Surveys play an important role in many library investigations. However, certain recent trends seem to indicate that the survey method is facing growing problems. Some of these problems are discussed on the basis of the author's own experience, and measures for their solution are suggested. (Editor/JB)

A survey on the use of journals at the Soreq Nuclear Research Center Library was conducted to determine whether the allocation of the largest share of the total library budget to journal subscriptions is justified, and which journals are in low use and could thus be discontinued. The findings, including criteria developed for defining core…

Designed to assist library managers in conducting effective cost studies, this document provides a summary of the data for the 81 member libraries which responded to a survey of technical services cost studies conducted by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) in April 1982, and seven reports of such studies. These reports, which range from…

Reports on a content analysis of the literature of special librarianship. Topics include: what is published, subjects covered, research reported, and who is conducting research. Results indicate that less than 20% of the literature reports on research; research that is reported uses less sophisticated methods than general library/information…

The purposes of the Workshop on Measuring the Quality of Public Library Services were to explore attitudes toward service, discuss the many facets of measuring library services and get a close-up view of one particular method of evaluating services: "hidden testing." Informal proceedings of the workshop include: (1) a talk of Ernie DeProspo…

Based on data from two experiments, this article attempts to assess degree to which people differ in interpretations of questions referring to library services and the implications for interpreting survey results. Sources of error in questionnaire research--sampling, response (question interpretation, response decision, category choices)--are…

The main concern is with identifying exemplar user need studies and discussing the possible value of their methodology for a broader range of library services. (Author/MF)

Discussion of the use of surveys as a research tool focuses on the value of library surveys. Two types of surveys are described, the descriptive survey and survey research; and improving the quality of survey research is discussed, including planning, sample size, data collection techniques, and methods of statistical analysis. (18 references)…

Through utilization of effective sampling procedures, libraries may obtain substantial savings in terms of data collection costs. A theoretical statistical sampling model is presented and two types of random sampling techniques are empirically compared as to their effectiveness in estimating a library usage parameter. Implications are drawn for…

This study investigated the construct of effectiveness as it applies to public libraries and developed a methodology that can be transferred to other types of libraries and organizations. The research team began by compiling a list of indicators that are commonly used to gauge library effectiveness within the areas of: (1) services access; (2)…

Users of a search/document delivery service in a large engineering firm were surveyed to determine the amount and relevancy of information received, time saved by using the service, dollar value of information received, number of employees using or seeing the information, and any improvement in the firm's competitive position. (EM)

Categorizes library personnel into three groups by their functions--public services, technical services, and management--and reports the results of a study which compared levels of job satisfaction between these groups. Factors which correlate with job satisfaction or dissatisfaction are identified. (CLB)

Reports results of a pilot study and full survey of preservation/conservation concerns about the non-rare book collections at the Syracuse University libraries. The methodology is described, including physical characteristics of the collections that were examined and statistical analyses used. (CLB)

A total of 343 research articles published in 41 core library journals in 1980 and a further 708 articles cited in a stratified random sample of 100 of the original (source) articles were examined in terms of subject, research methodology, and number of references. Findings were also compared with those of similar studies. It was found that: (1)…

This report presents results from a survey of approximately 165 academic libraries in Alberta, British Columbia, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington, based on 138 responses from 2-year college libraries, 4-year college and university libraries, law school libraries reporting separately, and miscellaneous academic libraries. The survey…