In interviews with 86 rural special education teachers, issues of mobility and opportunity were cited most often as reasons why teachers left their jobs. Although results indicated that both leavers and stayers were dissatisfied with employment conditions, teachers who chose to extend their teaching contracts were more closely tied to the…

Describes a study conducted at Ohio State University libraries that gauged success using the Library Resources Network by having 43 users complete an exercise that forced them to make database selections, use a variety of database interfaces, and select appropriate terminology. Sample screen displays and the questionnaire used are appended.…

Describes a study conducted at the University of Rhode Island library that identified students' preferences and effectiveness using CD-ROMs. A questionnaire was used to ask students their preferences, confidence levels, skills, and training in searching CD-ROM databases as well as their satisfaction with CD-ROM services. (Author/LRW)

Describes a study of the relationship between stress and selected job functions of community/junior college presidents, the importance of these functions, and the presidents' use of counterstress activities. Reveals that presidents rated most of their administrative responsibilities as "not very stressful," with exceptions being "faculty…

Teacher support for career-enhancement initiatives (merit pay and career-ladder programs) was examined in a survey of 407 elementary and secondary teachers in a midwestern metropolitan school district. The relationships between program characteristics and effects on work variables and between teacher support for and opposition to these programs…

Describes a series of 4 studies that used projective story cues to elicit the stereotypes held by 17-year-old English students regarding the likely consequences of males' and females' successes in different academic and occupational settings. Data indicate a strong double standard for males' and females' successes and careers. (JS)

Develops a career and managerial profile of directors of Northeastern medium-sized public libraries based on the responses of 217 directors. The results confirm the existence of many of the gender-based career patterns found among directors of academic and larger public libraries together with an emphasis on internal administrator roles. (16…

Effects on the personal development of participants in the Foster Grandparent Program (FGP) are evaluated. In a series of studies conducted at the Detroit FGP, foster grandparenting positively influenced the children's social, verbal, and intellectual development. Positive outcomes for the older participants included life satisfaction, adjustment,…

Identifies factors that reduce the effectiveness of computers as intermediaries and discusses possible negative effects on user satisfaction and the interaction between users and librarians. A set of guidelines for the improvement of online catalogs, based on user needs and abilities, is presented. (41 references) (CLB)

Describes two studies conducted in the DeKalb County (GA) School System's secondary school libraries, one on DIALOG, the other on the use of the Internet and media specialists' perceptions of that tool. Discussion includes the application of experience from the DeKalb library to other new school library Internet projects. (16 references) (KRN)

Discussion of developments in Nigerian higher education focuses on library services and user expectations. Topics include library automation; currency and timeliness; physical environment; preservation and conservation of library materials; information management; user education; translations to overcome language barriers; and the role of the…

A survey of 1,579 faculty members in 201 academic departments at Norway's 4 universities found no significant relationship between department size and research productivity, as measured by scientific publishing. Faculty in smaller departments were more content with their research environment than their colleagues in larger departments. However,…

A survey of 208 full-time faculty in Nigerian higher education institutions investigated 7 factors (work, pay, promotion, supervision, coworkers, job in general, commitment) perceived as influential in faculty turnover. Results suggest a generalized dissatisfaction with conditions of service, particularly pay and promotion. Demographic variables…

Discusses changes in academic libraries shifting from collection-based to access-based measures of effectiveness and considers the role of library administrators as change agents. A competing values framework of organizational and managerial leadership performance is presented, and a user-centered model of organization is discussed. (Contains 13…

Factors that intervene in successful and frustrating cultural learning experiences are examined to help improve the management of cross-cultural internships and similar experiences abroad. Emphasis is on students' perceptions of their language ability, social interactions, and job performance and their living arrangements. (Contains 15…