Reports the findings of a six-year West Virginia University study that tested the "direct access" debate in its main library after undergoing the transition from closed to open stacks. Circulation, book availability, and search and library-use statistics are provided, and their implications are discussed. (Author/JD)

Reports a study of the distribution of use among users of a short loan collection in an academic library. Results indicate the most active one-third of all users generate between two-thirds and three-quarters of all use. A brief list of references is provided. (Author/SW)

Based on a doctoral dissertation, this paper describes a study of why displays of books increase use. Two hypotheses were tested using standard pretest-posttest experimental designs at two small Illinois public libraries. Increased accessibility and visibility were found to be causes, while narrowing the browser's choice was not. (Author/EM)

Presents a user-based approach to exploring the possibility of adding user-oriented class associations to hierarchical library classification schemes. Classes not grouped in the same subject hierarchies yet relevant to users' knowledge are obtained by analyzing a log book of a university library's circulation records, using collaborative filtering…

The Index of American Public Library Circulation dates back to 1939, and the Index of American Public Library Expenditures to 1951. These indexes are based on annual reports from a sample of all American public libraries serving more than 25,000 people each. Using the 1982 American Library Directory, the researchers identified 1,586 public…

The validity of the assumption that those documents which are requested from a University of California (UC) library by the California State University and Colleges (CSUC) campuses through interlibrary loan are the "low use" items, according to the in-house circulation statistics of the lending institution, was tested. This was one of…

Cooperative book acquisition plans and improved systems of interlibrary lending are intended to eliminate duplication of library holdings. In order to calculate possible savings, an investigation of how much duplication exists in the libraries on the various campuses of the University of California was made. Estimates were developed for the extent…

Based on the concept that library use measurement should have as its basic starting point the individual patron, a method of data collection and analysis has been developed that explores individual patterns of borrowing over time. The method accounts for the number of visits on which borrowing takes place, number of items borrowed per visit, and…

In the summer of 1984, seven Library of Congress subclasses in the Columbia-Greene Community College Library were surveyed to determine if past circulation records could reliably predict future circulation. In the summer of 1985, a follow-up study surveyed 10 Library of Congress subclasses to verify the results of the first study. The second…

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between use of the academic library and the classroom program at DePauw University, a small, four-year liberal arts college. Recorded circulation from the three campus libraries for the second semester of 1975-76 was studied and related to such variables as declared academic major, academic…

This study collects and analyzes information on the characteristics of the community and the public library system of East Brunswick, and provides an example of a library planning method responsive to community needs. Unobtrusive data collection techniques utilizing the 1970 census, local reports, and library records were the primary sources of…

Describes a study conducted at Columbia-Greene Community College's library to determine whether a book's previous non-use is indicative of future non-use; whether books are progressively less likely to be used with time; the circulation costs of weeding previously unused books; and the circulation rates of old and new books. (DMM)

Previous studies on use of library materials based on borrowing behavior failed to address the issue of how the measurement of library book use might be expanded to a broader definition of use, specifically to include browsing behavior. The development of a non-obtrusive and accurate measurement for browsing behavior has remained a challenge.…

A sample of library-output statistics measuring circulation, reference, and in-library use was collected from 76 libraries and tested for redundancy, correlation, and variation using time-series analysis to test the Relative Fidelity of Measurement Model (RFM). The 275 sample statistics correlated in an unpredicted pattern. Twenty-three sources…

Eighteen state-supported academic libraries, primarily in Illinois but also in other midwestern and western states, were contacted by letter (14) or by telephone (4) in order to obtain information on their circulation policies and procedures. Fifteen libraries responded by sending copies of their policies. Information was also collected by…