Digital Commons Network^™

An Old Tool With Enduring Value: Using Excel To Prepare Data For Analysis, Gregory A. Smith

Gregory A. Smith

Microsoft Excel was first released on the Windows platform 30 years ago and has since become widely used. Although new tools for manipulating, analyzing, and visualizing data are constantly emerging, Excel remains a potent tool—and not just because of newer features. Simple functions such as TRIM, MID, SUBSTITUTE, FIND, ROUNDDOWN, and VLOOKUP can be used to manipulate data sets in powerful ways. This workshop applies selected functions to realistic library data sets. Demonstrations include: deriving time-series categories from date and time stamps pre-coding survey comments based on keywords dealing with messy data points such as call numbers and publisher names …

Planning And The Future Of The Academic Library: An Annotated Bibliography, Gregory A. Smith

Gregory A. Smith

Developing An Academic Library Assessment Plan: A Case Study, Gregory A. Smith, Howard D. Tryon, Lori B. Snyder

Gregory A. Smith

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the process of developing an academic library assessment plan and its relation to the furtherance of a culture of assessment. Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative study of a university library’s assessment planning process; findings based on documentary evidence as well as an employee survey; analysis framed in relationship to relevant literature. Findings – Planning for the future of assessment offered the Jerry Falwell Library a significant opportunity for organizational change. Evaluations of the planning process were mixed, but generally revealed evidence of conditions associated with the development of a culture of assessment. …

Following The Evidence: Approaches To Assessment In Academic Libraries, Gregory A. Smith

Gregory A. Smith

In an environment of strained budgets and heightened accountability, academic libraries need to base their planning, decision-making, and advocacy on evidence more than ever before. Fortunately, the resources required to collect, analyze, and visualize data—thus turning it into evidence—are increasingly accessible. This session will challenge participants to grow in their handling of evidence by exposing them to a range of data sources and analysis tools. In order to accomplish this goal, the presenter will share brief sketches of a number of recent library assessment efforts, focusing on projects with which he has been involved personally. The session’s brevity will preclude …

Building Your Library Strategically, Gregory A. Smith

Gregory A. Smith

Seven principles of library development should enable readers to build effective collections while wasting minimal amounts of time, money, and shelf space. (1) Plan to spend money. (2) Resolve that bigger is not necessarily better. (3) Choose the media and formats that will make up your library. (4) Build your reference collection first. (5) Choose commentaries (and other sources) wisely. (6) Take advantage of local library resources. (7) Collect (and read) across a broad range of subjects.

The Professional Development Of Academic Librarians: How Should Institutions Contribute To The Process?, Gregory A. Smith

Gregory A. Smith

Professional development is universally recognized in education and librarianship as imperative for ongoing effectiveness. Most—though not all—academic libraries support professional development through financial assistance and release time. However, while funding and release time are necessary to professional growth, they are not sufficient. The role of the leader as a steward of organizational culture suggests that academic library administrators should concern themselves with fostering an environment conducive to their subordinates’ professional development. Innovative professional development programs in place at a number of academic libraries stand as a corrective to the seemingly haphazard practices of many libraries and librarians. Further research on …

Intellectual Freedom And The Bible College Library, Gregory A. Smith

Gregory A. Smith

A number of evangelical Christian authors have grappled with the subject of intellectual freedom--few, though, in the context of Bible college libraries. The secular concept of intellectual freedom is incompatible with Bible colleges in that it is absolutist and shuns any standard of morality. Theological, educational, and pragmatic factors indicate that Bible college libraries should provide access to a broad range of information resources, irrespective of the positions they espouse, except to the extent that such openness poses a serious threat to the fulfillment of their sponsoring institutions’ mission. To this end, Bible college libraries should take positive action to …

Christian Libraries For The Next Generation: Expanding Access To Evangelical Literature, Gregory A. Smith

Gregory A. Smith

Recent changes in the world of information present unique challenges and opportunities for the dissemination of evangelical literature. This report suggests six ways that the Association of Christian Librarians can support evangelical education and scholarship in a context that is increasingly global, Web-based, and free from the confines of the traditional college campus. Implementing a combination of these strategies could make evangelical literature much more accessible via the Web, the dominant delivery platform of our day. However, choices among available strategies must take account of competition within the marketplace.

Retooling The Profession: Librarianship In An Era Of Accountability And Competition, Gregory A. Smith

Gregory A. Smith

Librarianship has changed substantially in recent years. We who work in libraries must continually acquire new knowledge and skills. We must adapt to the reality that academic libraries, along with their parent institutions, face increased accountability. The functions that many of us have thought to be at the core of our profession are slipping from our grasp and will leave behind a mere managerial role. Nevertheless, many academic libraries will find a viable future by adopting and taking seriously the role of supporting learning. As we look at disruptive innovators in the information and learning scene, we should consider carefully …

A Survey Of Religious Book Publishing With Implications For Collection Development In Christian College Libraries, Gregory A. Smith

Gregory A. Smith

Discusses five sources of religious books. Profiles the religious book publishing industry. Describes a delicate balance between ministry and industry. Situates religious book publishing in its cultural context. Discusses implications for collection development in libraries at evangelical Christian colleges.

Returning To The Sources: The Literature Of Christian Librarianship, Gregory A. Smith

Gregory A. Smith

Christianity And Libraries: A Selective Bibliography, Gregory A. Smith

Gregory A. Smith

Provides an introduction to a searchable bibliography of 340 sources that explore various connections between Christian faith and practice, on the one hand, and the world of libraries and information, on the other. Explains the rationale for the bibliography and describes its scope and content. Provides eight tips for successful searching.

Revivalism In The Baptist Bible Fellowship, 1959‐60: A Burkean Analysis, Gregory A. Smith

Gregory A. Smith

By 1960, the 1,100 churches of the Baptist Bible Fellowship (BBF) claimed a cumulative membership of 1,000,000--an impressive number given that the movement had begun with 120 churches in 1950. The Baptist Bible Tribune provides the most extensive documentation of the BBF's early history. The 1959-60 volume of the Tribune contains numerous references to revivals. Analysis of these references via Kenneth Burke's dramatistic pentad demonstrates the centrality of revivalism to the life of the BBF in its early years. Members of the BBF’s first generation viewed revival meetings as (one of) the foremost means of building a fellowship of churches …

Hidden Under A Bushel? Evangelical Journals In An Era Of Web-Based Communication, Gregory A. Smith

Gregory A. Smith

Evangelicals face significant obstacles as they seek to make their publications accessible to potential readers. This study measures the extent to which evangelical scholarly journals have made their contents available in electronic form. Thirty-five journals--all active, refereed, evangelical in perspective, and published in English--were chosen for analysis. Two serials management tools and individual journal Web sites provided data regarding electronic accessibility. Twenty-six of the journals are available in some electronic form--most commonly in one or more aggregated databases. Evangelical information professionals could play a significant role in helping to make additional evangelical journal content available electronically.