With the rise in the number of types of digital media and the time youth spend on these platforms, researchers theorize that interacting with digital media can provide significant motivation for youth to participate, create, and become active learners. The Consortium on Chicago School Research, with funding from the John D. and Catherine T.…

This report is a part of Phase I of the Detroit Metropolitan Library Project and contains suggestions for methods and procedures for Phases II and III of the Project in which patron use and costs of patron services at the Main Library are to be measured. The report includes recommendations for new instruments for measuring patron use and…

This report describes a study which was made by the Central Library of Rochester Public Library to determine how Central could best serve the needs of young adults and encourage them to be library users after financial cutbacks forced the closing of their Teen Lounge. Data were gathered in the period from August 1977 to May 1978 through staff…

Results of this study evaluating library reference service indicate a statistically significant difference at the .05 level between obtrusive and unobtrusive evaluation methods. Library staff answer a greater proportion of questions correctly when they are aware of being evaluated. The 30 questions used, a report form, and references are included.…

Argues that semiotics, the science of signs, provides a suitable research tool for investigating the communication process in public libraries. Literature review identifies research using semiotic methods, as well as communication research in public librarianship that would have profited from semiotics, as a first step toward understanding the…

This 1982 survey of adult users in small public libraries provides statistical data on current and future user patterns in relation to youth services program. Details on method and library sample, reasons for public library use, children of library users, and the case for youth services are covered. (5 references) (EJS)

Discusses areas needing revision in the manual "Output Measures for Public Libraries," i.e., measurement objectives, research skills of output measures users, management versus research contexts, relating inputs to outputs, problems in data collection, user versus library performance, sample sizes, interpretation of output measure…

The recent demand for more accountability from public libraries has made it essential that true cost-benefit analysis be applied to their operations. The authors developed a cost-benefit analysis methodology and applied it to five large public library systems. This article describes ongoing research to modify their methodologies to make them…

Describes the process of question referral in California's second-level reference centers where questions are referred by public librarians, and provides examples of questions and sources typical of humanities research. Topics include the varied clientele and the use of databases, reference files, library collections, organizations, special…

Describes the use of focus group interviews by the Iowa City Public Library to determine how the libraries' business services were being used and how they could be improved. Analysis of group suggestions highlights lack of knowledge about library services, differing degrees of perceived ease of use and motivation, and time constraints. (22…

Six Arizona county libraries were chosen to participate in a study to investigate the effect of grants on local library funding support. The criteria set for choice of these libraries were: (1) the county library must be the strongest library in the county, (2) the library must have been chartered as a county library for at least three years prior…

Reports on an evaluation of the higher levels of California's statewide reference referral network that involved an unobtrusive method utilizing existing records of actual reference transactions evaluated by panel of judges. Reference evaluation methods, findings of other studies, and other uses of the method are discussed. (Nineteen references…

This study assesses the impact of a six-session, lecture-discussion, behavior-practice program on basic parenting skills for parents who bring their pre-school children to library story hours at six public libraries using experimental and control groups. Research methodology, discussion of results, and recommendations for librarians are noted.…

Reviews studies that have attempted to measure levels of community library service, and describes the testing of hypotheses related to the impact of public library system development in Wisconsin on community library services. Conclusions about public library service in Wisconsin and the research methodology used are stated. (16 references) (CLB)

Reports experimental results of a study of the cognitive aspects of information retrieval which focused on user interaction with document organization, user-librarian negotiation, and the librarian's search procedure. Related studies, the cognitive viewpoint, and experimental design and analysis methods are discussed. Forty-two sources are listed.…