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| Format: | Recurso educativo Open Access |
| Language: | en |
| Published: |
1996
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| Online Access: | https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED412989 |
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| _version_ | 1867180698966687744 |
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| author | Boos, Jo Ellen |
| author_facet | Boos, Jo Ellen Boos, Jo Ellen |
| collection | Education Resources Information Center |
| contents | A Children's Materials Availability Study at the Bellevue Public Library. Boos, Jo Ellen Children Early Adolescents Evaluation Methods Library Collections Library Research Library Services Library Surveys Public Libraries Use Studies User Needs (Information) User Satisfaction (Information) In recent years there has been a push for libraries to develop and use systematic measures to determine the effectiveness of library service. Materials availability, or fill rate, is one of many output measures used in libraries. This technique measures the degree to which library customers are able to acquire the materials they want during their visits to the library; it serves as an indicator of how well the library's collection is meeting its users' needs. This paper describes a study of children's materials availability at the Bellevue Public Library (Ohio). Questionnaires were distributed to patrons--children and adults acting on behalf of children--in the library over a period of one week, with an end result of 197 usable questionnaires. Searches for specific authors, titles, and subjects had a fill rate of 79%. The browsing fill rate was 76%. The homework fill rate was 84%. The overall children's fill rate, including specific searches and browsing, was 77%. Data gathered from the study were useful for analyzing and forming objectives for collection development, bibliographic instruction, and customer service. This study provides a foundation from which to make comparisons in the future. Repeating the study each year will provide more information about the effects of budget changes and automation on search processes. The survey cover letter, questionnaire, and survey log are appended. (Contains 19 references.) (SWC) |
| format | Recurso educativo Open Access |
| id | eric_ED412989 |
| institution | ERIC Institute of Education Sciences |
| language | en |
| publishDate | 1996 |
| record_format | eric |
| spellingShingle | A Children's Materials Availability Study at the Bellevue Public Library. Boos, Jo Ellen Children Early Adolescents Evaluation Methods Library Collections Library Research Library Services Library Surveys Public Libraries Use Studies User Needs (Information) User Satisfaction (Information) A Children's Materials Availability Study at the Bellevue Public Library. Boos, Jo Ellen Children Early Adolescents Evaluation Methods Library Collections Library Research Library Services Library Surveys Public Libraries Use Studies User Needs (Information) User Satisfaction (Information) In recent years there has been a push for libraries to develop and use systematic measures to determine the effectiveness of library service. Materials availability, or fill rate, is one of many output measures used in libraries. This technique measures the degree to which library customers are able to acquire the materials they want during their visits to the library; it serves as an indicator of how well the library's collection is meeting its users' needs. This paper describes a study of children's materials availability at the Bellevue Public Library (Ohio). Questionnaires were distributed to patrons--children and adults acting on behalf of children--in the library over a period of one week, with an end result of 197 usable questionnaires. Searches for specific authors, titles, and subjects had a fill rate of 79%. The browsing fill rate was 76%. The homework fill rate was 84%. The overall children's fill rate, including specific searches and browsing, was 77%. Data gathered from the study were useful for analyzing and forming objectives for collection development, bibliographic instruction, and customer service. This study provides a foundation from which to make comparisons in the future. Repeating the study each year will provide more information about the effects of budget changes and automation on search processes. The survey cover letter, questionnaire, and survey log are appended. (Contains 19 references.) (SWC) |
| title | A Children's Materials Availability Study at the Bellevue Public Library. |
| topic | Children Early Adolescents Evaluation Methods Library Collections Library Research Library Services Library Surveys Public Libraries Use Studies User Needs (Information) User Satisfaction (Information) |
| url | https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED412989 |