Academic

A survey reported in 1973 of the faculty of 6 institutions of higher education in the California system of state colleges and universities involving 955 full-time faculty of the colleges (694 or 73% responding) showed thatfaculty from the humanities and education had a higher level of awareness of specific library reference services than other teaching areas, although only in relation to the science faculty was the difference statistically significant.                (Source)

        Ibid…. showed thatthe 3 reference services with which the most faculty were acquainted were:

                advice & assistance in use of library                     95%

                interlibrary borrowing                                           85%

                library instruction for classes                                65%

while the 3 references services with which the least faculty were acquainted were:

                lists of reference sources for specific classes                     17%

                answer requiring a search (i.e., answering questions that required a librarian to spend some time

                searching for the answer)                                                 22%

                answer to a factual question by phone                               36%                   (Source)

        Ibid…. showed thatthe reference services that teaching faculty valued most highly (top 5) were:

                                                                            # REPORTING FAVORABLE ATTITUDE

                advice & assistance in use of the library                                     89%

                interlibrary borrowing                                                                89%

                library bulletins and handbooks                                                  87%

                library instruction for classes                                                      81%

                answer to a factual question                                                       81%

while the 2 reference services that the faculty valued least were:

                lists of reference sources for classes                                          54%

                answer requiring a search (i.e., answering questions that required a librarian to

                spend some time searching for the answer)                                60%                   (Source)

        Ibid…. showed thatthe average teaching faculty member responding to the questionnaire was aware of only 50% of the reference services available to him from his college library.                     (Source)

An analysis of reference questions asked during fiscal year 1977-78 at the Engineering, Mathematics and Science Library at the University of Waterloo (Ontario), using step categories where each step represents a “distinct and definable judgment leading to a decision, action or recommendation” and where roughly 1 step corresponds to directional questions, 2 steps corresponds to ready reference questions, and multistep corresponds to reference questions, showed thatthe proportion of 1-step, 2-step, and multistep questions asked by undergraduates was 37%, 42%, and 21%, respectively, that of graduates was 28%, 52%, and 20%, respectively, and that of faculty was 24%, 51%, and 25%, respectively.                   (Source)

An analysis of reference questions asked during selected periods throughout the major part of the academic year 1967-77 at Albion College Library, using step categories where each step represents a “distinct and definable judgment leading to a decision, action or recommendation” and where roughly 1 step corresponds to directional questions, 2 steps corresponds to ready reference questions, and multistep corresponds to reference questions, showed thatthe proportion of 1-step, 2-step, and multistep questions asked by undergraduates was 62%, 22%, and 16%, respectively, while that of faculty was 41%, 25%, and 34%, respectively.                      (Source)

Dr. David Kohl

 "Libraries in the digital age are experiencing the most profound transformation since ancient Mesopotamian scribes first began gathering and organizing cuneiform tablets."

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