This study presents and analyzes the findings of a 2012 survey of member libraries belonging to the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) about publishers' large journal bundles and compares the results to earlier surveys. The data illuminate five research questions: market penetration, journal bundle construction, collection format shifts,…

The relatively high use rates and program attendance highlight the public value provided by local libraries at a time of dramatic economic, technology, and demographic change. The Public Libraries in the United States Survey is one important way of examining when, where and how library services are changing to meet those needs. The data, supplied…

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…

The variable" loan and duplication policy which was developed is described and also the considerable impact of implementation. The work is presented as a case study in library O.R. The great importance of analyzing the structure of problems is stressed and the nature and usefulness of models is described. (9 references) (Author/NH)

Describes a project designed to improve services to library users by solving, through application of operations research methods, a complex problem of delivery of library materials in an urban, multisystem library service region. (Author/PF)

This article focuses on storage models for libraries, first considering the Dewey classification system from this perspective and then summarizing more current research carried out under the direction of the author with a grant from the National Science Foundation. (33 references) (Author/NH)

As part of a project designed to construct a mathematical model of the operation of an academic library, a research team determined the usefulness of a quantitative approach to making decisions about the number of copies of each item that a university library should provide. Using the reserve collection of the University of Lancaster Library as a…

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…

A research project is being conducted to construct a mathematical model of the operations of an academic library to be used in making managerial decisions. As part of this project, this report examines Bradford's Law of Scattering and the fall-off of use of documents as they age. A series of mathematical analyses indicate how these two laws can be…

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 instructions provided for carrying out data collection and analysis procedures for library materials, services, and users include sampling techniques. Evaluation methodology is described for determining the probability of a user finding and obtaining a recently published book in a particular library, title and periodical availability, how a…

This study was initiated by the Acting Director of the Division of Technical Services at University of Louisville to examine and analyze the structure of the division and its workflow, use of personnel, and level of productivity. Information on the workflow and structure was obtained from department head workflow charts, statistics indicating the…

This follow-up report combines results from a staff review process and final recommendations of the Acting Director for the reorganization of the Division of Technical Services at University of Louisville in Kentucky. The report is divided into two sections: "Report on Staff Review" and the "Final Recommendations on Reorganization…

This general summary of the results of a library study conducted in Hawaii presents the major findings from the survey of residents, the library staff survey, the government agency survey, and the measurements conducted in five Hawaii libraries. Major recommendations for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of library performance are…

This task force report examines the University of Wyoming's current allocation practices, the allocations themselves, and the expenditure process according to how effectively they support the university library's collection development goals. Individual aspects of the current allocation process are reviewed, including the university budget…