A traditional mixed methods research model of citation analysis, a survey, and interviews was selected to determine if the Bruce T. Halle Library at Eastern Michigan University owned the content that faculty cited in their research, if the collection was being utilized, and what library services the faculty used. The combination of objective data…

This issue of "Research Library Issues" ("RLI") highlights the value of professional failure. The idea to explore this theme emerged from conversations with the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Innovation Lab Advisory Group earlier this year. It is the hope this issue highlights the value of failure--both its necessary…

This manual describes the methods, procedures, techniques, and activities that were used to produce the Academic Library Survey of 2004 (ALS:2004). This manual is designed to provide guidance and documentation for users of the ALS data. Included in the manual are the following: (1) an overview of the study and its predecessor studies; (2) an…

The Brigham Young University Harold B. Lee Library installed a theft-detection system, the "Tattle Tape" system marketed by 3M Corporation, to counteract the theft of items from its collection. This research report describes a study that statistically estimated the loss rate for the entire collection and for various broad classes within…

A study examined the error rate of the "University of California Union Catalog Supplement," a 47 volume, computer produced book catalog of the materials cataloged by the nine University of California campuses during the years 1963-67. The study attempted not only to determine the rate and nature of errors, but also to develop a…

Presents results of study which examined interlibrary loan requests received at University of West Florida to ascertain whether books that other libraries could normally be expected to buy were being requested, and how many books in "high-use" areas were being requested by other libraries. Conclusions and recommendations are included. (3…

Treasures await students and researchers on the shelves of libraries and archives across the country, but unfortunately they often remain unknown to the "modern" researcher who limits his/her research to using the Internet. The process of physically going to the library stacks and browsing the shelves in a subject area is on the decline…

The purpose of this study was to determine if a correlation existed between the classes of books checked out of the San Antonio College Library and the classes of books used in the Library. Data for out-of-library and in-library use were collected during February, 1978, and arranged by Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) tens. By using the Pearson…

A two-week library unit of an introductory history course is profiled. The purpose of the unit is to familiarize the students with both the general and specialized resources available to them. (DH)

Through utilization of effective sampling procedures, libraries may obtain substantial savings in terms of data collection costs. A theoretical statistical sampling model is presented and two types of random sampling techniques are empirically compared as to their effectiveness in estimating a library usage parameter. Implications are drawn for…

Graphic novels are a blending of words and art in which the illustrations bear the same relationship to the text that a film carries to its screenplay. The hypothesis of this research is that, as a new form of literature, graphic novels will display inconsistent cataloging. Methodology consisted of searching the titles generated from Bowling Green…

In order to determine the extent of loss due to theft of books and bound journals from the main stacks of Doe Library, three types of inventories were conducted: a volume count, an item-by-item inventory of the D-classed materials, and three sample inventories. Depending on certain assumptions, the results show that losses could range as high as…

Used as a primary text for a required one-hour basic research methods course at the College of Charleston, this handbook is designed to familiarize the student with the basic precepts and tools used in research. Each of the seven chapters represents a different step in the research process: (1) locating background information--encyclopedias; (2)…

A number of sample inventories were conducted to measure the effectiveness of the Tattle-Tape book detection systems used in the Moffitt Undergraduate Library and the General Reference Services area of Doe Library, and to establish baseline data for missing materials in four branch libraries (Education-Psychology, Engineering, Environmental…

Because instruction in library search strategies is often neglected in social work education, about 75 major social work and social science textbooks were reviewed and divided into 3 groups by the amount of coverage of library research skills. Strengths and weaknesses along with suggestions for a model orientation to library use are provided. (EAM)