Declining reference statistics, diminishing human resources, and the desire to be more proactive and embedded in academic departments, prompted the University of South Florida Library to create a taskforce for re-envisioning reference services. The taskforce was charged with examining the staffing patterns at the desk and developing…

This paper is an extension of the author's earlier work on developing management information services and creating a culture of assessment in libraries. The author will focus observations on the use of data in decision-making in libraries, specifically on the role of leadership in making evidence-based decision a reality, and will review new…

Designed for persons with no prior knowledge of statistics, this continuing education course syllabus presents basic information on methods of data collection and analysis in libraries. It is noted that emphasis is placed on concepts rather than mathematical formulas and on reasons for using particular techniques. Topics covered include problem…

Program presentations on issues related to the use of statistics by research libraries and business meeting minutes are combined in this report from the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). The full text is provided for the three papers on the program theme that were presented at the meeting: (1) "Information to Manage--The Economics of…

This book provides a format for taking information traditionally collected by library media specialists and showing how it can be used to examine existing programs or to document the need for a program change. Field-tested in several school districts, this new tool includes all the necessary forms and worksheets school media specialists will need…

This manual has been designed as a practical guide to quantifying and measuring the results, or outputs, of public library service to children. The basic output measures presented are tailored to reflect library services to children (defined as persons 14 years old and younger) and their care givers. Six categories of measures are presented: (1)…

Replacing a January 1980 publication of the same title, this collection of cost tables and other documentation from library materials cost studies conducted by members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) or by library vendors contains excerpts from: (1) local cost studies conducted at Colorado State University, Indiana University, Iowa…

This document is a manual designed to improve library services to young adults. Information is divided into three parts: (1) "Applying the Planning and Role Setting Process to Library Services for Young Adults"; (2) "Evaluating the Results: The Measurement Process"; and (3) "The Output Measures." Part 1 discusses the Public Library Association…