The purpose of this study is to look at how the academic library systems office (i.e., an entity or group of entities within a library whose purpose is to oversee the hardware and software systems functions within its electronic automated processes and services for the use of the staff and public) in Ohio has evolved to become a library-wide…

A survey was conducted in those academic and research libraries that are involved in the OhioLINK project to determine their use of approval plans and their budgetary patterns. Written questionnaires were used to collect data in order to examine approval plan use, approval plan and firm order budgeting, and vendor use. Analyses of the responses…

This paper investigates the extent of cataloging backlog in Ohio libraries and methods adopted to reduce such backlog. A review of the relevant literature is made in order to gain insight into the different ways in which the problem has been tackled across the country. Data on the situation in Ohio is collected through survey methodology using the…

This report presents the results of a study the objective of which was to determine how widespread automated acquisitions systems are in North Texas' Association of Higher Education (AHE) libraries and what the characteristics of these systems are. The paper is divided into five chapters. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the paper and an…

This paper identifies the nature and extent of backlogs in OhioLINK libraries, how these backlogs are controlled and managed, and who has knowledge of what is contained in these backlogs. Using survey methodology, data were collected from the heads of cataloging and collection development departments of the OhioLINK libraries through…

Book condition surveys have been conducted in several large research libraries in the United States to determine the extent of book deterioration in those libraries. This paper outlines the steps for conducting a brittle book survey adapted from more comprehensive surveys to assess the extent of paper brittleness of the book collections in a small…

This study on the development of Southern African Third World States' academic libraries embraces three broad areas: (1) the multimedia library; (2) the development of university libraries in the Third World; and (3) the potential usefulness of the multimedia library in the conditions prevailing in the Third World. Searches of the literature on…

A historical overview of the Pontifical College Josephinium and the A. T. Wehrle Memorial Library from 1888 to 1993 is presented. This is the only pontifical college outside Rome, Italy. Pontifical status reverses the tradition of local control by the bishop of the diocese. The college supports a curriculum of liberal arts and the School of…

Library effectiveness--in particular, user satisfaction--is difficult to measure because it is a vague, subjective concept that is different for every person who enters the library. Library assessment traditionally has been measured by: (1) how well it has been meeting its stated goals and objectives; (2) the library processes, which include…

The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics of presently employed documents professionals at ARL (Association of Research Libraries) libraries. A survey covering educational background; continuing education activities; organizational affiliations; documents experience; staffing; type of arrangement of the documents collection;…

A structured questionnaire was mailed to the directors (n=124) of all of the academic libraries belonging to the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) to obtain information on the status of participative management for support staff groups in major research libraries. Thirty of the 69 library administrators responding to the survey report that…

This unobtrusive study conducted at the Brigham Young University Library was designed to determine whether reference questions are appropriately referred by student and paraprofessional assistants. Issues addressed included: (1) the percentage of questions assistants cannot answer themselves that are referred to professionals; (2) the percentage…

Approval plans are widely used in academic libraries to acquire current books soon after publication without time-consuming, costly title-by-title ordering. However, return rates of unselected books to the approval plan vendor are sometimes unacceptably high. Wright State University Library attempted to moderate their high approval return rates by…

Cooperation between different types of libraries to increase ease of patron access was not capable of great strides until the technological advances of the mid-1980s. Writers in the field are reporting increased pockets of activity, but also say that traditional ideas, such as pride of ownership or fear of future results from fixed commitments,…

Concerned with increasing the accessibility of the collection of the Engineering/Math Sciences (EMS) Library at the University of California at Los Angeles through the use of self guidance systems, this practical study focused on the problem context, general library guides, and library signage in reviewing the literature, and conducted a survey of…