Each year, from 1982 to 1986, the Library Research Center at the University of Illinois conducted a study called the Index of Quality of Public Library Service. For this study, unobtrusive tests of reference service and book availability were performed annually in Illinois Public Libraries. When the results from rural libraries were compared with…

This study is based on the annual statistics of 35 institutions, all members of the Association of Research Libraries. For 17 of the libraries, the statistics cover 1969-1988; for the rest, they cover 1976-1988. Procedurally, the study parallels both its 1987 ancestor ("Research Library Trends, 1951-1980 and Beyond") and the earlier…

Describes a study that evaluated the determinants of price increases of scientific journals over time from a variety of publishers, disciplines, and countries. It was found that inflation and greater journal length explained most price increases, and that journal prices from commercial publishers increased much more rapidly than those from…

Describes a study that examined changes in the directors of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries from 1970-89. Directors' characteristics are discussed, including gender, previous position held, age, and highest degree; library characteristics are described, including size of collection and expenditures; and literature about…