Describes a study that explored the relationship between the number of cited references used in a citation search and retrieval effectiveness, analyzing the overlap among posting sets retrieved by various combinations of cited references. Findings showed that the more cited references used for a citation search result, the better the performance.…

Presents a bibliography of 482 publications on education and training for librarianship and information science published in 1991. The contents list, the classified arrangement, and a subject index for countries and regions provide subject access; and a name index for authors, organizations, and programs is included. (LRW)

Three charts present trends in graphical form, including (1) pension funds invested in common stocks by the College Retirement Equities Fund (1989-92); (2) number of female college presidents (1992) by type of institution (public or private, two- or four-year); (3) faculty pay and cost of living compared to the Consumer Price Index (1985-92). (DB)

Describes the role of automation in library acquisitions and serials departments in support of collection development. Highlights include workstations and expert systems; links to external databases; vendor services, including serials services and online review and selection of approval books; and automated access to collection development…

Describes the rationale, method, automation developments, and future directions of the "Air University Library Index to Military Periodicals," a subject index to 81 military and aeronautical periodicals. Results of a user survey on the desirability of producing the index on CD-ROM or incorporating it in the library's integrated system…

Description of a research study that empirically investigated book index usage behaviors and the extent to which specific print index features affect a user's search for information highlights observable behaviors of a sample of users when consulting different variations of a hard copy book index. (Contains 12 references.) (LRW)

Based on evaluations of 1,025 CD-ROM products, this article summarizes trends in (1) growth of commercially available CD-ROM titles; (2) types and subjects of products produced; (3) update options; (4) hardware systems CD-ROMs are designed to run on; (5) prices; and (6) multimedia products. Possible future developments that could revolutionize…

Reports the results of a survey of Arizona libraries that gathered information on the collection development policies for state and local government publications. Problems that result from not having a depository system for state publications are discussed, cataloging and classification practices are examined, and use of bibliographic utilities…

Presents annotated bibliographies of a selection of recent scholarly and general reference works under the subject headings of publishing, periodical indexes, philosophy and religion, literature, music, art, photography, social sciences, business, history, and new editions. (LRW)

An analysis of 205 records in the OCLC Online Union Catalog (OLUC) found considerable duplication among subject access points provided by title, subject heading, and classification number fields. On average, only 4.12 unique access points were found per record. The results suggest that online catalogs might outperform card catalogs more in…

Describes a study at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln that compared searches in two different keyword indexes with similar content where search results were dependent on search strategy quality, search engine execution, and content. Results showed search engine execution had an impact on the number of matches and that users ignored search help…

Examined how Omani college students studying English for Academic Purposes used concordance and database software to create their own dictionaries of words to learn. A control group used a word list and dictionary. The experimental method combined the benefits of list coverage with some of the benefits of lexical acquisition through natural…

Explains some major problems related to the subject indexing process and proposes semiotics as a framework for understanding the interpretive nature of the process. Explores the approach to studies of indexing and library and information science suggested by Fairthorne, Blair, Benediktsson, and others. Offers an explanation of what occurs in the…

Librarians rely on the Institute for Scientific Information's journal impact factor as a tool for selecting periodicals, primarily in scientific disciplines. A current trend is to use this data as a means for evaluating the performance of departments, institutions, and even researchers in academic institutions--a process that is now being tied to…

In spring 2006 California released its first ever school-level Academic Performance Index (API) scores for English Learners (ELs). These EL-API scores were based on California Standards Tests taken in the spring of 2005, and make it possible to identify how well schools were doing with this student population. It is not unexpected that elementary…