The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the economic impacts and benefits of Florida public libraries. The study objectives were to: describe the role of public libraries in economic development; identify and describe the range of specific activities and programs engaged in to support economic development; identify factors that…

This SPEC Kit and Flyer focus on the extent to which Association of Research Libraries (ARL) libraries engage in formal or organized customer service programs. Seventy-five out of the 121 member libraries responded to the customer service program survey (61%). The SPEC Flyer discusses results in terms of customer service program characteristics,…

Throughout 1999 and 2000, 234 academic institutions in Canada--66 university libraries and 168 college libraries--were asked to respond to a survey of library services for off campus users. Previous surveys were conducted in 1984 and then again in 1988. It was felt that with the advent of the World Wide Web, increased levels of library automation,…

A survey of public and academic libraries conducted to obtain information on length of reference desk shifts and proportion of the reference librarian's time spent at the desk found the two-hour weekday shift to be the most common, and that librarians typically work 7 to 21 hours per week at the desk. (EM)

Reports findings of a Statistics Task Force investigation at New York University's Bobst Library, which reviewed the collection and publication of statistics and data related to library reference and information services and use of resources, and developed a framework for inclusions, definitions, procedures, and policies for data collection and…

Thirty-six libraries participated in a pilot project in which OCLC interlibrary loan (ILL) transaction data for borrowing and lending activity were reviewed. Data analysis and follow-up survey results supported the hypothesis that the Association of Southern Research Libraries directors would accept terms of ILL reciprocity that were based on…

Based on information from the 1996-97 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Academic Libraries survey, this document presents statistics on libraries in U.S. higher education institutions. Specifically, data are provided on: circulation and interlibrary loan transactions; public service hours; number served, number of reference…

This report presents a description of the status of academic libraries in 1994, a time of rapid technology-related change and increased introduction of electronic services. Two of the national education goals for the year 2000 emphasize the important roles played by resources and staff efforts of academic libraries. The report presents detailed…

The goals of this SPEC Kit were to report on the extent to which ARL (Association of Research Libraries) libraries provide electronic reference services and to offer a snapshot of the types of users reached, questions received, policies established, data-gathering techniques utilized, and innovations implemented. The first section of the kit…

This paper reports on an evaluation of InfoPoint, a centrally-managed, professionally staffed reference service available at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus Library through a variety of communication modes, including a World Wide Web form, direct e-mail, and chat and collaborative browsing. Over 400 InfoPoint users were sent a…

Documentation supplied in this kit demonstrates how research libraries provide services to visiting scholars as distinguished from other categories of external user. A "visiting scholar" is most often defined as a faculty member affiliated with an institution of higher education but the term may also include independent scholars and persons…

The information in this book was taken from 1988 annual reports submitted to the Texas State Library by public libraries in that state. The statistics reflect each library's 1988 local fiscal year (i.e., ending January 1, 1988). The publication opens with general information about the Texas State Library, and a map of the major resource systems,…

The eighth in the current series, this volume contains responses from 91 libraries to all items in the Colorado Public Libraries Annual Report, summary statistics for seven ranges of population served and the state, and an index by data element. This edition uses, except for a few cases, the same populations figured from the 1990 U.S. Census.…

The information in this book was taken from 1990 annual reports submitted to the Texas State Library by public libraries in that state. The statistics reflect each library's 1990 local fiscal year, i.e., the fiscal year that includes January 1, 1990. The publication opens with general information about the Texas State Library governing or advisory…

This report is based on information from the 1990-91 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Academic Libraries survey, a U.S. Department of Education vehicle for collecting data from all postsecondary institutions in the United States. The data in this report represent colleges and universities with accreditation at the higher…