Special Libraries and Diversity:

By their very nature, special libraries are often restricted to a certain user population, be it an in-house corporate information center, hospital library, or newspaper library. Or the collection may be of a particular era (Civil War), or on a partiular person or ethnic gruop (papers of Frederick Douglass, Icelandic Collection). Some specialized collections are open to the public; some are restricted to scholars while others are available only to the people working for the organization. Special librarians walk a thin line between information access, serving clients and preserving the information in their trust.     

Evaluating Library Instruction in Academic Libraries:

This study reviews the literature on the evaluation of bibliographic instruction in academic libraries from 1980 to 1993. Four main issues are discussed: (1) the reasons why librarians are evaluating, (2) to what degree they are evaluating, (3) what specific aspects they are evaluating, and (4) which methodologies are being used. Results indicate that, despite a growing interest in the evaluation of bibliographic instruction, the same pattern of limited systematic evaluation identified in 1980 continues to exist. Barriers to the successful implementation of evaluation, as well as possible directions for the future, are also presented.     

Library Instruction in Public Libraries

No abstract available for this article.     

Bibliographic Instruction in Medical Libraries

The purpose of this paper is to share information about the library instmction effozis of medical school and hospital librarians. The information to be discussed is based on a formal survey of 139 medical school libraries and 84 hospital libraries in the United States and Canada. The survey, in the form of a questionnaire, was distributed in the 1981/82 school year. The main emphasis of the questionnaire centered on the types of instmctional activities being offered in each library and the user groups participtating in these instructional activities. Organizational status within the Medical Library Association (MLA) is also explored. The paper provides a detailed examination of the responses received.     

Library Instruction in Medical Libraries

No abstract available for this article.     

Library Instruction Assessment in Academic Libraries

SUMMARY

Determining the best methods of assessment for a library instruction program in a large research university can be a challenging task. Albert R. Mann Library at Cornell University Library has pilot-tested three methods of formative and summative assessment for its library instruction program-attitudinal, outcomes-based, and gap-measure-and determined not only key areas of improvement for the program, but also the benefits and drawbacks of each method of assessment. Attitudinal assessment has guided program improvement in areas of marketing and user satisfaction but does not provide the measurement of learning that outcomes-based assessment covers. The latter can be difficult to achieve in single-session, short-term instruction, while gap-measure assessment can provide a more nuanced view of both patron and instructor attitudes toward learning outcomes, if not actual data on achievement of the objectives themselves. The authors have determined that a combination of these three different types of assessment can address the shortcomings of a single method alone and provide a better measure of the program as a whole.     

Instruction and Outreach at Colorado State University Libraries

Summary

The Colorado State University Libraries' instructional outreach services have undergone significant changes since the reorganization of Reference Services in January of 1998. The new organizational structure created a separate group for instruction, outreach and staff training, which includes the extended university programs position (distance learning), and a new position, the undergraduate instruction librarian. This new group gives the Libraries an avenue in which to provide focused instruction to the Colorado State University community and limited outreach to campus affiliates and the Fort Collins community. This article discusses outreach activities before and after the reorganization including services to specific populations such as African Americans, Hispanics, distance learning populations and extension services, undergraduates, and disabled students.     

Special Libraries Assessment or Marketing the Special Library

Unlike many reference librarians, special librarians have always found themselves in the position of having to prove the value of their information centers, information services, and even themselves. Now, more than ever, it is important for the special librarian to be prepared to document the worth of the provided services and facilities to satisfy both the user and the administrators.     

Resource Sharing in Special Libraries

This article provides a detailed account of resource sharing in special libraries in Kenya. A brief definition of special libraries is provided, and the characteristics of these libraries highlighted. The current position pertaining to cooperation in Kenya in general and in social libraries in particular is provided. It is concluded that cooperation in Kenya is still informal. Factors hindering formal programmes have been isolated. The suggestion is advanced that formal programmes can be operational only if the government establishes a national coordinating body on information.     

ROIs and Surveys in Special Libraries: One Corporate Experience

Special libraries, especially in corporate environments, face a challenge in measuring their value and communicating it to their customers and management. This can be especially difficult in organizations where libraries or information centers are perceived as cost centers that make minor financial contributions. A return on investment study, when combined with contextual information, can help overcome this perception while providing valuable information on customer needs.     

专业资料室特色谈

在市场经济的冲击下,书刊价格大幅度的上涨,经费来源相对的紧张,工作人员收益偏低等不利因素,使图书馆业陷入了困境."211工程"的实施,给高校图书馆的发展带来了新的机遇,重点学科的建设,同样给专业资料室带来了盎然生机.抓住机遇发展自己,走特色化道路,是专业资料室改革发展的必由之路.     

Supporting Student Work: Some Thoughts About Special Collections Instruction

ABSTRACT

During the past decade we have noted a marked increase in the use of special collections materials in the university classroom. This presents the library with an opportunity to assert its role as a unique and irreplaceable contributor to the University's core mission. Asserting this is predicated on the assumption that an instructor's goals will be met, that students will become successful researchers, and that library staff will survive the encounter. This is not easy to accomplish and this article is an attempt to describe those elements that we have found to be central to a successful instructional outcome.     

专业信息中心专家资源的开发

专业信息中心在我国文献情报事业的发展中具有重要的地位和作用。本文根据专业信息用户的特点，提出了重新认识专业信息中心专家作用的观点，即：“专家是资源”、是“合作伙伴”、是亟待挖掘的“知识宝库”。并就如何组织和开发专家资源，加快信息开发，形成信息产品等进行了探讨。     

美国专业图书馆的战略规划--个案研究

图书馆通常注重制定馆藏计划,但忽略战略远景规划;即便制定了规划计划,总得不到贯彻执行。有的图书馆并没有从满足用户需求、确保完成主管单位(母机构)使命的角度出发来确立起相应的最终目标和阶段性目的。当前的经济形势迫使图书馆必须努力证明自身的存在价值。越来越多的专业文献开始探论图书馆的规划、组织战略、战略管理和战略计划等命题,以期帮助图书馆在主管单位(母机构)的各组织部门中保持战术性优势。通过对图书、管理人员的招聘广告展开调查和分析,不难发现战略规划已经成为图书管理人员的重要工作部分。战略规划已成为现代图书馆管理的核心。小型图书馆的馆长则必须一手制定和实施所有的计划。本文将通过个案调查,解释并且展示美国专业图书馆如何制定和执行战略计划。它同时也将证明专业图书馆能够为确保主管单位(母机构)宏观使命的成功扮演起不可或缺的重要角色。     

The Preservation and Maintenance of Special Research Collections in Public Libraries:

Whether or not, or under what circumstances, public libraries should house special-subject research collections is examined with respect to: (1) feasibility of community participation in administrative decisionmaking and allocation of funds: (2) reliability of library/collection use statistics as measures of performance: (3) rationales for and costs of maintaining special collections. Literature on local history and performing arts research collections is discussed to illustrate practical administrative considerations. Creation of community participation opportunities, either through formal analyses of library communities or other methods, is advocated as essential with respect to the preservation and maintenance of special subject research collections in public libraries.