Discusses trends in the automated system marketplace with specific attention to online vendors and their customers: academic, public, school, and special libraries. Presents vendor profiles; tables and charts on computer systems and sales; and sidebars that include a vendor source list and the differing views on procuring an automated library…

Describes the development, production, and distribution of a college library handbook designed to replace a portion of regular library instruction. Topics addressed include defining the audience; content, including library organization, selecting library materials, and search strategies; format; costs; revisions; evaluation; and recommendations.…

Describes a survey of Wisconsin academic library support staff that explored the effects of computerization of libraries on work and job satisfaction. Highlights include length of employment; time spent at computer terminals; training; computer background; computers as timesavers; influence of automation on effectiveness; and job frustrations.…

Reviews major trends affecting traditional interlibrary loan and document delivery, including rising prices, table of contents indexing services, fax technology, the Internet, interlibrary loan subsystems of bibliographic utilities, and integrated library systems with patron-initiated services. Two examples of the development of new document…

In response to student demands, academic libraries are making adaptations to improve services: (1) paying for access (as opposed to ownership) of materials; (2) using electronic information, i.e. creating web home pages; (3) moving to a client/server computing environment; (4) working collaboratively with other departments and/or organizations;…

Gives an historical explanation of Hawaii's Telecommunications and Information Act of 1988. Examines Hawaii's economic development and the formation of an information industry infrastructure using the University of Hawaii's library resources and networks of libraries throughout the state to provide statewide access to information. A time line…

Includes four articles that discuss the evaluation of library reference services. Topics addressed include unobtrusive testing; measuring the accountability of reference librarians by behavioral rather than factual evaluation; on-the-job training of reference librarians; and faculty expectations of academic reference librarians. (52 references)…

Results from 4 cognitive tests administered to 84 public service librarians and 50 university students show that librarians outperformed students in logical reasoning and verbal ability but that students outperformed librarians in perceptual speed. Findings suggest students may find browsing, point of use instruction, and basic services more…

Discusses the acquisition of library materials in electronic formats, particularly CD-ROMs and machine-readable data files (MRDFs) in academic libraries, and considers possible problems that can result related to collection development policies. Cooperation in the selection process between subject collectors and technical experts is suggested.…

Outlines the need for redefining the roles of library staff workers and the organizational structures that affect job satisfaction, recruitment, and productivity. Calls for a transition to a participative approach to management, creating the more humane work environment needed for libraries to survive in a technological and information-based…

Reviews the literature of government document use from mid-1977 through December 1989. The literature is identified and analyzed in terms of 6 library surveys, 3 citation studies, and 13 user surveys. Research findings indicate that social scientists are the heaviest users of documents. (Author/MAB)

Describes methodology for analyzing MARC (machine-readable cataloging) records of highly circulating titles to document common characteristics for collection development purposes. Application of the methodology in a university library is discussed, and data are presented on commonality of subject heading, author, language, and imprint date for…

Describes a study that examined the search behavior of remote users of the University of California MELVYL online public access catalog by analyzing the transaction logs. Highlights include the number of searches, databases searched, number of retrievals, constructing search commands, problems with search terms, and effectiveness of searches.…

Discusses the technology issues that arose in the process of implementing the Integrated Information Center (IIC) at the University of Minnesota. Highlights include the concept of integrated information services; implementation issues involving multiple organizational units; library support issues; opportunities for end user development; and…

Describes a study that examined the readability of papers "College and Research Libraries" accepted, rejected, and published for 1990 and 1991. Results showing a statistically significant difference for the text of papers but not for abstracts are reported, and topics for further research are suggested. (Contains six references.) (EAM)