The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not the reference interview is essential in the provision of public library reference service. A survey questionnaire was mailed to 125 small and medium sized public libraries throughout Ohio. The survey was administered in the spring of 1994 with a response rate of 56%. Respondents were asked…

This overview traces the history of storytelling, outlines the development of storytelling in public libraries, discusses some contemporary master storytellers, presents some current practitioners of the craft, explores the controversy between the traditional and multimedia methods of storytelling, and surveys American Library Association (ALA)…

The annotated bibliography on library services for the disabled contains 327 items including books, articles, and audiovisual materials, published or listed from January 1977 through June 1979. The bibliographical entries are organized into seven broad sections, each with an introduction to section contents: overview of library services to the…

This qualitative study of expectations for and outcomes of practicums in library and information science had four aims: (1) to discover whether faculty, host librarians, and students had the same objectives; (2) to ask students what they experienced in the practicum and compare this to their previously stated expectations; (3) to assess the…

The purpose of this study was to examine what role information science courses play in the library and information science master's programs. The current course offerings of the 50 American Library Association accredited schools in the United States were analyzed by designated categories to determine the percentages of: traditional library science…

With reference to Frances Smardo's proposal in the late 1970s that librarians who work with preschoolers be trained in the competencies required to serve their young patrons, a survey was conducted to investigate current trends in services offered to preschool children, and the training in early childhood education received by librarians involved…

The paper examines and describes the development, trends, and current status of education for librarianship in Brazil against the background of the contemporary library scene and the system of higher education in general, focusing on the development of the 30 undergraduate and six post-graduate library programs in existence today. The master's…

This study examines continuing education and professional development of 210 health sciences librarians affiliated with 70 academic medical libraries in the United States, which has the most advanced system of education in librarianship in the world. Of the 102 respondents, the largest categories were library directors/administrators and public…

Ten randomly-chosen U.S. American Library Association (ALA) accredited programs which grant the first professional degree in library and information science (LIS) were studied to determine to what degree, and in what manner, 15 information technologies (ITs) based on computers have been incorporated into the curricula. The method of study included…

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;…

This paper analyzes the job advertisements that appeared in "MLA News" (a publication of the Medical Library Association) from January 1991 through December 1991. It replicates two earlier studies, in 1977-78 and 1986, and compares results. Each of the 179 job advertisements for 1991 was studied for: (1) administrative level; (2) area of…

The experience of novice users searching SilverPlatter's ERIC CD-ROM on the Macintosh was studied. Ten students from an introductory master's level course in library and information science were recruited as volunteer subjects. Subjects were asked to complete a search on the ERIC CD-ROM; and data were collected via observations, a think-aloud…