This study evaluates whether or not community college libraries have in place the characteristics necessary to develop digital branch libraries to meet the expanding and changing needs of their publics. Using Hon and Grunig's (1999) relationship building criteria as a framework, 98 community college library websites were analyzed to determine…

It's well known that technology is changing at an increasingly rapid pace and that many public libraries throughout the United States are attempting to adopt new technologies to better reach their patrons. In trade journals, blogs, and at library conferences, professionals in the field have continually discussed the best methods for using web…

Reports the results of a survey conducted shortly after the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, through its U.S. Library Program, awarded a statewide grant of computers and software to public libraries in Louisiana, to gather data about the grant's impact on library staff. A copy of the survey is appended. (Author/LRW)

This study investigated the impact of online bibliographic retrieval on the librarian's professional self-image. The question of online searching and professional status is raised primarily in response to Brian Nielsen's work in 1980 and 1982, and also motivated by the relatively low volume of work on this topic since Nielsen. A major aim of this…

The project summarized in this report collected data from 3 of the 25 largest Association of Research Library (ARL) member libraries in order to: (1) examine the durability of the measure of technology set forth in "An Empirical Assessment of Perrow's Technology Construct" (Administrative Science Quarterly, 1974, pp. 338-356); (2) study…

This report describes efforts by three academic libraries to develop a model instructional program for online catalog users that could be adopted in other academic libraries. A key component of the research included the exploration and development of a methodology for utilizing online transaction logs to evaluate user performance. The four project…

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…

With grants from the Council on Library Resources (CLR) and the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), New York University (NYU) Libraries conducted a study to assess user reactions to their online catalog, Bobcat (Bobst Library Computerized Catalog). In order to evaluate the effectiveness of NYU's catalog, to describe users' attitudes toward…

In order to study the effects of introducing an automated circulation system at Oberlin College, Ohio, data were collected from September 1978 until June 1982 on book availability, usage of library facilities, attitudes of library users toward the library, and the efficiency of circulation activities. Data collection methods included circulation…

The Subject Access Research Project was initiated by OCLC in August 1979 to study the process of subject searching in the library catalog, with the objective of identifying features for an automated subject retrieval system which would support the present search tactics employed by library users performing manual subject searches at the library…

Prior to changing from a manual/time sharing circulation system to an online system with an in-house computer, the staff of the Mary and John Gray Library of Lamar University reevaluated their current circulation policies in light of the increased capabilities of the new system. As part of this process, a survey was conducted of the libraries in…

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…

New York University (NYU) Libraries received a 1-year grant from the Association of Research Libraries to study users' responses to its recently installed Geac online catalog, Bobcat (Bobst Library Computerized Catalog). The survey instrument, developed for Council on Library Resources (CLR)-funded national study of responses to public access…

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…

A user attitude survey was conducted in the main library at the University of Oklahoma before and after the opening of a new library wing which effectively doubled the size of the main library. At the time of the opening of the new wing, the circulation department began using a new computer system for circulation of the general collection. The…