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The findings of a survey of Scottish university, central institution and college of education libraries to assess present and planned subject access to their catalogues and whether online catalogues are likely to improve subject access are reported. The results are analysed and the findings discussed in relation to published studies of subject access in online catalogues. It is concluded that greater attention needs to be paid to subject access both by librarians in specifying automated systems and by system suppliers in responding to specifications.

THE NOW DEFUNCT READING SOCIETIES of Leadhills and Wanlockhead made a valuable contribution to library history in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, but the libraries they amassed and the buildings they erected still exist, and their recent history, present state and possible future demonstrate important aspects of the problems of preserving old libraries.

This paper describes a survey of the use of the electronic information floor (EIF) located in Glasgow Caledonian University’s Caledonian Library and Information Centre. The survey used both observational and questionnaire based methods and builds on a previous study which used focus groups and semi‐structured interviews. The study was divided into two parts: an observational study and a questionnaire based study. The observational study found word processing, sending and receiving e‐mail, and Web browsing to be the most common activities. The more substantial part of the study was questionnaire based, the questionnaire being administered both on paper and electronically. The main findings were: most respondents were full‐time students: most respondents were PC rather than Mac users; only 18 per cent use CD‐ROMs and only about 13 per cent use online databases. About a third had problems in using the EIF. The main overall conclusions are that information searching is a minority activity and that the volume of non‐curricular activity is substantial but unquantified.

Describes how the huge problems of managing a large telecommunications network have been addressed in the development of a proprietary system called NETWORKS. Discusses the user′s mental model. Describes a network object model. Presents examples of how object‐oriented graphics can be applied to network management tasks.

This paper investigates the influence of modernisation on the moral judgements of 211 managers residing in the People’s Republic of China, based on their responses to a series of vignettes depicting potentially unethical behaviour in organisations. Results suggest that there is a significant association between moral judgement and modernisation. Managers from the more industrialised and economically advanced provinces in China gave harsher moral judgements, that is, higher ratings of unethicality, in five out of six vignettes. The study reported in this paper offers valueable insights into the nature of value and attitude change, or “convergence”, as China adopts elements of a more modernised market style economy.

Reviews Leadhills Library, Britain’s first subscription library and also the first subscription library in Britain to have a working‐class base. It originated the ideology of mutual improvement as applied to libraries in Scotland, which has clear links with the social philosophy of the period and formed an organizational model for others to follow. Its book selection policy was both progressive and independent and much of its early stock still survives in situ in a building which has probably been occupied since the late eighteenth century. It functioned actively as a library from 1741 until the mid‐1960s and is still available for use today. The surviving stock, catalogued in 1985, totals about 2,500 volumes.

Purpose. Ten libraries across the UK are participating in the first phase of an initiative to assess the impact of higher education libraries on learning, teaching, and research. The initiative is being undertaken under the auspices of the Library and Information Research Group and the Society of College, National, and University Libraries. This interim report provides an overview of the initiative and describes participation by two of the libraries: Glasgow Caledonian University and University College Chester. Design/methodology/approach. Each of the libraries has chosen an area of their activity where they wish to assess their impact. The ten participating institutions have then followed a common approach to assessing impact which involves specifying objectives for what the library is trying to achieve, determining success criteria, establishing impact measures, identifying what evidence is needed, and choosing methods for gathering evidence. Findings. Assessing a library's impact is not easy but the potential benefits can be considerable. Issues identified in the first phase include the time/resources needed, the importance of having good research skills, the difficulties of getting the evidence, and separating out the library's contribution. Benefits illustrated in the case studies include demonstrating that the library is supporting university strategy, building closer links with academics, and enabling staff to gain a better understanding of academic processes. Originality/value. The paper will interest library managers and staff who are concerned about the impact of their services and are seeking ways to demonstrate the difference that they make to their host organisations.

The Langholm Library is a historic subscription library in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. The aims of the project were to record the Library′s stock, to store and conserve its important books, to make the Library more accessible and to research and publicize its history. Describes the history and present condition of the Library and discusses the project. Draws conclusions from the project, relating both to the Library itself and to performance standards set in the course of the project.