Improving library effectiveness through a sociophysical analysis.
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A library's environment as an inviting place to study, read, and relax is an important function often overlooked or avoided. A nursing school library was underutilized and had an unacceptable of lost materials. A study undertaken to determine the setting's impact on all the library's intended functions showed that the physical environment seriously hampered many activities. A change in the library's arrangement offered users a more functional area for all types of library activities. Statistics show that the library is now more fully utilized, with an impressive decline in losses. The majority of students and faculty report more positive feelings toward the library and the librarian. (+info)
Planning for meaningful change in libraries and library networks: a first step.
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The Program Planning Model (PPM) is a planning and management tool that facilitates development and acceptance of significant programs. PPM assists program planning by systematically involving consumer or user groups in the development and review of new programs. While user participitation is important throughout PPM, this involvement is especially important during the problem exploration phase, when the problems or needs of these users are surveyed. The Nominal Group Technique (NGT), a variation of the "brainstorming" process, is a structured but flexible group process used in the problem exploration phase to generate a high number of useful responses concerning problem areas. NGT ensures maximum contribution of ideas by all participtants. NGT and its application in the planning and management efforts of several libraries and library networks are described in detail. (+info)
Primary journal selection using citations from an indexing service journal: a method and example from nursing literature.
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Although serial literature is extremely important to a library collection, it is also the source of many problems. Specialty journal selection is difficult, particularly for the librarian of a small or intermediate-size library that is not in a position to develop or maintain an exhaustive or inclusive collection in a particular field or discipline. Steadily increasing journal costs and recent economic trends necessitate establishment or reexamination of a periodical collection policy. In this investigation, the technique used analyzes citations assigned to medical subject headings (MeSH) and subheadings by indexers who prepare the MEDLARS data base. Citations have been retrieved by exploiting the on-line nature of the MEDLARS data base. A four-year time period is used to identify specialty journals in the area of nursing. Results given include a separate rank-order listing arranged by decreasing frequency of productivity for each MeSH term searched. A composite listing is given for the 16,355 unique citations retrieved. The approach illustrated and data presented may be useful in establishing library policy for questions of periodical subscription and setting of priorities for binding and microform purchases. The purpose of the approach described is to predict collection demand with efficiency and economy. (+info)