{"id":{"repo_id":"unt","oai_identifier":"info:ark/67531/metadc3086"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/unt/info:ark/67531/metadc3086","repository":{"repo_id":"unt","name":"University of North Texas","base_url":"https://digital.library.unt.edu/oai/"},"display":{"title":"The Information Environment of Academic Library Directors: Use of Information Resources and Communication Technologies","abstract":"This study focuses on the use of information resources and communication technologies, both traditional and electronic, by academic library directors. The purpose is to improve understanding of managerial behavior when using information resources and communication technologies within a shared information environment. Taylor's concept of an information use environment is used to capture the elements associated with information use and communication within the context of decision-making styles, managerial roles, organizational environments, and professional communities. This qualitative study uses interviews, observations, questionnaires, and documents. Library directors participating in the study are from doctoral-degree granting universities in the southwestern United States. Data collection involved on-site observations with a PDA (personal digital assistant), structured interviews with library directors and their administrative assistants, the Decision Style Inventory, and a questionnaire based on Mintzberg's managerial roles. Findings show the existence of a continuum in managerial activities between an Administrator and an Administrator/Academic as critical to understanding information use and communication patterns among library directors. There is a gap between self-perception of managerial activities and actual performance, a finding that would not have surfaced without the use of multiple methods. Other findings include the need for a technical ombudsman, a managerial-level position reporting to the library director; the importance of information management as an administrative responsibility; the importance of trust when evaluating information; and the importance of integrating information and communication across formats, time, and managerial activities.","abstract_html":"This study focuses on the use of information resources and communication technologies, both traditional and electronic, by academic library directors. The purpose is to improve understanding of managerial behavior when using information resources and communication technologies within a shared information environment. Taylor's concept of an information use environment is used to capture the elements associated with information use and communication within the context of decision-making styles, managerial roles, organizational environments, and professional communities. This qualitative study uses interviews, observations, questionnaires, and documents. Library directors participating in the study are from doctoral-degree granting universities in the southwestern United States. Data collection involved on-site observations with a PDA (personal digital assistant), structured interviews with library directors and their administrative assistants, the Decision Style Inventory, and a questionnaire based on Mintzberg's managerial roles. Findings show the existence of a continuum in managerial activities between an Administrator and an Administrator/Academic as critical to understanding information use and communication patterns among library directors. There is a gap between self-perception of managerial activities and actual performance, a finding that would not have surfaced without the use of multiple methods. Other findings include the need for a technical ombudsman, a managerial-level position reporting to the library director; the importance of information management as an administrative responsibility; the importance of trust when evaluating information; and the importance of integrating information and communication across formats, time, and managerial activities.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Koelker, Karen June"],"institution":"University of North Texas","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Cleveland, Donald B., 1935-","Mason, Florence","Hastings, Samantha Kelly","Guynes, Carl Steven"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2002,"date_issued":"2002-05","date_published":"2002-05","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:34:52Z","subjects":["Academic library directors -- Southwestern States.","Information resources management.","Academic libraries -- Administration -- Decision making.","Communication in library administration.","academic library directors","information use","communication","managerial behavior","information environment"],"languages":["English"],"rights":["Use restricted to UNT Community","Copyright","Koelker, Karen June","Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["oclc: 54687867","https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3086/","ark: ark:/67531/metadc3086"],"render_values":[{"text":"oclc: 54687867","href":null,"code":true},{"text":"https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3086/","href":"https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3086/","code":true},{"text":"ark: ark:/67531/metadc3086","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://doi.org/10.12794/metadc3086","outbound_label":"DOI","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Cleveland, Donald B., 1935-","Mason, Florence","Hastings, Samantha Kelly","Guynes, Carl Steven"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Koelker, Karen June"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2002-05"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["University of North Texas"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis or Dissertation"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Academic library directors -- Southwestern States.","Information resources management.","Academic libraries -- Administration -- Decision making.","Communication in library administration.","academic library directors","information use","communication","managerial behavior","information environment"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Use restricted to UNT Community","Copyright","Koelker, Karen June","Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. 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This qualitative study uses interviews, observations, questionnaires, and documents. Library directors participating in the study are from doctoral-degree granting universities in the southwestern United States. Data collection involved on-site observations with a PDA (personal digital assistant), structured interviews with library directors and their administrative assistants, the Decision Style Inventory, and a questionnaire based on Mintzberg's managerial roles. Findings show the existence of a continuum in managerial activities between an Administrator and an Administrator/Academic as critical to understanding information use and communication patterns among library directors. There is a gap between self-perception of managerial activities and actual performance, a finding that would not have surfaced without the use of multiple methods. Other findings include the need for a technical ombudsman, a managerial-level position reporting to the library director; the importance of information management as an administrative responsibility; the importance of trust when evaluating information; and the importance of integrating information and communication across formats, time, and managerial activities."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["Text"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Information Environment of Academic Library Directors: Use of Information Resources and Communication Technologies"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Cleveland, Donald B., 1935-","Mason, Florence","Hastings, Samantha Kelly","Guynes, Carl Steven"],"dc:creator":["Koelker, Karen June"],"dc:date":["2002-05"],"dc:description":["This study focuses on the use of information resources and communication technologies, both traditional and electronic, by academic library directors. The purpose is to improve understanding of managerial behavior when using information resources and communication technologies within a shared information environment. Taylor's concept of an information use environment is used to capture the elements associated with information use and communication within the context of decision-making styles, managerial roles, organizational environments, and professional communities. This qualitative study uses interviews, observations, questionnaires, and documents. Library directors participating in the study are from doctoral-degree granting universities in the southwestern United States. Data collection involved on-site observations with a PDA (personal digital assistant), structured interviews with library directors and their administrative assistants, the Decision Style Inventory, and a questionnaire based on Mintzberg's managerial roles. Findings show the existence of a continuum in managerial activities between an Administrator and an Administrator/Academic as critical to understanding information use and communication patterns among library directors. There is a gap between self-perception of managerial activities and actual performance, a finding that would not have surfaced without the use of multiple methods. Other findings include the need for a technical ombudsman, a managerial-level position reporting to the library director; the importance of information management as an administrative responsibility; the importance of trust when evaluating information; and the importance of integrating information and communication across formats, time, and managerial activities."],"dc:format":["Text"],"dc:identifier":["oclc: 54687867","doi: 10.12794/metadc3086","https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3086/","ark: ark:/67531/metadc3086"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:publisher":["University of North Texas"],"dc:rights":["Use restricted to UNT Community","Copyright","Koelker, Karen June","Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved."],"dc:subject":["Academic library directors -- Southwestern States.","Information resources management.","Academic libraries -- Administration -- Decision making.","Communication in library administration.","academic library directors","information use","communication","managerial behavior","information environment"],"dc:title":["The Information Environment of Academic Library Directors: Use of Information Resources and Communication Technologies"],"dc:type":["Thesis or Dissertation"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:34:52Z"}