The objectives of this study were to develop comparative research data on two library instruction methods in order to improve student skills in collecting information, evaluating material critically, and communicating effectively through writing, as well as to evaluate a methodology for the assessment of library instruction. The traditional…

This study of the impact of high school library media skills instruction on the college bound student was designed to determine whether high school students have learned sufficient library skills to enable them to use an academic library successfully upon entering college. A library awareness test was administered to first-semester students in…

The 35 funded programs described in this report involve bibliographic control, collection development, and preservation of library materials at research libraries, and are designed to make rare materials more accessible through bibliographic control and networking. It is noted that bibliographic control was by far the predominant activity among…

This report describes the development of the Forest Trail Library Consortium (FTLC), a network of academic, public, and school libraries in Texas. The growth of FTLC from 4 charter members to its current 16 members is traced, including details about goals and funding. The role of special interest groups (SIGs) is examined, and the goals and…

In April 1993, the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) conducted a survey of its members to update information gathered in 1991 about the existence of quality improvement programs and the use of quality improvement processes in research libraries. A total of 91 responses (76 percent) was received to the 13 questions of the survey. Fifteen (16…

The Yale University Library, one of the earliest developers of preservation microfilming practices, is today engaged in the first stages of a long-term and comprehensive effort to develop practical systems for the conversion of microfilm to digital image, and thereby to develop an understanding of the appropriate relationship of the two…

International and minority students often pose additional challenges due to cultural, linguistic, or socio-economic differences with the mostly white, middle class, highly educated (and predominantly female) public service librarians with whom they come into contact. Such differences can range from minor speech/articulation problems to major…

Developed in response to a trend toward using hourly students and library school graduate students at the reference desk, this training manual provides basic training for library staff involved in providing engineering reference services. It integrates traditional and electronic resources into a 10-unit, 6- to 8-week program of instruction. The 10…

Arguing that professional library literature often ignores the problem of evaluating the effectiveness of a library tour or the aids (e.g., audiotape, slides, video, computer programs, handbooks) which may supplement the tour, this article provides a proposed evaluation model for measuring a tour's success. The evaluation of library tours is…

Revised annually by the Tennessee Advisory Council on Libraries, this report identifies goals and assigns priorities for the implementation of library services. It emphasizes the services of public libraries and services to the disadvantaged but also encompasses the needs of academic, school, institutional, and special libraries in order to form a…

Research on the effects of collective bargaining by library clerical workers indicates that effects are often less dramatic than expected, and that there does not appear to be a single "union effect." Although one study found hefty gains for library workers with collective bargaining agreements, other studies have found no significant gains by the…

A usage study of monograph and serial library holdings at the University of Cincinnati was conducted in 1982 to select candidates for retrospective conversion of catalog records and to determine what materials would be housed in a remote storage facility. The study measured both inhouse and circulation use for each Library of Congress (LC)…

This report presents results from a survey of approximately 165 academic libraries in Alberta, British Columbia, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington, based on 138 responses from 2-year college libraries, 4-year college and university libraries, law school libraries reporting separately, and miscellaneous academic libraries. The survey…

There is a role, and even a responsibility, for academic libraries in the United States in cooperating with students, scholars, colleagues, institutions, and governments in Third World nations. For example, the international library internship program, in which professional librarians at the middle-management level spend three to six months…

Libraries in distance education universities such as Athabasca University in Alberta, Canada, are faced with special difficulties when seeking ways to reach out to their students to expand their understanding of libraries as information sources and provide them with the skills to tap library and other information sources. However, developments in…