Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Exploring Reading Habits And Academic Success In Rural Kenya, Florence Mugambi

Florence N. Mugambi

A Shared Approach To Managing Legacy Print Collections In Maine, Matthew Revitt

Matthew I Revitt

The Maine Shared Collections Strategy is a collaborative library project seeking to create a model for the long-term preservation and management of legacy print collections.

Inside Ala's Emerging Leaders Program: How Gla Can Help You Get Involved, Sarah King Steiner, Crystal Renfro

Crystal L Renfro

The article presents information on the structure, content, goals and future of the Emerging Leaders program of the American Library Association (ALA). Library professionals are expected to participate in a year-long program that will build their burgeoning professional skills and help them to become more involved with the association. Participants of the programs are instructed in leadership, distance collaboration and the general structure of the ALA. The program is intended to have positive results for both participating librarians and the professional at large.

Twelve Years Of Online Reference Services At Georgia Tech: Where We Have Been And Where We Are Going, Cathy Carpenter, Crystal Renfro

Crystal L Renfro

The article offers information about the Georgia Institute of Technology Library in Atlanta, Georgia, which is a pioneer in delivering virtual reference. The Library has initiated the ASK a Librarian service in 1994, an e-mail-based electronic reference service which became popular and has received 297 questions during the first year of its implementation. It has also launched the real time or virtual reference in 1999 using the America Online's Instant Messenger chat software. In August 2003, the library purchased Questionpoint to use as a virtual reference system, which enabled the referral of e-mail questions to other librarians and good tracking …

Learning From Degree-Seeking Older Adult Students In A University Library, Marilia Antunez, Mary Aagard, Jaime Sand

Marilia Y. Antunez, MLS, MA

No abstract provided.

Patrick Wilson Reference: Practice Rooted In Theory, Jodi Kearns

Jodi Kearns, PhD

This paper aims to examine Patrick Wilson’s 1977 essay, Public Knowledge, Private Ignorance, which emphasizes practice rooted in theory. Modern reference work ought to look back to this 35-year-old essay to be reminded of the intent of reference practice by considering Wilson’s discussion. This paper examines Wilson’s decades-old thesis and applies it to reference work and reference resources for today’s information professionals. The crux of Wilson’s essay remains relevant today when applied to reference work and information-seeking. This essay leaves readers with practical tips for reference work rooted in theory, and also expands on Wilson’s 1977 essay from a contemporary …

Results For Résumés: Managing Undergraduate Library Interns, Katy Kelly, Colleen Hoelscher, Heidi Gauder

Heidi Gauder

The academic library can play a crucial role in experiential learning for undergraduate students. In 2011, librarians at the University of Dayton built on the idea of student workers and partnered with the University Honors Program to offer customized experiential learning through paid internships. Librarians work one-on-one with students from a variety of disciplines. With experiences tailored to student interests, the library setting becomes a real world laboratory for skills training within the undergraduates’ disciplines or career interests. This article will describe the variety of experiences offered, resources needed, and ways of measuring and assessing for an effective internship program. …

Engaging Undergraduates In Discipline-Based Research, Heidi Gauder, Fred Jenkins

Heidi Gauder

Purpose – This article aims to describe the standards-based approach used to build the International Studies Research Methods (INS250) course, a discipline-specific, credit-based class taught by librarians. This writing-intensive course emphasizes information literacy and critical thinking skills, which were developed using written assignments, class presentations, multiple assessment methods, and web-based applications. Design/methodology/approach – This paper will review the literature about discipline-specific, credit-based information literacy (IL) courses and outcomes. It will also analyze the INS250 course structure and map ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education to learning outcomes for the course. Findings – The paper finds that, in the …

Science Outreach Through Art: A Journal Article Cover Gallery, Ian Mccullough

Ian McCullough

Research faculty journal covers were used to create a gallery in the Science & Technology branch library at the University of Akron. The selection, presentation, and promotion process is shared along with copyright considerations and a review of galleries used for library outreach. The event and display was a great success attracting faculty and administration that had rarely if ever entered the library.

Books And Websites, E-Journals Or Print: If The Source Fits, Use It, Todd J. Wiebe

Todd J Wiebe

Despite the ever-growing range of media types, formats, and information-access options, students are often instructed to only use specific sources in their research. They are sometimes even given strict guidelines, prescribing how many of each they need to, or may, cite. It is important not to lead students to believe there is a formula for the ideal works cited for all research topics. In contrast, students should learn to think critically about the content and appropriateness of each potential source rather than choosing it only because it is a book, a journal article, a Website, etc. This article argues that …

Going By The Book: Want To Improve Your Information Seeking And Management Skills? Ask Your Librarian, Marilia Antunez

Marilia Y. Antunez, MLS, MA

As you embark on your career in communication disorders, take advantage of the many services and resources available at your university library.

Occupational Hearing Loss In Agricultural Settings, Marilia Antunez

Marilia Y. Antunez, MLS, MA

Most of the materials on hearing loss due to noise in the agricultural industry are training and research-oriented materials in the form of brochures, manuals, and journal articles, published by academic presses, government associations, and professional organizations, respectively. Few books are entirely devoted to the topic of hearing loss in agricultural settings. Recently, many occupational and safety Web sites have been adding information and links to publications dealing with hearing loss in the agricultural industry. This Webliography represents the author's best efforts to briefly describe some authoritative Web sites with information targeted to individuals interested in farm occupational hearing loss.

Health Communication, Marilia Antunez

Marilia Y. Antunez, MLS, MA

The interdisciplinary area of health communication has seen dramatic growth since the late 1980s as research continues to validate its important role in addressing complex and challenging public health problems worldwide.

Rejuvenating Aging Studies In Academic Libraries, Marilia Y. Antunez, Sarah E. Toevs, Melissa A. Gains

Marilia Y. Antúnez, MLS, MA

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to identify resources essential gerontology (aging studies) resources and liaison strategies that provide guidance for academic librarians working with faculty and students in this highly interdisciplinary field. Design/methodology/approach – A convenience sample of gerontology faculty was surveyed to identify important materials, including preferred journals, databases, reference books, and sources of grey literature for gerontology research and teaching. Gerontology faculty information seeking behaviors, including faculty-librarian partnership, were also examined. Findings – Results confirm that faculty teaching in gerontology use a wide variety of resources in their teaching and research. Faculty identified frequently used …

Painting On An Electronic Easel: Strategies For Using A Smart Board In Library Instruction, Lindy Scripps-Hoekstra

Lindy Scripps-Hoekstra

No abstract provided.

Clownpants In The Classroom? Hypnotizing Chickens? Measurement Of Structural Distraction In Visual Presentation Documents, Jodi Kearns, Brian O'Connor

Jodi Kearns, PhD

This paper considers the structure of entertainment media as a possible foundation for measuring aspects of visual presentations that could enhance or interfere with audience engagement. Factors that might account for the large number of negative comments about visual presentations are identified and a method of calculating entropy measurements for form attributes of presentations is introduced. Entropy calculations provide a numerical measure of structural elements that account for engagement or distraction. A set of peer evaluations of educational presentations is used to calibrate a distraction factor algorithm. Distraction as a consequence of document structure might enable engineering of a balance …

The Nsf/Nih Effect: Surveying The Effect Of Data Management Requirements On Faculty, Sponsored Programs, And Institutional Repositories, Anne Diekema, Andrew Wesolek, Cheryl Walters

Andrew Wesolek

The scholarly communication landscape is rapidly changing and nowhere is this more evident than in the field of data management. Mandates by major funding agencies, further expanded by executive order and pending legislation in 2013, require many research grant applicants to provide data management plans for preserving and making their research data openly available. However, do faculty researchers have the requisite skill sets and are their institutions providing the necessary infrastructure to comply with these mandates? To answer these questions, three groups were surveyed in 2012: research and teaching faculty, sponsored programs office staff, and institutional repository librarians. Survey results …

Factors That Increase The Probability Of A Successful Academic Library Job Search, Max Eckard, Ashley Rosener, Lindy Scripps-Hoekstra

Lindy Scripps-Hoekstra

Finding a position in an academic library can be challenging for recent Library and Information Science (LIS) graduates. While LIS students are often encouraged to seek out experience, network, and improve upon their technology skills in hopes of better improving their odds in the job market, little research exists to support this anecdotal advice. This study quantifies the academic and work experiences of recent LIS graduates in order to provide a better understanding of what factors most significantly influence the outcome of their academic library job searches. The survey results demonstrate that the job outlook is most positive for candidates …

Building A Library For A Non-Profit Organization: A Success Story, Li Chen

Li Chen

In this article, the author shared the experience of building a library for a non-profit organization.

100 Years And Still Counting: Maple Hall Comes Alive Through Student-Faculty Collaborative Research, Erin Passehl-Stoddart

Erin Passehl Stoddart

How will Western Oregon University celebrate the 100th anniversary of Maple Hall, the first gymnasium on campus, this spring? Just ask the WOU Dance Department and Western Oregon University Archives, who are collaborating to re-create dances from the May Day celebrations that once graced this campus as early as 1902 and were considered one of the most anticipated events of the year.

Impact Of Public Domain Resources On Public Libraries In The United States, Anne Arendt

Anne M Arendt

Now accessible to public! Ownership and rights issues relating to electronic resources can be a source of angst, confusion and litigation. This is due in part to the automatic copyright many individuals receive, including in the United States, upon creation of an original work. However, there are options available for relaxing these rights. One of these options is Creative Commons Zero. Essentially, Creative Commons Zero permits originators of materials of varying sorts to opt to put their creations into the public domain – waiving all copyright and intellectual rights. The ability for originators of works to place these items into …

Information Seeking In Context: Results Of Graduate Student Interviews, Marg Sloan, Kim Mcphee

Marg Sloan

The authors conducted a qualitative research study examining the information seeking behaviours of Psychology, Sociology, and Women's Studies graduate students at a large research intensive university to determine: how graduate students find information; the roles that faculty members, fellow graduate students and librarians play in the information search; and graduate students' knowledge of information resources and services. The context of graduate student information seeking was uncovered through an analysis of the data using the trichotomy of people, place and information. Across the disciplines, M.A. students were more likely to ask for librarian assistance than Ph.D. students. The interview findings will …

Eight Tips From The Trenches: How Experience Teaching High School Informs My Approach To Information Literacy Instruction, Lindy Scripps-Hoekstra

Lindy Scripps-Hoekstra

No abstract provided.

Thinking Out Of The Box: Receiving A Grant To Fund Our Discovery Tool, Li Chen

Li Chen

The recent economic downturn has affected businesses and educational organizations. Funding for higher education institutions from federal, state and private sectors is shrinking and even disappearing. We have to think of something else to acquire the funds we need to enhance library services. In this article, we share our success story on how the Lawrence V. Johnson Library at Southern Polytechnic State University received a grant to fund our Web-Scale Discovery Service.

Bridging The Community Through The May Day Fete: The May Day Celebration At Oregon Normal School, Erin Passehl-Stoddart

Erin Passehl Stoddart

In 1902, a new tradition began on the Oregon State Normal School campus: the May Day celebration. Touted as an ardent joyous welcome of springtime and the most anticipated social event on campus‖, the May Day Fete featured a series of events held on a single day early in May, including the winding of the May Pole, an evening dance, costumed drills, sporting events for both men and women, jokes, singing, pageantry, the procession and crowning of the May Day Queen, and the awarding of the trophy in a challenge between the school‘s senior and junior class. May Day extended …

Technology Competency Requirements Of Ala-Accredited Library Science Programs: An Updated Analysis, Lindy Scripps-Hoekstra, Megan Carroll, Theresa Fotis

Lindy Scripps-Hoekstra

This study set out to provide an understanding of how LIS programs ensure that students are prepared for the demands of graduate study in the twenty-first century, how these expectations may have evolved since Kules’s and McDaniel’s previous 2008 study, and how various types of programs compare in their approaches. Content analysis was used to examine all 58 ALA-accredited LIS program websites regarding published requirements, required skills, methods of evaluation, and the types of remedial support provided. Overall, this research revealed very little similarity between programs and little change since 2008. The majority of program websites had some type of …

The Learning Commons As A Locus For Information Literacy, Sharon Weiner, Tomalee Doan, Hal Kirkwood

Hal P Kirkwood Jr

Many institutions of higher education are designing spaces to facilitate learning. Libraries have created information or learning commons to support this activity. This article draws from the literature and best practices to explore this new direction. Academic libraries have focused on student learning and the teaching of skills and strategies that develop information literacy competency. Although there is an assumption that learning commons facilitate student learning, there is a need to more closely connect this new environment with information literacy and pedagogy and to demonstrate its merits in enhancing learning. A basic premise is that each learning commons that is …

Not Your Parents' Library Video, Deeann Allison

DeeAnn Allison

A video with Buffy, a student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln shows her parents how to do research the "NU" way. Using a computer in her dorm room she is able to search the catalog to find books, renew books, and save search preferences so she can repeat them without having to re-enter the searches later. She also shows her parents how she saves time writing papers by finding articles using a new tool that searches across many databases at the same time and then connects to the full article, which she reads on her computer. She also demonstrates how …

Clarify Life And Work With Mind Maps, Crystal Renfro, Mary Axford

Crystal L Renfro

The authors discuss the powerful tool of mind mapping and its far reaching applications for the library from strategic planning and workflow optimization to daily problem solving and syllabus development. Key features of mind mapping tools will be presentated to help readers determine the best product for their individual needs.

From Unprocessed Unknowns To Digital Diffusion: Uncovering Grey Literature At The Center For The History Of Psychology, Jodi Kearns, Cathy Faye, Lynn Willis

Jodi Kearns, PhD

The Center for the History of Psychology (CHP) at The University of Akron is home to a special collection of grey literature that documents the history of psychology and related human sciences. The collection is comprised of around 4000 paper-and-pencil achievement and diagnostic tests; 15,000 organizational newsletters, white papers, conference programs, conference proceedings, and membership directories; and 8,000 US military technical reports. Historians have much to glean from these collections. The test collections document more than 100 years of changing practices in the measurement of aptitudes, personality, abilities, and preferences. The collection of military documents details the long and sometimes …