Despite the widespread adoption of streaming video by academic libraries, there has been little discussion about how video content is discovered and accessed through the library catalog as compared to vendor platforms. This article explores the current status of video resources in the library catalog to better understand how users find and access…

Discusses a survey undertaken in 1992 to gauge general user response to the online catalog used at a large state university library. A description of the library and its automated system (based on Geac/ADVANCE integrated software), the study methodology, and results are covered. A copy of the two-page survey is appended. (Contains five…

This report presents the results of an experimental study which compared four different advanced retrieval methods for an online catalog to determine which are more efficient, effective, and usable. Conducted with 216 student volunteers from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), the study required access to data for…

This document provides a description of library staff training for keyword/Boolean searching on the library's online catalog, LUIS (Library User Information System), at Indiana State University. A narrative overview describes the circumstances, conditions, and organization of training sessions. Also included are a content outline of the…

This study investigated the use patterns of four CD-ROM systems--Newsbank Electronic Index, SilverPlatter's ERIC and PsycLIT, and Dissertation Abstracts Ondisc--and their print index counterparts in the University of Georgia (UGA) Main Library, which houses collections and provides library services for the humanities, the social sciences, and…

A study of users' keyword searching success and knowledge using the NOTIS online catalog at Indiana State University revealed a low rate of knowledge about keyword searching. Frequency of catalog use, previous online database searching or computer coursework, and library instruction were found to correlate well with search success and keyword…

This report presents the results of a study whose purpose was to determine what automation is present in the library media centers in Georgia secondary schools and how it has been funded. A three-part questionnaire was sent to the media specialists in 50% of the secondary schools in Georgia, which were randomly selected. The analysis of the…

This study evaluated the use of an online catalog by 33 children in the fourth, sixth, and eighth grades. As a basis of comparison, the children's ability to use the card catalog was also evaluated. Touch screen terminals were used to access a CLSI catalog. A specific set of tests was developed to determine if children have the necessary…

This workbook on library skills for psychological research covers: (1) how to look up books by title or author, including an introduction to STARS (the Stony Brook Automated Retrieval System); (2) how to find books by subject using STARS and how to consult the Library of Congress List of Subject Headings; (3) the kinds of informational questions…

Reports prepared by the Louisiana State University (LSU) Libraries Task Force on Electronic Services examine the present level of automated services at the LSU libraries and make recommendations for both long- and short-term plans to handle information in electronic format. The reports, each of which is followed by a list of recommendations, focus…

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…

This study suggests that it is important to study library users' reaction to and satisfaction with the instruction given to them for use of the online public access catalog (OPAC). The objective of this study was to discover the types of instruction that users at the Beavercreek Community Library (Ohio) feel are most useful in learning the OPAC.…

This document is a final report of a study that assessed students' use of the Information Online (IO) computer catalog at the Indiana University at South Bend (IUSB) library, as well as their skills and attitudes related to library use. The 38 participants completed multiple choice and true/false exercises testing their understanding of the IO…

Reports on a study of the information searching behavior of 35 high school students. Problems that the students had searching an online catalog are identified, and implications for instruction are considered. (EAM)

Reports on a study of library skills retention which showed that the inclusion of library exercises and hands-on training in undergraduate and graduate bibliographic instruction programs influences education students' retention of subject matter. Statistics are given for each item on a 24-question pre- and posttest; a copy of the test is appended.…