Describes a program of Library Research Clinics developed at Northern Illinois University to teach bibliographic instruction (BI) to one or two students at a time as an alternative to teaching BI in large first-year English classes. Implementation of the clinics with educationally disadvantaged students and with honor students is reviewed.…

Describes a writing assignment for which high school students were to use the Internet to gather information as the basis for composing a piece of satire. Outlines some of the logistics of allowing students to research on the computer as opposed to the library--the problems and benefits--and describes student papers and experiences. (TB)

Updates a storage cost model for academic library collections by examining how changes in construction costs and circulation costs affect the choices of an alternative book storage strategy. Results show that the most economical alternative for a large range of construction and circulation cost alternatives is to convert existing ground space to…

Describes the incongruence between the service priorities of the public library community and the public. The results of a public poll on library roles (e.g., educational support, independent learning, preschool programs, community information, reference, and popular materials) and an analysis of public library data for 1992 are compared and…

This investigation at California State University, Chico seeks to identify those variables that prove indicative of the demand for monographs by subject. Analyzes interrelationships among circulation, expenditure, and enrollment by subject and develops a model for allocating subject funding based on circulation statistics. (Author/LRW)

Describes a study conducted at the Utah State University library that investigated electronic database awareness and use by 856 administrators and teaching faculty. Responses to a survey revealed the need for greater publicity regarding new electronic acquisitions, training opportunities, and methods of remote access. (Author/LRW)

Discussion of information literacy focuses on the homework help centers developed by the County of Los Angeles Public Library. Describes a study conducted in partnership with the University of Southern California that investigated the cost effectiveness; success; and student, teacher, and parent perceptions of the centers to justify funding. (LRW)

A study of the catalog holdings of all Canadian academic libraries found that fewer noncorporate publications were available than mainstream titles published by corporations and that electronic vendors provide little access to noncorporate "small publisher" titles while providing 100% access to surveyed mainstream titles. Examines the…

Presents an evaluation of reference services at the University of Arizona Libraries that used a combination of surveys, focus groups, and unobtrusive observation worksheets with a small sample of students. It was found that, overall, students were very pleased with the reference desk. Needs for improvement and plans for action are summarized.…

Investigated factors influencing undergraduates' self-reported satisfaction with their information literacy skills at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Regression analysis revealed that students of color, students satisfied with campus library facilities, and students engaged in interactions with faculty reported greatest satisfaction with…

Looks at 141 high-performing library media centers, providing statistics on grade levels and regions served, services offered, collection size and local expenditures, expenditures from all sources, librarian/teacher instructional planning by grade and service level, principal communication and service level, program services and communication, and…

Analysis of user surveys at Texas A&M University indicated service is rated highest at the reference desk with 80.4% satisfied, while 55.3% found what they needed at the information desk and 55.3% in the database room. Although the information desk referred 62.5% to other sources, only 46.4% were satisfied with the referral. Includes survey…

Discusses the strengths and weaknesses of patrons and reference librarians as sources of data for the evaluation of the effectiveness of answers to reference questions. Describes the Wisconsin-Ohio Reference Evaluation program and considers staffing patterns, time spent, collection size, and bibliographic instruction. Reference Transaction…

This construct for collection development as it relates to Native American resources utilizes Thomas Mann's "Library Research Methods" (1993) concepts of the Traditional Model, the Actual-Practice Model, and the Principle of Least Effort to organize recommendations for both strategies and resources. The three-pronged hierarchical approach to…

Academic branch libraries located at a distance from the parent institution often face unique challenges in meeting users' needs for scholarly information. This is especially true for distant branch libraries that do not have a specialized function or collection, but who often face the challenge of meeting users' needs for scholarly materials…