ABOUT THE BOOK : A handbook for researchers, practitioners, managers, teachers and students of library and information science as well as those in the area of science, scientific communication, sociology of science, scientometrics; covers user, use information behaviour, communication behaviour, information transfer, scientific communication, knowledge dissemination and utilisation, information requirement, need and related studies; Brings together and presents in juxtaposition the widely dispersed works and their findings; Compares and consolidates work done in the area. Indicates gaps that exist and evaluates the results. "It has been an excellent information analysis and consolidation of research work of three decades of information users and their characteristics. Experience of a specialist librarian is visible in presentation of text. It also presents an inkling into research problems to be pursued for precision in prediction and analysis" says Dr. M.A.Gopinath. ABOUT THE AUTHOR : Dr. M.S. Sridhar is a post graduate in mathematics and business management and a doctorate in library and information science. He is in the profession for last 18 years and worked in the libraries of the University of Mysore, National Aeroneutical Laboratory and Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. For last 11 years he has been hading the Library and Documentation Division of ISRO Satellite Centre, Bangalore. Dr. Sridhar has published over 35 research papers in national and international journals on library and information science as well as on management subjects.