Describes a University of Iowa Libraries' user needs assessment survey of a random sample of graduate and professional students. Results showed the need for more assistance in using the library, greater awareness of library services offered to graduate students, and the desire for more opportunities for library instruction. (Author/LRW)

Discusses trends in regional accreditation commissions of higher education, including a greater emphasis on outcomes assessment, distance education, information literacy, and encouragement for collaboration, innovation, and experimentation in teaching and learning. Makes recommendations for academic libraries. (Author/LRW)

Describes an information literacy skills assessment project by California State University as part of an accountability process. Highlights include information competence; a qualitative study using information scenarios; capturing what students do when they search for information; and ethnographic data. (LRW)

Discussion of library digital reference services focuses on the features of instant messaging reference systems and the in-house development of a system that incorporates them at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Summarizes and evaluates library chat system features and compares commercial software that is available. (Author/LRW)

Explores how a tenure support group can provide a mechanism for discussing concerns and channeling efforts for academic librarians seeking faculty status. Discusses establishing tenure support groups and their role. Describes programs presented to tenure-track librarians at Texas A&M University, and outlines benefits of participation. (PEN)

A survey of academic librarians determined that the use of e-mail in the follow-up stage of a library research project using mailed questionnaires was as effective as postal mail in speed and size of response. Discusses additional benefits (interpersonal communication, reduced time and costs) and drawbacks (time spent identifying messages…

Describes a longitudinal study of four sets of OPAC (online public access catalog) transaction logs that examined the effects of screen changes in helping searchers improve their search behavior. Results show that while screen changes initially had a positive impact on search behavior, they were not always sustained over time. (Author/LRW)

Describes the results of a survey of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries to identify the minimum education and experience required of paraprofessional catalogers. Topics include copy cataloging, original cataloging, training, and possible paraprofessional degree requirements. (Author/LRW)

Describes CAUL (The Council of Australian University Librarians) which is dedicated to improving access by the staff and students of Australian universities to scholarly information resources. Discusses funding, access to databases, electronic information resources, information infrastructure and network information support, and electronic…

Discussion of scholarly publication that is required of academic librarians focuses on a study that looks in detail at the aggregate publishing record of the librarians at Penn State University, an institution that requires publication as a condition of continued employment. (Author/LRW)

Describes the library collection at Gallaudet University and discusses deaf-related information available via the World Wide Web which is particularly suited as a communication medium for the deaf community. Discusses subject specific, special purpose, and comprehensive Web sites for deaf people, their families, and involved professionals, and…

Discusses the distinction between student evaluation and program assessment; the development of assessment methods for library instruction; and the various steps taken in the writing, testing, revising, and use of an assessment instrument for the Schurz Library instruction program at Indiana University South Bend. Library instruction guidelines,…

Focuses on "Bootstrap Training," a scientific literacy program for permanent non-science and part-time adjunct librarians at San Jose State University Library. Describes an initial training-needs questionnaire distributed to all reference personnel, the implementation of a staff development program with scientific literacy goals,…

Describes an experiment where local as well as remote distributed information resources of the digital library collections of the Los Alamos National Laboratory and the University of Ghent library have been used as starting points for metadata reference links into other parts of the collections. Discusses global and local relevance. (LRW)

Discusses the need for semantic research in digital libraries to help overcome interoperability problems. Highlights include federal initiatives; semantic analysis; knowledge representations; human-computer interactions and information visualization; and the University of Illinois DLI (Digital Libraries Initiative) project through partnership with…