ERIC Number: ED233723
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1982
Pages: 31
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
The Influence of a Book Display on Circulation in a Two-Year College Library.
Aguilar, William
A study was conducted during fall semester 1981 and spring semester 1982 at Parkland College, a 2-year community college in Champaign, Illinois, to determine the influence of a book display on circulation in an academic library. The study was based on previous experiments conducted by Herbert Goldhor in public libraries. A group of 100 books was randomly selected from the existing library collection and 50 books were prominently displayed during each of the two experimental periods. Circulation records were kept for the 100 books before, during, and after the experimental periods. Telephone and mail questionnaires were also administered to 47 borrowers to determine why they borrowed the books selected for the study. Results indicated that books prominently displayed in academic libraries will circulate at a significantly higher rate than books kept in their regular shelf positions regardless of their number of previous circulations, year of publication, number of pages or illustrations, physical condition, presence or absence of book jackets, type of binding, or their frequency of listing in various selection tools. Questionnaire results also showed that books on display were borrowed for that reason, while books in the stacks were borrowed because of class assignments. (ESR)
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Researchers; Media Staff; Practitioners
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A