Review and evaluation of the methods used to provide intellectual access to electronic legal information in New Zealand

Abstract

The report describes research carried out to explore the nature and extent of use of CD-ROM technology by New Zealand public libraries, including the diffusion of that technology, along with views of librarians on provision of CD-ROM services. The study used a questionnaire sent to all New Zealand public libraries to gather data, and found that just over 73% offer public access or will be offering public access in the next 12 months to CD-ROM workstations. CD-ROM technology is usually installed in a library's reference section first, to provide the best public access, some instruction is usually available, and the public access is promoted primarily by word of mouth.