The purpose of this study is to explore the public library program of publicizing and interpreting the professional collections and services available for use by professional staffs of welfare agencies and to relate such programs of interpretation to levels of use by the agencies' staffs. Four libraries in cities of over 300,000 population were…

A checklist of bibliographies available from the Reference Department of the Indiana State University Library was mailed to each member of the faculty and administrative staff in an effort to improve communications. The list included bibliographies which has been compiled by the library staff within the past five years. Two hundred persons (out of…

Discusses results of mail survey eliciting 180 responses from libraries concerning reference use of online databases. Reference database users profile, activity levels and online use, acceptance by librarians of online ready reference searching, administrative considerations, print materials and online availability, and ready reference questions…

Data regarding current services in hospital libraries of the metropolitan Detroit area form the nucleus of this study. The purpose of this study is two-fold: (1) to ascertain what services are given to users of hospital libraries and (2) to determine the value of the inventory as a means for obtaining information on user-services in hospital…

The Library Management Research Unit tested a survey design to measure and evaluate author catalogue use in four varying libraries. Readers were asked to note details of items not found in the catalogue and the source of the reference. Items were checked to discover the cause of failure.'' (9 references) (Author/DH)

A summary and four papers from a symposium, held at the 1974 American Library Association Conference, dealing with the feasibility and desirability of measuring reference service. (PF)

The separate undergraduate library was originated to provide students with the same quality of library services as are available in a good liberal arts college library. This paper deals with how reference librarians have used this opportunity to provide reference services for the undergraduate student. The major emphasis is on case studies of…

In 1973, the Technological Institute Library, along with the other science libraries of Northwestern University, began a study of reference use. For each reference request received in the libraries, the date, time, duration, mode, class of question, and user type were noted. These statistics were tabulated and analyzed by computer. It was…

Summarizes a 1984 survey of four presidential libraries which identified patterns of behavior within groups of researchers. Data were collected on user's academic, professional, or private affiliation; topics of study; advance preparation; and previous archival research. Findings show users of presidential libraries place high value on personal…

Difficulties involved with serving users are well known, but until now no one has tried to determine the percentage of those users who have questions but don't ask the librarian for assistance. This survey attempts to identify such users and discover why they don't ask. (16 references) (DH)

A project team was commissioned to gather information which could be used by the Reference Standards Committee of the American Library Association in their development of standards for library reference services. The metropolitan Atlanta area was selected because it includes in an accessible geographical area the entire range of types of…

Maher advocates analysis of archival use, outlines methodologies for such analyses, and provides examples of results of two kinds of user studies. Turnbaugh advocates broadening the context of user studies in government archives to include all areas of activity so that the institution is embedded in the processes of government. (EM)

A questionnaire survey was administered to reference librarians and patrons to determine relationship between patron-staff encounters and user satisfaction. (KP)

This reference use survey conducted by the Reference Committee of the Southern Connecticut Council in 1972 was undertaken to determine the present pattern of reference use and to assist in future planning. Some of the characteristics of the 18 public libraries participating in the survey include a media per capita expenditure of $4.65 in 1971, a…

The use of online searching by reference librarians to provide actual answers and not just bibliographies or current awareness printouts has the potential to save time and money for the reference department. The quick reference service can actually promote rather than compete with the library's online search service for in depth subject searching.…