This 16-article issue focuses on history, policy, services, users, organization, evaluation, and automation of the archival reference process. Collections at academic research libraries, a technical university, Board of Education, business archives, a bank, labor and urban archives, a manuscript repository, religious archives, and regional history…

Describes the development of the Suffolk Cooperative Library System's live, online chat reference service, a pilot project for public libraries in Suffolk County (New York). Topics include chat software selection; a virtual reference collection; marketing; funding; staffing; evaluation; expanded hours of service; email; and extracting data from…

Seven articles on library reference services highlight reference obsolescence in academic libraries, major studies of unobtrusive reference tests, methods for evaluating reference desk performance, reference interview evaluation, problems of reference desk control, online searching by end users, and reference collection development in…

Institutional library services for staff and residents are examined for agencies within the Department of Institutions, Colorado State Library. Data about use, library and audiovisual services, user satisfaction, facilities, staff, and budget were collected through several questionnaires: an open-ended, preliminary questionnaire; institutional…

Data from a research project on the value and impact of public library book reading have provided insights into the role of the public library in the reading experience. The principle of equity of access was seen as crucial, in that it provided everyone with the opportunity to encounter reading material. Respondents also compared the buying and…

Emphasizing public, school, and academic libraries, the book provides information on library and information services for Hispanics. Topics of the 10 chapters include: the geographical distribution and concentrations, attitudes, and pertinent sociocultural factors of Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and Latinos; assessment of an Hispanic…

In the United States there are 15 to 20 independent research libraries designed to provide the corpus of records necessary to intellectual inquiry in one or more disciplines, in dimensions as complete as possible, and with the optimum provision of scholarly apparatus and physical convenience. The rare nature of much of the collections of these…

To ascertain whether libraries are providing materials, services, and programs to their Spanish-speaking communities, a 26-item questionnaire was mailed to 37 public library directors in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. Thirty-one completed questionnaires were returned, yielding a response rate of 81%. The majority of libraries were found…

THE BASIS FOR A QUESTIONNAIRE SENT TO LIBRARY DIRECTORS IN 198 PUBLIC JUNIOR COLLEGES WAS A LIST OF 10 CRITERIA--(1) THE LIBRARY PROGRAM REFLECTS THE COLLEGE CURRICULUM, OBJECTIVES, AND FUNCTIONS. (2) CONTINUOUS EVALUATION OF THE LIBRARY IS PROVIDED BY APPROPRIATE TECHNIQUES AND MEASURES. (3) THE LIBRARY FACILITATES THE FACULTY'S RESEARCH AND…

Examines the roles and structures of several European national lending systems to find useful models for guiding future developments at home and abroad. Highlights include the current scene, growth of union catalogs, patterns of collection use, new bases for measuring performance, and charting a future course. (18 references) (EJS)

A local model for support of periodic academic program reviews by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (ICHE) has developed and evolved at the Ball State University library. The process of devising a format to systematically report library holdings statistics to support program reviews and other collections development duties began in 1975;…

Outlines development of Alberta Library Services to the Handicapped, formed through a contract signed between Alberta Culture and Calgary Public Library Board. Highlights include four main contract clauses, patron eligibility rules, circulation of talking books, problems, service evaluation, program changes, and a large print book service. Four…

This set of materials assembled by the Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) contains seven examples of general use surveys and eight examples of user surveys on specific topics from a group of major research libraries. Among the items included are (1) a final report on a library user survey…

LIBRARIES OF ALL VIRGINIA INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION WERE INCLUDED IN THIS STUDY. QUESTIONNAIRES AND OBSERVATION WERE USED TO GATHER DATA ABOUT BUILDINGS AND COLLECTIONS, ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT, INTERLIBRARY COOPERATION, EXPENDITURES, AND PERSONNEL. AMONG THE 2-YEAR COLLEGES, (1) EXCEPT FOR THOSE WITH VERY SMALL ENROLLMENTS, CAPACITY…

Based on surveys of library media specialists and teachers, an evaluation was conducted of the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) School Library Resources Program, as operated during the 1982-83 school year. The stated objectives of the program were to demonstrate by June 1983 updating of library media services in 80% of the (public and…