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This study was conducted in four (4) University libraries, (two states and two federal) in the south -- south zone of Nigeria to provide information on the perception of both librarians and readers on the influence of information source parameters (obsolete information sources and availability of relevant information sources), as well as personal characteristics of librarians (attitude and experience) on readers ability to retrieve information. The study used survey design to determine by means of a one item in a four point likert scale questionnaire, the influence of these variables on reader's ability to retrieve information. Four (4) hypotheses were tested. Out of the total of 700 library registered undergraduate students, only 698 students and all the 9 librarians answered and returned usable questionnaires. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS} and t-test was used for data analysis. The major findings are that all the four hypotheses tested, rejected the null hypotheses, which means that all these variables influence reader's ability to retrieve information. This calls for the librarians to improve upon their personal characteristics as well as the provision of relevant information sources if quality reference services are to be attained. Based on these findings, recommendations were made, the major ones of which are the automation and internet connectivity of the reference section of the library, provision of current and relevant information, online access to information sources/e-library and re-training of librarians especially those librarians working in the reader's services libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a world where users want to view only the content that most directly relates to their research requirements, OCLC has undertaken a major initiative to better connect library audiences globally with the content libraries license for them. Beginning in April 2007, over 57 million article citations have been added to WorldCat from NLM,ERIC,GPO, the British Library and the ArticleFirst® databases. This action reflects the need to connect users with the content licensed for them where users are working - web destinations such as search engines, Facebook, Google Book Search, Google Scholar or Yahoo! Search. Continuing this effort to enrich the search experience of WorldCat users and improve the discoverability of this authoritative content means addressing the challenge of increasing its visibility to these users where they are working, whilst protecting the Intellectual Property Rights of content providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing interest in ephemera collections within libraries will necessitate the bibliographic control of materials that do not easily fall into traditional categories. This paper discusses the many challenges confronting catalogers when approaching a mixed collection of unique materials of an ephemeral nature. Based on their experience cataloging a collection of Pennsylvania German broadsides and Fraktur at the Pennsylvania State University, the authors describe the process of deciphering handwriting, preserving genealogical information, deciding on cataloging approaches at the format and field level, and furthering access to the materials through digitization and the Encoded Archival Description finding aid. Observations are made on expanding the skills of traditional book catalogers to include manuscript cataloging, and on project management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

THIS ARTICLE IDENTIFIES A NUMBER OF RESEARCH TOPICS related broadly to outcomes assessment in a networked environment and discusses issues affecting these research topics. It also proposes a framework to relate traditional evaluation components and terminology to the networked environment and identifies a number of factors in the networked environment that affect outcomes and other assessment methods. The article suggests that outcomes assessment has the potential to complement other assessment techniques to better assist libraries and related information organizations enhance their decisions in the provision of information services and resources. Given the increased rate at which libraries arc using the networked environment to provide services and resources, however, much work remains before most libraries can implement outcomes assessment efforts successfully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]