Describes ways to provide interlibrary loan (ILL) services on the Web and discusses the decisions that Ohio University's Alden Library made when creating ILL forms. Highlights include using common gateway interface (CGI) scripts; choosing commercial software products; changing user needs and expectations; technical considerations; and design…

Discussion of faculty's subscription demands at academic libraries focuses on an analysis of journal citations from a decade of social science theses at the library of California State University at Long Beach that was conducted to supply quantifiable data to support decisions for journal purchases, cancellations, and placement in storage.…

Reports on the creation of a prototype, Web-based expert system that helps users better navigate library databases at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Discusses concerns that gave rise to the project. Summarizes previous work/research and common approaches in academic libraries today. Describes plans for testing the prototype,…

Compares data collected in library surveys of Internet users at Seton Hall University in 1998 and 2001 to provide information on changes in library users' Internet use behavior, satisfaction levels, and problems in using the Internet. Discusses use of the university library home page; search strategies; and search training. (Author/LRW)

Suggests that when a new course is proposed, library staff should initiate a review of the collection and recent titles in the subject area. Adds that staff should then meet with the originating faculty member and discuss the resources needed for the course. Asserts that this process would make the library staff more proactive in course…

Describes Campus Compact, a national coalition of college and university presidents committed to helping students develop values and skills through public service. Reports that students are engaged in improving housing for the homeless, reading/writing tutoring, preserving the environment, mentoring, and alleviating hunger. States that one of the…

Explores library-user infatuation with electronic resources, the rapid growth of electronic resources and their impact on traditional reference services, and reference services in an electronic society. Discusses a survey of 200 academic libraries investigating electronic resources and their impact on library personnel, especially on…

Discusses information and communication technology in South African academic libraries in the context of the post-apartheid period which consists of a technologically sophisticated sector and an underdeveloped Third World Sector. Topics include academic library consortia; connectivity; information literacy; human resource development; and…

Reports the findings of an experiment using a simulated title page, author surnames, and title words, one-third of which were selected by each of the three authors, to determine the frequency of one-screen displays when used to search for known items in an implied Boolean retrieval system. (Author/AEF)

Duke University science librarians took a one-day retreat to examine operations, define goals, and explore options for achieving goals. Cost/impact analysis and decision matrix models were used to analyze each librarian's activities. The cost/impact model enabled the librarians to prioritize functions and to better deploy limited resources to…

Results of a study that evaluated 21 diverse services at 5 major academic research libraries demonstrate that a cross-functional approach to library services is feasible. Findings also highlight a new measure of impact, which is a weighted logarithmic combination of the amount of time that users spend interacting with the service, combined with a…

Discusses accreditation standards for libraries based on experiences in an academic law library. Highlights include the accreditation process; the impact of distance education and remote technologies on accreditation; and a list of Internet sources of standards and information. (LRW)

This study of Arkansas college students (n=332) examined the role of technology in determining levels of library anxiety. Of five dimensions of library anxiety [(1) barriers with staff, (2) affective barriers, (3) comfort with the library, (4) knowledge of the library, and (5) mechanical barriers], that of mechanical barriers--feelings resulting…

Discussion of libraries' vertical files focuses on a study conducted at the University of Northern Iowa that compared the use of a World Wide Web subject collection and a traditional print vertical file and the effort required to maintain them. Results show a clear patron preference for the World Wide Web files. (LRW)

Reports on a usability evaluation of the wide area networked database used in the library system of the City University of New York (CUNY). Describes use of the Software Usability Measurement Inventory (SUMI) criteria in student surveys and interviews that considered affect, efficiency, learnability, control, and helpfulness. Survey is appended.…