To better understand health information provision in the public library setting, two cooperative library systems that serve primarily rural populations in upstate New York were studied. The central library in one of those systems established a consumer health information center (CHIC) in 1999. In the other system, the central library does not have…

This article describes how York University analyzed the results from its 2010-11 implementation of the Measuring the Impact of Networked Electronic Services for Libraries survey to measure value of investments in e-resources. The results were assessed through two variables: e-resources used by faculty when carrying out funded and non-funded…

The Western Interstate Library Coordinating Organization (WILCO) received a grant from the United States Office of Education to develop and demonstrate a statistical data base system for library decision makers. The first quarter was devoted to obtaining background information, scheduling, organization, planning, and design. Achievements included…

Summarizes use statistics for the first year of search activity for the Kansas City Libraries Metropolitan Information Network (MINET). Included are databases searched, types of participating libraries, patron status, search systems used, charges, nonpaid searches, and referrals. (SW)

This report describes the multidimensional scaling (MDS) method for interpreting collection overlap based on the number of books held by pairs of libraries in large groups (as many as 100 libraries or more). MDS results for four groups of libraries sampled from the OCLC database are also presented. MDS is described as a class of data-analytic or…

The Southeastern Library Network (SOLINET) Committee on Computer Output Microfilm (COM) is drafting a plan for SOLINET's role in computer catalog production for member libraries. The primary purpose of this report is to record information on microfilm catalog production and utilization. The report presents alternative designs for SOLINET's role in…

Representing both the public and private sectors, members of an ad hoc committee were charged by the Joint Committee on Printing of the U.S. Congress with evaluating the feasibility and desirability of providing access to federal government information in electronic formats to depository libraries. Appointed in May 1983, the committee was asked to…

This report summarizes the accomplishments and activities of the project during the second quarter. An intensive search of the literature continued for data elements, outcome measures, and background information. A great deal of time and effort were devoted to the location, compilation, and comparison of extant data elements employed in collecting…

The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) received a year's grant from the Council on Library Resources to design and develop a library network for 17 western states. During the third quarter, work centered around defining a legal basis, governance structure, role, and appropriate level of program activity for the network.…

Follows development of New England Library Information Network (NELINET) since its 1964 beginning and explores important issues in library network development: economic imperative for cooperative efforts in automation; funding, governance, and organizational structure; and the evolving role of regional networks and their relationship to nationwide…

Discusses results of opinion poll conducted by Library and Information Technology Association of 334 academic, public, government, and corporate libraries concerning authority control in the online environment. Use of authority files on bibliographic utilities, presence of online catalogs, Library of Congress authority records, and comments from…

Describes use of personal computer connected to large, multilibrary bibliographic system (Illinois' Library Computer System network) to model an analysis of record duplication across entire system. The pilot project, compressed records, the test database utilizing records from four libraries, and the matching scheme are discussed. Five sources are…

This design phase study concerning the proposed replication of the DOBIS system for the British Columbia Library Network (BCLN) was conducted to determine the preferred strategy for the transfer and loading of the British Columbia Union Catalogue (BCUC) database currently resident at the University of Toronto's UTLAS system. User and database…

Described are existing components that could be linked together to form a Western Bibliographic Network or could provide products and services for Network members. The components reviewed are: (1) state library agencies, research libraries, state and multistate library networks, and other regional organizations in the 17-state western region and…

A study for assessing automatic vocabulary switching from a thesaurus to Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) revealed that a maximum 61%, but a more realistic 41.5%, of the terms could be switched automatically; as long as LCSH is used for subject descriptions in online catalogs, interfaces for vocabulary switching can only be partially…