During the spring semester of 1987, the University of Arizona implemented an experimental information desk as a means of improving the quality of service to patrons by relieving congestion at the reference desk. Services at this desk, which was staffed by reference personnel during the first phase of the project, included serving as the initial…

Focusing on the theme, Outreach Library Services, the articles in this publication provide a panoramic view of outreach services in eight of the public library systems in New York State. The compilation also contains four papers on special topics. Articles included are: (1) "Not So Trivial: In Pursuit of Outreach Services" (Joan F.…

This report reviews machine-readable information storage technology as of fall 1985, describes its use at certain academic libraries, and makes recommendations for its implementation at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Focus is on data disks (reference and research materials) rather than on program disks, and suggestions are made…

This third edition of guidelines for interlibrary lending in Wisconsin outlines the responsibilities of borrowing and lending libraries; the operating assumptions, principles, and goals of the interlending program; the steps for developing area interlibrary loan plans; and the recommended interloan patterns for public, school, academic, and…

This document is a guide to the basic sources in the California State University, Fullerton, library that may be utilized in tracing federal laws, regulations, and court decisions. The bibliographic citation, library call number and/or location, and description of contents and/or use are provided for each reference source. Several sample entries…

A self-examination of the Central Library System (CLS) at Temple University was undertaken by a task force made up of staff members to examine the current organizational structure in the light of technological, financial, curricular, enrollment, and library service considerations, as well as such organizational concerns as work flow, appropriate…

Comparative statistical analyses of publication records for the library directors of the 50 largest academic libraries in the United States revealed that: (1) total years of library experience bore no relation to publication activity; (2) the directors' publication records were generally average when compared to the field as a whole; and (3) the…

This collection of policies for providing access to the collections and services of research libraries for users who are not associated with the library's parent institution includes six examples of general access policies, three documents on reference service, five statements of circulation policies, and descriptions of four cooperative…

Issues involved in user fees for library services at research libraries are discussed in 29 papers in six sections: (1) general fees for service policies, focusing on library service proposals to the non-University of British Columbia community and including fees to off-campus users at the Universities of Miami and Michigan; (2) effects of fees,…

The Canadian and American academic library environments are remarkably similar. This factor is traceable to similarities between the nations themselves and their academic institutions. Both countries have experienced comparable shifts in governmental support and growth patterns in the academic library sector. This has led many to observe that…

Written when an in-house retrospective conversion project on the monographs collection of an academic library was 80% complete, this paper presents factors for consideration by decision-makers prior to establishing a similar project. Topics considered together with a description of how North Carolina State University (NCSU) handled each, include:…

This paper defines performance measurement as the clarification of objectives and standards, identification of key activities, data collection and analysis, and formative evaluation of services. It then examines some of the factors involved in using performance measurement to evaluate public services activities, and analyzes performance…

This paper recommends the creation of a position of research coordinator by expanding the role of faculty liaison within colleges and universities to help bring services generally provided by special libraries to academic researchers. Reasons given for academic institutions to create such a position include the practicability of applying new…

Questionnaires were sent to the office of academic affairs or its equivalent in each of the 89 U.S. academic members of the Association of Research Libraries to elicit the opinions of non-library university administrators on the issue of faculty status for academic librarians. Data gathered from 32 state institutions and 15 private institutions…

A study of ways in which users conduct subject searches with an online public access catalog (OPAC) was performed at the College Park Campus of the University of Maryland. Both process (search patterns) and product (search results) variables were examined with respect to individual characteristics of 39 volunteers, many of whom were master's level…