A study conducted at the Western Australian Institute of Technology (W.A.I.T.) investigated the declining use of an external library collection consisting of 12,000 volumes and 1,600 photocopies of articles from journals and monographs. The problem was approached along several avenues: (1) a survey was made of study guides to ascertain what…

The 1975 User Education Committee was charged with formulating a comprehensive user education program for the General Libraries. Work begun by this committee and completed by the 1976 committee is summarized in this document. The committee defined categories of users and, in cooperation with the university's Measurement and Evaluation Center,…

A State-wide followup, personal interview survey was made of 1,396 Virginia vocational agriculture graduates, from the classes of 1968 through 1972 and representing 34 percent of the total, to ascertain the percentage who made use of 144 content items usually taught in vocational agriculture, and whether used items were used on- or off-the-job.…

The Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library contains 200,000 volumes and 900 serial subscriptions and operates with an annual budget as of 1974-75 of $235,000. It serves 2000 undergraduates in a 4 year liberal arts college. Library automation is used in the following areas: (1) bibliographic compilations; (2) cataloging of books, octavo choral…

The problem of user education is the central theme of the Fourth Triennial Meeting of International Association of Technological University Libraries. The papers presented are supplemented with references, and with a verbatim question and answer section. The eleven papers are: (1) Information Services in Academic Libraries by M. B. Line, (2)…

This study of the libraries in the publicly supported academic institutions of higher education in Maryland presents standards in the areas of library collections, library personnel, facilities, and methods of collaboration; provides formulas for their performance; and suggest growth patterns for the future. Eighteen detailed recommendations are…

A descriptive model of how scientists and engineers search for and obtain information directly from their colleagues is outlined. The model emphasizes (and case studies illustrate) three decisions which users make in such searches: (a) whether to store the information need in hopes of an accidental or working encounter, (b) whether to satisfy the…

In 1968, a two-year pilot project, called the Minnesota Interlibrary Teletype Experiment (MINITEX) was undertaken to test the feasibility of sharing the University of Minnesota's library resources with patrons of outstate libraries. This report presents the definitive evaluation for the MINITEX project. The four elements in the design of the…

The 1967 investigation to examine and assess the Hamline University Library's role in Hamline's educational program and to identify directions for its contributions to this program in the future are summarized in this study. The results of this study showed that the Hamline University was not meeting the information needs of the faculty and…

In order to provide meaningful unit cost information, the librarian needs an accurate concept of what data should be measured and why. The dimension which has been conspicuously absent in library statistics is interpretation of the data which is reported, and the correlation of one set of data with another to reach a defensible conclusion. For the…

To increase a deep continuous stream of library research, the following steps are recommended: (1) expand present research activities in library schools, libraries, and professional associations; (2) add evaluative measures to library "demonstrations" set up as a part of state plans for library development; (3) sponsor experimental…

Retrospective searches provided by a NASA Regional Dissemination Center (RDC) were found to be of substantial value to researchers during a six-month experimental period at the University of Denver's Research Institute (DRI). The purpose of the experiment was to gain a better understanding of the usefulness of an RDC to a user organization. DRI…

The author, on a fellowship awarded by the Council on Library Resources, visited several college, university, and public libraries to study their library instruction programs. He observed approaches to the subject using audiovisual techniques, Pathfinder series, computer-assisted instruction, peer reference service, independent study, seminars,…

A survey was conducted to provide an analysis of faculty homework expectations on which to base a viable pattern of library service. Students were surveyed in winter quarter 1974 about their life patterns and use of services, with particular attention given to homework assignments and library use. Faculty were given the results of the survey,…

Librarians store, protect, and provide the knowledge our modern society needs, but it is frequently difficult to justify the services a reference librarian provides. The work load of a reference librarian varies greatly with periods of frantic activity separated by much longer inactive periods. The role is principally passive, waiting for library…