The limits, function and procedures of operational evaluation are described. Operational evaluation can only begin once a project activity is underway. Its function is diagnostic but not prescriptive. Basic tasks include specifying objectives, defining criteria, establishing priorities, identifying cost factors, obtaining or developing measurement…

This report describes the operations of the Pacific Northwest Bibliographic Center (PNBC) which is located at the University of Washington's Library in Seattle. The Center's Union Catalog contains bibliographic citations for 1,778,000 different titles held by 45 libraries in the Pacific Northwest. The Union Catalog is supplemented by microfilm…

The objective of a two-day Symposium on Systems Approach to Environmental Pollution of the Operations Research Society of America at the 137th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, December 27-28, 1970 in Chicago, Illinois, was not to raise the litany of a systems approach as the answer to all environmental…

FOUR STRATEGIES FOR ACHIEVING LONG-RANGE GOALS IN EDUCATION ARE OUTLINED, AND RELATED CONSTRAINTS, CONTROLS, AND CONFLICTS ARE EVALUATED. STRATEGY 1, A NATIONAL EDUCATION ACADEMY DESIGNED TO PROVIDE TRAINING FOR NEW AND CREATIVE LEADERSHIP, WOULD RECRUIT GIFTED PERSONNEL FOR TRAINING IN A BROAD UNDERSTANDING OF THE MAJOR TRADITIONS OF SOCIETY,…

Noting that mathematical modeling is a relatively new phenomenon in higher education and that much can be learned from the misdirections and mistakes that characterize modeling in general, the author describes major criticisms of modeling and suggests improvements, particularly in communication between modelers and potential model users. (JT)

Discusses and responds to criticisms of ten indices proposed for monitoring the operations of a training development group as a means of detecting problems and evaluating the impact of management decisions: productivity, timeliness, effectiveness, project efficiency, curriculum efficiency, cost, value, developmental process, personnel development,…

A summary of the NASPA cost study and an analysis of the data collection instrument is provided. (Author)

Describes operations research as an important management tool that can aid library managers in effectively using available resources and as a set of analytical tools that can enable researchers to better understand library and information services. Early history, definition, models, applications to libraries, and impact are noted. Twenty-five…

Major literature is reviewed in the course of describing and assessing the role of operations research (OR) in educational administration. Increased use of OR approaches in education and a compounding of the present disagreement about the application and potential of OR are forecast. (MJL)

An account of planning's evolution at American University emphasizes the importance of building flexible working relationships among the various representatives of the university community and the planning staff, in support of the faculty-student relationship at the core of the learning process. (Editor/LBH)

This paper explores the various options available for dealing with the demands and costs of communication in a world of many languages. Globalization has increased the demand for language services necessary to accomplish effective communication. It is argued that the day is not far off when the complications, costs, and inequalities of language…

Suggests a program of research in Management Information Systems (MIS) by means of identifying five general considerations for any MIS design -- psychological type, class of problem, method of evidence, organizational context, and mode of presentation. Argues that a full program of MIS research should test the interaction effects of all possible…

Mathematical models of library operations are presented which describe the amount of use made of resources by a user in a visit, the distribution of book circulation in a collection, the dependence of circulation on time, and the effect of multiple copies on user satisfaction. (9 references) (Author/NH)