Summarizes the results of a study of students' attitudes toward a library orientation/bibliographic instruction and user education course at Bendel State University in Nigeria. These results indicate that the students found the course very useful both in academic work and in social life. Suggestions are made for the improvement of the course. The…

Discussion of the merger of separate library units focuses on examples from Indiana State University Libraries' recent merging of the interlibrary loan unit of the reference department with the circulation department to form a new lending services department. Factors to consider in the merging process are discussed, emphasizing staff needs. (seven…

Discusses the idea of including information about the MARC format in library online catalog instruction. Difficulties that users encounter when using different online catalogs with different formats are discussed, and a presentation developed at the University of California at Berkeley to explain the MARC format to users is described. (three…

Discussion of journal pricing and its effects on academic libraries focuses on data from the Optical Society of America's pricing study that used price per 1,000 words as a quantitative evaluative tool. Data collection methodology is described, and implications of the results for library collection development are suggested. (eight references)…

Discusses the role of academic libraries in the face of rising costs and suggests implications for library policymaking. The nature and value of information are considered; pricing issues for serials, CD-ROM products, and online searching are described; and possible solutions are offered. (26 references) (LRW)

These five articles are transcripts from a seminar sponsored by OCLC and the Research Libraries Group (RLG) that discussed returning bibliographic data from local systems to the bibliographic utilities. Highlights include problems facing academic research libraries; present and future methodologies of data exchange; workflow concerns; and policy…

A survey of 30 recently constructed academic libraries indicates that space needs for library media services can be allocated based upon the level of service the media center will provide. A method for calculating space needs based upon the level of service and the overall size of the library is proposed. (five references) (LAE)

Presents a summary report of the fall 1991 meeting of the Task Force of the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI). Topics discussed include the flow of networked information; perspectives from the humanities, arts, and social sciences; the potential economic importance of NREN (National Research and Education Network); and information…

A comparison of book reviews for humanities and social sciences books named to CHOICE's 1987 "Outstanding Academic Books" with a selection of books not named to the list showed no substantial difference in the number or quality of reviews received. Study suggests that libraries should be cautious in their reliance on published lists for…

An analysis of 100 online public access catalog (OPAC) search sessions explored the effectiveness of converting unsuccessful subject searches to keyword searches. It is suggested that either a system generated message to the user to try a keyword search, or an automatic conversion of zero-hit searches might be effective in improving search…

In February 1991, OCLC tested its newly developed product--the FirstSearch Catalog. Designed distinctly for the end user, FirstSearch is an online computer system providing access to a variety of databases. By October 1991, the system was made commercially available to all OCLC member libraries. The Ohio State University served as a test site for…

Examines organizational commitment in unionized and nonunionized research libraries based on a survey of 400 professional employees at 26 libraries. Organizational commitment was studied in relation to union presence, union membership status, and union commitment. (Contains 22 references.) (KRN)

Describes the historical development of libraries and bibliographic instruction (BI) under the Communist system; provides impressions of research libraries visited during a tour of Saint Petersburg (Russia), Kiev (Ukraine), and Budapest (Hungary); and gives examples of BI as it exists in Eastern Europe today. (KRN)

Describes Gopher, a microcomputer-based software program that helps users navigate through the Internet using a hierarchical menu system to locate information. The idea of client servers is discussed; benefits for libraries are described; and the use of Gopher as the basis for a campuswide information system is explained. (LRW)

Describes ANLI (Adaptive Network Library Interface), an interface to an academic library's online catalog that links documents through interactions with users. Topics addressed include relation to neural networks; system design issues, including network management; the architecture of the ANLI; and the ANLI as a research tool. (Contains five…