Showing papers in "College & Research Libraries in 1978"

Managing the Flow of Technology: Technology Transfer and the Dissemination of Technological Information Within the R&D Organization (Book Review)

Abstract: The original edition of this book summarized more than a decade of work on communications flow in science and engineering organizations, showing how human and organizational systems could be restructured to bring about improved productivity and better person-to-person contact. While many studies have been done since then, few of them invalidate the general conclusions and recommendations Allen offers. In a new preface he points out new developments, noting areas that need some modification, elaboration, or extension, and directing readers to the appropriate journal articles where the findings, are reported. The first three chapters provide an overview of the communication system in technology, present the author's research methods, and describe differences in the career paths and goals of engineers and scientists that cause special problems for organizations. The book then discusses how technological information is acquired by the R & D organization, shows how critical technical communication within the laboratory is for R & D performance, and originates the idea of the \"gatekeeper,\" the person who links his or her organization to the world at large. Concluding chapters take up the influence of formal and informal organization and of architecture and office layouts on communication. Many of these ideas have been successfully incorporated by architects and managers in the design of new R & D facilities and complexes. Suggested Citation Handle: RePEc:mtp:titles:0262510278 Download reference as HTML Thomas J. Allen, 1984. \"Managing the Flow of Technology: Technology Transfer and the Dissemination of Technological Information Within the R&D Organization,\" MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262510278, November. More services and features MyIDEAS Follow serials, authors, keywords & more New papers by email Subscribe to new additions to RePEc Author registration Public profiles for Economics researchers MPRA Upload your paper to be listed on RePEc and IDEAS EconAcademics Blog aggregator for economics research Plagiarism Cases of plagiarism in Economics Rankings Various rankings of research in Economics & related fields RePEc Genealogy Who was a student of whom, using RePEc RePEc Biblio Curated articles & papers on various economics topics Job market papers RePEc working paper series dedicated to the job market Fantasy league Pretend you are at the helm of an economics department Services from the StL Fed Data, research, apps & more from the St. Louis Fed IDEAS is a RePEc service hosted by the Research Division of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis . RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.

Whither Libraries? Or, Wither Libraries?

Abstract: Explication des raisons pour lesquelles la societe passe d'une communication formelle imprimee a une communication electronique. Proposition d'un scenario pour le futur

Book Use as a Bradford-Zipf Phenomenon

Abstract: The Bradford distribution is introduced and explained; its ambiguity, arising from two different conceptions, and relationship to the Zipf distribution are discussed. The general situation that might be expected to yield such a distribution is described and shown to fit the interaction between book users and books available for use in a library. Circulation data from a major research library are then shown to follow the verbal rather than the graphical formulation of Bradford's law. Some possible implications are discussed.

Profiling a Periodicals Collection

Abstract: Lib.raries faced with budget cuts and rising book and periodical prices cannot afford to be without solid information upon which to base collection development decisions. Evaluative methods are needed to determine the scope, quality, accessibility, and usefulness of the existing collection so that development can proceed in a direction parallel with the current needs and future goals of those whom the library serves. Specific methods for obtaining such data about a periodicals collection are described. Several approaches were used, including analysis of unmet user needs as shown in interlibrary loan requests, comparison with major bibliographies, analysis of the accessibility of the collection through available abstracts and indexes, and determination of the relationship between the collection and the academic programs it is designed to support.

On-Line Search Services: Implications for Libraries and Library Users

Abstract: The recent rapid growth of on-line searching of bibliographic data bases by libraries is having considerable impact on the information community. This article discusses some of these effects from the point of view of the search service facility at the University of Pennsylvania. Among the implications for library users are an increased appreciation for the complexities of information handling, a greater acceptance of fees to help defray on-line search costs, and accelerated demands upon other supportive services. The implications for libraries include an inevitable increase in the costs of maintaining the services, the necessity of charging fees to patrons in order to minimize these costs, and a continuation of a trend in academic libraries toward personalized services for individual library users.

Some Reflections on Participative Management in Libraries

Abstract: Participative management is highly touted as a panacea for the ills~eal and imagined-afflicting libraries. Apologists for this managerial strategy often fail to define it adequately, proceed from a num.per of unwarranted assumptions and suppressed premises in their arguments for it, and overlook some of the consequences that would follow from its implementation. This article examines these assumptions, draws out the premises, and considers some of the possible ramifications of participative management in its various forms in order to arrive at a clear and workable, albeit restrained, understanding of the concept.

The Weighted Criteria Statistic Score: An Approach to Journal Selection

Abstract: The problem of effective journal selection has always been a difficult one to solve. With increasing subscription costs resulting in ever-decreasing buying power, its solution has become critical. The large proportion of library budget dollars spent on journal subscriptions, as well as the continuing requirement to satisfy user needs, mandate the use of a technique for journal selection that is both practical and systematic. The weighted criteria statistic score provides a decision-making approach that is reliable and widely applicable for identifying, evaluating, and utilizing journal selection criteria.

CODOC: A Computer-Based Processing and Retrieval System for Government Documents.

Abstract: Much has been written in the literature recently concerning the application of machine technology to complex library operations. This paper describes a computerized system specifically designed to provide a quick and economical method of in-depth access to individual publications within a government documents collection. The system, CODOC (COoperative DOCuments), is currently operated in a network configuration in Ontario and Quebec and independently by several other libraries in Canada and the United States.

An Acquisition Rate Model for Academic Libraries

Abstract: With circulation assumed to imply use and thus need, multiple regression analysis was employed to determine which variables best correlate with circulation. Three were identified: number of books added; full-time equivalent size of student body; and undergraduate and graduate courses offered. A \"T'' test showed no significant difference between the means of per student circulation differentiated by collection size and population mean of the entire sample. A similar \"T'' test for per student rate of acquisition revealed no significant difference between the means of individual libraries and the population mean. A regression equation recommending a predictive value for the number of books to be added was developed.

Management Problems of Student Workers in Academic Libraries

Abstract: This paper analyzes the problems related to the management of student workers in academic libraries. It reviews relevant literature in library science and in management theory, with special emphasis placed on an understanding of what motivates student workers and on the valuable contribution they may make in the academic library. Finally, suggestions are offered relative to the hiring, training, and supervision of student workers.

Socio-Technical Theory and Job Design in Libraries

Abstract: Under the influence of socio-technical theory, recent job satisfaction research has focused upon the areas of (1) the work itself, (2) the individual versus the organization, and (3) job design. Successful job design appears to depend upon· finding satisfactory solutions to accommodate an organization's needs, its technology, and the desires and demands of the employed individuals. The creation of autonomous jobs at all levels of responsibility are seen as the key to a successful relationship between these three key components of the socio-technical system.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Electronic Security System.

Abstract: The article updates a 1971 study that recommended the installation of an electronic security system in the Van Pelt Library at the University of Pennsylvania. A preand postinstallation comparison of estimated loss rates is given. Also presented are an analysis of costs and benefits based Qn the new estimated loss rates and a discussion of factors affecting loss rate estimates and additional benefits.

The Undergraduate Library: Is It Obsolete?.

Abstract: The first undergraduate libraries in the United States were established during the early 1930s. The concept of a special book collection for undergraduates was slow in gaining acceptance, and more than twenty-five years later, in 1959, there were only ten such collections. However, the 1960s were boom years for undergraduate libraries, and by 1972 there were forty-nine collections in· the country. Then, in the early 1970s, the trend reversed itself, avd by 1977 the number of undergraduate collections had dropped to thirty-seven. Based la.rgely on responses to questionnaires sent to undergraduate libraries and to those university libraries formerly having undergraduate collections, this paper attempts to outline the history and the precipitous decline of the undergraduate library concept in the United States.