Based upon annual reporting data for FY 76, this statistical report was designed to facilitate rapid comparison of support and activity levels among Massachusetts public libraries. The first section presents summary tables providing means, medians, and percentile values by population group for each of the following indicators: (1) library…

This supplemental report has been developed to assist administrators in the comparative analysis and evaluation of Massachusetts public libraries. Libraries have been placed into one of seven budget groups according to their total operating expenditures to provide another method of comparing libraries by "like" size and population of…

The results of a survey of the history of library uses of television from its earliest beginnings through the present expansion are presented in tabular and narrative form. The Detroit, Michigan, and Mobile, Alabama, public libraries are used to exemplify the contrast between early television usage in the 50's and 60's and the usage of Cable TV…

Publishers, book wholesalers, and librarians were surveyed in early 1974 to provide background data for a program at the American Library Association Annual Conference 1975. Publishers were queried about their relations with libraries, promotional activities (including relations with review media, direct mailings, and advertising), and sales to…

An overview is provided of the Central Oklahoma Economic Development District (COEDD) library system, which serves seven counties. A general analysis of COEDD's background and purpose is followed by demographic and economic data for the area. An inventory of present library facilities and activities is presented along with a comparison with state…

Owen G. Leach & Associates, under professional contract to the New Mexico State Library, conducted an opinion research study of New Mexico citizens. This study determined that 52.5 percent of adults needed and wanted information available from library networks, but did not realize that this information could be obtained through libraries. A…

The Oklahoma County (Oklahoma) Library executed a six-month experiment in 1974 on one of its five bookmobiles to determine whether: (1) patrons would accept a primarily paperback book collection; (2) the cost of unreturned paperbound books in a no-fine and no-overdue-notice situation would be cost-effective when compared to the predictable loss of…

Project FREDD was initiated in 1974 as a cooperative effort by library and mental retardation agencies in the Waterbury, Connecticut area. The project utilized a bookmobile to route a special collection of books, media, and games to the mentally handicapped and information on mental retardation to their parents and teachers and to the community.…

A guide for providing library services to the elderly begins with a rationale and a statement from the Adult Services Division of the American Library Association regarding services to the elderly. Then planning considerations are described, such as library board and staff, surveying needs and programs, and special problems of the elderly.…

A public information center was established in an area covering 16 libraries in Detroit, Michigan. Funded by a Title I grant, the center sought to increase the effectiveness of information flow to residents and to compile a community resources directory. Several types of literature were reviewed and information was gathered from the Detroit Public…

Listed are criteria used for selecting books and other materials for inclusion in the collection of the Milwaukee Public Library System. An overview of the selection process is given, and special selection criteria are given for each media type. Selection criteria also are enumerated for each subject area. General guidelines are suggested, and, in…

A study was conducted to analyze the quantitative and attitudinal variables that affect the nature and extent of use of the New Jersey public libraries. The first phase of the study consisted of a series of group discussions which focused on public knowledge of library facilities, attitudes and interests of the public, and library use patterns.…

The Manchester Interlibrary Cooperative (MILC) is a city-wide organization of 18 school, public, and special libraries located in Manchester, New Hampshire. The New Hampshire State Library is a member and serves as a consultant to the project. Its base of operation is the Manchester City Library. The original intent of the cooperative was to show…

While the majority of libraries continue to use cards as their primary medium for public catalogs, microform catalogs are gaining popularity because they are more economical, and some libraries may soon be using cathode ray tube (CRT) terminals for displaying catalog data. No definitive information prescribing the space and equipment needs for…

Four classification schemes for subject access to children's books are compared. Two of these are general schemes (the "Dewey Decimal Classification" and the abridged "Dewey Decimal Classification"), and two others were devised specifically for children's books (the Toronto Public Library's "Boys and Girls Book Classification" and the Inglewood…