<p> In libraries around the world there are people asking librarians for research assistance. As technology has advanced and communication strategies have moved outside the physical library buildings, librarians now respond to reference queries online. This study analyzed two forms of virtual reference; instant messaging (IM) and log-in chat. The purpose of this study was to find out if there is any inherent difference between the way the patrons or the librarians used these two virtual services. </p><p> An exploratory research design focused on numerous aspects of virtual reference communication. During the spring terms of academic years 2011 and 2012 at a community college, 1,341 transcripts of IM and log-in chat sessions were recorded. Using a systematic sampling process, 320 transcripts were sampled and their content analyzed. </p><p> Findings indicate that a length of the transaction significantly affected the outcome of all transactions. Log-in chats were generally longer than IM chats and it was found that; they were more complicated, the librarians were more responsive and friendly, patrons were more satisfied and the librarian was generally able to conduct a reference interview more often. Additionally the findings indicated that both IM and log-in chat were very similar in three aspect; patron formality, completeness/accuracy of the librarians' answer and the reference interview adding/changing or clarifying the patrons question. </p><p> There were four major conclusions of this study: The log-in chat portal had longer online reference transactions and better overall outcomes; instant messaging portal queries, although similar in many aspects to log-in chat, were ultimately treated in a less formal manner by patrons; librarians gave reference interviews and complete/accurate answers equally in both platforms and there were similar overall success rates in both platforms. </p><p> Based on the findings in this study it is recommended that academic libraries serving a general population of students use both the IM and log-in chat portals on their library websites. Patrons appear to appears to be using each portal for different and equally important reasons. Further study of virtual communications practices is needed to enhance the findings of this study as more institutions expand their patron base beyond those who can physically meet with a reference librarian.</p>

Expanded version originally published as author's master's thesis, College of Librarianship, Wales, Aberystwyth, 1989. / Includes bibliographical references.

Expanded version originally published as author's master's thesis, College of Librarianship, Wales, Aberystwyth, 1989. / Includes bibliographical references.

The purpose of this study was to compare the achievement mean test scores in Technical Drawing of students enrolled for the NCE (Technical) program at the College of Science and Technology, Kaduna polytechnic, Kaduna, Nigeria. Test score means were compared between direct and remedial (preparatory) entry students and secondly among type of high school attended. Data were collected directly from students' permanent records. Two major hypotheses with three sub-hypotheses for each were tested. The first major hypothesis compared direct and remedial entry students. The second major hypothesis compared among three types of high schools attended. The One Way Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the data. The Duncan Multiple Comparison Test was also applied on the second major hypothesis. Both hypotheses I and II were retained at the .05 level of significance. However, hypothesis I was rejected at the .01 level of significance because the remedial entry students were found to have higher mean test scores than the direct entry students. Findings for hypothesis II indicated no significant difference among type of high school attended. It was recommended that selection for admissions for both the remedial and direct enrollments should not be based only on type of high school attended or type of subjects taken; data collected for remediation should bear directly on individuals' academic problems; and aptitude tests should be conducted in addition to transcripts currently demanded.