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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.

Presents a study which examined the library use patterns of undergraduates during their first three years in college. Purpose of library use; Types of library services used by students; Use of mathematical techniques to evaluate the library activities of students.

Presents information on a study which determined if the College Student Experiences Questionnaire (CSEQ) could validly measure the academic library experiences of undergraduates representing two different racial groups. Methodology of the study; Results and discussion of the study; Conclusions.

This imaginary exhibition is based on the archive of items collected to write the book manuscript for Searching for Utopia: African Americans in 20th Century Denmark. Professor Ethelene Whitmire used the method of curatorial dreaming to design this exhibition and was influenced by African American expatriate Walter Williams's landscape paintings that reflect the themes in the book. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article illustrates Regina Anderson Andrews' groundbreaking career as an African American librarian and activist. Despite her disturbing experience in applying for a job with the New York Public Library (NYPL), Anderson accepted the position of junior clerk at the 135th Street branch in Harlem. As part of the community outreach services provided at this branch, Andrews asked legendary librarian Ernestine Rose for permission to use the basement of the building for the Krigwa Players, a theater group founded by W. E. B. Du Bois. From the earliest days of her 44-year career with the NYPL, she resisted policies that restricted the placement of African American librarians and consequently limited their opportunities for promotion in rank and salary.

This study examines the academic library experiences of African American undergraduates attending a research university in the Midwest. Data collection techniques included questionnaires and ethnographic observations. The results indicated that African American undergraduates are using the academic library primarily to read and to study with their own materials. Additional data include information about what days and time periods they normally visited the library and their library activities. Although the undergraduates primarily used the library as an academic space, there was some evidence suggesting that these undergraduates also viewed the library as a social space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When considering academic library experiences, it is important to think about the context of undergraduates' overall experiences on college campuses. The academic library does not exist in a vacuum but is a part of the institutional environment. One important, often intangible aspect of undergraduates' experiences is related to the campus racial climate--"the overall racial environment of the college campus." How do negative racial experiences have an impact on undergraduates' intention to remain in college? A study examined how collegiate coping skills, high self-esteem, academic integration, identification with the university and experience of disrespect because of race, ethnicity or religion affected both students of color and White undergraduates' intention to remain enrolled in college. The sample included first-year undergraduates attending a large, private predominantly White institutions in the northeastern United States. Both students of color and White undergraduates reported that experiencing disrespect had a negative impact on their desire to remain in college.

This study explores the relationship between undergraduates'' epistemological beliefs and their information-seeking behavior. information search process (ISP) model and four models of epistemological development from educational psychology formed the theoretical foundation of this investigation. Twenty undergraduates attending an Ivy League university were interviewed about their search process as they completed a major research paper during their senior year. Epistemological beliefs affected topic, the use of mediators, search techniques, the evaluation of information, and the ability to recognize authority. Epistemological beliefs also affected several stages of the ISP model: topic selection, prefocus formulation, focus formulation, and collection. These findings provide a rich theoretical foundation for future information-seeking behavior research and will assist academic reference librarians by providing insights into the impact of undergraduates'' epistemological beliefs on their information-seeking behavior. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Examines the disciplinary differences on information-seeking behavior of undergraduates. Background characteristics of undergraduates; Indication of a one-size-fits-all model of delivering academic library services; Assessment of statistical differences between undergraduate major in different academic disciplines.

This study investigated the relationship between an institution''s academic library performance measures and undergraduates'' library use and educational outcomes. The sample consisted of 7,958 undergraduates attending 36 colleges and universities representing four institutional types. Regression analyses determined the relationship between academic library performance measures and library use and self-reported gains in critical thinking while controlling for undergraduates'' background characteristics and college experiences. Greater utilization of academic library services had a negative relationship with undergraduate library use at two institutional types. However, undergraduates attending research universities with greater academic library resources had higher self-reported gains in critical thinking. Regressions for the four institutional types explained 25% to 32% of the variance for library use and 22% to 27% of the variance for self-reported gains in critical thinking. The results provide a better understanding of how academic library resources and services affect both library usage and educational outcomes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Examines factors that influence undergraduates' academic library use during the first three years of college. Factors that predict library use; Relationship between undergraduate library use and self-reported and objective critical thinking scores'; Use of findings for the redesign of academic library services and future research studies on information-seeking behavior.

Presents a study which examined the influence which affects the development of critical thinking skills in undergraduate students, using data from the College Student Experiences Questionnaire (CSEQ). Objective of the American higher education; Development of programs and services aimed at fostering undergraduates' critical thinking development; Results of the study.