The separate undergraduate library was originated to provide students with the same quality of library services as are available in a good liberal arts college library. This paper deals with how reference librarians have used this opportunity to provide reference services for the undergraduate student. The major emphasis is on case studies of…

A project team was commissioned to gather information which could be used by the Reference Standards Committee of the American Library Association in their development of standards for library reference services. The metropolitan Atlanta area was selected because it includes in an accessible geographical area the entire range of types of…

A study to determine which reference works are most widely held, the age breakdown of reference holdings, and the relationship between size of school and size of reference holdings in a sample of schools with centralized media programs in Illinois. (Author/LS)

This 1974/75 survey with a follow-up study in 1980 assembles data on the management and use of vertical file (VF) collections in the 18 libraries of the City University of New York. Results of questionnaires sent to 188 reference department heads or reference librarians show that the sizes of the VF collections studied range from 1,000 to 79,000…

In order to measure the effectiveness of its libraries, the City of London Polytechnic Library and Learning Resources Service surveyed its users and compared the results with a study completed the previous year (1973). Tables and statistics have been provided for: number, type, status, and academic department of users; frequency of use;…

Presents an annotated bibliography of 33 reference items--including several CD-ROM products--published during 1991-92 that were recommended by librarians. Materials are listed in the following areas: general works; business, science, and technology; fine arts; history and genealogy; medicine and health; and social sciences and humanities. A…

Although a nationwide survey of genealogical services in libraries relates problems of limited budgets and trained personnel, it emphasizes that local genealogists' support can be valuable asset to libraries. Growth of interest in genealogical research is continuing phenomenon with which reference librarians will be expected to deal. Forty-three…

A survey of the reference departments of public libraries in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah was conducted to determine whether CD-ROM products are being used in routine reference work. Previous literature on CD-ROM had primarily been concerned with the response to and acceptance of the technology by patrons. A stratified sample of public…

Presents preliminary results of Clearwater Public Library's study of the usefulness of "Output Measures for Public Libraries" as an indicator of reference performance, and the impact of collection development choices on reference output measures. Data on turnover rate, in-library use, reference fill rate, and reference transactions per…

Discusses integration of the government publications reference collection into the central reference collection at the University of Arizona library. Topics include the integration process, training methods, the training program effectiveness survey, perceptions of competence in reference provision, and an assessment of government documents…

Participants in a workshop on the ethics and problems of medical reference service in public libraries generally concluded that people have a right to information concerning health and librarians should rely on common sense in answering medical reference questions and refrain from interpretation and diagnosis. Presentations included a report on a…

This survey to determine how the library resources in the Buffalo-Niagara area might be utilized in a regional Reference and Research Library Resources (3R's) system studied: (1) area library resources, (2) strength of the libraries at the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo) and the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library…

Reports the results of an informal survey of reference librarians in large and medium-sized public and academic libraries who were asked how they kept up-to-date on reference materials and techniques. The roles of professional reading, staff meetings, staff information sharing, and conferences and workshops are discussed. (Author/JL)

For this kit, 119 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) academic libraries were surveyed to identify: (1) the practices in the area of information desks; (2) information desk staffing; (3) information desk functions; and (4) their relation to the other service points within the particular library. Responses were received from 87 libraries, some…

Users of the reference library at Blackhawk Community College (Illinois) were surveyed to determine user satisfaction and the total number of transactions. The survey's objective was to pinpoint problem areas, supply objective information, develop guidelines and standards, and support needed improvements or the continued maintenance of good…