A survey of 121 academic libraries examined five general areas of CD-ROM use: (1) user and librarian acceptance; (2) impact on the printed source; (3) cost; (4) assistance and maintenance; and (5) user confusion with multiple computer resources. A copy of the questionnaire is appended. (12 references) (MES)

Describes a study that conducted interviews with 27 linguistic minority parents (i.e., parents of students for whom English is not their first language) to investigate their general understanding and use of public libraries. Reasons for nonuse of libraries are discussed, including a lack of knowledge about libraries, no prior experience, and…

Proposes an extended vector-processing scheme that extracts information from hypertext links to enhance retrieval effectiveness. Evaluates the impact of bibliographic references, bibliographic coupling, cocitation and document representative relationships. Shows that hypertext links do not always improve average precision, and interdocument…

Describes the development of the French Minitel videotex system and reports results of a survey of Internet users regarding the use of Minitel. Telecommunications and government involvement are discussed; business, political, cultural, and sociological perspectives are considered; Minitel use in libraries is reviewed; and expansion in the United…

In 1993, the Phoenix Public Library's Special Needs Center conducted a needs assessment by surveying current and past library users and staff to determine what improvements in services were needed for patrons having all types of disabilities. The needs assessment process, general findings, and rewards of engaging in this project are described.…

Surveys of (n=80) elementary school principals assessing the nature and extent of technology use in elementary mathematics and science found that teachers used microcomputers more in mathematics than in science, and microcomputer and calculator use was more common in intermediate grades than in primary grades. (28 references) (Author/MKR)

Describes a major reorganization and revision of policies and procedures manuals for Federal Express ground operations employees, occurring as a result of a field study and subsequent usability testing. Finds that usability increased substantially, users were satisfied with the quality of the new manuals, and Federal Express experienced…

A text production model is considered as an instrument for researching the writing strategies of abstractors. Within this framework, abstracting is a subtype of the writer's activities, which are described in terms of text actions. A computer system can be constructed that evaluates and/or supports human text production. (Author/AEF)

Describes the nature of intellectual access to digitized art images using qualitative methodologies based on a study at the University of Central Florida. Queries of art historians are analyzed and compared to retrieval parameters and image characteristics, and implications for database design are suggested. (Author/LRW)

Highlights some of the conditions affecting rural and small libraries and describes their roles in providing information services. Results of two research investigations report that for many Americans, the community library is perceived as a place for books and is used primarily by women. The complete survey instruments and results are appended.…

Psychosocial differences between 56 adolescent urban school-based clinic users and 108 nonusers were examined, considering the influence of gender. While a number of gender differences were noted, differences between clinic users and nonusers were limited. Nonusers were rated as more socially withdrawn by their peers. (SLD)

Presents a case study of the implementation of a 2-year project designed to stimulate the use of an electronic mail system called BIZNET by 1,100 part-time MBA (Masters in Business Administration) students at Santa Clara University (California). Topics addressed include the institutional setting, the development of BIZNET, and system description,…

An auxiliary study of the direct observation method for counting periodical usage in Evans Library at Texas A&M University found that student observations contain substantial error and that aggregation problems and cost issues are fundamental constraints to this method. Concludes direct observation may be useful in calibrating the results of…

Examines the impact of social class on the relationship between ideologies of time and mass media use within the family system. Finds that families from different social strata have distinct beliefs about the value and use of time, beliefs that shape their media-related behaviors. (RS)

Describes an assignment in writing documentation that turns the classroom into a laboratory for usability testing, giving students a clear sense of the reader responding to their text. (SR)