Describes a study conducted at Auburn University that analyzed four months of chat reference questions received at a centralized reference services desk. Discusses types of questions; types of users; whether questions were localized to the specific library's resources; and further areas of research. (Author/LRW)

Applied the Biglan model of disciplinary differences to the information-seeking behavior patterns of undergraduates responding to questions on the College Student Experiences Questionnaire (CSEQ). Discusses implications for the redesign of academic library services and use of the Biglan model as a theoretical framework for future library research.…

Examines the effects of students' access to print via a community library. Compares knowledge of authors, words, books, and magazines between the students who accessed the community library and students who used the school library. Indicates that the students who visited community libraries outperformed students who did not. (SG)

Describes the results of a survey of public service librarians conducted by the Queens Borough Public Library to determine their confidence levels of using electronic resource to answer reference questions. Results demonstrated high confidence levels in using the library's online catalog and lower confidence in using the Internet. (Author/LRW)

Explores the feasibility of a centralized, networked reference service in a library setting by comparing traditional reference services at the County of Los Angeles Public Library with a commercial inbound call center. Discusses costs and efficiency when librarians answer questions able to be handled by paraprofessionals. (Author/LRW)

Writing for professional library literature can be a challenging experience, especially for new writers and new librarians. This article reviews a variety of how-to-write publications intended for librarians--those books and articles that provide advice and inspiration to aspiring library writers on how to publish in library literature. Applying…

This collection of library documents, which illustrates current techniques for conducting user studies in order to facilitate specific public services planning and priority-setting efforts at the member libraries of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), contains excerpts from: (1) four general user studies conducted at the University of…

To gather information about the nature of photocopy services in academic libraries and issues relating to their management, a survey was mailed to each of the 117 members of the Association for Research Libraries (ARL). The survey focused on two components of photocopy services: the self-service copiers placed at strategic locations within the…

This report summarizes activities conducted from fall 1984 through spring 1985, under a planning grant from the Council on Library Resources for Innovation and Improvement of Basic and Supplementary Education for Academic and Research Libraries. The report includes a review of selected literature related to educational programs for academic…

A report of the current state of librarianship in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) presents a brief history as well as an overview of the prerequisites of and organizations concerned with library research, and the objectives, methods, and results of intermediary but important research projects. Although the practice of library research is new…

Four case histories were studied in an on-going project to develop a method for user selection of purchased scientific and technical information services. The issues involved were: (1) the value of computer search services to a small branch of a company technical library; (2) the special decision-making factors used for selecting items of very…

Discusses the ARL (Association of Research Libraries) E-Metrics project that is investigating problems related to collecting and using data for electronic materials and services. Describes a survey of libraries that focused on data collection activities and showed a lack of preparation as well as a lack of consistent statistics from database…

Rutgers University Libraries are using a Microsoft Access database to track the purchase of books requested by teaching faculty for use in the Reserve Collection. Reports are generated which show what is purchased, how money was spent. Combined with circulation figures and LC Subject areas, the database provides documentation of library support of…

The purpose of this article was to examine how technological advances in research affect The University of West Alabama's mission as well as its resources available to students through the curriculum lab as the lab should be an integral part of the University's offerings. Living in the age of the instant, the prevalence of information available…

The Association of Research Libraries E-Science Working Group developed a survey to "build an understanding of how libraries can contribute to e-science activities in their institution" and "identify organizations and institutions that have similar interests in e-science to leverage research library interests." The August 2009…