This empirical research examined scale economies of academic research libraries and developed a total cost function for estimating economies of scale. Suggests that libraries in general, and academic research libraries in particular, are information provision organizations that provide multiproducts and multiservices. Findings indicate that slight…

Examines the economic behavior of academic research libraries, arguing that academic research libraries seek to maximize universities' utility by expanding library collections. Findings are consistent with those from a previous study using a different ranking system and sample data and reconfirm that library collections contribute significantly to…

Librarians at Harvard University have written the most comprehensive guide to selecting research collections for digitization. This article applies the Harvard Model to a digitization project at Indiana University in order to evaluate the appropriateness of the model for use at another institution and to adapt the model to local needs. (Contains 7…

Offers definitions for four general categories of research--practical, bibliographical, scholarly, scientific--and discusses connections of research to librarianship, the introduction of scientific research methodology in librarianship, activities related to scientific research, users of research, faculty status, professional organizations and…

Discusses the library standards--"Guidelines for Two-Year College Learning Resources Programs"--as approved in 1972 by three national associations, highlighting addition of quantitative standards in 1979, review in 1981, utilization for research studies, role in accreditation process, and use for statewide planning. A 28-item…

Standard collection evaluation techniques appear to receive varying amounts of emphasis from one type of library to another. Differences in choice of technique arise from differing evaluation objectives, and choice of questions to be answered is determined by purpose(s) of library and additional factors (i.e., governance, clientele, size). (97…

Discusses the results of a nationwide survey (57 survey questions) of academic libraries that investigated fund-raising programs, including personnel involved; goals and costs of fund-raising; library donors, friends, and advisory groups; priorities; and factors of success, including involvement of the director and time on task. A copy of the…

Examines current experience and trends in the roles, functions, and activities of today's library directors, based on a survey of directors of large libraries or library systems. A shift in roles, functions, and activities from predominantly internal affairs to an increasing emphasis on external concerns, including technological, economic, and…

Reviews efforts by academic research institutions to capture and preserve archival records of American labor institutions, focusing on a recent project to assess the state of labor archives efforts and the challenges facing union officials and labor archivists. Describes the Labor Archives Project (LAP), including the research methodology and…

This study applied an analytical technique called Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to calculate the relative technical efficiency of 95 academic research libraries, all members of the Association of Research Libraries. DEA, with the proper model of library inputs and outputs, can reveal best practices in the peer groups, as well as the technical…

The rationale for using Activity-Based Costing (ABC) in a library is to allocate indirect costs to products and services based on the factors that most influence them. This paper discusses the benefits of ABC to library managers and explains the steps involved in implementing ABC in the user services area of an Australian academic library.…

Examines the current international economic disruption and its effect on scholarly and academic communities, including a shift in donor philosophy. Considers how academic and cultural institutions are reevaluating traditional areas of support; discusses implications for research libraries, including special collections; and offers suggestions for…

Examines indicators of quality in academic and research libraries, especially community college libraries. Topics include standards of the Association of College and Research Libraries; standards of the business community, including Total Quality Management; quality management as systemic change; impediments to quality; and information literacy.…

Looks at a seminal article by Arthur McAnally and Robert Downs on the changing role of the university library director to determine whether the changes they outlined in 1973 are still valid. Additional sources of strife for university library directors are described, and requirements for today's library directors are discussed. (Contains five…

Reviews the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) activities regarding special collections. Highlights include local and collaborative approaches; budget pressures; access to special collections; digitization programs; recruiting qualified staff; results of a survey of ARL special collections; and the need for ongoing statistics for special…