Report on access and usage patterns in University Libraries in N.S.W. and the A.C.T. and the State Library of NSW to the N.S.W. Vice-Chancellors' Conference

This study presents the first comparative data on usage patters in NSW and ACT university libraries and the State Library of NSW. The results show the degree to which institutions cooperate in the provision of library services. All institutions in the servery provide library service to users across the whole educational spectrum. While the majority of users of a university library came from the home institution (78%), there was also a high percentage of outside use (22%). For the State Library of NSW, 60% of users came from an educational institution. More than 350 other institutions were represented among the outside users of the participating libraries. This level of outside use affects the demands made on library services, facilities and collections which have been designed primarily for the home user. The results of the study suggest some avenues for the improvement of library services through further cooperative effort among university libraries. Such initiatives should be supported by research into their impact on library resources.