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Radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer, yet few Americans test their homes for radon, particularly in rural areas. The academic team and community partners engaged the public library systems in four rural counties to offer digital radon detectors for check-out as a means of increasing the public's access to free radon testing. The check-out procedures and instructional materials were created through an iterative process, and library personnel were educated on radon and home radon testing prior to launching the lending program. Library patrons reported high usability, feasibility, and acceptability of the program. Library patron-staff interactions mainly included discussions about the logistics of radon testing. Given that public libraries are invested in making communities thrive and promoting health, providing library lending programs for radon detectors is a novel, feasible, and acceptable way to reduce the risk of lung cancer in the community. • The radon detector library loan program was designed and evaluated using citizen science methods. • The radon detector library loan program was usable, feasible and acceptable to library patrons. • Library patrons were appreciative of having access to radon detector kits at no cost. • Public libraries can serve as partners to promote the health of communities. • Radon detector loan programs are innovative and attract community members who may not have otherwise utilized the library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A brief historical overview of the library instruction scene in the United States and Canada, an analysis of library instruction conference themes, and the identification of perceptions of librarians attending the LOEX, WILU, and LOEX of the West conferences in 2000 and 2001 reveal that the border may be responsible for significant differences between the two countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the validity of LibQUAL+™ scores, and specifically how total and subscale LibQUAL+™ scores are associated with self-reported, library-related satisfaction and outcomes scores. Participants included 88,664 students and faculty who completed the American English (n™ = 69,494) or the British English (nBE = 19,170) LibQUAL+™ language versions in the 2004 data collection cycle. Results suggest that LibQUAL+™ scores primarily measure satisfaction rather than outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the extent to which US. Association of Research Libraries (ARL) are providing services to their distance education library patrons, it reveals whether each U.S. ARL library has a designated librarian in charge of services to distance education students, and it presents the perceived challenges faced by distance education librarians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the results of a Web-based survey on usage of information and communication technologies by college professors at the University for Idaho (UI) for research and teaching. As of 2004, higher education is facing two major challenges, namely, shrinking budgets and a trend toward continuously expanding development of information and communication technologies. Constant monitoring for unwasteful management of taxpayers' money impacted changes in the higher education business model from a not-for-profit to for-profit model. Consequently, academic libraries, which are almost fully dependent on university budgets, quickly implemented a management idea to do more with less money. The UI is a land-grant institution with the primary responsibility for doctoral degrees, research programs, and professional public service for the state. The UI has only one main library with northwest special collections, and regular collections reflecting the land-grant tradition of emphasis on the basic sciences, agriculture, and natural resources while providing support in the fields of basic humanities, and social sciences. Since 1995, the library has had a presence on the World Wide Web that provides access to records for the entire print and electronic collection via an online catalog with access to WorldCat bibliographic records.

Presents the results of a library service survey conducted at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Boston in January and February 2002. Background on the college; Factors affecting the satisfaction of library users; Main reasons for students to use Sheppard Library; Libraries used by students besides Sheppard Library; Things that are lacking in the Sheppard Library collection.

Presents a study which explored the differences in the academic library use of undergraduate ethnic groups in the U.S. Racial characteristics of undergraduates; Percentage statistics on the college experiences of ethnic groups; Assessment of academic library usage.

Deals with a study which described the development and application of a structural equation model on the satisfaction and loyalty of library users in the U.S. Effect of the collection of printed publications on satisfaction of library users; Results from an action-oriented perspective; Implications of the satisfaction and loyalty model on literature studies.

Examines the literature on unaffiliated users' access to academic libraries since the 1950s. Librarians who have contributed to the public use of academic libraries; Reasons for the increased demand of unaffiliated users for libraries; Number of libraries in Virginia which allowed free borrowing to outside users throughout the 1980s; Surveys which reported on policies toward external users.

The relevancy of public libraries is often called into question, with some saying that library services have been or will be displaced by, among other things, new media such as social media. This study tested this displacement hypothesis with survey data collected from three nations (the U.S.: N = 879; South Korea: N = 700; and Singapore: N = 987). Ordinal regressions were used to investigate the relationship between the use of social media and nine public library services, taking into account individual demographic differences. The results show that for all three nations, social media use has significant complementary relationships with all nine library services examined. Computer and information literacy training showed the largest effect size. However, signs of displacement effects were observed in the odds ratio statistics, particularly among daily social media users and in reference services, library visits, and time spent in the library, suggesting that where displacement is concerned, these areas warrant extra attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author reflects on the activities of the organization American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP). Appointing of successor Douglas K. Novins as the editor in chief, post the death of John F. McDermott. Preparation for the annual celebration of the academy. Increasing popularity of the online access library called AACAP Connect.

Information inequity is a central concern of the digital age. Many recognize the role of public libraries in bridging such inequities. Unfortunately, however, public libraries are often limited by the funding available to them. This study used a geographic information system (GIS), inequality measures, and multiple regressions to analyze statistics from the Public Libraries Survey (PLS) collected by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and from census tract data. It evaluated the levels of public library funding and services and tested how these resources vary with neighborhood income and urbanization levels. This is one of the few nationwide multivariate studies of neighborhood-level variations. The study revealed significant funding and service variations across the nation's 9000 library systems. Distributions of digital materials, full-time staff with a master's degree in library and information science, and library programs were especially disparate. Library systems in lower-income or rural neighborhoods were relatively less funded and offered fewer information resources. Interestingly, the only variable that was not significantly associated with neighborhood income was the number of public Internet terminals. This suggests that recent funding and research efforts may have made a difference. Similar funding efforts are encouraged for other types of library resources such as staff education and training. In light of the prevalent disparities in resource levels across neighborhoods, the study calls for a fundamental evaluation of the funding mechanisms for libraries. Also, information behavior research should investigate how this structural information inequity affects individuals’ information use decisions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Public libraries have been held in high regard by communities since they were established in North America in the mid-19th century. Recently, with their diminishing informational role combined with the economic downturn, libraries have had to reassert their relevance to communities in a period of severely reduced municipal budgets. One role that is often assumed but rarely examined in depth is the library as a generator of social capital. This preliminary study investigates the relationship between public libraries and indicators of social capital using a questionnaire survey administered in three branch libraries in a large Midwestern American city. Library users had significantly higher levels of social capital in terms of community involvement and trust than a random sample of city residents. When frequency of library use was correlated with indicators of social capital there were mixed results. Library use was significantly associated with community involvement, but not with trust. Lack of trust in neighbors may be the incentive for people to become more involved in their communities in order to create a safer environment. The findings suggest that there is a strong relationship between public libraries and social capital but that further research is needed to broaden the base of the study and to include interviews with library patrons and staff so as to get a more nuanced view of how social capital is created. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The public library facility design literature identifies the importance of understanding patron wayfinding behavior and designing around it, and this research is a first step toward answering that call. Unobtrusive observation is conducted of library patrons'' initial wayfinding behavior from the two entrances of a medium-sized public library in south Florida. Although more than 100 entry routes are observed during this study, less than a quarter of those routes are taken by over 75% of observed patrons as they enter the facility, indicating that certain entry routes are extremely popular. Library personnel can use geographic information systems (GIS) to map the most popular routes. Then they can use information about which entry routes are most popular to increase the level of wayfinding ease in the entry areas of the facility and to strategically market library materials and services along highly-trafficked entry routes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]