Digital Commons Network^™

Discovering Usability : Comparing Two Discovery Systems At One Academic Library, Mireille Djenno, Glenda Insua, Gwen M. Gregory, John Stephen Brantley

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

In the spring of 2013, the University Library at the University of Illinois at Chicago was in the unique position of having access to two discovery systems, Summon and WorldCat Local, at the same time. When tasked with choosing between the two systems, librarians undertook a usability study of Summon and WorldCat Local. The goal of this study was two-fold: to test the ease-of-use of each discovery system with an eye toward identifying one tool to retain for the longer term, and to learn about the search behaviors of different types of user groups. Eighteen subjects, consisting of undergraduate students, …

Natural History Collections: Connecting With Faculty And Content, Stacey Knight-Davis, Todd A. Bruns

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

For well over a century, American biologists have built collection of plants, animals, fungi, insects, and other natural materials. Often, these collections serve as a record of the unique biodiversity of the local area and provide a record of change over time. Many taxonomic, genetic, and environmental discoveries lay waiting in the drawers and cupboards in which these specimens are stored. / / Uploading images of natural history specimens to Digital Commons allows them to be easily discovered in with a web search, leading the user back to the home collection. As an example, a search for 'big leaf magnolia …

Crossing The Line: The Experience Of Catalogers On The Reference Desk, Ellen Kathryn Corrigan, William N. Schultz Jr

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Makerspaces: Top Trailblazing Projects: A Lita Guide [Book Review], Ellen Kathryn Corrigan

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Health Information For The Public: Resources, Services, And Sparking Relationships, Stacey Knight-Davis, Daneen Richardson, Jacqueline Leskovec

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Learn about resources and programs to get your health reference services blazing! Reliable health, wellness, and drug information is available free of charge in English and Spanish. Discover sources for interactive tutorials, surgery, and anatomy information, clinical trials, and more. Have a great idea for health information outreach to special populations? Funding opportunities are available! Do you need health information training? How about downloadable brochures? A way to connect with health science librarians? This session can get you going!

Open Access Journal Usage At Eiu, Stacey Knight-Davis

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

As the number of open access journals grows, the usage of the material in libraries is growing. Nearly one quarter of all full text access at Eastern Illinois University comes from open access sources. This poster provides statistics as well as trends over time on OA usage at EIU.

A Book Sale How-To Guide [Book Review], Ellen Kathryn Corrigan

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Review of: A Book Sale How-To Guide: More Money, Less Stress by Pat Ditzler and JoAnn Dumas (American Library Association, 2012)

I Want That! [Poster], John Whisler, Stacey Knight-Davis, Ellen Kathryn Corrigan

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Title of poster session: I Want That! Letting Patrons Request On-Order Materials

Booth Library at Eastern Illinois University has traditionally displayed bibliographic records in its online catalog for materials that are in the acquisition and cataloging process, resulting in patrons often discovering desirable materials that are not yet available. To speed these materials through the acquisition and cataloging processes and into the hands of eager users, we designed a web link in each bibliographic record that patrons can use to request notification when the item is available for use. The technology is simple, the workflow manageable, and the good will …

Digital Collections Manual (Version 1.0), Ellen Kathryn Corrigan, Booth Library Subcommittee On Digital Resources, Eastern Illinois University

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

What Is A Metadata Librarian?, Karen Miller, Kristin Martin, Ellen Kathryn Corrigan

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Panel discussion on the role of the metadata librarian in academic libraries. Drawing from their own experiences, three Illinois academic librarians address topics including the training and skills needed, as well as the duties and challenges of the position. Part of the DCUG "Metadata Matters" webinar series.

Webinar recording available via http://www.carli.illinois.edu/mem-serv/mem-train/10falldcug.html. Presentation was recorded on: Tuesday, November 9, 2010, 10:00am – 11:00am

Approval Plans, Discipline Change, And The Importance Of Human Mediated Book Selection, John Steven Brantley

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

This study examines holdings of 21 members of the Association of Research Libraries for books reviewed in American Historical Review. The study asserts that approval plans are inadequate for collecting from small publishers or from scholarship that crosses disciplinary boundaries. Although approval plans increase efficiency in collection development, the need for expert selection cannot be overstated. Results indicated that small publisher’s books were less likely to be in libraries than university press publisher’s books, and that history monographs are frequently classified outside disciplinary boundaries, and are therefore invisible to approval plans that define disciplines based on classification systems.