Staff shortages and high service ideals collided when the Iowa State University Parks Library recognized its need to find an alternative to the human-conducted tour for various groups of library users, including hundreds of non-native speakers of English who arrived at the school to enter a degree program. An audiocassette taped tour was developed…

Discusses academic library users who are not affiliated with the institution and considers the problems associated with them. Ethical issues are raised; possible solutions are suggested, including guidelines, bibliographic instruction, and user fees; and policies implemented at the University of California at Berkeley regarding unaffiliated users…

This study examines and evaluates security issues in academic libraries and examines how educators in institutions of higher learning deal with them. Security issues include: the theft of library materials, the mutilation or vandalism of library materials, dealing with deranged and/or disruptive patrons, and assaults on library patrons and staff.…

Compares data collected in library surveys of Internet users at Seton Hall University in 1998 and 2001 to provide information on changes in library users' Internet use behavior, satisfaction levels, and problems in using the Internet. Discusses use of the university library home page; search strategies; and search training. (Author/LRW)

This new column describes Internet and provides a guide to its resources for new users. The hierarchical organization of Internet is explained; library applications including cataloging, bibliographic instruction, government documents, interlibrary loan, reference, and serials are described; access to Internet is explained; common problems are…

Evaluates the effect of budget cuts on undergraduate library services to secondary users. Topics discussed include the reasons for the public's increased use of academic libraries; how academic libraries are responding to such demands; and strategies for implementing new service and access policies. A brief bibliography and a sample library policy…

Reports on a study of the information searching behavior of 35 high school students. Problems that the students had searching an online catalog are identified, and implications for instruction are considered. (EAM)

Users of optical data disk (CD-ROM) materials at the Main Library workstations of the State University of New York at Albany were surveyed to examine the problems they encountered while conducting their searches, identify factors that interfere with their task performance, determine their needs with regard to improvement in the databases they…