Discusses the role of consortia in academic libraries, specifically the Illinois Digital Academic Library (IDAL), and describes a study conducted by the IDAL that investigated issues surrounding full text database research including stability of content, vendor communication, embargo periods, publisher concerns, quality of content, linking and…

Describes a study at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln that compared searches in two different keyword indexes with similar content where search results were dependent on search strategy quality, search engine execution, and content. Results showed search engine execution had an impact on the number of matches and that users ignored search help…

Identifies core journals in the life sciences for Cornell University researchers by analyzing the frequency of Cornell-authored citations in Biosis Previews between 1996 and 2001. Discusses distribution, Bradford's Law of Scatter, the 80/20 Rule, and prices, and recommends this methodology to provide guidance on which titles to purchase for…

Describes a survey of midsized academic libraries that measured the departmental relationship between librarians who provide reference services and librarians who provide instructional services. Discusses satisfaction levels with various organizational arrangements as well as pros and cons of integrated or separate reference and instruction…

Discusses reference-use statistics in academic libraries. Highlights include new functions and resources, limits of traditional counting methods, ranking the sources, the Internet's impact on instruction, computer-assisted versus one-on-one instruction, and creative solutions to reference services. (AEF)

Surveys literature relevant to study of University/TAFE (Technology and Further Education) joint-use libraries, revealing: recommendations for single line management; full integration of services and resources and need for broad guidelines for operation; indications of client and economic benefits; and concerns about service compromises. The…

Reflects on the potency of libraries as community assets during the past 2000 years. Traces the preservation of knowledge in ancient libraries. Addresses ecclesiastical library development and the relatively recent rise of public and academic libraries; identifies their connections with their communities, and the relevance for today. Describes…

Describes the Web-based technologies employed by the Grainger Engineering Library Information Center at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in implementing access to local information resources. Discusses Microsoft Active Server Pages (ASP) technologies and the associated local database structure and format, as well as the general…

Presents The Keystone Principles developed by academic library directors through ARL (Association of Research Libraries) and OCLC (Online Computer Library Center) that focus on three areas: (1) access to information as a public good; (2) the responsibility of libraries to create innovative information systems to disseminate information; and (3)…

Securing adequate insurance coverage is an important aspect of preserving library collections. Insurers determine rates, within an institution's limits of coverage, based on the library building's environment and the library's estimate of the collection's replacement cost. Methods of categorizing and projecting these costs are explored with…

Discusses how traditional work of academic reference librarians has been impacted by access to electronic publications on the World Wide Web. Describes how librarians are using the Web to create publications for in-house library users and remote users through HTML documents that provide access to Web and other electronic resources. (Author/LRW)

Integrating science and technology libraries into a single unit involves identifying what is unique about each, addressing user and staff concerns, establishing new communications patterns, encouraging staff participation in the change process, and redirecting identity and loyalties to the larger entity. Progress-to-date is described in…

A librarian at Southern Oregon University who became the campus Webmaster examines whether this new role was outside his job description, or a redefinition/expansion of an existing position. Discussion includes colleagues' differing reactions; how he became the campus Webmaster; what the library gains and loses; and perspective on the future of…

A complex tool, data envelopment analysis (DEA) was used to evaluate the relative efficiency of major academic research libraries that are members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). Results of a two-year base line study using traditional measures taken from 1995-96 ARL statistics are reported. (AEF)

Describes a study of Nigerian university and research librarians that examined the relationships between knowledge, training, and experience of librarians on the use of computers and their attitudes towards the computer. Results indicate that there are significant relationships between these variables and computer attitudes. (Author/LRW)