This dissertation questions the common assumption that e-learning requires a "learning management system" (LMS) such as Moodle or Blackboard. Based on an analysis of the current state of the art in LMSs, we come to the conclusion that the functionality of conventional e-learning platforms consists of basic content management and…

In an attempt to identify some of the factors which influence the utility of microforms as a medium for information handling, this report first traces some of the landmarks in the evolution of microforms since their invention in 1893. It next provides a factual account of current microform media and formats. The last section of the report contains…

This study determined the percentage and kinds of use of children's magazines in the Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Public Library and developed a user profile. Observation in the children's room, conducted for 31 hours over a six-week period, found that: (1) a little over six percent of the people who enter the children's room use or check out a…

Patron service is a high priority in the library setting and alleviating a large percentage of the directional questions will provide librarians with more time to help patrons more thoroughly than they are able to currently. Furthermore, in view of the current economic trend of downsizing, a navigational computer system program has the potential…

The purpose of this study was to investigate what effect a pre-session given prior to a typical library instruction class had upon the affective experience of freshman composition students. Students in six paired classes were given pre-test and post-test questionnaires to determine if there was a difference in scores in four areas measured by the…

Thirty-one academic publishers of stand-alone software and book/disk packages were surveyed to determine whether publishers have addressed the copyright issues inherent in circulating these packages within the library environment. Twenty-two questionnaires were returned, providing a 71% return rate. There were 18 usable questionnaires. Publishers…

A survey was administered to users of the New York State Library's microfiche catalog to determine their success and satisfaction in using the catalog and to examine characteristics of successful and satisfied microfiche catalog users. Usable questionnaires were obtained from 280 catalog users. Responses to selected items were weighted and summed…

As the use of online literature searching systems increases, the need for reducing the amount of nonrelevant material encountered by the users becomes more apparent. One method for achieving greater selectivity in document retrieval is by using relevance (or utility) estimates from past users to estimate document values for future users. However,…

The socioeconomic makeup of the community served by the Mott Public Library, Toledo, Ohio is described in detail. An account of the library's services and programs, in connection with their "disadvantaged" patrons, as well as the author's personal difficulties in establishing a citizens' advisory committee and an unsuccessful branch…

This study reports an analysis of some aspects of the use of periodicals by freshmen at the University of North Carolina, as related to the undergraduate and other campus libraries. The study also asks whether the dispersion of citations, among periodicals cited by freshmen in bibliographies of required term papers, conforms to a general law of…

The purpose of this comparative study was to determine to what degree the politically correct term, "African American" is being used in library literature and African American literature. Other terms examined were "Black,""Afro-American,""multicultural," and "cultural diversity." In addition, the…

The "see" and "see also" references in a library's catalog are supposed to provide the cross-references necessary to guide the user to the appropriate subject heading. However, libraries have difficulty maintaining the current, accurate subject authority files needed to facilitate this. A review of the literature in this…

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) is a promising technology used by many medical centers to support health education activities for patients and their families. It may provide one method of reaching multiple patients at various times and locations, providing consistent, easily repeated information in a low stress manner, but it is unclear how much…

This study was launched to address concerns about the needs of after-hours users going unmet at the Cleveland (Ohio) Clinic Foundation Library Services Department. The collection itself is available for use on the premises by clinic employees 24 hours a day, but employees do not remain on site to provide assistance, materials may not be signed out…

In an era of tight library budgets, librarians must carefully consider materials selection. The interdisciplinary nature of the social science and humanities fields makes determining what a researcher needs a difficult task. This study seeks to determine what materials are being used by scholars in the field of Russian and Slavic studies analyzing…