The value of research to library and information science (LIS) practice and the need to build a culture of research within the profession are well documented. Research informs decision-making, supports strategy and planning, and ensures that LIS services remain relevant to changing community needs. Yet a vibrant research culture is present in only…

This review offers a critical analysis of the library and information science (LIS) literature on first-generation students (FGS) from the last 40 years. This literature demonstrates an interest in understanding the needs of FGS to serve them better, but it is often grounded in a deficit model of education that focuses on what first-generation…

Since the late 1970s, the access services librarian or equivalent position has become commonplace in academic libraries, and degreed professionals have been sought for these positions since the beginning. In 2009, David McCaslin, California Institute of Technology, examined the place of access services in American Library Association-accredited…

Issues 266 through 282 of "Fast Facts" from the Library Research Service present data collected from libraries in Colorado and throughout the nation. Topics addressed in these "Fast Facts" from 2009 include interlibrary loan in academic libraries, public librarian salaries, book, newspaper, and periodical prices from 2004 to…

This review of the 1987 journal literature on descriptive cataloging covers (1) description codes and research; (2) authority control; (3) cataloging operations; (4) special topics, including contract cataloging, copy cataloging, retrospective conversion, and preservation; (5) catalogers; and (6) education. (67 references) (MES)

The newness of a field which librarians are trying to identify and relate to their own concerns and activities is reflected in this paper. It explains the field's research methods and gives examples, as well as discussing its identification and proposing a series of new definitions. In so doing, it is much indebted to the Bereday, Simsova, and…

Six decision-making steps of the reference process were isolated through development of a model reference query. Instructional modules for each of the steps are described. The program is suitable for library school students or library paraprofessionals. (JAB)

This essay analyzes and explains the movements, events, and influences that made distinctive contributions to the development of education for librarianship between 1919 and 1939. Special attention is given to the proposals of Charles C. Williamson, Emma Baldwin, and Ernest J. Reece. Also considered are the activities of the Committee on Library…

Discussion of information literacy focuses on a study conducted by the Information School of the University of Washington that surveyed librarians in the state through mail, email, telephone, and focus groups, concerning their views on information literacy. Discusses implications for education and training needs of librarians. (Author/LRW)

According to its President, the Association's achievements during the year were hampered by the change in Government, financial cutbacks, price increases, and job shortages for qualified librarians, but its membership continues to grow and its activities continue to diversify. Other topics covered in the report include the public lending right;…

THE PURPOSES OF THIS STUDY WERE (1) TO IDENTIFY RESEARCH PROBLEMS IN SCHOOL LIBRARIANSHIP, (2) TO INDICATE THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF THE PROBLEMS AND NEEDS IDENTIFIED, AND (3) TO SEARCH FOR AND COMMENT UPON EXISTING RESEARCH IN THE FIELD. OPINIONS ON THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH NEEDS AND PROBLEMS WERE GATHERED THROUGH QUESTIONNAIRES SENT…

Surveys available literature and offers suggestions for future study concerning the academic librarian's responsibility to demonstrate competence in research and publication. Publication in librarianship and other disciplines, role of professional education, relationship with other academic realms, and performance within the library are…

Discusses the importance of historical studies for librarians and how knowledge of the past contributes to the research base. Social science and historical perspectives on library research are considered; and hypothesis testing, the study of causality, and the history of information practices are examined. (Contains eight references.) (LRW)