A survey of public library users was conducted regarding retrieval results of unassisted user searches in general periodical indexes. The data were analyzed to evaluate the impact or lack of impact of searching a CD-ROM index with loosely-controlled vocabulary and expanded-search capabilities (i.e., InfoTrac-General Periodicals Index) versus a…

The purpose of this research study was to compose a user profile of one specific electronic conference/electronic mail (e-conference/e-mail) discussion group through an in-depth case study, using a survey administered, collected, and tabulated electronically. The BALT-L is an online forum devoted to communication to and about the Baltic republics…

This study was undertaken to determine what services were offered by college- and university-based career development center libraries and what types of library collections they made available. Brief questionnaires were sent to career development centers at 100 colleges, and 67 were returned. Information was gathered about the types of services…

This study examines the Online Computer Library Center's (OCLC's) CJK350 system with which one is able to input and retrieve Chinese, Japanese, and Korean bibliographic records containing both alphabetical and vernacular characters. In order to study the effectiveness of the system from the Chinese language users' point of view, a field test was…

A study of S. R. Ranganathan's theory of reference service is undertaken by using an historical methodology. It was evident from the literature review that Ranganathan had established that reference service was the most important work and served as the hub of all library practices. There were six factors that were repeatedly considered by…

For many library patrons, the reference desk is the logical place to begin research on a topic. The purpose of this study is to determine if patrons, given a choice of either a male or a female librarian to approach, have a gender bias when seeking information at the reference desk. A total of 100 library users were unobtrusively observed in the…

This paper seeks to establish a philosophical foundation and a conceptual framework for a belief in the right to free information access. According to an overview of the professional literature, and to the moral philosophy of Immanuel Kant as operationalized in the theories of John Rawls, information can be seen as a primary good and as a…

To test the strength of a booklist as a selection aid, an experimental/control group research design was used in the Lexington Library of the Davidson County (North Carolina) Public Library System to measure the effect of a booklist on the circulation of a group of fiction books that had not been checked out from the library in 4 years or longer.…

As part of graduate work for a specialist in education degree, this study examined the literature review process of doctoral students in education at the University of Kansas (UK) and Kansas State University (KSU) examining several student variables. In particular the study sought to clarify the response of students to the variety of bibliographic…

The experiences of novice users (freshman students at Ohio University) searching OCLC's FIRSTSEARCH set of databases were studied. The 13 subjects were asked to complete a search on the FIRSTSEARCH databases; and data were collected through observations, administration of a questionnaire, and a thinking-aloud protocol. Data were analyzed to…

A survey instrument was designed and administered to obtain a broad base of information concerning the presence of computers and computer literacy classes in public libraries in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Minnesota. The results indicate that 50.8% of the 100 libraries that responded to the survey (80.6% of the original random sample) have public…

The experience of novice users searching SilverPlatter's ERIC CD-ROM on the Macintosh was studied. Ten students from an introductory master's level course in library and information science were recruited as volunteer subjects. Subjects were asked to complete a search on the ERIC CD-ROM; and data were collected via observations, a think-aloud…

A survey of the reference departments of public libraries in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah was conducted to determine whether CD-ROM products are being used in routine reference work. Previous literature on CD-ROM had primarily been concerned with the response to and acceptance of the technology by patrons. A stratified sample of public…

There is very little published information available about occupational safety and health libraries. This study identified, described, and compared the occupational safety and health libraries in the United States. The questionnaire first filtered out those libraries that did not fit the definition of an occupational safety and health library;…

A questionnaire was distributed to a population of science education doctoral students to collect data about the role of the library in providing information resources needed by doctoral students in science education (both Ed.D. and Ph.D.) at the University of Georgia. Doctoral students were selected for the study because they will eventually…