This study describes materials used by secondary school students in preparing independent study papers and other types of assignments calling for library use, including the use of home collections and school, public, college, and special libraries. Bibliometric methods were used to provide measurement of the nature and currency of books,…

This study examines the experiences of four local educators who served as information consultants linking their clients with online bibliographic retrieval services. Four educators in different positions and settings, but in the same geographical area remote from Toronto, were trained to link their local clients with the Educational Information…

The use of online searching by reference librarians to provide actual answers and not just bibliographies or current awareness printouts has the potential to save time and money for the reference department. The quick reference service can actually promote rather than compete with the library's online search service for in depth subject searching.…

This study examines the use of online bibliographic retrieval systems in a selected number of science and technology libraries chosen for their leadership reputation; it is limited to the use of online systems operated by a library staff member. Participating libraries included 12 academic, one government, and 10 research or institutional…

Microcatalog use studies at the University of Oregon have demonstrated that users encounter access difficulties when confronted with a multiple file microfiche catalog. This research verifies theories by Mooers, Zipf, and others that the public minimizes search efforts and implies that closed catalogs with supplements such as add-on catalogs will…

This study determines the periods of peak demands on library services in the Radford University Library, establishes staffing profiles to meet these demands, and projects changes in staffing levels which may in the future modify the library's service capabilities. It is divided into three parts, the first of which applies a data analysis of…

The project described is a renewal of earlier work on Individualized Instruction for Data Access (IIDA), a program designed at Drexel University to aid users in searching a database with the computer acting as assistant. This quarterly report discusses the evaluation of IIDA through user interaction. Two types of evaluation were performed:…

This discussion of the administrative uses of computers from the perspective of the school administrator is concerned with both the types and sources of information involved in school administration, and specific uses of this information. The paper focuses on those administrative tasks that can be effectively computerized in defining the role of…

This overview of the use of educational resources in teacher education discusses the concept of an educational resource as a reserve source of supply or support, and outlines a simple category system to describe the various types of educational resources: print, non-print, electronic/mechanical, management, intact, and human. The primary focus is…

This paper describes the design of a project to evaluate the impact of computer conferencing on the productivity-related work patterns of scientists, and to determine whether they will use the network this technology makes available to them. Literature relevant to this research problem is reviewed, drawing primarily from small group research on…

A telephone survey of randomly selected homes was conducted to locate current owners of videocassette recorders (VCRs) for a study of their VCR-associated television viewing of both public (PTV) and commercial (CTV) television, and a one-week TV activity diary was mailed to homes in 16 cities. Analysis of data from 250 completed diaries indicates…

This segment of a series of studies to ascertain the degree to which visually impaired persons use the Library of Congress National Library Service for the blind and physically handicapped (NLS) focuses on the characteristics of the potential user population. Data are presented on the following topics: (1) the framework for examining the…

This segment of a series of studies to ascertain the degree to which visually impaired persons use the Library of Congress National Library Service for the blind and physically handicapped (NLS) assesses the reading limitations of institutional residents and provides a basis for estimating the potential demand for print alternatives among such…

This paper reports the results of a study that investigated factors constraining or encouraging the use of evaluation data by school administrators. It begins with a lengthy analogy about the use of a restaurant guide that is intended to illuminate how constraining or encouraging factors influence the use of evaluation data. The author defines a…

A survey of libraries in south central Pennsylvania was designed to identify those that are using or planning to use databases and assess their perceived training needs. This report describes the methodology and analyzes the responses received form the 57 libraries that completed the questionnaire. Data presented in eight tables are concerned with…