The inclusion or not of chat services within Virtual Reference (VR) is an important topic for university libraries. Increasingly, email supported by a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) database is suggested in the scholarly literature as the preferred, cost-effective means for providing university VR services. This paper examines these issues and…

Details the current organization and functions of the various components of the British Library, with the exception of central administration. Included are the library board, reference division, lending division, bibliographic services division, and research and development department. (FM)

A research project sponsored by the Illinois State Library had two goals: to develop a set of mathematical models suitable for predicting the impact of alternative library network policies on network preformance, and to demonstrate through series of case studies that the methodology developed could feasibly be applied to real library networking…

An investigation of the school and public libraries in Newport, New Hampshire was conducted to determine the kinds of cooperation which would lead to the best possible service for users. The following major recommendations were made. First, it was suggested that the Advisory Council on Libraries created for the study, be maintained, and that a…

Eight papers are included in this report of the Preconference Institute on Library Automation, June 1973. Papers addressing automation in user services, cataloging systems, acquisitions systems, and personnel are presented. Other papers focus on a review of the trends in library automation and computer technology, innovative strategies in systems…

Describes a study of secondary school library media specialists in Maine and Pennsylvania that was conducted to establish a baseline of data relating to the use of CD-ROM databases for reference purposes. Topics addressed include database titles; networking; staffing concerns; budget; funding; attitudes toward CD-ROMs; and training and curriculum…

The objectives of the project described in this report were to provide specific, clearly defined options for Arizona libraries to share information and bibliographic resources, propose strategies for implementing the options, and present a phased implementation schedule for implementing them. The report begins with an executive summary which…

A study on information technology and public policy examined relationships among information providers and their clients in order to determine the economic, institutional, and technological factors that are key in deciding how people get the information they need. The research project was conducted to help the National Commission on Libraries and…

Sixteen papers are presented which focus on microforms and data processing in library and information centers. Articles include discussions of cost analysis, decision making and program planning, library automation, information retrieval, indexing, cataloging, and computer services for libraries. (CH)

Twenty-three scholarly papers and twelve abstracts comprise the content of the eleventh annual Brick and Click Libraries Symposium, held at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri. The peer-reviewed proceedings, authored by academic librarians and presented at the symposium, portray the contemporary and future face of…

The potentialities for a reference and research library system which would serve Nassau and Suffolk Counties are examined in this study. The resources available, the needs of various users, and the necessary elements for a viable system, including financial considerations, are assessed. Basic data was obtained from the opinions of users and…

This survey to determine how the library resources in the Buffalo-Niagara area might be utilized in a regional Reference and Research Library Resources (3R's) system studied: (1) area library resources, (2) strength of the libraries at the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo) and the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library…

The New York State Reference and Research Resources Program (3R's) is a statewide program designed to serve the research community by ensuring speedy access to advanced research library materials for students and faculty in institutions of higher education, as well as for research workers in business and industry in the State. The program was…

Research libraries play essential role in the dissemination of both bibliographic and numerical information, including acquisition, processing, cataloging, retrieval, and document delivery. Most functions have been affected dramatically by application of the computer and library services at Massachusetts Institute of Technology that have evolved…

Presents the results of a survey of academic libraries belonging to the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) concerning the availability and accessibility of OCLC (via dedicated or dial access terminals) for use by reference personnel. The methodology of the survey is described and data are presented in five tables. (JL)