A pilot study conducted to identify concerns of public services middle managers on costing and use of performance measures found the librarians interviewed had little faith in their usefulness. Implications of these findings are discussed and specific ways to increase the usefulness of such measures for library decision-making are suggested. (CDD)

Traces the development of Lima Community College's computer literacy program, which uses the library as the site of ongoing computer education. Explores such factors in program development as funding, hardware choice, and implementation steps. Responds to several myths about computers, e.g., microcomputers take up little space and reduce staffing…

Chronicles the history of two-year college libraries from small repositories in the early 1900s to the multi-faceted learning resources centers of the 1980s. Considers the way changes in technology, federal funding, personnel patterns, instructional modes, and the mission and function of two-year colleges have affected their libraries. (DMM)

Describes two types of program budgeting that were well received in the literature of the 1960s and 1970s. The results of a survey which examined the impact of zero-based budgeting (ZBB) and planning-programming-budgeting system (PPBS) on library budgets are presented, and potentially useful aspects of program budgeting are identified. (CLB)

Reviews role of the American Library Association's Committee on Accreditation as it relates to the education of librarians qualified to work with children and young people. The history of the accreditation process, standards, and professional committee representation are discussed, and ways that youth divisions can influence library schools are…

Reports on development and operation of public library collection of video recordings, describes results of user survey conducted over 6-month period, and offers brief guidelines. Potential users, censorship and copyright, organization of collection, fees, damage and loss, funding, purchasing and promotion, formats, processing and cataloging,…

Examines the roles and structures of several European national lending systems to find useful models for guiding future developments at home and abroad. Highlights include the current scene, growth of union catalogs, patterns of collection use, new bases for measuring performance, and charting a future course. (18 references) (EJS)

This article outlines broad categories of information skills needed by students in grades K-7--resource center orientation, research strategies, locating information (general and subject sources), acquiring and analyzing information, organizing and recording information, communicating and presenting information--and suggests ways in which…

Suggested strategy for teaching library research skills to K-7 students involves three developmental stages and nine sequential steps: identification of topic, webbing, selection of suitable materials, selection of needed information, recording sources of information, notetaking, outlining, preparation for presentation, presentation. Sample…

A laserdisc periodical index (InfoTrac) that offers relatively sophisticated search capabilities without librarian assistance or user training is now popular college library research tool. The index database consists of more than half million references to articles and reviews published since 1982 in 1,000 general interest, business, and technical…

Describes the organization and automation plan of the Bibliotheque Nationale (Paris, France) that was begun in 1981. Highlights include the method of moving toward computerization; technical choices; the choosing procedure (pre-qualification, bench-mark test); short term and pilot operations; and preparation for the implementation of the…

Discusses new information technologies which offer libraries increased opportunities to provide innovative services: linking automated technical processing systems with public systems to provide more timely information; using the expanding services of subscription agencies as a channel for electronic publications delivery; online catalogs; and…

Reports results of unobtrusive testing of reference service (asking reference questions of library staff who are unaware of being evaluated) in government documents and central reference areas of 26 U.S. libraries. Accuracy of answers, interview and search process duration, referral, and use of catalog and technology are highlighted. (12…

Relates experiences of University of Rochester's main library during complete renovation of the central reference department including the addition of a full-service reference station. Topics covered include planning the reference station, solutions to seven design requirements, increase in staffing and reference questions after one year, and…

Presents microcomputer-based information retrieval system in public access mode and describes preparations, procedures, and use developed and recorded during first year of operation at Louisiana State University. A detailed analysis of month-long free trial period (user status, major areas of study, subjects searched) and 10 conclusions and…