Bibliographic utilities are marketing specially designed hardware and software that permit libraries to patch together automated cataloging, acquisitions, serials control, reference, online public catalogs, circulation, interlibrary loan, and administrative functions. The increasing complexity of the technology is making it more difficult to…

Explored user perceptions of dependability and accuracy of Texas A&M library services through focus groups. Reports user difficulties in locating materials, inaccurate catalog and circulation records, inadequate signage, searching the online catalog, and late notification of interlibrary loan arrivals; and discusses the library's efforts to…

This workbook, meant to be used in a workshop, presents information on and guidelines for automating small libraries: (1) planning for automation; (2) automated system procurement and evaluation; (3) data conversion issues; (4) sample configuration worksheets; (5) sample configuration costs; (6) site preparation; (7) training; and (8) acceptance…

This report describes a survey of 942 California State University, Northridge, (CSUN) library patrons conducted from March 15 through April 15, 1987. The survey was administered by student interviewers who approached patrons exiting the two CSUN libraries and asked them questions from the survey questionnaire. Survey findings are briefly…

Discusses criteria for evaluating school library information services. Highlights include types of services; physical facilities; library usage; circulation statistics; changes due to technology; fill rate, or the percentage of successful searches for library materials; OPAC (online public access catalog) reports; observation; and examining…

Describes an automated storage/retrieval system which is integrated with an online catalog and circulation system at California State University--Northridge as a practical solution to the problems of expanding collections and escalating construction costs. The impact of this system on user services is discussed. (CDD)

Reports results of a 1990 survey of the progress Minnesota school library media centers made toward meeting Information Power guidelines for automating circulation, reference services, and the catalog. Order of automation, relationship between school size and automation, media specialists' satisfaction with new systems, and reasons for not…

A sample of 300 video patrons at the Grandview Heights Public Library (Ohio) was surveyed to determine what information they used from the videocassette container to make their selections. It was expected that knowing what patrons used could help in deciding how much information to enter in bibliographic records for videocassettes. The majority of…

Through descriptions of widely available and helpful sources to find answers about North American Indians, this article highlights some basic library sources such as reference books, reference librarians, electronic indexes, on-line databases, and periodic indexes. In finding books owned by the library about North American Indians, the use of the…

This workbook is designed to introduce the Harvey A. Andruss Library at Bloomsburg University (Pennsylvania) to a novice user. It is one component in a self-paced unit in library instruction which also includes an exercise book and a computerized tour of the library. Chapter 1 is concerned with the orientation of the library and covers its…

Reports measures of the gains in search time and likelihood of success in known-item searches with the Acorn automated catalog at Vanderbilt University. User time and search success are valued in dollar terms to make the measures meaningful for system design choices. (Author/CLB)

Discusses advances in microcomputer and optical technologies and how these technologies are being integrated into library reference work. Topics discussed include training of library reference staff; library bibliographic instruction; CD-ROMs; videodiscs; hypertext; bibliographies; library catalogs, including online catalogs; indexing and…

This report provides the text of four presentations from a joint meeting of the College and University and Special and Institution sections of the Nebraska State Library Association. In the first, "Cooperation among Multitype Libraries," Sherri Dux-Ideus describes the cooperation between Beatrice Public Library and the Beatrice…