This study examines the needs of scholars who study opera, including what materials they use, how often they cite foreign language materials, and what kinds of operas are studied most frequently. A citation analysis was performed on "Cambridge Opera Journal,""Opera Quarterly," and "Opera Journal." Results are…

This paper presents a summary of the policies and practices that have governed the accessioning and use of artifacts in the National Archives chiefly over the last decade, and it offers recommendations for the prospective relocation and utilization of artifacts at Archives II. The report is organized around three major headings: a treatment of the…

This paper compares strengths and weaknesses of the Lexis and Westlaw computer assisted legal research systems. Their powerful full text document delivery capabilities are contrasted with their inherent limitations as information retrieval systems. The objective here is to alert users to the complexities of online legal searching and the necessity…

The "see" and "see also" references in a library's catalog are supposed to provide the cross-references necessary to guide the user to the appropriate subject heading. However, libraries have difficulty maintaining the current, accurate subject authority files needed to facilitate this. A review of the literature in this…

This study was launched to address concerns about the needs of after-hours users going unmet at the Cleveland (Ohio) Clinic Foundation Library Services Department. The collection itself is available for use on the premises by clinic employees 24 hours a day, but employees do not remain on site to provide assistance, materials may not be signed out…

This report examines the current state of library services for Hispanic young adults and recommends a program for greatly expanding these services at the Latin American Branch of the Oakland Public Library. The study was conducted through an extensive reading of the literature on the topic, interviews with key individuals, and surveys. The first…

Interviews with 20 adult returning students investigated their library needs. Seventeen female and three male undergraduates aged 23 years and older at colleges in three cities in North Carolina participated. Many adult students have needs that differ from those of traditional undergraduates, especially in dealing with technology. The time…

This study focuses on library programs and services geared towards infants and toddlers, ages birth to three years old. The population chosen for this descriptive survey was Ohio's public libraries. Sampling from among the institutions was accomplished using a stratified disproportionate technique, with the libraries grouped into strata by size:…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the World Wide Web is being used by hospitals to facilitate the transfer of information to the public. One hundred ninety-one hospitals chosen from "Profiles of U.S. Hospitals" were selected for a web site survey. Each member of the sample was searched on the World Wide Web in an attempt…

The mean and median age of science and technology materials in the five middle school library collections located in the Springfield (Ohio) City School District were calculated. The percentage of books 10 years old or older was calculated. Science and technology were chosen due to the rapid amount of change in these areas. Three broad Dewey…

The public library is uniquely situated to meet the information needs of older adults and can also assist them in both finding ways to make their lives meaningful and staying in the mainstream. This study involved a mail survey of the public libraries of Ohio regarding their services for adults aged 65 and over. One hundred and eighty-four…

This research project examined the Library of Congress's responsiveness to new emerging fields of research, using a case study on women's studies in the mid 1960s and early 1970s. Specifically considered was the Library of Congress Subject Heading Division's timeliness in relation to scholarly literature published between 1963 and 1975. Samples…

Since the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 has gone into effect, many libraries are evaluating and improving their library services for people with disabilities. There are nearly 110,000 children in Missouri who receive some type of special education assistance because of physical, mental or emotional impairments. Through an anonymous…

In the face of decreasing enrollment and increasing information technology, future expansion of off-campus education programs is possible. A survey of 106 members of the North Central Association (NCA) of Colleges and Schools examined the library services considered essential to quality distance education and questioned the issue of accreditation…

This paper reports on a study that analyses the questions asked and services offered at the information desk in the reference department at the Kent State University main library. A total of 460 questions asked during 52 hours of scheduled time at the information desk in Spring 1997 were categorized. The main types of questions were directional;…