Describes a national survey in which 7 public library constituent groups rated the degree to which 61 indicators helped describe a library. Dimensions of effectiveness were then developed through factor analysis on the indicator choices. A full list of indicators, a list of collapsed indicators, and the results of the factor analysis are appended.…

Reports on a survey of 111 children's librarians in Illinois public libraries which gathered data on educational preparation, job histories, present positions, career choices, opportunities for advancement, and opinions on what others could do to help children's librarians. Ten tables are included, and six references are listed. (MES)

A survey of 125 public library directors in Indiana laid the groundwork for a future study of change in the public library. Data were gathered on the background characteristics of the libraries and directors; directors' perceptions of change; and utilization of formal planning processes. A copy of the questionnaire is appended. (27 references)…

This study applied discrete choice analysis to the modeling of public library use and choice behavior. Five library use models and two library choice models were estimated from data obtained by a citizen survey in Kashiwa City, Japan. A library choice model was applied to predicting users' library choice under alternative library policies. (17…

This study used a sampling of empirical data from public libraries to examine organizational characteristics (i.e., specialization, horizontal differentiation, vertical differentiation, professionalism, administrative intensity, organizational slack, and organizational size) and performance levels of three groups of organizations delineated…

A study of the information world of custodial workers at a large university in the South revealed: (1) information needs in the areas of health, career opportunities, and interpersonal relationships; (2) little information exchange among workers; and (3) little use of the public library. The interview schedule is appended. (51 references) (MES)

Outlines the general techniques of Guttman scale analysis and briefly describes its uses in social science research. To illustrate the potential application to library science, a Guttman scale of restrictiveness in dealing with overdue books is developed and data from a 1986 survey of public libraries are fitted into the scale. (23 references)…

Describes a study that used survey questionnaire and case study methodologies to compare proportional relationships among services to children, teenagers, and adults in California public libraries during fiscal years 1977-78 and 1982-83. It is concluded that the findings both support and refute the belief that youth services received limited…

Provides background on public library standards and state aid to public libraries, and reports results of a 1986 survey of Illinois public libraries which explored the relationship between state standards and the per capita grant program. The questionnaire and survey data are appended. (six references) (MES)

Interviews with public library nonfiction book users gathered data on: (1) subject content of the book; (2) book selection; (3) how much of the book was read; (4) use of the information; (5) success in finding information; (6) features of the book used for finding information; and (7) demographics on library use. (12 references) (MES)

Reports on a survey of Ontario public library users and university students about the work of librarians and lawyers. Results in the following areas are discussed and compared for lawyers and librarians: perceptions of the work done; salary estimates; prestige; intelligence; and percentage of males in the field. (16 references) (MES)

Argues that semiotics, the science of signs, provides a suitable research tool for investigating the communication process in public libraries. Literature review identifies research using semiotic methods, as well as communication research in public librarianship that would have profited from semiotics, as a first step toward understanding the…

Applies the resource dependence approach from open systems theory and the negotiated social order perspective to discussion of nine directors of four California public libraries between 1977 and 1989. Topics addressed include the libraries' communities and financial positions, the impact of Proposition 13, the changing environment, negotiation…

Report on survey of 160 public libraries highlights characteristics of libraries involved in literacy education, incentives and barriers, services provided, populations served, library staff, materials and equipment, library participation in cooperative literacy efforts, and budget and funding sources. A recommended approach to library involvement…

Develops a conceptual model which places public library use in the context of a series of interrelated decisions made by consumer about allocating time to various activities based on relative costs and benefits, and tests the model against available data on the characteristics of public library users. Seventeen references are included. (EJS)