1982 Final Exams Questions

November 22, 1982

1. Bibliographic control (the organization of information and the arrangement of library materials for efficient and effective management and retrieval) is an important aspect of library and information services. Describe in general the various methods and devices used to accomplish bibliographic control. Discuss in more detail the methods and devices which would be used in a particular type of library or information agency.

2. The great change in emphasis in the information world currently is technology-- the "machine." The other side of the coin is the human element. It has been said that the manager's major source of problems are "people." Consequently, a manager must have human skills as well as technical skills. Discuss what human skills you believe to be necessary and how they are used and abused in library administration. Document with some of the better known management theories.

3. Cooperation between and among libraries has been taking place for many decades. In the mid-1960's, cooperative activities began to become more formalized. By the 1980's, the concept had become well established in the form of several types of network organizations. Define current usage of the term "library network" and explain some of the important activities of the different types of networks (bibliographic utilities, multi-type, single-type), using specific examples.

4. From the perspective of a particular type of library (e.g., academic, special, public, school, etc.) of your choice, identify and describe four major innovative products, programs, or services introduced by libraries over the last decade. Discuss the source of these innovations and their impact upon the library agency and its users.

5. Increasingly experts in evaluation are criticizing librarians for stating their objectives and goals in "unmeasurable terms." Briefly outline the reasons that critics like F.W. Lancaster give to justify this charge. Then distinguish between "standards" and "measures of effectiveness" as evaluation tools in library science. Finally, outline the ways in which you feel libraries might best improve their evaluative procedures.

July 19, 1982

1. The current conservative climate in the country inevitably leads to more problems with censorship in all types of libraries. As the manager of a library of your choice, how would you prepare your organization for dealing with such problems of censorship. Keep in mind the staff, management, and clients.

2. Technological changes in the way information is produced, stored, retrieved, and disseminated often meet with resistance from the users of information (including libraries and their clients). Discuss the nature and characteristics of this resistance and some of the ways that it can be overcome.

3. From the hundreds of user studies conducted in the past two decades, we have learned some characteristics of information seeking behavior and attitudes that most users of information seem to have in common. Discuss these characteristics of users and their implications for information professionals.

4. Assume that you have been hired as an outside consultant to make recommendations on the improvement of the management effectiveness of a library of your choice. What aspects of the library and its management would you examine? How would you go about getting the information needed? [What would you include in the report?].

5. The planning process has not always been utilized by libraries. With the reduction in federal and state funding for libraries more emphasis has been placed on local fund raising. How would you utilize the planning process for this purpose? How would you proceed with developing a plan for a local fund raising program?