Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Curiosity As Outreach: Flipping Outreach On Its Head, Paulina Borrego, Anne Graham, Ellen Lutz, Melanie Radik, Rebecca Reznik-Zellen

University Libraries Publication Series

Science and Engineering Library staff at the University of Massachusetts Amherst visited several sites on campus in a novel outreach initiative that involved all nine staff members taking “field trips” without agendas. We demonstrate that outreach without the explicit goal of promoting a specific resource or service can be an effective use of time, and can build social capital that shares the goals of traditional outreach. Involving all staff in this outreach effort was a valuable team building experience, exposing the depth of our interests and expertise to each other and to our campus community.

Flipping An Academic Library Collection: A Path To A Global Open Scholarly Commons, Christine N. Turner, Marilyn S. Billings

University Libraries Publication Series

In late 2017, the University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries participated in the David Lewis and Michael Roy “2.5% Commitment and Open Data Collection Tool Project.” This exercise provided a benchmark of collection and infrastructure investments to date, and it brought into focus the opportunity to articulate the Libraries’ intentions for their collections going forward. The UMass Amherst Libraries provide a case study of an academic library collection that is pivoting from materials produced by proprietary publishers to a mix of investments in unique and special collections; open access publishing, content and infrastructure; and materials published through traditional channels.

Nirds Unite: Building A Community Of Institutional Repository Practitioners In The Northeast, Eleni Castro, Erin Jerome, Colin Lukens, Mikki Simon Macdonald, Lisa A. Palmer

University Libraries Publication Series

The idea for “Northeast Institutional Repository Day” (NIRD) was conceived by a group of five repository librarians in the northeast. The organizers sent out a pre-conference online survey to the IR community in November 2018 to see if fellow repository practitioners had an interest in attending and/or participating in such a day and the response was a resounding, “Yes!” The survey results suggested that building a stronger regional network of repository managers would foster meaningful discussions on the merits and effectiveness of IRs.

World Librarians: A Peer-To-Peer Commons For Closing The Global Digital Divide, Jeremy Smith, Charlie Schweik, Carl Meyer

University Libraries Publication Series

INTRODUCTION An estimated 53% of the world’s population do not have Internet access. As a consequence, they lack information capital that could be key to bettering their lives. In this practice article, we introduce a sociotechnical system called “World Librarians.” This system, facilitated by a knowledge commons, provides educators, librarians, students, and medical professionals in remote Internet-poor areas of Malawi with access to digital content that they request. OBJECTIVE We describe the social and technical methods by which a team of educators, librarians, students, and information technology specialists in information-privileged environments share educational content to information-disadvantaged communities. METHODS After briefly …

Scholarworks@Umassamherst: The First 10 Years, 2006-2017, Erin Jerome

University Libraries Publication Series

No abstract provided.

A Dream Of Spring: Creation Of An Ir Managers Forum, Christy L. M. Shorey, Anna J. Dabrowski, Pamela Andrews, Erin Jerome

University Libraries Publication Series

Sometimes it’s hard to find answers for work‐related questions. This difficulty is compounded when one lacks the means to engage with a community of peers who face similar situations and problems. As institutional repository (IR) managers, we found ourselves with access to resources and listservs that didn’t quite fit our needs. Available discussion spaces were either too general in scope, drowning out repository‐specific concerns; or too narrowly focused on platform‐specific issues and technical details.

Lacking an appropriate forum, we decided to create a discussion space for IR managers. The IR Manager Forum (https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/irmanagers) is designed to foster a community of …

Growing Our Vision Together: Forming A Sustainability Community Within The American Library Association, Beth Filar Williams, Madeleine K. Charney, Bonnie Smith

University Libraries Publication Series

As long-standing keepers of democracy and information stewardship, library professionals are a natural fit for advocating and promoting sustainability within their communities. From seed libraries to Occupy Wall Street libraries, their view of sustainability extends beyond environmental concerns to include community activism, economic development, and social equity. Empowering people, facilitating dialogue, and providing resources for a more resilient future are at the center of librarians’ vital and changing roles. These visionary professionals have powered libraries’ work as outspoken advocates with well-founded initiatives. For a long time, however, there was no cohesive sustainability-focused venue for sharing best practices, collaborating, and contributing …

Academic Librarians And The Sustainability Curriculum: Building Alliances To Support A Paradigm Shift, Madeleine Charney

University Libraries Publication Series

Sustainability is a fast evolving movement in higher education demonstrated by a proliferation of academic programs and co-curricular initiative and projects. After a review of sustainability-related LibGuides (online resource guides) created by academic librarians, a survey was administered to their developers during the spring of 2011 and posted on library listservs. Librarians returned 112 survey responses which reflected active roles in the paradigm shift toward sustainability through the forging of partnerships across campus and development of teaching resources and events. Telephone interviews conducted with 24 of the respondents showed librarians’ wide-ranging personal and professional interest in sustainability, and their initiatives …

E-Resource Acquisitions In Academic Library Consortia, Christine Turner

University Libraries Publication Series

Scholarly publishing is the information marketplace in which academic libraries function, and major shifts in traditional publishing and pricing models are in process. Library consortia have long been viewed as a means of increasing purchasing power and reducing costs. In late 2010, the Five College Libraries (FCL) hired R2 Consulting, LLC to investigate and make recommendations regarding how the Libraries cooperate more closely on the acquisition, management, and delivery of electronic resources. This study examines and evaluates how other academic library consortia are licensing and acquiring electronic books, databases, journals and streaming media. The organizations, activities, processes, history and trends …

Metastatic Metadata: Transferring Digital Skills And Digital Comfort At Umass Amherst, Jeremy Smith, Robert Cox, Danielle Kovacs, Rebecca Reznik-Zellen, Aaron Rubinstein

University Libraries Publication Series

Discusses efforts by the Digital Strategies Group and Special Collections and University Archives at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to enlist all library staff to create metadata for a group of historical photographs from the University archive.

Sunflower Seeds And Their Products, Madeleine Charney

University Libraries Publication Series

Sunflower as a commodity for both food and seed.

Library Space Redesign (Virtual), Marilyn S. Billings

University Libraries Publication Series

This session will present a series of "think pieces" for both librarians and other campus constituencies to explore as we create new ways of working together to meet the needs of students, faculty and researchers of the 21st century. Topics will include new scholarly communication techniques, digital repositories, new partnerships and ways of marketing our scholarly outreach activities, and examine the implications for our current and future workforce.

Fishing Upstream: What Do Libraries Want From Vendors, Leslie Horner Button

University Libraries Publication Series

No abstract provided.

Notable Edibles: Sound Bites, Madeleine K. Charney

University Libraries Publication Series

Written by Rebecca Touger, this article describes the radio show "Farm to Fork: The Pioneer Valley's Local Food and Agriculture" which airs every other Tuesday from 6:30-7:30pm EST on WXOJ-LP, 103.3fm, Valley Free Radio. Hosted by: Madeleine Charney, Kelly Coleman, Leslie Cox and Don Persons. Listen via live audiostream: www.valleyfreeradio.org

Foodroutes Network And The Local Food Movement, Madeleine K. Charney

University Libraries Publication Series

A feature article on the national nonprofit organization FoodRoutes Network (FRN), which describes itself as “dedicated to reintroducing Americans to their food—the seeds it grows from, the farmers who produce it, and the routes that carry it from the fields to our tables.”

Vision Of Self-Sufficiency Comes Alive (On Less Than Two Acres!), Madeleine K. Charney

University Libraries Publication Series

A Montague, Massachusetts family relishes their traditional homesteading lifestyle.

Local Chef Inspires Healthy And Economical Cooking -- In A Flash, Madeleine K. Charney

University Libraries Publication Series

Local chef, Leslie Cerier, offers thought-provoking workshops about eating whole foods.

Scholarworks, The Umass Amherst Digital Repository: Showcasing New Ways Of Sharing Our Scholarly Work, Marilyn S. Billings

University Libraries Publication Series

Presentation about ScholarWorks digital repository, scholarly communication, ETDs and graduate student work. Given at the Graduate School's program for the Graduate Program Directors, Sept 23, 2008.

Research Showcase Projects Within Scholarworks @ Umass Amherst, Marilyn S. Billings

University Libraries Publication Series

This presentation highlights various types of research projects that are contained in the digital repository ScholarWorks @ UMass Amherst, a Digital Commons site.

Filling The Void: Publishing Within The Digital Repository., Marilyn S. Billings

University Libraries Publication Series

This presentation showcases original digital publishing of journals, books, and other scholarly materials using the Digital Commons software.

Connecting 24/5 To Millennials: Providing Academic Support Services From A Learning Commons, Anne C. Moore, Kimberly Wells

University Libraries Publication Series

In response to the seamless academic and personal behavior of Millennial college students, libraries are creating a learning commons in which campus academic support services are integrated with library services to provide everything students need to succeed in a single facility 24 hours a day with food. Roving may be an effective way to satisfy the immediate support needs of students collaborating in these bustling environments. A survey conducted on March 16, 2006 of users of the UMass Amherst Learning Commons (opened in the W.E.B. Du Bois Library in September 2005) provided detailed insight into who they are, how often …

Transforming Academic Libraries For 21st Century Students: Umass Amherst Libraries -- A Case Study, Gerald Jay Schafer

University Libraries Publication Series

This presentation was given at the 15th International Seminar CASLIN 2008: Knowledge Technologies and (the Future of) Higher Education.

“Reference Librarians At The Reference Desk In A Learning Commons: A Qualitative Evaluation.” Preprint, Elizabeth B. Fitzpatrick

University Libraries Publication Series

This is a preprint of an article co-written with Dr. Anne C. Moore, and Beth W. Lang, Head of Reference, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst.

At the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s W.E.B. Du Bois Library’s Learning Commons, only Reference librarians staff the Reference & Research Assistance desk. Surveys, a focus group, reference question transcriptions, and question-type tallies indicate this service model is strongly preferred by users and librarians over the previous tiered model.

Cyberinfrastructure And The Transformation Of Libraries, Marilyn S. Billings

University Libraries Publication Series

Libraries are beginning to exploit the transformation that cyberinfrastructure allows: for example, for discovery and access, for changing scholarly communication, for next-generation catalogs. This presentation will be an overview of some recent developments and describe ways that we all can participate in this transformation.

"Leuven University Library, 1425-2000", James R. Kelly

University Libraries Publication Series

No abstract provided.

Changing Scholarly Communications And The Role Of An Institutional Repository In The Digital Landscape, Marilyn S. Billings

University Libraries Publication Series

Presentation to University of Maine community (faculty, administration, librarians, and administration) about scholarly communication topics (author rights, copyright) and institutional repositories, using ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst as example of an IR.

Faculty Senate Research Library Council: Scholarly Communication Activities At The University Of Massachusetts, Amherst, Ma, Marilyn S. Billings

University Libraries Publication Series

Presentation to University of Maine Faculty Senate Library Advisory Committee members about the work done by the UMass Amherst Faculty Senate Research Library Council in support of scholarly communication, digital repositories, and open-access publishing

Selected Digital Repository Projects At The University Of Massachusetts Amherst, Marilyn S. Billings

University Libraries Publication Series

In this presentation, I describe the Digital Commons service at UMass Amherst and show a wide variety of ways we have developed our instance, ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst

Review Of Plant Management Network Database, Plant Management Network

University Libraries Publication Series

Overview of features of an academic plant sciences database.

How To Keep Your Author Rights (And Influence People), Marilyn S. Billings

University Libraries Publication Series

No abstract provided.