A summary of statistical information and user service programs provided by the Library of Congress (LC) during the 1977 fiscal year is presented. The Library's Congressional Research Service (CRS) provides immediate response to research queries from members of Congress, as well as undertaking special studies and research projects and holding…

The reference interview is one of the most delicate operations of the reference librarian. This report, which provides a review of the literature, touches on several major topics: (1) conflicts in communication initiated by lack of adequate client knowledge of the depth of the collection and reference tools available, lack of ease in formulating…

This study investigates whether or not it is possible for communities to combine school and public libraries. It concerns itself with identifying the conditions and circumstances which appear to be most conducive to combining school and public libraries, and also with identifying certain strengths, benefits, weaknesses, and limitations of combined…

This three part study is an evaluation and planning tool based on information and techniques presented in a seminar conducted in 1975-76 called "Institute on Developing Dynamic Public Library Services Responsive to Community Needs." It is a synthesis and analysis of information available about the Old Bridge Township community and library services…

Reported is the experimantal implementation of a new approach, called Telebook, for delivering Talking Book materials via telephone to blind readers. It is explained that the system involves immediate, low cost, electronic delivery of recorded materials in response to individual telephone requests. Evaluation of the system, implemented in the…

Library trustees should be more perceptive and aware of their responsibilities. There appears to be a lack of interest in the cooperation necessary to maintain a national library trustee organization. This fact should justify the development of public relations programs for libraries and library boards. The American Library Trustee Association…

Designed for use at the local level, this manual gives instructions for indexing newspapers and newsletters. Rules and procedures are given for deciding what kinds of information to index and what to avoid; storing and preserving the newspaper; reading and marking the paper; preparing cards, card sets, continuation cards, and cross references;…

Examples are given of the ways that the states have used funds from Title I of the Library Services and Construction Act to assist libraries in implementing outreach projects for the benefit of those who cannot easily avail themselves of ordinary service. Library outreach programs for inner-city residents; for non-English speaking persons in New…

The study's purpose was to: (1) determine how the library as an institution can become more responsive to the needs of migrant agricultural workers and families; (2) explore the problems which inhibit the extension of these services; and (3) discover what programs now exist in libraries, public institutions, and private agencies which provide…

The results of a survey of machine-readable data bases in Wisconsin are reported. Fifty-eight data bases accessed by Wisconsin libraries are listed alphabetically. Included in the descriptions are the name of the data base, its subject coverage, its availability, the year it began, the frequency of update, the current size of the file, the name of…

The growth and proliferation of machine-readable data bases have created a need to consider the nature of recent developments, the impact of those developments on library and information services, and their relationship with the National Commission on Library and Information Science (NCLIS) program. Data bases may contain information in a variety…

The Design of Information Systems in the Social Sciences project (DISISS) of the University of Bath, England, has recently completed evaluations of three programs: (1) a library staff digest intended to inform personnel of the inner workings of the library; (2) an information system designed to assist professionals and private individuals working…

The purpose of the Resources Development Internship Project was to catalog the collection of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management Montana State Office (MSO) library, which consisted of approximately 1,400 volumes of diverse library materials. Other objectives were to improve access to the materials, and develop a general system of library operation…

Three workshops were held to acquaint interested parties with the growing need to prepare persons with non-standard physical characteristics for successful employment as Library/Media Technical Assistants (L/MTA's). The kinds of handicapped persons considered were the partially sighted, the totally blind, the partially deaf, the totally deaf, and…

Due to a shortage of staff at the Carlson Library at the University of Toledo, user access to the documents collection outside of the normally staffed hours has depended on the resourcefulness of the user. A survey showed that users were unfamiliar with access procedures. In order to make documents more readily available, the staff developed a…