This document is one of ten kits distributed annually by the Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC), a clearinghouse operated by the Association of Research Libraries, Office of Management Studies (ARL/OMS) that provides a central source of timely information and materials on the management and operations of large academic and research…

Legal questions, raised by recent developments in computerized networks and relating to censorship, liability, responsibility and other topics, were explored by means of a questionnaire sent to a selected group of librarians, network personnel, and others. Designed to collect information about existing laws and current problems, the questionnaire…

A project was conducted from 1980 to 1982 to determine the costs and benefits of OCLC use in 29 small and medium-sized member libraries of the Illinois Valley Library System (IVLS). Academic, school, public, and special libraries participated in the project. Based on written attitude surveys of and interviews with library directors, staff,…

This report summarizes research undertaken at the Sterling C. Evans Library, Texas A & M University to assess the impact that end user information retrieval systems may have on library staff and users. Two systems, BRS/After Dark and Search Helper, were made available in the library for end user searching at no cost. A total of 260 users…

Reports results of survey of 21 smaller to medium-sized (50,000-200,000 volumes) libraries which was conducted to determine factors used to make selection decisions in purchase of automated turnkey systems from established vendors. Factors examined include costs, software, hardware, and vendors for parts A (actual experience) and B (hypothetical…

This study evolved from a survey of all academic libraries in Georgia, designed to identify current online activities in the state's academic libraries, and to predict future directions and trends. The information was gathered to provide a pool of data for comparison, planning, management, and administration of online services, and to serve as a…

In May 1981 the American Library Association (ALA) conducted a survey to determine how online search services are financed in publicly-supported libraries and in libraries in nonprofit organizations. The survey questionnaire was prepared by the ALA Office for Research (OFR), and three vendors of online services--BRS, Lockheed, and SDC--mailed the…

A national study of users and non-users of public access online catalog systems (OPACs) was undertaken at 29 libraries, representing 15 computer systems, to provide data and interpretations useful to system designers and library administrators. The findings indicate that users have overwhelmingly positive responses to OPACs. Non-users have…

The purpose of this study was to determine the current levels of automation and plans for future automation in state-supported, two-year community college libraries. A second purpose was to examine the impact of independent variables, such as enrollment and professional staff, on library automation. Eighty community college library directors and…

In November 1982, questionnaires were sent to 1400 public, secondary school, academic, and special libraries in Massachusetts to determine their use of computers for various activities. Of the 778 respondents, 282 (36.2%) reported automation of some kind and an additional 105 (13.5%) indicated that they were planning some automation within a year.…

This study is based on a survey of a sample of 162 academic libraries holding between 90,000 and 500,000 volumes. The report begins by comparing various characteristics of the libraries to arrive at a profile of an average sample library in terms of volumes, enrollment, volumes per student, budget, expenditures per student, salaries as percent of…