The literature of reference service emphasizes service at the reference desk and overlooks other activities of reference librarians. Self-evaluation studies would enable reference librarians to identify what they do and assign a time and value to each task. Such studies should be the first step in planning and structuring a reference department.…

Discusses what makes occupations develop into professions, what prevents this development, and the functions that differentiate professional and paraprofessional library work. The factors that have influenced the development of paraprofessionalism in library and information work are examined, and paraprofessionalism in North American and…

This paper critically reviews administrator work activity studies which follow the research of Henry Mintzberg. It discusses directions for future research using qualitative and quantitative methods and discourages research that relies solely on Mintzberg's structure. (Author/JAZ)

Argues that performance measures for student employees in academic libraries should set expectations for their performance and become management tools to motivate, evaluate, and reward them. Management literature on full-time employees is modified to fit students' needs, i.e., that they are part-time and not necessarily motivated by the work…

Discusses the redistribution of tasks within libraries and describes the growth of paraprofessional library workers in academic libraries. Changes in the library workplace are considered; pertinent literature and the results of an unpublished survey are cited; and the need to redefine the roles of paraprofessionals as well as the roles of…

The tasks of elementary principals are characterized by brevity, variety, and fragmentation. As proof of this, studies have indicated that principals may perform as many as 50 separate tasks in an hour. Principals also must interact with a wide range of individuals, must accomplish tasks requiring many different skills, and are required to make a…

This paper examines current issues in supported employment in the areas of assessment, job analysis, instructional technology, and management. How supported employment can be implemented more effectively is discussed along with areas in which further policy implementation and research are needed. (Author/DB)

Assessing school administrator training involves comparing what administrators do with what they are trained to do in university preservice programs and non-university inservice programs. Research on educational administrators shows their work activities are brief, discontinuous, unpredictable, verbal, and generally unrelated to school instruction…

Describes the developing role of paraprofessionals in special education and other educational settings. Suggests that the paraprofessional role should be dynamic and expanding, limited only by the competence and motivation of the paraprofessional. (CJM)

Proposes that technical writing teachers ask their students to analyze the ethos--the revelation of a writer's character through the rhetorical choices a writer makes--of the profession they are preparing to enter. Provides examples of such analysis. (RL)

This book presents the methods and findings of a critical review of the "Dictionary of Occupational Titles" (DOT) published by the United States Department of Labor. Following an introduction to the scope of the study in the first chapter, the book describes the study and its results in eight following chapters. Chapter 2 contains a…

Instructional systems development (ISD) is a systems approach to curriculum development and instructional delivery. It is oriented toward occupational needs with an emphasis on what it is that students must learn to perform specific tasks, what facilities best provide a setting for the neccessary learning, and what instructional methods and media…