Describes the card sort technique that was used by Cornell University to help determine how users would organize a set of concepts to be included in an online digital library help system. Presents Cornell's experiences as a case study with detailed instructions for conducting and evaluating the card sort technique. (Contains 13 references.)…

This column assesses the state of library and information studies (LIS) research. Researchers and practitioners in various LIS fields address questions related to the research front and agenda for collection development; what the field needs to advance further; whether it needs a more sophisticated conceptual or theoretical framework; operational…

Describes the process of initiating an e-mail reference service in 1995 at the Ohio State University Health Sciences Library and the growth of the service through 2000. Includes data on types of patrons who use the service; types of questions and answers; and how results have led to re-evaluating all reference services. (LRW)

Discussion of the role of cataloging education within the library profession focuses on results of a survey of members of the Association of Research Libraries that investigated the importance of cataloging competencies for all entry-level academic librarians. Discusses implications for library education for academic librarians and for the…

Describes a study conducted at Auburn University that analyzed four months of chat reference questions received at a centralized reference services desk. Discusses types of questions; types of users; whether questions were localized to the specific library's resources; and further areas of research. (Author/LRW)

Applied the Biglan model of disciplinary differences to the information-seeking behavior patterns of undergraduates responding to questions on the College Student Experiences Questionnaire (CSEQ). Discusses implications for the redesign of academic library services and use of the Biglan model as a theoretical framework for future library research.…

Examines the effects of students' access to print via a community library. Compares knowledge of authors, words, books, and magazines between the students who accessed the community library and students who used the school library. Indicates that the students who visited community libraries outperformed students who did not. (SG)

Describes the results of a survey of public service librarians conducted by the Queens Borough Public Library to determine their confidence levels of using electronic resource to answer reference questions. Results demonstrated high confidence levels in using the library's online catalog and lower confidence in using the Internet. (Author/LRW)

Explores the feasibility of a centralized, networked reference service in a library setting by comparing traditional reference services at the County of Los Angeles Public Library with a commercial inbound call center. Discusses costs and efficiency when librarians answer questions able to be handled by paraprofessionals. (Author/LRW)

Writing for professional library literature can be a challenging experience, especially for new writers and new librarians. This article reviews a variety of how-to-write publications intended for librarians--those books and articles that provide advice and inspiration to aspiring library writers on how to publish in library literature. Applying…

This study explores how directors of libraries with membership in the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), who are engaged in entrepreneurial leadership, define and view it. Through structured interviews and analysis of supporting documents, it examines how entrepreneurial leadership can be used as a means for creating new organizational…

"Research Library Issues" ("RLI") is a quarterly report from ARL (Association of Research Libraries), CNI (Coalition of Networked Information), and SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition). This issue includes the following articles: (1) Digitization of Special Collections and Archives: Legal and Contractual Issues (Peter B.…

Macquarie University Library's planning for a new library coincided with a major renewal of the university's curriculum and research activity. This provided a significant opportunity to re-think the presentation of the library collections in the new environment. This article describes how strategic alignment with university goals and the framework…

Distance learning has flourished in Sudan during the last two decades; more and more higher education institutions offer distance learning programmes to off-campus students. Like on-campus students, distance learners should have access to appropriate library and information support services. They also have specific needs for library and…

The library environment has drastically changed since 1992 when Bostick's Library Anxiety Scale was developed. This project aimed to develop a scale specifically for undergraduate students. A three-stage study was conducted, using students of Kuwait University. A variety of statistical measures, including factor analysis, were used to process the…