The objectives of the Alabama Public Library Service are to: provide library services to the citizens directly or through local libraries; provide library services for those with special needs through the Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped; provide library services to employees of the State of Alabama to meet their…

Discusses reference-use statistics in academic libraries. Highlights include new functions and resources, limits of traditional counting methods, ranking the sources, the Internet's impact on instruction, computer-assisted versus one-on-one instruction, and creative solutions to reference services. (AEF)

Describes the Lippincott Library (Warton School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) online chat reference service for students/faculty/staff to ask questions through chat and get an immediate response using a commercial service provided by LivePerson. LivePerson is a real-time text interface between the user who seeks information and the operator…

The Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) brings together experts from around the country and around the world and asks them to turn their intelligence to the problems that libraries, archives, and information organizations face as they integrate digital resources and services into their well established print-based environments. In…

Discusses the availability and quality of commercial reference services available on the World Wide Web such as Ask Jeeves and the decline in library reference service statistics. Describes a project in California to help libraries develop live, real-time reference services over the Web by adapting Web contact center software. (LRW)

Describes the inclusion of interlibrary loan services in the reference department of the science and engineering library that accounted for a large percentage of the interlibrary loan activity, based on experiences at Baylor University. Staffing, interlibrary loan statistics, and faculty needs are discussed. (LRW)

This volume is the first annual Texas Public Library Summary Statistics. It contains information as submitted by local public libraries on their 1993 Annual Report forms. The contents include: analytical tables; population served by Texas public libraries; number of Texas public libraries; how Texas compares per capita; percentage of expenditures;…

This volume is the second annual Texas Public Library Summary. It contains information as submitted by local public libraries on their 1994 Annual Report forms. The contents include: analytical tables; statistical summary overview; operating and materials expenditures adjusted for inflation; Texas library per capita data compared to U.S. averages;…

This volume is the third annual Texas Public Library Summary. It contains information as submitted by local public libraries on their 1995 Annual Report forms. The contents include: analytical tables; statistical summary overview; income and percent of population served by type of library; operating expenditures adjusted for inflation; materials…

Describes a correlation method for calculating reference statistics using weekly door counts that was tested at the University of South Carolina while studying a sampling technique for collecting reference statistics. Results indicate this method may offer libraries an accurate and less time-consuming procedure for keeping reference statistics.…

Reports on in-house use of online services at the Maine State Library for searches not specifically requested by client or initiated by staff member to advance job flow. Use of TALIMAINE service for interlibrary loan verification, document delivery, book selection, and staff development, and client breakdown for 1983-1984 are described. (EJS)

Discusses digital reference services, also known as virtual reference, chat reference, or online reference, based on a round table discussion at the 2002 American Library Association annual conference in Atlanta. Topics include numbers and marketing; sustainability; competition and models; evaluation methods; outsourcing; staffing and training;…

Discussion of planning for reference service focuses on assessing past practices and statistics of past use to help plan for the future. Topics addressed include identifying an organizational goal and staff training, including professionals and nonprofessionals. (Contains 13 references.) (LRW)

Summarizes information about public libraries, including their number, administrative structure and legal basis, operating income and expenditures, staffing and collections, and services. Data from the Public Libraries Survey of the National Center for Education Statistics reflect the 8,967 public libraries in the 50 states and the District of…

Describes a campuswide library services network at Lehigh University which includes electronic question answering, bibliographic services, and online search applications. Statistics on network use are presented. (eight references) (MES)