This study investigates serials management in university libraries, determines the extent to which serials are accessed and used and appraises the influence of availability, accessibility and use of serials on publications output of lecturers in federal universities in Nigeria. Questionnaire administration method was adopted to accumulate data for…

Fueled by the pressing need for electronic resource usage statistics, librarians are finding themselves being thrust into the role of hunter-gatherer. This article discusses the work done at University Library at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis to provide usage statistics for all its paid subscriptions for a 3-year period. The…

This paper seeks to examine the current state of academic utilization of government publications in Nigerian university libraries. Using a descriptive survey, the study focused on three academic libraries in Southeastern Nigeria serving a population of 11,996 undergraduate and postgraduate student library users, 592 of whom answered a…

The study evaluated utilization of electronic information resources by undergraduates in the Faculties of Education and the Social Sciences in University of Ibadan. The study adopted a descriptive survey design with a study population of 1872 undergraduates in the Faculties of Education and the Social Sciences in University of Ibadan, from which a…

Introduction: Evidence-based practice is a process through which evidence in its various forms is sourced, appraised and applied in order to solve a problem, inform decision making, or improve practice. The purpose of this paper is to share findings from a qualitative research study that sought to identify evidence used by Australian special…

This study uses three cohorts of first-time, full-time undergraduate students (N = 8,652) at a large, metropolitan, public research university to examine the impact of student use of three library resources (workstations, study rooms, and research clinics) on academic performance. To deal with self-selection bias and estimate this impact more…

Rare, distinctive, unique--academic libraries are exploring new ways to describe and define what they've traditionally called special collections: incunabula, manuscripts, rare books, cultural artifacts and more. These valuable, historically important, and often one-of-a-kind artifacts can be a treasure trove for scholars and students. Technology…

The major objectives of this study of adult information needs in Indiana were: (1) to gain some understanding of present and future needs of the business and industry, agriculture and labor sectors of Indiana's economy, (2) to determine and evaluate how these sectors now meet information needs and (3) to explore the information-acquiring habits of…

A survey of the information use and communication patterns of physicists. Includes tables on: sources of information; journal use, importance, and subscriptions; preferred study areas; and library use. (LS)

This selective review covers user studies done from the standpoints of both the library and the user. Use of catalogs, reference services, circulation, browsing and library facilities are included as are information-gathering habits of scientists and the general public. Studies of whole information systems and the methodology and philosophy of…

The main concern is with identifying exemplar user need studies and discussing the possible value of their methodology for a broader range of library services. (Author/MF)

Reviews research findings on the effects of user fees in online searching, and concludes that charging does discourage use of computerized retrieval systems. It is recommended that alternatives to direct user fees be sought whenever possible. (SW)

A survey of the faculties at six colleges was undertaken to measure the degree to which the libraries of those institutions were communicating with the faculty concerning the availability of various references services. The results demonstrated that the average faculty member was aware of barely half the services actually available. (11…

Patrons of an engineering library have technical requirements and idiosyncracies which should be considered by library planners. The results of a survey made by the Mitre Corp. are discussed. (DH)

This report examines the problems in the flow of scientific and technological information in the Ceramic Industry. The research methodology used involved a panel of experts which defined the functions performed by ceramists and their corresponding information needs, listed sources of information available to ceramists, and defined problems and…