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Discusses results of interviews at Canadian public libraries that were conducted to determine who users thought were responsible for collection development. Concludes that librarian's work is misunderstood because of its hidden nature and suggests implications for the image of librarians, recruitment, and staffing and funding of libraries. (Contains 73 references.) (Author/LRW)

Examines users' accounts of asking reference questions in Canadian public or academic libraries. Discusses problems, including failure to conduct a reference interview, unmonitored referral, and failure to ask follow-up questions; and considers how the availability of electronic resources, including the Web, has changed reference transactions and affected users' experiences. (Author/LRW)

Identified the effects of government information policy on accessibility, use, and users by investigating policy effects on a government agency, Statistics Canada. Presents a case study and discusses bibliometric research on the use of statistics sources, examining Canadian social science journal articles in economics, education, geography, political science, and sociology. (PEN)

This paper discusses the methodology and reports on initial findings of a study examining the perceptions of users of digital reference services. It is part of a long-term research project, The Library Visit Study, which has been conducted in three phases at the University of Western Ontario for more than a decade. Phases One and Two examined perceptions of users who approached physical reference desks in libraries with reference questions. Phase Three of the research considers reference encounters at virtual reference desks and compares users' experiences at the physical reference desk with experiences at the virtual reference desk. The findings suggest that, from the viewpoint of the enquirer, the virtual reference desk suffers from the same problems as the physical reference desk: inadequate reference interviewing, referral to alternative sources without a subsequent check on their suitability, and a lack of follow-up to determine satisfaction in general.

This article focuses on the economic theory regarding public sector information and, in particular, the arguments for free vs. priced distribution of official statistics. It is based on a review of the literature conducted under contract to Statistics Canada in 2007, which is available online [1]. That review examined economics literature and the economic arguments put forward in government studies and policy documents, with a particular emphasis on the literature on the economics of information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on a paper presented at the World Library and Information Conference 2005. This study seeking to determine users' perceptions about reference services and to try to understand what makes users satisfied and willing to return. The study has been conducted in three phases and several articles have been published, along with the book "Conducting the Reference Interview." The first two phases of the research examined what happens when patrons ask questions face-to-face at reference desks in libraries, and the last phase looks at what happens when patrons ask questions at virtual reference desks. Education and training of reference librarians need to ensure that librarians not only know the reference sources but understand the importance of interpersonal communication in the reference process. The criteria for providing face-to-face and virtual reference services are readily available and can be used in training library staff. The Reference and User Services Association provides guidelines on behavioral performance and professional competencies and on virtual reference services.