Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Not Your Mother's Pda: The Transition From Pda Pilot To Full Acquisitions Integration, Harriet Rykse, Bruce Fyfe, Nazi Torabi, Nicole Nolan, Erin Gallagher, Yves Vanier

Western Libraries Publications

Western Libraries and Ingram Content Group worked together to establish a Patron Driven Acquisition (PDA) program that has been incorporated into the regular acquisitions workflow at Western. Some features of the program include: all titles selected for addition to the PDA collection are filtered through the approval profiles established by the librarians, the library’s holdings are uploaded to Ingram weekly so that duplicate titles are avoided, invoices for purchased PDA titles are sent weekly and holdings for un-purchased and purchased PDA records are updated weekly. A Patron Driven Acquisitions Working Group established the program at Western by meeting with collections …

Shared Patron-Driven Acquisition Within A Consortium: The Ocul Pda Pilot, Harriet Rykse, Kate Davis, Lei Jin, Colleen Neely

Western Libraries Publications

In September 2010 members of the Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) participated in a Patron Driven Acquisitions (PDA) pilot to determine how this purchasing model might be adapted to a consortium. OCUL understood that developing a model that would allow patrons to purchase titles for different collections would be complicated. Careful thought went into balancing the needs of individual members with the needs of the consortium. This paper describes the project and examines the results from three distinct perspectives in the hopes of gaining a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities of PDA at a consortial level.

Dungeons And Downloads: Collecting Tabletop Fantasy Role-Playing Games In The Age Of Downloadable Pdfs, Dan Sich

Western Libraries Publications

Purpose – This paper aims to provide libraries with collections advice regarding fantasy role-playing games.

Design/methodology/approach – Current and emerging publication and sales models of pencil and paper, tabletop fantasy role-playing games are explored. Details of print, print-on-demand, free and purchasable downloads, and subscription-based options for major fantasy role-playing games and alternatives are provided.

Findings – Many options are available to libraries wishing to provide support for fantasy role-playing game programming. While an overwhelming quantity of publications are often available for purchase, usually only a bare minimum is required to run a role-playing game. Free or modestly priced options are …

Scholars Geoportal: A New Platform For Geospatial Data Discovery, Exploration And Access In Ontario Universities, Elizabeth T. Hill, Leanne Trimble

Western Libraries Publications

The need to support and promote the use of geospatial data and available collections has grown at Ontario Universities in recent years. These data, along with numeric data collections, are used to enhance research and expand the skill set of students graduating from a broad array of disciplines. Providing access to these types of data collections has proven challenging, and access points available to large groups of people inside academia, in government and public domains have been made possible through online portal implementations. The defined need for a geospatial portal at Ontario Universities is outlined in the first part of …

Provision Of Pandemic Disease Information By Health Sciences Librarians: A Multisite Comparative Case Series., Robin Featherstone, Gabriel Boldt, Nazi Torabi, Shauna-Lee Konrad

Western Libraries Publications

Objective: The research provides an understanding of pandemic information needs and informs professional development initiatives for librarians in disaster medicine. Methods: Utilizing a multisite, comparative case series design, the researchers conducted semi-structured interviews and examined supplementary materials in the form of organizational documents, correspondence, and websites to create a complete picture of each case. The rigor of the case series was ensured through data and investigator triangulation. Interview transcripts were coded using NVivo to identify common themes and points of comparison. Results: Comparison of the four cases revealed a distinct difference between “client-initiated” and “librarian-initiated” provision of pandemic information. Librarian-initiated …

Canadian Academic Library Support For International Faculty: Library Experience And Information Needs Of Chinese Visiting Scholars At The University Of Western Ontario, Shiyi Xie

Western Libraries Publications

International faculty constitute a relatively small proportion of the library user community in Canadian post-secondary institutions, but they are underserved when compared to other user groups on campus, particularly international students. The author obtained first hand information about Chinese visiting scholars at the University of Western Ontario, and in this paper she presents conclusions from her experience regarding the visiting scholars' use of libraries as well as some recommendations for serving international faculty. The author suggests that academic libraries carefully consider international faculty when planning relevant services for diverse user groups. Providing necessary and satisfying library services for this group …