This document is one of ten kits distributed annually by the Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC), a clearinghouse operated by the Association of Research Libraries, Office of Management Studies (ARL/OMS) that provides a central source of timely information and materials on the management and operations of large academic and research…

In response to a May 1983 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) survey, 94 university library members (90% of this category of ARL membership) provided information and documents about current library branches, changes during the last 5 years, and current and planned automation activities. It was found that 63 respondents (68%) considered their…

The process of identifying items in a library's collection by assigning to each a unique machine readable code has been generally referred to as barcoding. Barcoding is often one of the first critical projects a library will embark upon in the process of automation. This Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) kit addresses many of the major…

Reports the results of a national survey of online systems in academic libraries which gathered information on acquisitions, serials, circulation, cataloging, interlibrary loan, and integrated systems. The results include relationships between library characteristics, such as size, and library reports of present systems and future plans, methods…

This survey of 57 members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) examines technical and management issues in providing remote access to their online catalogs, as well as with instructions and services for remote users. It is noted that most ARL libraries have not yet conducted studies to project the extent of use of remote access, although…

Explains the criteria by which 50 public libraries were chosen as outstanding, and reports the results of a survey of the directors which focused on major problems in libraries; desired goals in administration and technical and public services; predicted trends; stage of computerization; and sources of information and new ideas. (CLB)

A Public Library Association (PLA) survey compiled information on public libraries in bibliographic networks. Aspects identified and measured were perceptions of participation, reasons for non-participation, reactions to services, and suggestions for increasing participation. Recommendations are made for actions by PLA and the networks to ensure…

Describes the history and current status of bibliographic control in Japanese libraries, including the necessity for standardizing the combination of Japanese phonetic script and Chinese characters. The results of a survey of bibliographic activities and library automation are presented, and a developing plan to establish Japanese bibliographic…

Describes a survey of research libraries with online catalogs planned or in place that examined the status of card catalogs, shelf list files, and the capability of online systems to handle traditional shelf list functions. The functions examined include inventory control, collection assessment, holdings information, and call number assignment.…

This collection of library documents, which illustrates current techniques for conducting user studies in order to facilitate specific public services planning and priority-setting efforts at the member libraries of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), contains excerpts from: (1) four general user studies conducted at the University of…

This paper discusses the results of a project designed to gather data that the Library Media Coordinators of DeKalb County (Georgia) Schools can use to evaluate several aspects of online searching in the county's secondary schools. The project, involving responses from library media specialists (LMSs) from 24 DeKalb secondary schools (5 junior…

This SPEC kit is based on a June 1987 survey of approval plan use by 94 members of the Association of Research Libraries. It reports on the current practices of these libraries, the perceived advantages and disadvantages of using approval plans, and the effect of increased library materials costs and library automation on such plans. It is noted…

This directory is intended to serve as an information resource for libraries that may be contemplating card catalog closing by providing a list of 607 U.S. and Canadian libraries that have closed their old card catalog files. The report includes reference information for 286 academic libraries, 235 public libraries, 11 school libraries, and 75…

Results of this survey of 26 public and academic libraries of national stature show that the country's major libraries are fully committed to automating their library operations. Major findings of the survey show that: (1) all libraries surveyed are involved in automation; (2) all libraries surveyed have automated their catalogs and bibliographic…

This document, the 10th in a series distributed annualy to provide a central source of timely information and materials on the management and operations of large academic and research libraries, presents the results of a 1984 Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) survey of microcomputer use in the Association of Research Libraries (ARI)…