Vendor-provided electronic resource usage statistics are not currently standardized across vendors. This study investigates the feasibility of using locally collected data to check the reliability of vendor-provided data. Vendor-provided data were compared with local data collected from North Carolina State University (NCSU) Libraries' Web…

Researchers studying subject searching distributed an online questionnaire to users who access the University of California's online public access catalog, MELVYL, from public access terminals in the libraries of the University of California at Santa Cruz. This article discusses the results of transaction log analysis, comparison of in-library and…

Explores the distinguishing characteristics of the liberal arts college and their meanings for the library director. Telephone interviews with nine liberal arts college library directors who had significant previous experience in a research university library focused on their expectations, what they liked/disliked most about the position, and what…

Academic libraries, like many consumer businesses in the "for-profit sector," may expect to experience discomfort as they embark on a transition stage between old and new ways of operating. The challenge for academic library directors is to successfully navigate challenges of implementing performance-based pay concepts and cultural…

Describes "Self-Serve Reserve", an electronic application developed at the library of Norwich University (Vermont) to handle reserve reading and be easy to use, reduce or eliminate the need for paper copies, deliver imaged documents, require modest start-up costs, and be scalable from a stand-alone workstation to network access.…

Describes the results of a survey of faculty members at Western Michigan University which was conducted to explore the relationship between faculty use of university libraries and faculty use of computers. Implications for libraries are discussed, including computer databases, faculty assistance, collaboration with computing staff, and marketing…

Describes the management and collection of standardized educational and psychological tests at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and analyzes the use patterns of patron request cards. Current electronic test locators and evaluation services are indicated as well. (Author/LRW)

This case study of the collaborative design of an earth science World Wide Web page at Pennsylvania State University highlights the role of librarians. Discusses the original Web site and links, planning, the intended audience, and redesign and recommended changes; and considers the potential contributions of librarians. (LRW)

Discusses how the reference staff at Texas A&M University defined basic tools, skills and procedures that new librarians and support staff should know. A list of Subject Baseline Competencies (which is appended) was developed for the reference department, including desk procedures and policies, electronic competencies, and the three major…

Texas A&M University's Evans Library conducted a survey (SERVQUAL) to measure service quality in terms of tangibles (appearance of facilities, equipment, personnel, and communication materials), reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. Discrepancies between expectations and perceptions were found in reliability, responsiveness,…

Investigates interlibrary loan use patterns for scientists at SUNY (State University of New York) Albany by analyzing one year's worth of filled interlibrary loan requests for journal articles. Highlights include differences among scientific disciplines; year of publication; and sources of citations. Contains 11 tables. (Author/LRW)

Discusses users' expectations of academic libraries and suggests that a commitment to making the library a learning organization will result in improved library staff and strengthened services. Topics include technological changes; the role of innovation in learning organizations, including systems thinking, mental models, and team learning; and…

Discusses the growing diversity of college students; considers how academic libraries can meet their needs; and describes a study conducted at San Jose State University. This study investigated how students from diverse ethnic groups discover, select, and use information and the impact their cultural and educational backgrounds have on…

Describes the introduction of virtual, or digital, reference service at the University of New Brunswick libraries. Highlights include analyzing transcripts from LIVE (Library Information in a Virtual Environment); reference question types; ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries) information literacy competency standards; and the Big 6…

Considers the cost of employing student temporary workers in academic libraries and suggests they be replaced with fewer full-time staff. Topics include the trend toward contingent, or temporary, employment; management problems; core employees; cost effectiveness of student employment, including poor productivity and training needs; and evaluating…