Describes a project conducted by the Texas Tech University Library to review support staff positions, which led to salary increases, and an upgrade of one-third of the positions. Highlights include six examples of competencies required of support staff; six steps in the review process; and the position description questionnaire appended. (four…

Discusses changes in and future prospects of information delivery systems, including libraries, and describes four areas that the Council on Library Resources (CLR) is addressing to promote the evolution of information services: human resource issues; economic issues; infrastructure questions; and information processing and access. Other…

Literature analysis indicates that surveys are not widely used in the planning process for academic libraries because of difficulties with design of user studies, translation of survey results into management decisions, and acceptance of survey data by librarians. Trends such as competition from private information sources will force a change in…

Presents a geographic analysis of results of a survey of medical libraries in the United States, Canada, and Europe that examined the automation of book and serials processing. Levels of automation are investigated, geographic differences between the use of personal computers versus mainframe/minicomputers are discussed, and software systems are…

Reports on a four-year study of use patterns of CD-ROM databases in a biological sciences library. More than half the individuals recorded all use within one month. Over a third recorded use on only one day. Results suggest that the library should emphasize point-of-use instruction for first-time searchers and deemphasize workshops. (Contains 11…

Describes a study which was conducted to test the ability of four motivators to explain adult use of the public library: (1) home and family life; (2) vocational growth; (3) religion; and (4) politics. Other general user characteristics were examined as supplements to the four motivators in predicting library use. (16 references) (LRW)

Two articles discuss information professions in Africa. Highlights include the training of personnel at the middle level; library schools at the University of Ibadan and the University of Botswana; curriculum recommendations; and a review of 87 articles published between 1985 and 1989 that investigate areas of research in the information…

A reanalysis of data from a national telephone poll (n1181) conducted in 1991 determined that if local libraries faced a fiscal crisis, 47% favored raising taxes, 44% preferred instituting user fees, and 9% advocated reducing services. Frequent library use, urban residence, higher level of education, and greater income were associated with a…

Discusses written instructional materials created by librarians for end users searching database systems. Highlights include novice user studies; the importance of print instruction in digital information environments; a paradigm shift from system-centered to user-centered focuses in technical writing and user documentation for software; and…

This study aimed to develop a demographic profile of the typical student user of academic libraries. Subjects were undergraduate/graduate students (n=522) at two universities. Results are discussed in terms of: populations of student users, how the library is utilized, predictors of frequency of library use, gender differences, non-native English…

English teachers continually seek ways to offer students quality texts to support the development of individual voices within the context of a dynamic, democratic culture. This article discusses how blog use, promoting choices, and presenting students with literature that changed a nation show them how to find their voices in a democratic…

The 21 papers in this collection were presented at the meetings of two sections and three round tables of the Division of Education and Research: (1) "Library and Information Services in Culturally Diverse Communities" (Cheryl Metoyer-Duran); (2) "Library Education in a Pluralistic Society" (Shmuel Sever); (3) "Each One an Individual:…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide a report on the application of a Geographic Information System (GIS), ArcInfo, in the cataloguing of geosciences documents held by IRANDOC. Design/methodology/approach: The steps involved in the application are described: gathering the data and required input including the attribute and spatial…

This submission presents sixteen issues of Fast Facts from the Library Research Service covering topics regarding academic, public, school and special libraries in Colorado, the Mountain West and Southwest Regions. The following are Fast Facts titles from 2006 (1) Colorado Public Library Performance Rankings (2004 Data); (2) How Librarians Help…

While library patronage has seen some research it has never been explored in terms of human activity pattern analysis. This article traces the patronage of three campus libraries at a regional university in Australia in the context of other teaching and learning, such as the use of computer laboratories and assignment deadlines: it suggests not…