Distance librarians often do not have the opportunity to engage face-to-face with users of library services. Without this personal interaction, it can be difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of library services in meeting the needs of the distance learners. Distance librarians may not realize it, but most have a wealth of information at their…

University rankings play an increasingly large role in shaping the goals of academic institutions and departments, while removing universities themselves from the evaluation process. This study compares the library-related results of two university ranking publications with scores on the LibQUAL+™ survey to identify if library service quality--as…

An academic library that focuses on delivering a personalized service is examined within the context of the boutique library model. It is suggested that a critical success factor in adopting a personalized, boutique-style service is acquiring knowledge and insight of our users. This, together with appropriate evaluation, will assist with providing…

After providing access to over 100 video interviews conducted by a professor with notable entertainers and personalities from film through an institutional repository, an experiment was conducted to discover whether a larger audience could be gained by adding a subset of 32 of these videos to YouTube. The results, over 400,000 views, indicate that…

This article reports on a project which was undertaken in 2006 to investigate the current modes and methods for delivering reference services in Australian academic libraries. The project included a literature review to assist in providing a definition of reference services as well as a snapshot of statistics showing staff and patron numbers from…

This article outlines a pilot project to offer a personalized online library service to Open University MBA alumni. A review of the literature and results of a desktop analysis of other UK Higher Education alumni library services are included. Content procurement and systems issues are considered along with the underlying organizational, resource…

Describes a book availability study using the ACCESS retrieval and delivery system for the evaluation of library services. (CWM)

The author examines the evolution of the current Australian demographic and its implications for the delivery of public library services. The "baby boomers", the generation born between 1946 and 1961, are the next cohort to be seriously in need of housebound services, and the characteristics and likely needs of this group are considered…

Describes a particular approach to a library problem: the utilization of computer simulation to provide data on how best to serve the citizens of the state of Washington through delivery of library materials by mail, with patrons ordering from a printed catalog of materials. (Author)

This second part of an analysis of scientific and technical information (STI) services in Australia considers their development in the context of discipline formation in information management. The case studies used are the STI services from Part I. A case study protocol is used to consider the extent to which the development of the services may…

The University Library System at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus, is a decentralized system of 35 libraries spread over 3 campuses in 2 cities. This study evaluated the performance of two libraries in the system--Walter Library and the Institute of Technology Libraries--that provide document delivery services to assist faculty…

This study focuses on college and university library services provided to distance education students and a content analysis of library Web sites. The Web sites chosen were categorized by the amount of distance education the institution offered to students. Results indicated that the size of the institution had the strongest correlation to library…

On-campus networked personal computer (PC) usage at La Trobe University Library was surveyed during September 2005. The survey's objectives were to confirm peak usage times, to measure some of the relevant parameters of online PC usage, and to determine the effect that 24 new networked PCs had on service quality. The survey found that clients…

A comprehensive survey of the faculty members and graduate teaching assistants at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), was conducted in April 1987 with a response rate of over 75% (N=1,275). The purpose of the questionnaire--a product of discussions with the Faculty Senate Library Committee and library and campus administrators--was to…

The easiest link for libraries to establish in relation to the learning society is the direct managerial link that many have with educational institutions. Libraries in schools, colleges, and universities of all kinds are significant parts of the education enterprise. They become more so when the emphasis of education shifts to independent…