Statistical methods have been used recently in library evaluation and management. Managing the physical availability of books can contribute to greater effectiveness in dealing with such matters as library space, book acquisition, cost effectiveness in budgeting, staffing assignments and other aspects of library service that would make the book readily available to the user. This study uses quantitative analysis to determine in-library book use at the University of Calabar. It was found that many people use the library for various reasons, especially during examination periods, other than for reading library books. These range from reading recommended texts to leisure reading.
More use is made of the library materials for research purposes where there are current journals.
Reports on a comparative study carried out at the University of Sheffield to compare the performance of some manual and online sources in the retrieval of records in the subject of technology. Compares the performance of two related manual indexes with those of three related online databases. Considers all five sources with specific reference to relative recall and precision. While online searches have some considerable advantages over manual, the manual sources still have some qualities which render then valuable. Emphasizes the selection of databases on the basis of a compromise between high recall and high precision, and ultimately between both of these and the cost.