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…

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 Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) kit compiled by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) contains documents pertaining to bibliographic access in ARL libraries. Data collected in a 1975 SPEC user services survey are presented in two tables to illustrate new, eliminated, and planned services in ARL libraries and methods of…

The increased demand for library materials resulting from improved bibliographic access due to automation, and auditors' demands for more accurate accounting of library assets/holdings, have made it increasingly important that the discrepancy between the catalog and the materials in the stacks be reduced. This paper identifies many of the benefits…

A March 1985 survey of members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) netted 63 responses on 4 topics related to gifts and exchange programs: organizational change, the use of automation, changes in priorities, and the impact of the Tax Reform Act of 1984. Comments throughout the responses reflect that materials collected through gifts and…

Describes a survey of research libraries with online catalogs planned or in place that examined the status of card catalogs, shelf list files, and the capability of online systems to handle traditional shelf list functions. The functions examined include inventory control, collection assessment, holdings information, and call number assignment.…

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 study was conducted to examine library data and trends among a group of 42 liberal arts colleges known as the "Bowdoin List." Questionnaires were completed and returned by 35 of the colleges, and interviews were conducted with the library directors at 22 of the colleges. The first of 10 sections in this report presents the statistical…

This kit reports on a survey which focused on the methods by which libraries practice online authority control to ensure that names, subjects, and uniform titles are consistently applied and maintained in bibliographic records. Questionnaires were sent to 32 selected member libraries of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) to determine the…

Based on the results of a June 1984 survey of 30 Association of Research Library (ARL) member libraries, this kit contains documents related to automation training programs for ARL library staff members. A summary of survey results indicates that few libraries performed formal needs assessments before embarking on programs related to automation…

Based on information and documents gathered from 103 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries via an April 1986 ARL Recon Project questionnaire, and supplemented with additional interviews and materials gathered throughout the year, this publication focuses on retrospective conversion projects designed to support the implementation…

To determine if backlogs of uncataloged monographs still exist and to discover methods of controlling and/or reducing arrearages, a questionnaire was sent to 117 Association of Research Libraries members. Questions were asked concerning arrearage size, storage, arrangement, physical and bibliographic access, and role of automation in reducing or…

This SPEC Kit and Flyer focus on the gifts and exchange function in Association of Research (ARL) libraries. The survey was sent to 119 ARL institutions via e-mail; 62 usable replies were received. Results, discussed in the SPEC Flyer, highlight trends and effects of changes in library automation, staffing decreases, administrative reorganization,…

Topics related to research library interlibrary loan staffing and organizational structures were explored through a survey conducted by the Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) of the Association of Research Libraries. Data gathered from 82 libraries show a very small increase in the number of full-time equivalents in loan units between…

For this kit, 119 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) academic libraries were surveyed to determine the impact of online catalogs on the training needs of technical services staff and on the planning and organization of programs to meet these needs; responses were received from 66 libraries. Analyses of the responses indicated that the…