Patron-Driven Acquisitions (PDA) is a new model used for e-book acquisition by academic libraries. A key component of this model is to make records of ebooks available in a library catalog and let actual patron usage decide whether or not an item is purchased. However, there has been a lack of research examining the role of the library catalog as…

This article describes a qualitative mixed-method study of students' perceptions of place and space in an academic library. The approach is informed by Scott Bennett's model of library design, which posits a shift from a "book-centered" to a technology supported "learning centered" paradigm of library space. Two surveys…

The 24-hour/5-days-per-week (24/5) model at Belk Library & Information Commons has experienced multiple changes since first implemented in 2006. First the library started small, then expanded, then reduced, and finally expanded again. This article tells the story of a library's 24/5 evolution within the assessment cycle framework, describes…

University College Dublin became the first library in the Republic of Ireland to trial patron-driven acquisition (PDA) as a collection development tool in 2013. A total of 42% of UCD Library's book budget was allocated to the project, which included both electronic and print books. This article describes the twelve month project from the tender…

In response to a charge from the library administration, the Circulation Committee of the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University designed and implemented a thorough assessment of circulation policies. Using multiple assessment methods including surveys, focus groups, and statistical analysis, the committee determined that the…

Introduction: Our aim is to compare the advantages and problems of e-book acquisition identified in research literature to those experienced by two Swedish university libraries. Method: A literature review was used to identify the main issues related to acquisition of e-books by academic libraries. The data for comparison were collected through…

Preservation and conservation of library materials is an important aspect of library and information management. Their importance and necessity are more paramount in countries where resources are limited and libraries need to balance them with the needs of an ever increasing number of students hoping to use them. This article reports on the…

Emphasizes the use of research that is related to library technical services and notes need for research in four general areas--surveys of predominant practice, library operation case studies, development research, and environment status reports. The impact of library research on decision making is also discussed. Two references are listed. (EJS)

The results of a managerial rotation program in a medium-sized academic library reference department are presented. After meeting certain minimal eligibility requirements, librarians in this department take turns on a 2-year cycle serving as head of the department. This case study is used as a model to assess both the advantages and disadvantages…

This second part of an analysis of scientific and technical information (STI) services in Australia considers their development in the context of discipline formation in information management. The case studies used are the STI services from Part I. A case study protocol is used to consider the extent to which the development of the services may…

This study examines the role of the user study as a management tool in academic libraries and proposes a task-oriented survey method to estimate the library clientele's need for documents. Research on work and task-oriented information studies is discussed and applied to the development of a survey instrument. A case study employing the…

Discusses Web site management, rather than design, as it relates to academic libraries. Reviews library literature as well as literature from other fields and presents results from four case studies that investigated staffing, professional rivalries, governing structure, usability studies, staff tool versus public resource, maintenance, and…

Prior to 1997, the University of Oxford in Great Britain had approximately one hundred autonomous libraries with little coordination of services, collection development, or management among them. In that year a new director was hired with the mandate to integrate many of these libraries into one centralized system. Over the past seven years…

Twenty-one sites that have integrated informal departmental collections with library systems were surveyed. Respondents offered recommendations on assessing feasibility, identifying collections, establishing work roles, and choosing centralized versus decentralized approaches for sharing information about departmental collections. Political and…

Findings from informetric research represent an important background resource to add to the mix of information useful for resolving difficult and ongoing problems in specific library environments or information service settings. This paper provides examples of informetric research that can be useful input to decision-making in the field of library…