"Research Library Issues" ("RLI") focuses on current and emerging topics that are strategically important to research libraries. The articles explore issues, share information, pose critical questions, and provide examples. This issue includes the following articles: (1) Business Intelligence and Data Visualization with Tableau…

This study employed standard sampling theory to make a study of library book losses, but unlike previously reported studies, the investigators instituted periodic searches for volumes missing after the original search. Over a period of two years and nine months, the original figures were cut by more than 60 percent. (Author)

Estimates are given for the extent of the overlap of the monograph holdings of the Los Angeles and Berkeley campuses with the holdings of other southern and northern campuses. Estimates of the historic usage rates of the overlapped portions of the collections are also given. (Author/PF)

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…

Statistical sampling techniques for the measurement of book readership within libraries are described. The procedures, developed and initially implemented at Rider College, rely upon interviews of book readers inside the library rather than upon such indirect usage measures as which volumes are lift on tables for reshelving, or analyses of user…

A simple means of estimating patron use is described. Over a year's time about 100 observations were obtained which were extrapolated to produce estimates of library use by hour, day of week, month, and university term. (Author)

The paper reviews the research on design and operation of research libraries sponsored by the Purdue University Libraries and the Purdue School of Industrial Engineering. The use of mathematical models in library operations research is discussed. Among the mathematical methods discussed are marginal analysis or cost minimization, computer…