Encourages academic library program planning by listing the benefits of such activity and citing sample programs/activities drawn from a survey of college and university libraries in the Southeastern Library Association and from Old Dominion University in particular. (JD)

If librarians from all areas of reference and information service understood their own roles better, then they might feel more capable of fruitful interchange transcending common institutional boundaries. (Author)

Focuses on the methods used by three academic libraries in addressing the question of whether or not to charge users for online searches. (FM)

Categorizes and compares sample of public and academic library reference questions. (KP)

Shares some of the experiences of the University of Florida Libraries' Census Access Program, which has provided print and machine-readable census products to users since 1971. Article anticipates the demand for the new data products of the 1980 census. (Author/JD)

Discusses the evaluation of library instruction through observations of student and faculty at the reference desk of university libraries. Bad effects (guilt, overconfidence, indignation) and good effects (patience, adventurousness, trust) of library instruction are noted, and characteristics of more successful academic library instruction are…

A survey designed to ascertain user expectations and satisfaction with interlibrary loan service was conducted in 1992 of a 20% sample of interlibrary loan users at Middleton Library of Louisiana State University. Findings indicated a high level of user satisfaction. (Author/JKP)

Examines interlibrary loan (ILL) charges for photocopied material at two academic libraries, the University of Arizona and the University of Nevada, Reno. Statistics were reported for separate academic units to determine which were the most active users and which were charged the most, and recommendations are made for dealing with ILL charges.…

Discusses the significance of the reference interview and the need for better communication between Black students and White librarians. Sensitivity and understanding of Black behaviors are recommended as ways of building trust between librarians and students. (52 references) (MES)

Surveys of labor educators and academic librarians, designed to study library usage by participants in labor education, indicate that a lack of communication and understanding exists between the two departments at many institutions. Increased cooperation and library utilization are recommended. Twenty-seven references are listed, and the…

Reviews theory and research findings concerning service organizations, develops a model of the library reference process, and summarizes the results of a partial test of the model in five academic libraries in northern California. The roles of clients and service providers are explored, and variables that influence service outcomes are discussed.…

Results of survey involving 54 U.S. colleges and universities reveal that while 98% of international education offices offered orientation programs for newly enrolled foreign students, only 56% of libraries provided special instruction for this group. Need for programs and suggestions for establishing them are discussed. Questionnaire is appended.…

Argues that reference librarians serve as consultants at the point of interaction as they educate patrons in the use of the online catalog and demonstrate their role in finding and providing information. Specific areas of consultation are discussed as is the relationship of formal instruction to point of use instruction. (10 references) (MES)

Summarizes the results of 11 selected studies of the accuracy of reference services and identifies six modes of failure of reference services. Methods of detecting and reducing failure in each of these modes are then discussed. (17 references) (MES)

Discussion of occupational mistakes focuses on a study of mistakes in reference performance of librarians, paraprofessionals, and student assistants at an academic library. Topics discussed include technical and judgment errors, redefining the reference process, normative errors, instructional goals of the reference staff, and suggestions for…