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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Information Commons: The Future Is Now, Robert A. Seal Nov 2012

Information Commons: The Future Is Now, Robert A. Seal

Robert A Seal

First established in the United States in the 1990’s, the information commons (IC) has become a common way to provide users of academic libraries with a variety of both library and technology services in the 21st century. Now a worldwide phenomenon, the information commons offers, in a centralized location, research and writing assistance, access to computers and other technology, high-speed Internet and wireless communication, loans of laptops and tablet devices, tutoring, both quiet and noisy work study areas, collaborative spaces, classrooms, digital media services, coffee and food items, and more. From the smallest to the largest institutions, the IC has …


Don't Worry Mom, I'M At The Library: Making Connections With Undergraduate Students, Melanie Mills, Jennifer Robinson, Marisa Mitchell Nov 2012

Don't Worry Mom, I'M At The Library: Making Connections With Undergraduate Students, Melanie Mills, Jennifer Robinson, Marisa Mitchell

Jennifer Robinson

For the past three years Western Libraries has introduced our services, collections and facilities to students via a welcome tent erected during orientation week. A great deal of planning goes into creating interactive and meaningful orientation displays that will capture attention and educate students about the role of the academic library as a physical and a virtual space!


Report Of The Ad Hoc Digital Commons Task Force, Michael Vocino, Michael Cerbo, Margaret J. Keefe, Sarina Wyant Aug 2012

Report Of The Ad Hoc Digital Commons Task Force, Michael Vocino, Michael Cerbo, Margaret J. Keefe, Sarina Wyant

michael c vocino

March 2010 report to the faculty of the University Libraries, University of Rhode Island by the Ad Hoc Digital Commons Task Force. On December 17, 2009 in a letter to its members, the Ad Hoc Digital Commons Task Force was created by Dean David Maslyn at the request of the December 2009 Library Faculty Meeting. The charge from the Dean read: “Based upon the motion made at the faculty meeting of 12/4/2009, the Dean appoints the following people to an Ad Hoc Task Force to 'study and establish policy and procedures' for the possible establishment and implementation of a library …


Organizational Leadership In Academic Libraries : Identifying Culture Types And Leadership Roles, Monica Garcia Brooks Aug 2012

Organizational Leadership In Academic Libraries : Identifying Culture Types And Leadership Roles, Monica Garcia Brooks

Monica Brooks

The purpose of this study is to identify organizational culture types and leadership roles among research and non-research libraries in higher education institutions in the United States and to reveal trends that can assist in enacting needed organizational change. Organizational culture and leadership are two intertwined concepts that are strongly aligned with the human element of any supervisory experience. According to Crosby, they help “nurture effective and humane organizations” (Crosby, 2004). This research project sought to test the claims brought forth by library researchers such as Kaarts-Brown et al. in which they reported a tie between the library manager’s ability …


Not On The Same Page: Undergraduates’ Information Retrieval In Electronic And Print Books, Selinda Adelle Berg, Kristin Hoffmann, Diane Dawson Apr 2012

Not On The Same Page: Undergraduates’ Information Retrieval In Electronic And Print Books, Selinda Adelle Berg, Kristin Hoffmann, Diane Dawson

Kristin Hoffmann

Academic libraries are increasingly collecting e-books, but little research has investigated how students use e-books compared to print texts. This study used a prompted think-aloud method to gain an understanding of the information retrieval behavior of students in both formats. Qualitative analysis identified themes that will inform instruction and collection practices.


How Institutional Repositories Provide A Digital Compliment To The First Year Experience, Erin Passehl, Valerie Bagley Feb 2012

How Institutional Repositories Provide A Digital Compliment To The First Year Experience, Erin Passehl, Valerie Bagley

Erin Passehl Stoddart

In Fall 2011, Western Oregon University Archives partnered with Interdisciplinary Studies to digitally capture capstone projects created in the First Year Experience Program (FYE). These seminars provide incoming first-year and transfer students with the necessary skills to succeed in the college classroom and campus life. WOU Archives and FYE instructors collaborated to preserve a digital sample of students’ capstone work, including papers, creative art, posters, presentations, and videos. This presentation will discuss this our shared promotional goals and the library’s role in supporting student retention. We’ll also discuss the nuts and bolts of digitally documenting student work, including permissions, formats, …


The Information Commons Handbook (Review), Robert A. Seal Feb 2012

The Information Commons Handbook (Review), Robert A. Seal

Robert A Seal

Once an innovative idea but now a standard feature of many academic libraries, the information commons has transformed library services across the country over the past decade. Although dozens of articles have appeared in the literature on various aspects and models of the information commons (IC), until now there has not been a thorough monograph devoted to the topic.


Reference 2001: A Director’S Admonitions, Robert A. Seal Feb 2012

Reference 2001: A Director’S Admonitions, Robert A. Seal

Robert A Seal

Reflections on professional roles and responsibilities are explored, as well as the opportunities and challenges facing academic reference librarians. The information environment has been transformed by technology and the Web, and will continue its exponential change. What's coming? What endures? How will we thrive? Whatever approach we take, it is essential to remember that maintaining the status quo is not good enough to meet the changing needs and expectations of library clientele.


The Information Commons: New Pathways To Digital Resources And Knowledge Management, Robert A. Seal Jan 2012

The Information Commons: New Pathways To Digital Resources And Knowledge Management, Robert A. Seal

Robert A Seal

No longer an innovation, the information commons has become a mainstream approach in U.S. academic libraries for providing convenient access to technology and online resources, the first step for many university students in their own knowledge management. From the very basic model of a well-equipped computer lab to more elaborate projects involving multiple campus departments, extensive digital resources, and spaces for knowledge creation, the information commons can facilitate the integration of the college and university library into the academic learning process. After a brief overview of the changing library environment, the paper provides a look at the various models and …


Academic Branch Libraries, Robert A. Seal Jan 2012

Academic Branch Libraries, Robert A. Seal

Robert A Seal

Few issues in academic librarianship inspire as much controversy as the branch or departmental library. At the center of this controversy is the question of whether or not collections should be centralized in the main university library or located in part in separate branch libraries. Although vigorously debated since the beginning of this century, the centralization-decentralization dilemma became even more of an issue following World War II, when college and university enrollments and academic libraries began to grow at unprecedented rates and the pressure for adequate library services and collections increased. This particular issue has never been resolved completely, nor …


Truesdell, Cheryl B. (2012). The Academic Library And The Re-Imagining Of Undergraduate Education. Indiana Libraries, 31(1): 30-36, Cheryl B. Truesdell Dec 2011

Truesdell, Cheryl B. (2012). The Academic Library And The Re-Imagining Of Undergraduate Education. Indiana Libraries, 31(1): 30-36, Cheryl B. Truesdell

Cheryl B. Truesdell

No abstract provided.


Creating Organizational Buy-In: Overcoming Challenges To A Library-Wide Discovery Tool Implementation, Meris A. Mandernach, Jody C. Fagan Dec 2011

Creating Organizational Buy-In: Overcoming Challenges To A Library-Wide Discovery Tool Implementation, Meris A. Mandernach, Jody C. Fagan

Jody C Fagan

While launching a discovery tool can be technically easy, establishing a process that will result in organizational buy-in for the tool is an exceptionally important first step for a successful implementation. Many lessons about creating organizational buy-in can be learned from experiences with federated search software and next-generation catalogs. Libraries must grapple with three critical areas before discovery tool implementation. First, the library will need to consider how the discovery tool will affect key library departments and create a plan for addressing their concerns. Second, training will need to be developed for staff as well as end users. Finally, monitoring …