U.S. strength in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines has formed the basis of innovations, technologies, and industries that have spurred the nation's economic growth throughout the last 150 years. Universities are essential to the creation and transfer of new knowledge that drives innovation. This knowledge moves…

In this study, students' use of a new educational Web portal was evaluated with particular emphasis on searching and browsing strategies. The effects and implications of a federated search system are also discussed. Fifty-four students, ranging from 5th to 12th grade, were given five tasks to complete using the SchoolRooms interface. The tasks…

Educational improvement through data-based decision-making using high-quality data is a longstanding goal of policymakers and practitioners, and ensuring the quality of the evidence available to inform such decisions is a key part of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The evidence-based education that such initiatives promote involves the…

University CIOs and their municipal counterparts will need to ensure that broadband systems provide plenty of bandwidth for hundreds of different devices used by thousands--and perhaps even millions--of users. Some university WiFi networks are already clogged with too many users. Moreover, universities must somehow provide wireless network access…

In the interest of providing accountable and responsive service, the Columbus Public Library undertook a survey of business community use of the library's Business and Technology Division. The survey was directed at manufacturing, service, professional, trade, and retail firms in the central Ohio area. A one-page questionnaire was devised to…

Local genealogical societies and libraries have a common interest in providing genealogical researchers with materials and expert assistance. Societies and libraries can cooperate to meet genealogists' needs in several ways: (1) collection development, access, and creation; (2) indirect reference service (societies as a referral resource; (3)…

Patterns of communication among residents of a predominantly rural county in Ohio were analyzed in 1975 to examine behavioral and attitudinal patterns regarding mass communication systems, and to test the extent to which variations in attitudes toward mass media were a function of variations in socio-economic and demographic characteristics.…

With Project Aurora, the Elyria, Ohio, Public Library tested an alternative form of library extension, as possibly more effective and economical than a branch or bookmobile. Between July 1970 and June 1972, four nonprofessional library representatives made monthly visits to homes, to provide books, to stimulate interest in the library, and to…

Little is known about the information needs and information-seeking strategies of dance professionals. Dance, an interdisciplinary subject that draws from music, theater, and anatomy and physiology, among other disciplines, has only recently begun to be taken seriously as an academic discipline. This preliminary study explores the extent to which…

The State Criminal Justice Telecommunications (STACOM) project has developed techniques for the identification and analysis of user requirements and designs for networks for the dissemination of criminal justice information on a state-wide basis. Techniques developed for user requirements analysis include methods for determining data required,…

An attempt was made to assess Ohio public school libraries in terms of their facilities, equipment, materials, services, operations, and leadership. A review of the literature relevant to school library services was made. In addition, interviews were conducted with people knowledgeable in the library field. The questionnaires were sent to…

This study surveyed the membership of the Ohio Prospect Research Network to ascertain where prospect researchers get most of the information necessary to perform their jobs. It was hypothesized that prospect researchers do not utilize the library, even when the same services or information may be found for free at the library. A questionnaire was…

Objectives of this survey were to: (1) examine existing library conditions, (2) develop library service standards, (3) prepare a long-range plan for library service, and (4) estimate program costs and suggest means for implementing the plan. Survey methods included interviews with library staff and trustees, school personnel, and county and…

Many library communities are establishing various services to cope with increasing demand for consumer health information (CHI). This study was engaged to ascertain what is currently being done by the medical libraries in the Akron-Canton-Youngstown (Ohio) region to provide this type of information, particularly what policies, practices, and…

The 1974 Ohio Governor's Conference on Library and Information Services was the first in a series of meetings mandated by the Long Range Program for the Improvement of Library Services developed by the State Library Board to give citizens a voice in the future of their libraries. Information was gathered on the kinds of libraries--school,…