a. e I r .::.DOCUMENT RESUME' LI003 418, . ED, 058 912 . White, Ruth W., Ed. AUTHOR arid Reference Users in TITLE A Stildy of ReferenceServices the Metropolitan:Atlanta Area. Georgia Univ., Athens.Dept. of LibraryEducation. , INSTITUTION Reference SPONS AGENCY American LibraryAssociation, Chicago, Ill. Services Div. 'PUB DATE 71 NOTE 83p.; (0 References) MF- $0 . 65 HC-$3.29 EDRS PRICE ServiceS; *Library DESCRIPTORS 'Libraries; *Library Reference Standards; Dibrsary Surveys;*Reference Materials; .*UseStudies, IDENTIFIERS, *Atlanta; Georgia* - ABSTRACT. A project team wascommissioned t-O gatherinformation the ReferenceStandards.Committee of the which could be usedby standards for American Library,Associationin their development of The metrOpolitanAtlanta area was library reference services: the Selected becauSe it includes in anaccessible geographical area entire range of types .ofinstitutions which_providereference . Services in a sufficientlylarge' number to besignificant. This Services of selected report is a descriptive.;study of the reference libraries and of selected usersof .those services.The study (1) identifycuirent reference measurement'.and attempted to: the use:of evaluation techniques; elicit statements concerning (3) 'determine the*library interest in,standards reference statistics; satisfaction. The for reference'services;- and (4) measure:user Reference .Standards followingrecommendationi are made to, the qualitative rather thanquantitative Committee: (1) emphasize shOuld 'be measures ofservice, though minimumquantitative standards (2) users needs shouldbe-the most importantconsideration; inCludea; (.4)- formulate . (3) standardsShould initiate aself-evaluation; and standards for all types oflibrarie.s. Names of uniform reference interview,questions and projeRt teammembers,summariesofreplies to lists of libraries inAtlanta are appended. (SJ) ; Z. A STUDY OF IIEFLRENCE SERVICES AND. RCA:at:ACE 'USERS IN TIE:II.iTRUPOLITAN ATEINNTA AkEA ft U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION AS WELFARE OFFICE OF EDUCATION "THIS 00CUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO: DUCEO EXACTLY AB RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIG, INATING IT. POrNTS OF VIEW OR OPIN, IONS STATED 00 NOT NECESSARILY OP REPRESENT OFFICIAL DFFICE OF EDU- , CATION POSITION OR POLICY. .4 A Project Of the Reference Standards Commkttee, Reference Services Division,American Library Association, Completed by Graduate. Students in Library Education atthe University of Georgia : a Edited by - Ruth W. White .. 66 Department of Library Education thliversity of Georgia Athens,tpergia CYZ 1971 A 0 I. LI A Proi ec.t to Ga'ther:Datii...for th-- Use of" the Reference Standards Coiamittec in .the Devolop,Aent of Standards of . Reference 'Service.(Coneiucted throarigh the Coopciation ..of the- Unive rsity of Georgia and the .Americail Li brary Associ at i on.) REFItREKE STANDARDS cv,iIITTEE a Robert 1,.Klassen, Chairman Patricia M. Harris Thpodore F. Welch Ruth W. _White George M..Bailey' Ernest.A. Dittiattia, Jr. Ann M. Seyboth PROJECTSTAF? DIRECTOR: :Dr Ruth W. White. .% RESEIARCII CONSULTANT: Dr.s Robert Rentz MarilynV.. %arms' Mary E..Mann Jessie S. Eckenrode Bobby J. Pembprton Patricia G. DeLoach Ben EO. Pitts , Laura A.. Hughes Daisy R. Rice June P. McAbee Lucille S. Traylor A !, . : . e /. CONTLNS 0 page TABLES i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ive p. PREFACE. v , 0 # . :INTRODUCTION AND GENERAL PROCEDURES . 1 , / PART I . REF012ENCESERVICES.IN.THE .METROPOL ITAN ATLANTA AREA.. 8 . 1 PART II. REFfiRENCE.USERS IN THE METROPOIJTAN ATLANTAAREA 16 Ma. ;PART III. STATUS OF REFERENCE SERVICE IN ATLAN:l'A . 22 . PART IV 'RECOMMENDATIONS 25 . APPENDICES 28 a. 0 4 .Table page LibrariesInletropolitan Atlanta 3 . : Librades inMetropolitan Atlanta Aren, byCounty . 4' Distribution ofLibraries in Sample Surveyed 000 17,. Distribution of Users Stirveyed by Type of Library 6 S. Summary of Users Surveyed 6 ° 6i. Occupations of Users Surveyed 17 r 7.Length of0 Wait, for .Reference Ipformation 20 . 0 . 4'1" e' .4 ACKNOMIDGEME.NTS - The Department of Library Lducation at the Universi ty of ,Georgia wishes to aclowledge the contribotionsof those yho participated in.this study and helped to expedite itsconclusion. , Dr.. R. Robt Itentz, Assistant .Professor Of Education, University of Georgia, acted. as Consiatant throughopt the .project and deserves .speeial credit for the processing andanalysis of the data. Additional assistance in the processing and analysis of data. was provided by the Edueationa.1Research. Laboratory; COl lege of :Education, UniverSitY of'Georgia. Gratitude is expressed to the manylibrarians in the' Metropolitan Xtlanta Area who 'gave tIteir support tothe project and,. their time tO participate. in the study. The interViewers wish .to express thanks to the librarypations who' took time to.complete 'survey foims. ' In addition, the department i s. grateful .for the supportof Dr. ;Jogeph A. Williams, Dean, College of Education,University of Georgia, in allowing the project staff toutilize all the facirities and resources of the College of Education for thisstudy. iv I. 9 a PREFACE'. This report is.di recteel.--to .thc: members ofthe Referhce Standard: COrimiltee, Reference Sert'ices Divdsion, American Library'Association. The information contained in the 7eport is the data ga tin:red at the request of the Commitfec toas'sist in the formulation of a'Statement ,v,f standards of reference service. The study was 'made by the Department. of Library liducation, University of Georgia, through thc cooperation of S. the Ihtivers ity of .Georgi a and the AMeri can Library Association. The Reference Standdrds Committee' has been engaged in devisinga plah to measure the effectiveness of reference.services, in various kilds of libraries in,preparation for Tormulating standards to improve reference services to library users and Prospective library-users. llen the Committee met in Chicago at -the'Midwinter Conference in January of 1,970, .1 the, decision was made to focus the efforts on studying reference services into one specific geographical arca which mfght be considered representa- , tive and to seek funds from the American Library Association to support A the study. The Metropolitan Atlanta Area was selected becauseit'includes in an accessible geographical area the entirerange of; types of .institutions which provide reference services in a sufficiently large ' number to be significant. The Committee felt that throitgh limitation to one geographical area,thepioblem.coula.be studied also irom the point of view of the ser and could be employed to further theReference e Service Division's interest in the importance of the user. Because the Department of Library Education at she University of Georgia is located near to 'the Metropolitan Atlanta Area 'and bpcause graduate students and competent'advisors.were available in that institution to conduct such a project; the committee voted to permit ' 0 64. that departmfmt to Make preparations forthe stTidy. The Chairman of the. department, who directed the study, was Member' of the Comtittee and . , wasi,vitally'interested in the próject. Ihe.departwant is a part of the 0 College af Education in.the'state university where it enyoysclose . :. A rclatiOn4.4 with other public institutiOns. Personnel 1)(1 reSources. .-.. , , . were readily available.and the prestige'of the institution in'the t ... *-. t.,.. Metropolitan Atlantarea assured. cooperation of publicand private . ... institutions and thoOghtfpl responses from iadividnal sarvey Rarticapants A small;grant was' authoriz.ed by the Executive Board of theAmerican'', Library Association to.assist in the projedt. ,Ten graduate students 'frolic:the Department of Library.Education,were selected,to carry out the . y ,survey. The, grant was used to register.the ten studdnts'into a, research. ,seminhr and to cOmpensate eadh ;for a portion 'of .the-travel involved in 44 the planningtsessions and the interviews. The project became a learning . eXperinece fox .the students as they studied the problem, performed the ?. literature search, designed and administered the instruments, Oampi1ed. the responses, and analyzed the results.* 0 Work was begun ih Decenlber of 1970 and theactuafsurveywas_ conducted during March,'April, and May; 1971. A preliminary report of, the aata was,presented to thelleference Standards Committee during the Annual Conferenee at Dallal in June of 1971. At.the request of the, 0 Committee, further analysis .of the.data was made 'during the fall.. The final report was prepared for the-meeting of theCommittee ,at the Midwinter Confererice in Chicago'in January, of 1972. This report presents the results of A Sttidy''.of Reference Services and Reference Users in the:Metropolitan Alanta Area -'a descriptive \ study of the reference services of selected libraries and ofseleCted t , users of those services. l'he Project staff believeS that the study has vi 0 s s 0 7 f merit and that the data can beused by. th&r.c,::.:ait Ie in .fulfillingits n s charge.4`to formulatc: a statementofstandards°.of referente service. 0 0 th 114 te December, 1971 1 0. 9. 4 . 0$ IS , t 4 sl . INTRUDyClION AND GI.NIA:AL PROCEDUaS Referevce Services :;1:1 Reference. Usersin.the Metrop.olitan. Atlanta Area' 1,; an attopt to gatherinformatio,n about reference services and roierenceilwrs as they exist in a 1,argemetropolitan areas he Atlanta are!) was selected because a fairlywell:defined geographical .locasibn.can be found examples of-all types ofinstitutions"providing f . - . the 'results is dependent upon the t reference