Describes two options that can address the issues of catalog production in a bilingual environment: a two-file option, which is the equivalent of a separate catalog for each language, and a totally bilingual catalog. The technical characteristics of each option, and the appropriateness of each for different user communities, are discussed. (eight…

Reviews the use of propositional analysis in library and information science research. Evidence that different analysts produce similar judgments about texts and use the method consistently over time is presented, and it is concluded that propositional analysis is a reliable and valid research method. An example of an analysis is appended. (32…

Describes a survey of public library users that examined three issues related to the marketing of public library services to seniors: (1) the identification of the market segment; (2) the feasibility of various approaches to service development; and (3) the level of existing public support and strategies for successfully promoting these services.…

Describes a study that examined the effect of academic background on users' perceptions of information needs and their expressions of those needs to library or information services. The implications for the role of academic background in the cognitive models of information users and for the provision of information service in interdisciplinary…

This study examined whether reference questions based on the text-linguistic structure of scientific literature would enable users to express their information needs effectively. Subjects with similar levels of topic familiarity completed online search forms that used open, bibliographic, or (text-linguistic) structural questions. Questions based…

Describes a study in which users of an academic library search service completed online search request forms which asked open, bibliographic, and structural questions. The discussion covers the effect of the type of question asked on the amount of information elicited from users, searcher behavior, and the relevance of search results. (17…

Reports on an experiment in which detailed logging of the use of experimental information systems was used to determine the optimal configuration of the systems for users. Results suggest that systems can be created for users by analysis of the interaction of design features with personal characteristics such as cognitive abilities. (Author/LRW)