After one year of providing virtual reference service through an instant messaging (IM) service, Binghamton University (BU) Libraries, under the purview of its Digital Reference Committee (DRC), undertook a study of collected session transcripts. The goals of this work were to determine who was using the IM service and why; if staffing for the…

A brief questionnaire was sent to a random selection of 70 librarians in the State University of New York Librarians' Association Directory to determine the frequency of their use of humor at the reference desk and in the library instruction classroom, their perceptions of classroom humor, and their reasons for using humor in these situations.…

Patron service is a high priority in the library setting and alleviating a large percentage of the directional questions will provide librarians with more time to help patrons more thoroughly than they are able to currently. Furthermore, in view of the current economic trend of downsizing, a navigational computer system program has the potential…

This survey of online search service centers in Canada was conducted to provide data on these centers and, more specifically, on the characteristics of the human search intermediary; and to provide an accurate overall picture of online searching in Canada. The survey questionnaires were mailed to approximately 765 Canadian customers of seven…

The purpose of this study was to measure library users' reactions to the physical characteristics and the information and treatment received at the Orem (Utah) Library information desk. Over a 3-day period, a questionnaire designed by the researchers was distributed to 207 users, ages 11 and over, as they left the library. The results were…

This study of the San Mateo Educational Resources Center (SMERC) was undertaken to characterize the use being made of this information service which provides database searches and other information services to educators in 19 California counties and parts of several other states. Requestor characteristics and subjects requested were determined…

A survey of 121 academic libraries examined five general areas of CD-ROM use: (1) user and librarian acceptance; (2) impact on the printed source; (3) cost; (4) assistance and maintenance; and (5) user confusion with multiple computer resources. A copy of the questionnaire is appended. (12 references) (MES)

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…

Data from 164 questionnaires completed by users of Toronto's Municipal Reference Library over a 2-day period in April 1980 were used to construct a profile of user characteristics. The questionnaire addressed such factors as the user's reason for coming to the library, the types of materials consulted, staff assistance, user knowledge of the…

Fifty-five Association of Research Libraries member academic libraries were surveyed to determine trends in use of commercially available online numeric databases. Databases searched, searchers, users, publicity, library role in relation to numeric databases, and librarians' attitudes toward and knowledge of databases are examined. The…

A survey of over 200 academic, public, and special libraries in 13 selected states was conducted in the fall of 1979 to provide a state of the art report on online or computerized reference services. Libraries were selected from states which had demonstrated leadership in networking, and data were sought in four areas: (1) users of online…

Reports results of study of a group of end users (patent attorneys) doing their own online searching at AT&T Bell Laboratories. Highlights include DIALOG databases used by the attorneys, locations and searching modes, characteristics of patent attorney searchers, and problem areas. Questionnaire is appended. (5 references) (EJS)

Describes a study that measured the use of government publications in an academic library before and after the merger of the government publications department and the reference department. The implications of the findings that the merger resulted in declines in government publications use and the quality of reference service for government…

A study was conducted to assess the value of the Energy Data Base (EDB), which is produced by the Technical Information Center (TIC) of the Department of Energy (DOE) in order to provide a means of identifying primary energy information sources, particularly journal articles and technical reports. The volume of energy information distributed to…

This Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) kit examines the current state of online services based upon the experiences of a select number of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries in the United States and Canada. Many of the kit documents were obtained during a survey of eight private institutions conducted for Duke…