Increasing demand for biotechnology and biomedical resources prompted the Engineering Library at the University of Colorado at Boulder (UCB) to complete a collection assessment of the journals, books, and other resources provided by the University Libraries. This paper presents a variety of methods for evaluating library collections and describes…

The purpose of this study was to examine teacher screening and selection tools currently being utilized by public school districts in Pennsylvania and to compare these tools to the research on qualities of effective teachers. The researcher developed four research questions that guided her study. The Pennsylvania Association of School Personnel…

The Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR) is one of the most widely used social desirability scales. The authors conducted a reliability generalization study to examine the typical reliability coefficients of BIDR scores and explored factors that explained the variability of reliability estimates across studies. The results indicated…

A periodical database was searched to investigate the occurrence of favorable and unfavorable book reviews to determine the role of reviews in library selection. Compares book reviews with other types of reviews, examines relationships between review evaluations and other review characteristics, and compares the number of favorable and unfavorable…

Reports on the use of book reviews as selection tools to establish the reputations of publishers. Examines the quality of books of several presses, and compares each publisher against a control sample, finding discernible variations in how reviewers express themselves about books. Discusses the relationship between price and qualit,y and…

Librarians rely on the Institute for Scientific Information's journal impact factor as a tool for selecting periodicals, primarily in scientific disciplines. A current trend is to use this data as a means for evaluating the performance of departments, institutions, and even researchers in academic institutions--a process that is now being tied to…

Applies content analysis to compare assessments of 153 titles in U.S. history, each reviewed in "Choice,""American Historical Review," and "Journal of American History" between 1988 and 1995. A numerical rating system is used to quantify reviewers' overall opinions and their use of specific evaluative criteria. (Author/LRW)

This annual review source is designed to assist smaller libraries in the systematic selection of suitable reference materials for their collections. Approximately 500 unabridged reviews, written by over 250 practicing librarians and subject specialists, identify and describe the most useful and affordable reference sources available for small and…

This paper focuses on faculty use of a decision-making process for complex situations. The analysis part of the process describes and compares course management software focusing on: technical specifications, instructional design values,tools and features, ease of use, and standards compliance. The extensive comparisons provide faculty with…

This annual review source is a guide for libraries with limited budgets to finding the reference sources that best fit their needs and it also is a source for helping reference librarians advise patrons on information sources. More than 500 reviews, written by over 250 practicing librarians and subject specialists, identify and describe the most…

This article reviews eight prominent Internet booksellers and two bookseller jumpsites by examining their depth of inventory, amount of information provided for each title, search mechanisms, ease of ordering, customer-service features, simplicity of site navigation, and the quantity and quality of site entertainment. Each review gives the…