Libraries are spending an increasing amount of money on acquisitions and an expanding portion of these expenditures is for microforms. It behooves the acquisitions librarian to be aware of changes and developments in microforms and to interpret what effect they will have on acquisitions. (50 references) (Author/SJ)

This study, conducted at a separate serial card catalog in a major research library, measures the success of more than 400 patrons in the retrieval of serials. Patron interviews supplement data analysis to determine approaches, success rate, and underlying reasons for success or failure. An appendix includes the survey questionnaire. (Author/RAA)

Findings of study of online searchers' self-supported behaviors and attitudes indicate that: there are wide individual differences among online searchers in attitudes and behaviors; searchers from academic institutions differ from counterparts in other library settings; experience appears to be positively related to flexible, trial-and-error…

This essay addresses issue of uniformity or consistency in application of subject headings--as distinct from consistency among headings--to books on any given topic. Discussion covers purpose of subject headings or descriptors, reliability of choices made by catalogers when assigning subject headings, and card and online catalogs. (18 references)…

A survey of 430 users of online catalog at Ohio State University Libraries found that most users are undergraduate students (68 percent) and that majority (95 percent) choose online catalog as first source of information. Fewer performed known-item searches and success rates were generally higher than reported in earlier studies. (8 references)…

Analyses of the success-failure rates and user reactions using four public access online systems indicate that users overwhelmingly preferred the online to manual systems. Improved subject access emerged as the salient feature requiring improvement. Seven references are included. (Author/RAA)

Suggests improvement to online catalogs based on a 2 1/2 year study of patron search patterns. Preliminary findings indicate significant differences in search strategies and suggest that these strategies and the reasons patrons choose them should be important factors in the design of future online catalogs. Fourteen references are included.…

This examination of misunderstandings between librarians and teaching faculty over concepts of library use and research concludes that library skills and research skills are essentially different things that can be learned in isolation from each other. Implications of these findings for bibliographic instruction and library policies are discussed.…

In-person interviews were conducted with 147 randomly selected students to study usage of microfiche serials holdings list to determine accessibility and retrievability of periodical issues housed in four separate locations in California Polytechnic State University Library. Results showed that 80.6 percent of students were successful in their…

Describes how group of end users (engineering undergraduates) at Chalmers University of Technology were trained to perform interactive online searching on BYGGDOK, a small, specialized Scandinavian database. Goals and objectives of the instruction, teaching methods, evaluation, and comparison of searching between end users and intermediaries are…

A computerized presentation explaining how to use the library online catalog (NOTIS) was produced at Texas A&M University. A study using students in first-year composition courses verified that students who viewed the presentation were able to use the online catalog more effectively than those who did not, especially for subject searching. (12…

Compares the impact of manual and online search methods on the interdisciplinary search task in terms of relevance of retrieved items, user effort, user satisfaction, user confidence, and future use. The study, using the Kuhlthau model, focused on journalism classes researching judicial decisions relating to mass media. (31 references) (Author/KRN)

Results of study on patron information retrieval success and patron use patterns at Ohio State University show that 90 percent of online users preferred online to card catalog; 64 percent of those who tried online catalog switched to it; and patrons used the online more than the card catalog. References are provided. (EJS)

Discusses the need for library science to examine users' search behaviors in the context of social cognition and creative problem solving. Topics covered include the psychology of search behavior, problem solving approaches to library instruction in online searching, and problem solving protocols. (29 references) (CLB)

Discusses the incorporation of CD-ROM technology into Georgia State University's William Russell Pullen Library, and considers its impact on reference services and bibliographic instruction. Concludes that technology increases the need for critical thinking skills, faculty-librarian interaction, and human resources for reference and technical…