Five files were generated from the Public Libraries Survey for fiscal year 1995: (1) the Public Library Data File, including data for the universe of 8,981 public libraries identified by state library agencies; (2) the Public Library State Summary/State Characteristics File, including data aggregated at the state-level for the 50 states and the…

The Canadian Association of College and Technical Libraries (CTCL) survey was mailed out to 135 CTCL member libraries in February 1996. Results paint a positive picture of the ability of Canadian college and technical libraries to incorporate new technology into their service delivery within a relatively short time frame. Eighty-five libraries…

This study collected Victorian (Australia) public library and public library user Internet connectivity data that: provides a baseline measure of public library Internet connectivity; describes public library type and level of Internet connectivity; details public library branch Internet connectivity; reviews the costs of public library Internet…

This is the final technical report (in three parts) of a 15-month long project to study the costs and value of library functions at five major research libraries. Twenty-one services or service aspects were studied, and numerous measures of the importance or benefit of the service to the users were made. These measures were studied together to lay…

Precoordination of Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), in both the LCSH thesaurus and online public access catalog (OPAC) browse displays, continues to be necessary for several reasons: (1) the meaning of thousands of LCSH headings depends on their word order in ways that cannot be captured by postcoordinate Boolean combinations or by…

This handbook contains articles, guidelines, and other information from the field of library science organized into the following chapters: (1) "Libraries," including some basic figures, academic libraries, public libraries, school libraries, special libraries, national libraries, state libraries, small libraries, facilities, the past, and the…

This paper reports on a major United Kingdom (UK) government initiative to use the public library service as a key component in the government's agenda for social change, examines future implications for public libraries and library workers if present trends and development continue, and makes predictions about the wider implications of…

This paper discusses the Research and Evaluation Program at the State Library of New South Wales (Australia) and what it has revealed about clients' notions of value and relevance. An overview is provided of the services that have been developed in order to meet clients expectations, including reading room services and the development of the 3Tier…

This paper discusses performance measurement in university libraries, based on examples from the University of Wollongong (UoW) in Australia. The introduction highlights the integration of information literacy into the curriculum and the outcomes of a 1998 UoW student satisfaction survey. The first section considers performance indicators in…

The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the economic impacts and benefits of Florida public libraries. The study objectives were to: describe the role of public libraries in economic development; identify and describe the range of specific activities and programs engaged in to support economic development; identify factors that…

Library service is one of the critical elements for designing a successful distance program in terms of learner support at a distance. Before a library service can be developed, three questions need to be answered: First, what are the expectations and needs of students and faculty in online programs? Second, what kinds of library services are…

The past 5 years have seen enormous change in the style of reference work that is done by librarians at the University of Rhode Island (URI) Library. Before the arrival of publicly accessible online databases and catalogs, there were clear lines regarding "doing reference" and teaching how to use the library. Now efforts are more…

The University of Queensland (Australia) Library (UQL) conducted a pilot study to investigate how the university's leading researchers and postgraduate students gather information and what services and/or collections would create the ideal research environment for them. At focus group sessions, researchers and students were asked about information…

This paper begins with a discussion of information management as it pertains to the four operations of automated library systems (i.e., acquisitions, cataloging, circulation, and reference). Library staff reactions to library automation change are summarized, including uncertainty, cynicism, and resignation or hope. Common pitfalls that interfere…

This annual report of the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) begins with a list of supporters, a letter from the chairman, and a message from the president. The major CLIR programs are then described: (1) Preservation and Access, including domestic and international activities; (2) Digital Libraries, including developing libraries…