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In the late 1980s changes in the economics of computing led to the move away from computer systems shared between libraries to systems that were intended to provide a full range of integrated facilities at the local level. Reading University was anxious to take advantage of the improvements in service and efficiency that such systems provided. Since 1979 it had been a member of the SWALCAP library co‐operative, which provided shared cataloguing and circulation services. Ageing equipment was becoming increasingly unreliable and was unable to cope with the increasing number of terminals that were required. In 1987 the university made provision for the replacement of the shared systems by a new local system.

The development of networked access to academic library catalogue records has been conspicuously slow compared with that of campus‐wide information systems in general. In cooperation with its systems suppliers BLCMP, the Pilkington Library in Loughborough is seeking to remedy this situation by developing an interface that allows users to access its OPAC via the Web. The benefits of such a facility are reflected in BLCMP's decision to incorporate a revised version in the forthcoming release of the commercial Talis system; but problems relating to the ‘statelessness’ of HTTP and to the inadequacy of traditional catalogue records as access points for electronic information resources are still cause for consideration.

This study provides some empirical evidence of the relationship between face‐to‐face contact for accounting students by comparing their performance with their attendance at tutorials. Previous research has shown that there was no significant difference in the performance of students, measured by their results, between students who attended tutorials and lectures with those who did not. Internal students who had face‐to‐face contact outscored those who did not attend lectures and tutorials. This suggests that attendance does explain performance. Consistent with previous studies, we posit that students who attended tutorials have a greater possibility of scoring a higher mean average grade than those who did not attend tutorials. We hypothesise that attendance at tutorials is useful and is conducive to better learning in accounting at the undergraduate levels. With debate about converting all accounting undergraduate courses into the flexible mode over the horizon, this study provides some empirical evidence to accounting students, accounting academics and university administrators as to the suitability of learning and teaching modes in accounting at the undergraduate level.

The information needs and practices of part‐time and distancelearning students in higher education (HE) in the UK outside the Open University (OU) have been evaluated. In recent years, the government has pointed out the importance of individuals engaging in lifelong learning initiatives, in order to remain competitive in a globalised economy which draws increasingly on cumulative knowledge creation. In response, the HE sector in the UK offers a growing number of its programmes on a part‐time and/or distance‐learning basis for students who can remain in full‐ or part‐time employment while studying for their qualifications. We trace the history of adult education with its corresponding study modes, and set the experience of students within the wider framework of educational change in the information society. We distributed a questionnaire and conducted telephone and face‐to‐face interviews with a substantial sample of part‐time and distance learners. Based on our research findings, we question whether the information‐gathering practices of part‐time and distance‐learning students best reflect the pedagogical concept of lifelong learning. Our results show that university libraries considered in our sample often do not cater for the specialised needs of part‐time and distance learners, which leads to an increasing use of the Internet and employer resources as a substitute for traditional information channels. Students have major problems coping with the complexity of the WWW, and we make recommendations on how to improve existing information services in HE.

Addresses briefly five complex issues in higher education: professional development spanning all categories of staff; the role of a centre of professional development (CPD) in context; the philosophical framework and models within which a centre might operate; the role of a centre in strategic planning and policy formation, and the contribution that a CPD might make in assessing and enhancing quality. Develops four main arguments with regard to the CPD at the University of Auckland. The CPD should support continuous improvement, promote organizational learning, and provide policy and practical advice regarding the management of quality. It should conduct organizational research and development, primarily through international benchmarking. The CPD also needs to research the implications of information technology, especially in the reconstruction of teaching, research and organization. Above all it needs to understand its organizational role of helping to construct cultural networks of mutual moral obligations.

Four learning modes, interacting through students as different learning systems, are mapped into a cone-of-learning continuum that allows tertiary institutions to visually re-consider where within their cone-of-learning, they choose to position their learning approaches. Two forms of blended learning are also distinguished. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Undergraduate law, business, IT, and creative arts student perceptions are structural equation modelled (SEM) into traditional, blended-enabled, blended-enhanced, and flexible learning systems.

Within the SEM derived learning cone-of-learning continuum, a migration from traditional learning systems towards blended and flexible learning systems typically offers higher-net levels of undergraduate student learning experiences and outcomes.

The authors do not capture learning system feedback loops, but the cone-of-learning approaches can position against chosen competitors. The authors recognise benchmark, positioning, and transferability differences may exist between different tertiary institutions; different learning areas; and different countries of operation. Cone-of-learning studies can expand to capture student perceptions of their value acquisitions, overall satisfaction, plus trust, and loyalty considerations.

The cone-of-learning shows shifts towards flexibility as generating higher student learning experiences, higher student learning outcomes, and as flexible technologies mature this demands higher student inputs. These interactive experiential systems approaches can readily incorporate new technologies, gamifications, and engagements which are testable for additional student deep-learning contributions. Experiential deep-learning systems also have wide industrial applications.

Understanding the continuum of transitioning between and across deeper-learning systems offers general social benefit.

Learning system studies remain complex, variable systems, dependent on instructors, students, and their shared experiential engagements environments. This cone-of-learning continuum approach is useful for educators, business, and societal life-long learners who seek to gauge learning and outcomes.

The development of the World‐Wide Web has caught the imagination not only of professional computer users, but also of large sections of the general public: news and feature items concerning aspects of the Internet abound in the popular media, and these commonly specify the Web as the technology of choice for accessing a wide variety of information resources.

The management of library “pick‐up books” – a phrase that refers to books pulled off the shelves by readers, discarded in the library after use, and picked up by library assistants for reshelving – is an issue for many collection managers. This research attempts to use geographic information system (GIS) software as a tool to monitor the use of such books so that their distributions by book shelf‐ranges can be displayed visually. With GIS, library floor layouts are drawn as maps. This research produces some explanations of the habits of library patrons browsing shelved materials, and makes suggestions to librarians on the expansion of library collections and the rearrangement potential for library space.

Nowadays, libraries are confronted with the growth of library collection, financial problems and lack of enough space. Hence, an organized and automatic system is needed to manage the sources collection. The purpose of the current study was using a GIS in managing the sources collection (systematic weeding, collection development and retrieving the extent of the sources loan) of the library to implement the system in a case sample and using the output maps for improving the status of managing the sources and contributing to make weeding more systematic and supplying the sources.

Combination of survey methods-descriptive design system was used. To gather the required data, the survey-descriptive method was used. To implement and enter the information and data into ArcGIS and analyze the data and display the results on the library floors maps, system designing was utilized. Finally, the proposed model was designed based on the exiting reality. Spatial database design and plan have been done at the Central Library of Tehran University.

The spatial database created in the study demonstrated that GIS has the potential for searching, displaying and presenting several reports considering the extent of the loan for each specific shelf on the map of the building and several halls of the library.

Thorough using the database for the extent of the loan and use of the sources in GIS and the potential for being updated and searching for spatial information, decisions related to managing the library sources collection including weeding, collection development and selection can be supported. The proposed model in the current study can be used in other libraries. Easy development and low cost for its implementation makes it applicable for all libraries.