Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Global Promotion Of Lgbtq Resources And Services Through Social Media, Rachel S. Wexelbaum

Library Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Vendor Of The Month: A Marketing Collaboration, Lateka Grays, J. Cory Tucker

Library Faculty Publications

Marketing library resources remains an important issue despite library reductions in staff and collections budgets. In order to maintain or expand marketing programs, libraries could do well tapping into the expertise available through the vendors supplying resources to libraries. A case study of a library marketing program called, “Vendor of the Month,” at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas explains the collaboration between the library and its vendors to increase awareness and use of selected electronic resources.

Appearances Do Matter! What Libraries Can Learn From Clinton Kelly, Nancy E. Fawley

Library Faculty Publications

One could easily mistake Clinton Kelly’s closing keynote presentation at ACRL 2011 in Philadelphia last March as light fare. Kelly, cohost of TLC’s What Not To Wear, spoke enthusiastically about the importance of one’s appearance and the necessity of making an extra effort in the way individuals present themselves. His keynote address, and the fact that a fashion expert was a speaker at a conference for librarians, sparked debates on Twitter and in the blogosphere.

Do appearances matter? I say they do and add that this applies to buildings and objects, as well. Academic libraries, especially, could benefit from some …

Libraries Atwitter: Trends In Academic Library Tweeting, Darcy C. Del Bosque, Sam A. Leif, Susie Skarl

Library Faculty Publications

Purpose – This paper aims to present an overview of how libraries are using Twitter in an academic setting.

Design/methodology/approach – This study analyzed the current state of 296 Twitter accounts from a random sample of academic libraries. A total of 19 different criteria were explored, with an emphasis on the following three categories: layout and design, content and number of tweets, and account followers.

Findings – Only 34 per cent of libraries in the study had a Twitter account and characteristics varied widely among libraries, however it is evident that it is possible to successfully communicate with patrons via …

Addressing Academic Integrity: Perspectives From Virginia Commonwealth University In Qatar, Nancy E. Fawley

Library Faculty Publications

Understanding the cultural aspects that affect a student’s ability to appropriately use resources is important in developing outreach and instruction in multicultural settings. Differences in educational philosophies, students’ previous scholastic training and cultural differences in individual motivation are all factors that may affect a freshman’s ability to understand an American university’s idea of academic integrity and can inadvertently cause problems where independent work and critical thinking are required. At Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar (VCU Qatar), a branch campus of the American university in the Middle East, a special class on academic integrity and ethical behavior was integrated into the …

Business Community Outreach: Exploration Of A New Service Role In An Academic Environment, Patrick Griffis, Sidney Lowe

Library Faculty Publications

A recent special issue of the Journal of Business & Finance Librarianship focusing on business librarianship and entrepreneurship includes many case studies detailing entrepreneurship outreach initiatives from academic libraries. The introductory article, "Entrepreneurship Outreach: A New Role for the Academic Business Librarian" by Karen MacDonald, outlines entrepreneurial outreach initiatives in the issue, stating that they “describe three very different approaches libraries have taken to align themselves with a key mission of the university – economic development” (MacDonald, 2010, p. 159). This chapter elaborates on this previous work in describing the exploration of a new role in business community outreach as …

Why Not Just Google It? An Assessment Of Information Literacy Skills In A Biomedical Science Curriculum, Karl Kingsley, Gillian M. Galbraith, M. Herring, Eva Stowers, Tanis Stewart, Karla V. Kingsley

Library Faculty Publications

Background: Few issues in higher education are as fundamental as the ability to search for, evaluate, and synthesize information. The need to develop information literacy, the process of finding, retrieving, organizing, and evaluating the ever-expanding collection of online information, has precipitated the need for training in skill-based competencies in higher education, as well as medical and dental education.

Methods: The current study evaluated the information literacy skills of first-year dental students, consisting of two, consecutive dental student cohorts (n = 160). An assignment designed to evaluate information literacy skills was conducted. In addition, a survey of student online search engine …

Toward A Nevada Digital Collaborative, Jason Vaughan

Library Faculty Publications

In mid-2008, through Library Services and Technology Act funding, the Nevada State Library and Archives brought together members for a newly established Nevada Statewide Digital Advisory Committee (hereafter referred to as “NSDAC”) to engage in a comprehensive, statewide digital planning process. As stated in the charge, “Advisory committee members participate in the identification of issues regarding digitization in Nevada, collaborate in the planning and development of a statewide digital initiative . . . and contribute to effective communication among the key digital stakeholders in Nevada.” The full charge is provided in Appendix A. By design, the committee included members from …

Demonstrating Library Value: Examples And Applications For Arts Libraries, Jeanne M. Brown

Library Faculty Publications

Demonstrating library value is of critical importance to all libraries, both to protect services and to serve patrons effectively. This paper presents suggestions for art and architecture libraries as they engage in determining what patrons value and documenting that value for library and campus administrators. Methods for calculating worth and for presenting a case are provided, as are ways of using strategic thinking and the assessment process to ensure the continuance of valuable services should budget reductions be unavoidable.

National Writing Project: Internet Resource, Priscilla Finley

Library Faculty Publications

The National Writing Project (NWP) is a federally funded program that focuses on the teaching of writing, and coordinates and supports professional development for writing teachers (K-16) at over 200 college and university partner sites.

From Forgotten Intranet To Successful Wiki, Darcy C. Del Bosque, Kristen Costello

Library Faculty Publications

Communication within an academic library can be challenging. The collective nature of wikis and their ability to allow multiple people to edit them have made wikis an ideal technology to help address communication issues within organizations. A successful wiki implementation can help to improve communication issues, but only if staff adopt the new technology. University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) libraries implemented an internal staff wiki in 2007 to replace the staff intranet. Information routinely stored on the wiki includes meeting minutes and committee work, policies and procedures and training materials. This paper illustrates the implementation process by providing an …

Introducing Transliteracy: What Does It Mean To Academic Libraries?, Thomas A. Ipri

Library Faculty Publications

Transliteracy is recent terminology gaining currency in the library world. It is a broad term encompassing and transcending many existing concepts. Because transliteracy is not a library-centric concept, many in the profession are unsure what the term means and how it relates to libraries’ instructional mission and to other existing ideas about various literacies. Transliteracy is such a new concept that its working definition is still evolving and many of its tenets can easily be misinterpreted. Although this term is in flux, academic librarians should watch developments in this new field to continually assess and understand what impact it may …

Challenges And Opportunities Of Creating Library Services For The Singapore Campus, Lateka Grays

Library Faculty Publications

When the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, opened its Singapore campus, it was critical that library services be provided and integrated into the curriculum. The University Libraries team overcame many challenges to create a libraries services infrastructure to support the students. Work began with then-hospitality liaison librarian Cory Tucker and has been carried on by current hospitality liaison librarian Lateka Grays. Our greatest strengths were the expertise of the liaisons and the support of the university.

We faced challenges to our mission of establishing library services in three key areas: access, communication, and technology. We developed a list of questions …

Going Global: An Information Sourcebook For Small And Medium-Sized Businesses, J. Cory Tucker

Library Faculty Publications

Awe (Univ. New Mexico, Albuquerque) has produced a wonderful resource for entrepreneurs and business owners interested in expanding their companies to the international market.

The Burger King Revolution: How Las Vegas Bounced Back, 1983-1989, David G. Schwartz

Library Faculty Publications

Most who have considered Las Vegas history have concluded that not much happened in Las Vegas gaming between the openings of the original MGM Grand (1973) and Mirage (1989). In fact, several structural changes during the 1980s had already reversed a declining appeal. Responding to three crises—competition from Atlantic City, a national economic downturn, and the MGM Grand fire—Las Vegas casino operators began to draw more extensively on a middle-class mass market. Capitalizing on the “Burger King Revolution,” Strip casinos drew more gamblers who, on average, played less, and slot machines displaced table games as the industry’s leading revenue producer. …

Building Pathfinders With Screen Capture Tools, Patrick Griffis

Library Faculty Publications

This article outlines freely available screen capturing tools, covering their benefits and drawbacks as well as their potential applications. In discussing these tools, the author illustrates how they can be used to build pathfinding tutorials for users and how these tutorials can be shared with users. The author notes that the availability of these screen capturing tools at no cost, coupled with their ease of use, provides ample opportunity for low-stakes experimentation from library staff in building dynamic pathfinders to promote the discovery of library resources.

Surviving Your First Library Job Search, Or, An Explanation Of What I Had To Learn The Hard Way, Re-Produced Here, For You, So That You Are Not Driven To Drink As Well, Steven Hoover

Library Faculty Publications

Searching for a library job can be a life-changing ordeal, but try not to let that bother you. The scars that it will leave on your psyche are likely to heal in time. When I was starting the job search process, I found that the professional literature had a lot to say about writing good cover letters and developing solid interview skills but not a lot of information about what searching for a job was really like on a daily basis. Hopefully, after reading this article, you have a little better sense of what to expect during your search, pick …

Dirt: Digital Research Tools Wiki, Priscilla Finley

Library Faculty Publications

This wiki listing of Web-based tools and commercial software is geared to humanities/social sciences researchers. Users can identify tools for specific research tasks. Project organizers are the only editors, but they actively solicit suggestions.

Smartphones: A Potential Discovery Tool, Eva Stowers, Wendy Starkweather

Library Faculty Publications

The anticipated wide adoption of smartphones by researchers is viewed by the authors as a basis for developing mobile-based services. In response to the UNLV Libraries’ strategic plan’s focus on experimentation and outreach, the authors investigate the current and potential role of smartphones as a valuable discovery tool for library users.

Assessment Tool Or Edutainment Toy, Patrick Griffis

Library Faculty Publications

The use of Clickers as a tool for library instruction has been growing in popularity because library instructors view this technology as a mechanism to foster interactivity within library instruction sessions in order to increase overall student engagement. However, a newly emerging area of interest for library instructors is the use of Clickers as a tool for library instruction assessment. This paper posits some of the viewpoints of various instructors using Clickers including the viewpoints of library instructors. The central question considered in this paper is whether Clickers are an effective and feasible tool for library instruction assessment. This examination …

To The Instruction Cave, Librarian!: Graphic Novels And Information Literacy, Steven Hoover

Library Faculty Publications

Information literacy librarians have been known to troll the waters of popular culture for phenomena that are capable of teaching information literacy skills and simultaneously engaging student interest. For these librarians, graphic novels have reached a point where they are too big to ignore.

Enhancing Opac Records For Discovery, Patrick Griffis, Cyrus Ford Zarganj

Library Faculty Publications

This article proposes adding keywords and descriptors to the catalog records of electronic databases and media items to enhance their discovery. The authors contend that subject liaisons can add value to OPAC records and enhance discovery of electronic databases and media items by providing searchable keywords and resource descriptions. The authors provide an examination of OPAC records at their own library, which illustrates the disparity of useful keywords and descriptions within the notes field for media item records versus electronic database records. The authors outline methods for identifying useful keywords for indexing OPAC records of electronic databases. Also included is …

Talkin' 'Bout My Generation: Exploring Age-Related Resources, Susie Skarl, Sidney Lowe

Library Faculty Publications

In the past few years, as technology has radically changed how we find and use information resources, library staff have begun to notice significant generational differences in the information-seeking behavior of library patrons. These frequent observations at the reference desk and in library instruction classes planted the first small seeds of our interest in this topic. Internet sites and online articles about generational differences are plentiful and focus on a wide range of subjects, such as learning styles, social behaviors, moral values, technological skills, marketing, communication, and workplace performance.

British Film Noir Guide, Priscilla Finley

Library Faculty Publications

Independent scholar Keaney follows up his Film Noir Guide: 745 Films of the Classic Era, 1940-1959 (CH, Sep'03, 41-0022) with this filmography of 369 British productions that embrace the visual style and dark thematic elements that define film noir as a genre.

Global Information Technology Report 2006-2007: Connecting To The Networked Economy, Priscilla Finley

Library Faculty Publications

This World Economic Forum report by Dutta (INSEAD) and Mia (WEF) evaluates the penetration of information and communication technologies (ICT) in 122 economies across the globe.

Twentieth-Century Drama: Internet Resource, Priscilla Finley

Library Faculty Publications

The current release of Twentieth-Century Drama offers authoritative online texts for 1,450 plays. The completed version will contain 2,600 published plays from throughout the English-speaking world, covering the history of modern drama from the 1890s to the present, at a cost of roughly $25 per play for a typical graduate library.

Elements Of Collaboration: A Retrospective Look At Marketing A Program Of Core Information Competencies, Jeanne M. Brown

Library Faculty Publications

First let me start with what this is NOT. This is not a description of the project to develop core information competencies for students in design disciplines. If you are interested in the core competencies and how they were developed, they are posted, along with some of the process, in the online publications section of the ARLIS web site.

What this IS is a description of some of the elements that have contributed to bright spots in my efforts to convince the UNLV School of Architecture faculty to incorporate the competencies throughout the architecture, interiors and landscape programs – and …

Plagiarism Pitfalls: Addressing Cultural Differences In The Misuse Of Sources, Nancy E. Fawley

Library Faculty Publications

As a branch campus of an American university operating in the Middle East, Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar must take into account the cultural differences that pertain to plagiarism and the misuse of sources before the school can begin to develop methods to address and prevent the problem. Differences in educational philosophies, students’ previous scholastic training and cultural differences in individual motivation are all factors that must be considered

American Speeches: Political Oratory From The Revolution To The Civil War And Political Oratory From Abraham Lincoln To Bill Clinton, Priscilla Finley

Library Faculty Publications

Ted Widmer (director, John Carter Brown Library; speechwriter, Clinton administration) has selected significant familiar examples of political oratory for this two-volume set. The first volume covers the Revolution to the Civil War, and includes selections from the expected Founding Fathers as well as leaders in the antislavery, women's rights, and labor movements.

Center For Women And Information Technology Web Archive, Priscilla Finley

Library Faculty Publications

The Web site of the Center for Women and Information Technology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, includes in the Resources section various listings of print and online resources relevant to women's studies.