The research reported in this paper examined data related to the characteristics of interlibrary loan borrowers, the material borrowed, the question of cost and time it takes to acquire the material, and staff information and procedures. The variables were coded onto computer cards and then tabulated into frequency tables by the computer. There…

Shows how simple probability theory can serve to remove the bias from a sample so that estimates of total yearly circulation and circulation distribution can be calculated from circulation desk data. (Author/PF)

Reports the findings of a six-year West Virginia University study that tested the "direct access" debate in its main library after undergoing the transition from closed to open stacks. Circulation, book availability, and search and library-use statistics are provided, and their implications are discussed. (Author/JD)

Reports a study of the distribution of use among users of a short loan collection in an academic library. Results indicate the most active one-third of all users generate between two-thirds and three-quarters of all use. A brief list of references is provided. (Author/SW)

Describes a book availability study using the ACCESS retrieval and delivery system for the evaluation of library services. (CWM)

An experiment conducted to determine the effects of a changeover to paperback collections and browsing arrangement on cost of bookmobile service and use of materials. (KP)

Extracts five conclusions from a survey of library material use studies: (1) recorded use in many libraries is low; (2) use within the library parallels circulation; (3) past use predicts future use; (4) recent materials are used more frequently; and (5) Americans use few foreign language materials. (FM)

This study considers the theories of impulse buying in an examination of the effects on circulation of library books when books are displayed face front (with all or most of the book jacket showing) as opposed to spine front. Reviews of the literature on consumer behavior and on library displays support the hypothesis of this study, i.e., that…

The validity of the assumption that those documents which are requested from a University of California (UC) library by the California State University and Colleges (CSUC) campuses through interlibrary loan are the "low use" items, according to the in-house circulation statistics of the lending institution, was tested. This was one of…

Cooperative book acquisition plans and improved systems of interlibrary lending are intended to eliminate duplication of library holdings. In order to calculate possible savings, an investigation of how much duplication exists in the libraries on the various campuses of the University of California was made. Estimates were developed for the extent…

Based on the concept that library use measurement should have as its basic starting point the individual patron, a method of data collection and analysis has been developed that explores individual patterns of borrowing over time. The method accounts for the number of visits on which borrowing takes place, number of items borrowed per visit, and…

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between use of the academic library and the classroom program at DePauw University, a small, four-year liberal arts college. Recorded circulation from the three campus libraries for the second semester of 1975-76 was studied and related to such variables as declared academic major, academic…

A national probability sample was made to survey the costs, the characteristics of materials loaned and borrowed, and the present and future magnitude of interlibrary loans for academic libraries. From a sample of 80 libraries it was found that the cost of a filled loan request varied between two and seven dollars and that lending cost per…

Describes a study conducted at Columbia-Greene Community College's library to determine whether a book's previous non-use is indicative of future non-use; whether books are progressively less likely to be used with time; the circulation costs of weeding previously unused books; and the circulation rates of old and new books. (DMM)

The process described in this manual is designed to help small academic libraries systematically study the use of their circulating book collections. Originally developed in 1980, the manual has been used successfully in several small college libraries, both with and without assistance from outside consultants. In most cases, the study can be…