the reasons for and the means of providing public library service to business and industry. It discusses the organization of a business and industry service, staff qualifications and training, and the composition of the collection. The importance of studies and surveys to determine the information and service needs of the…

This bibliography lists 371 selected citations to materials on CD-ROM technology and its applications. The first section includes journal articles subdivided by topical areas: (1) General; (2) Online Public Access Catalogs; (3) MEDLINE; (4) Bibliographies/Directories; (5) Hardware/Software; (6) Cost/Economics; (7) Databases; (8) Publishing; (9)…

A survey of 96 Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) member libraries in the United States and Canada was conducted to obtain information on whether and to what extent these libraries offered reference services to students by telephone. Survey results showed 89 of the 93 responding libraries reporting that they offered some form of…

This presentation describes the features of the PRO-SEARCH front-end software package and how they can enhance online searching. The cost savings in terms of decreased connect time and convenience for the inexperienced searcher are discussed. The relationship between the quality of reference services and the effectiveness of using PRO-SEARCH in a…

This manual provides information to aid home computer owners in performing literature searches of ERIC and other education and social science databases using the BRS Information Technologies "After Dark" system. Assuming some familiarity with printed ERIC indexes or online searches, this manual is divided into five chapters. It is…

This manual provides information to aid home computer owners in performing literature searches of ERIC and other education and social science databases, such as the DIALOG Information Services "Knowledge Index" System. Assuming some familiarity with printed ERIC indexes or online searches, this manual is divided into five chapters. It is…

This two-part paper based on experience at the University of Michigan includes a discussion of the potential reference function of a residence hall library in a university setting and a bibliography of over 100 suggested reference tools for residence hall libraries. The residence hall library is presented as a place where students should be able…

This guide comprises four reports on the Laboratory Animal Data Bank (LADB), the National Institute of Health Environmental Protection Agency (NIH/EPA) Chemical Information System (CIS), nonbibliographic databases for the social sciences, and the Toxicology Data Bank (TDB) and Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances (RTECS). The first…

This reference service policy manual provides general guidelines to encourage reference service of the highest possible quality and to insure uniform practice. The policy refers only to reference service in the University Libraries and is intended for use in conjunction with other policies and procedures issued by the Reference Services Division.…

Written for potential users of ERIC, this digest provides basic facts about the information storage and retrieval system, the migrant education materials available, and the role of the ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools (ERIC/CRESS). The following questions are answered: (1) what is ERIC and how does it work; (2) what…

A study to determine which reference works are most widely held, the age breakdown of reference holdings, and the relationship between size of school and size of reference holdings in a sample of schools with centralized media programs in Illinois. (Author/LS)

History, development, evaluation, and problems of computerized biomedical information systems, with emphasis on the National Library of Medicine and MEDLARS. (LS)