This research is a study of demands for books in library circulation systems. Demand data for random samples of books were collected and fitted to various standard distributions. The numbers of demands for collections of books are shown to be Negative Binomially distributed. As is shown, this implies that the numbers of demands for individual…

Argues that library book circulation is a binomial rather than a Poisson process, and that individual book popularities are continuous beta distributions. Three examples demonstrate the superiority of beta over negative binomial distribution, and it is suggested that a bivariate-binomial process would be helpful in predicting future book…

Discusses the purpose of mathematical models and reviews the phases of the modeling process--defining performance, representing the problem, predicting performance, estimating parameters, defining optimization criterion, determining solution, and implementing results. Reviews of book-use, resource allocation, and library network models are…

Addressed to both librarians and systems analysts, this book attempts to apply the analytic methods of operations research and systems analysis to the operating problems of the library. The first part of the book discusses theoretical models with emphasis on the pattern of book use, on its change with time and on the problem of estimating and…

Mathematical models of library operations are presented which describe the amount of use made of resources by a user in a visit, the distribution of book circulation in a collection, the dependence of circulation on time, and the effect of multiple copies on user satisfaction. (9 references) (Author/NH)

Two aspects to be considered in designing a storage system for library materials are: the fraction of the collection which is to be stored; and the criteria to be used for selecting materials for storage. This study demonstrates that for a given selection criterion least-cost storage quantities can be assessed by balancing the large circulation…

This is a study on the operating efficiency of the public library system in Australia. Cost functions have been fitted to library data and the results are interpreted with a view to generating insights into the functioning of the existing library system. An exploratory cost benefit analysis has also been attempted. Activities of libraries have…

THE PROBLEM OF PREDICTING THE PATTERNS OF USE OF LIBRARY MATERIALS IN ORDER TO DECIDE WHICH MONOGRAPHS SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM A MAIN COLLECTION AND PLACED IN STORAGE IS STUDIED IN THIS REPORT. SPECIFICALLY, THE STUDY EXAMINES PREVIOUSLY DEVELOPED MATHEMATICAL MODELS AND DEVELOPS NEW MATHEMATICAL MODELS AND STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES FOR STUDYING THE…

The development of a mathematical model of the Illinois Library and Information Network (ILLINET) is described. Based on queueing network theory, the model predicts the probability of a request being satisfied, the average time from the initiation of a request to the receipt of the desired resources, the costs, and the processing loads. Using a…