How does a smaller, fully online academic library offer a wide and deep collection of academic level e-books to its distance learners in a sustainable and affordable way? The State University of New York (SUNY) Empire State College Online Library, with a staff of four, has used demand-driven e-book acquisitions since September 2013. Despite…

Purpose: This study aims to examine the suitability of information systems (IS) success model in the adoption of library 2.0 technologies among undergraduate students in the African context, and focused at the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) of Tanzania. Design/methodology/approach: Based on the IS success model, the…

The contributions in this volume represent a decade of OCLC's user behavior research findings that articulate the need for the design of future library services to be all about the user. Highlights include: (1) People associate the library with books and do not consider the library in relation to online resources or reference services; (2) People…

The major objectives of this study of adult information needs in Indiana were: (1) to gain some understanding of present and future needs of the business and industry, agriculture and labor sectors of Indiana's economy, (2) to determine and evaluate how these sectors now meet information needs and (3) to explore the information-acquiring habits of…

The purpose of this report was to formulate a definition of health science libraries which would allow them to be objects of study. Four general definitions of health science libraries are presented from the viewpoints of: (1) librarians and managers of libraries as institutions, (2) the institutions or administrative units supporting library…

The first of two parts, this article discusses concepts of value and establishes a theory of use-oriented value for information and information services. Examines the notion of value in philosophy, economics, and library and information services; explores the connection between value and relevance; and develops models of information use and…

Reports results of a study which tested a hierarchical model that considers public library use as a function of the user's individual characteristics, awareness of library services, perceived accessibility of the library, perceived ease of use of the library, and use of other nonpublic libraries. Twenty references are cited. (Author/FM)

This report describes implementation and exercising of simulation models for a portion of user behavior in the library setting. The emphasis is on user estimations of timing and convenience factors of service and how these are affected by actual service. The report begins with an oversimplified view of the user and becomes progressively more…

Discussion of the role of academic libraries focuses on a study that proposed and tested a model to explore the use of academic libraries. Investigated service quality factors, resources, and user characteristics, and concludes that use is influenced most by a user's perceived familiarity with the library and its resources. (Author/LRW)

Presents a model that calculates the conditions under which a library may adopt a highly service-oriented online catalog access policy at minimum additional cost. The use of arrival rates, service rates, and queueing calculations to arrive at a cost-effective policy is explained. (Author/CLB)

A simulation study of library-based information retrieval systems is described. Basic models for each of several important aspects are presented: (1) user behavior, emphasizing response to quality and delays in services; (2) the scheduling of services and the organization of the machine-readable files; and (3) the distribution of conventional…

A sample of library-output statistics measuring circulation, reference, and in-library use was collected from 76 libraries and tested for redundancy, correlation, and variation using time-series analysis to test the Relative Fidelity of Measurement Model (RFM). The 275 sample statistics correlated in an unpredicted pattern. Twenty-three sources…

Two parallel streams of work are the subject of this review: (1) the design of a long-range work program and planning process, and (2) the development of analytical techniques which give information about the use of libraries, new or old, and their service areas. The analytical model of library behavior proved illuminating, but is an area of…

Develops a conceptual model which places public library use in the context of a series of interrelated decisions made by consumer about allocating time to various activities based on relative costs and benefits, and tests the model against available data on the characteristics of public library users. Seventeen references are included. (EJS)

Explores the potential impact of imposed query, a new model of information-seeking behavior, on current approaches to library service and system evaluation. Discusses reference service evaluation, user studies, output measures, and relevance as an evaluation tool. Argues that imposed query broadens understanding of the user and of the role that…