Twelve scholarly papers and eighteen abstracts comprise the content of the nineteenth annual Brick & Click Libraries Conference, held annually at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri. The proceedings, authored by academic librarians and presented at the conference, portray the contemporary and future face of…

Gathering qualitative information about usage behavior of library Web sites is a time-consuming process requiring the active participation of patron communities. Libraries that collect virtual reference transcripts, however, hold valuable data regarding how the library Web site is used that could benefit Web designers. An analysis of virtual…

Reference librarians often encounter "instrument seekers," library users who need to find a complete psychosocial test, scale, or questionnaire to use or adapt for research or clinical use. This article focuses on the resources that can help to answer these types of questions. Reference books, monographs, journal articles, and online…

Describes what is happening concerning developmental information service guidelines published by the Reference and Adult Services Division (RASD) of the American Library Association (ALA) in 1976 and discusses evaluation guidelines for reference/information services of libraries. (Author/JD)

Procedures for developing quantitative measures of reference service are described. Through individual interviews, researchers compiled a list of 93 activities performed by the staff. Each activity was evaluated by the staff in four categories: importance, interest, complexity, confidence. (JAB)

Despite the frequency with which library reference services are evaluated, there is a dearth of guidelines for the operation and evaluation of reference services. An American Library Association committee investigated the issue and made recommendations for improved reference operations, but the nature of information retrieval is rapidly changing,…

A description of reference service is presented along with a brief discussion of library education, citing the programs of the Interamerican Library School. Suggestions for evaluating reference service in Latin American Libraries are included. (Author/JAB)

University of South Florida librarians developed 1) a library lecture series in which presentations were faculty-initiated and tailored to each situation; and 2) a course to help students develop library skills. A computer analysis of library statistics showed increased student library use since the course has been given. (LS)

This study outlines the types of library service required to furnish quality reference services to state agencies. The services provided by the Oregon State Library were evaluated according to the standards established by the American Library Association. Evaluation of the collection for scope and coverage in subject areas of automation,…

Presents the scope and developmental guidelines for reference and information services in libraries and information centers that have been adopted by the Reference and Adult Services Division of the American Library Association. Services, resources, environment, personnel, evaluation, and ethics of service are the areas covered. Included is a…

In 1976 research was undertaken to assess the progress of the Ohio multicounty cooperative library programs since the authorization by legislation in 1969 of the Area Library Service Organizations (ALSO). This report makes recommendations to assist library development staff and multicounty cooperative project directors to improve planning,…

This commentary is taken from speeches and discussions at (1) Meeting on New York State Library Development, Albany, March 3, 1967, (2) Annual System Conference, Lake Minnewaska, March 30-April 1, 1967, and (3) Meeting of School Librarians and Administrators, New York City, May 15, 1967. Discussions cover the methodology and findings of the…

Provides a framework of topics that should be covered by a policy manual on cooperative reference services. It is organized into sections on mission statement, administration, delivery of services, and evaluation of services, and is intended for use in conjunction with existing RASD (Reference and Adult Services Division) documents. (Author)

Explains conjoint analysis and its use in marketing research and describes an evaluation of reference services in academic libraries that used conjoint analysis to determine user preference regarding the importance of definitiveness of answer, waiting time, service time, number of items found, hours of available service, and cost. (Contains 13…