Because libraries are so closely linked to education, they will play a fundamental role in the transition to the Learning Society proposed in "A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform," the report of the National Commission on Excellence in Education. The Department of Education's Strengthening Research Library Resources…

Twelve online searchers in several reference departments in a major urban university library were interviewed to identify the criteria that are present in successful searches from the searcher's perspective. The study was designed to show that successful searching requires active participation by both the searcher and the patron throughout the…

This set of materials reports the needs assessment and implementation of a library staff development project funded by a Chicago State University grant. Because of the limited opportunity provided for all library personnel to improve their job skills, a proposal for a staff development program was submitted to the university granting office. A…

Compiled by the Wisconsin Association of Academic Librarians' (WAAL) Education and Library Use Committee, the Test of Minimum Library Use Skills provides examples of questions which may be used to assess students' knowledge of the 13 minimum library use skills adapted by the WAAL membership in 1983. The 59 multiple choice questions that make up…

Contributed by librarians from public, academic, school, and special libraries, the 17 essays in this collection describe ways in which the Apple Macintosh is used in their libraries: (1) "Workstations and the Apple Macintosh" (Edward J. Valauskas); (2) "The Macintosh Experience at Chesapeake College" (Liz Cooper); (3)…

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for the end user for searching the ERIC database on CD-ROM using the Dialog OnDisc software. Topics include: (1) preparing for the search by analyzing the information need; (2) beginning the search and selecting a search option; (3) modifying the search; (4) displaying the records; (5) printing all…

A serials cancellation pilot project was conducted by the Pittsburgh Regional Library Center (PRLC) from August 1981 to December 1983 in order to demonstrate the utility of using a large online union list of serials for making and reporting collection management decisions. A total of 21 academic libraries and one public library from Pennsylvania,…

A survey was conducted in May 1982 of all academic libraries in Illinois to elicit information regarding the provision of bibliographic instruction, user education, or library orientation to undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty members during the 1981/82 calendar year. Usable replies were received from 143 libraries (70% of those…

This document presents the full text of a self-paced library skills workbook which was piloted in fall 1984 in all sections of freshmen English composition courses at Georgia College. The workbook text is divided into four units of instruction: (1) An Introduction to Georgia College's Russell Library; (2) The Divided Card Catalog Revisited and an…

This collection of library documents related to building renovation, by members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), contains excerpts from: (1) a plan for upgrading and expanding library facilities at the University of Kansas; (2) a report on storage facilities at Rutgers University; (3) documents presenting the essential remodeling…

Designed to help institutions considering library automation, this report describes the adoption, installation, and use of the Virginia Tech Library System (VTLS) at Ohio University. The report includes information on: (1) a task force created at Ohio University in 1978 to explore an automated circulation system; (2) installation and tape loading…

The University Library System at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus, is a decentralized system of 35 libraries spread over 3 campuses in 2 cities. This study evaluated the performance of two libraries in the system--Walter Library and the Institute of Technology Libraries--that provide document delivery services to assist faculty…

Ways in which academic libraries can contribute to strengthening the educational system are examined, and obstacles to be overcome or circumvented are considered. Primary focus is on the generic academic library. An overview is presented on what is known about libraries and learning, and the use of library resources. Several seminal studies are…

The purpose of this study was to improve upon previous research investigations by analyzing the elements of cost effectiveness, precision, recall, citation overlap, and hours searching in a comparison between computerized database searching and manual searching, using the setting of an academic library environment with a diverse group of students…

This report presents the results of a computer usage survey/inventory, the ninth in a series conducted at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga to obtain information on the changing status of computer usage in the curricula. Data analyses are reported in 11 tables, which include comparisons between annual inventories and demonstrate growth…