Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The History And Current State Of The Information Portal In Libraries, Richard Hacken, Mathew Miles

Faculty Publications

This paper expands upon the concept of the information portal as introduced in the earlier-published article "The Role of Web Services in Portal Design: Approaches for an Algerian University Library." The categories and concepts involved are outlined as follows:
Defining the “portal” and its variants
Identifying variant functions of portals
Notions of portal user profiles and customization
History of portals
Library catalog models
Early library catalog models
Current library catalog models
Metadata repository models
Early metadata repository models
Current metadata repository models
Federated search models
Early federated search models
Current federated search models
Beyond Federated Searching (Centralized Indexes)
Digital library …

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

University Libraries: Faculty Publications and Other Works

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 21^st 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 …

Learning Outcomes For Library Student Workers, Jeanne M. Brown

Library Faculty Presentations

Our Dean of Libraries, Patty Iannuzzi has indicated that employment in the library can and should offer value to the student worker beyond convenience and flexible hours. In her words, "The libraries are well positioned to add value to our students' work experience in ways that can contribute to their academic success. As one of the largest employers of student workers on campus, we owe this to our students. As an organization, we want to clearly send a message that we care about them as students -- not just our employees." In Spring 2011, the Libraries partnered with Campus Life …

Academic Librarians And Research Data Services: Preparation And Attitudes., Carol Tenopir, Robert J. Sandusky, Suzie Allard, Ben Birch

DataONE Sociocultural and Usability & Assessment Working Groups

No abstract provided.

Academic Librarians And Research Data Services: Preparation And Attitudes, Carol Tenopir, Robert Sandusky, Suzie Allard, Ben Birch

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Research funding bodies recognize the importance of infrastructure and services to organize and preserve research data, and academic research libraries have been identified as locations in which to base these research data services (RDS). Research data services include data management planning, digital curation (selection, preservation, maintenance, and archiving), and metadata creation and conversion. We report the results of an empirical investigation into the RDS practices of librarians in US and Canadian academic research libraries, establishing a baseline of the engagement of librarians at this early stage of widespread service development. Specifically, this paper examines the opinions of the surveyed librarians …

How Well Do Ontario Library Web Sites Meet New Accessibility Requirements?, Joanne Oud

Library Publications

New changes to Ontario law will require library web sites to comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, version 2.0 (WCAG 2.0). This study evaluates 64 Ontario university, college, and public library web sites to see how well they comply with WCAG 2.0 guidelines at present. An average of 14.75 accessibility problems were found per web page. The most common problems included invalid html, poor color contrast, incorrect form controls and labels, missing alt text, bad link text, improper use of headings, using html to format pages, using absolute units of measure, and issues with tables and embedded objects.

Guidelines For Media Resources In Academic Libraries (2012), Mary S. Laskowski, Cyrus Ford Zarganj, Nancy E. Friedland, Jacqueline Fritz, Jim Holmes, Lora Lennertz Jetton, M. Claire Stewart, Joe M. Williams

Library Faculty Publications

Technology used in teaching, learning, and research has created new challenges and opportunities for managers of college and university library media resource collections and services.

Moving images, sounds, and still images have become increasingly important in teaching, learning and research, and academic librarians are working closely with other agencies on campus to support faculty and student information needs. In some institutions, librarians have become true partners in the delivery of instruction, working with faculty, technologists, and instructional developers to create “new learning communities.”

Most academic libraries collect media, and these materials are as vital and diverse as any print collection …

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 …

Implementing Reference Statistics Collection Software At Multiple Library Service Points, J. Gabe Gossett, Elizabeth Stephan, Rebecca M. Marrall

Western Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Purpose– The purpose of this article is to explore the process of implementing LibAnswers, a reference statistics collection and analysis software, at multiple service points in an academic library and to outline the benefits of the process. Design/methodology/approach– The article outlines the process used to implement a statistics software, including initial testing, development of categories and terms used to define the question types, and training of library staff. Findings– Implementing a statistics program at multiple service points takes flexibility and patience. The biggest challenge faced was developing common terms to define what each desk did and how the statistics would …

New England Technical Services Librarians Spring 2012 Conference: Ilibrary: Digital Futures For Libraries (May 3, 2012, Worcester, Ma), Andrée J. Rathemacher, Michael A. Cerbo Ii, Julia A. Lovett

Technical Services Department Faculty Publications

This report discusses the program of the 2012 New England Technical Services Librarians (NETSL) annual spring conference, held on Thursday, May 3 at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, titled “iLibrary: Digital Futures for Libraries.” NETSL is a section of the New England Library Association and a regional group of the American Library Association.

"Where Is The Fiction Section?" Student Expectations, Faculty Needs, & Staff Involvement In Academic Library Readers' Advisory Service, Sarah L. Johnson

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

This presentation offers a case study on the approach taken by Booth Library, Eastern Illinois University, in regard to popular reading collections and readers' advisory work. Topics include undergraduate students' expectations for offerings in popular fiction and nonfiction in academic libraries, how recreational reading collections can support curricular needs, and how staff can become involved in collection promotion by means of training workshops, development of local exhibits and book lists, and more. Presenter notes included.

Academic Libraries And Research Data Services: Current Practices And Plans For The Future, Carol Tenopir, Ben Birch, Suzie Allard

DataONE Sociocultural and Usability & Assessment Working Groups

The report highlights the need and imperative for research data services in colleges and universities. Academic libraries may be ideal centers for research data service activities on campuses, providing unique opportunities for academic libraries to become even more active participants in the knowledge creation cycle in their institution.

Presentation On E-Books To The University Of Rhode Island Deans' Council, Andrée Rathemacher

Technical Services Faculty Presentations

Slides and notes for a presentation on e-books to the University of Rhode Island Deans' Council on May 16, 2012.

Ebookmobile: Delivering Subject-Specific Ebooks To Your Inbox, Kathryn Lybarger

Library Presentations

Today's users are overloaded by the massive amount of information available to them, even within their own library's collection. Ebooks cataloged in batches of hundreds (or thousands) make a generic new ebook shelf prohibitively large and mostly uninteresting to a subject researcher. The Ebookmobile helps researchers become aware of new ebooks in the library collection in their specific area of interest, so they can start using them immediately. Ebookmobile checks the Voyager database daily for newly cataloged ebooks and creates feeds for ranges in a classification scheme. Researchers can choose to receive a daily e-mail or subscribe to an RSS …

Student Engagement And Library Use: An Examination Of Attitudes Towards Use Of Libraries And Information Amongst Undergraduate Students At A Turkish University Library, Gulcin Cribb, Ilkay Holt

Research Collection Library

The competitive environment in which university libraries operate and provide their services and resources is one of the biggest challenges to engage today’s undergraduate students. There is a limited amount of high quality attention and time students have, to be able to be engaged with what the library offers them. Planning and designing library awareness and information literacy programs, particularly for new students, has presented itself as an on-going challenge for librarians worldwide in recent times. However, the goalpost keeps on moving and the players are becoming more restless, demanding and seeking instant gratification. The purpose of this paper is …

New E-Resources At The University Libraries, Andrée Rathemacher

Technical Services Department Faculty Publications

LibGuide providing a list of electronic resources purchased by the University of Rhode Island libraries in recent months.

Twenty Years After: Armenian Research Libraries Today, D. Aram Donabedian, John Carey, Arshak Balayan

Publications and Research

Since achieving statehood in 1991, Armenia has faced major economic and political obstacles which have significantly affected the nation’s research libraries. This research paper will quantitatively and qualitatively examine the challenges facing Armenian research libraries just over twenty years after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Specifically, the authors analyze their interviews with five library administrators at five major institutions, respectively. These include Yerevan State University Library, the National Library of Armenia, the Fundamental Scientific Library of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, the Republican Scientific-Medical Library of Armenia, and the Papazian Library of the American University of Armenia. …

Academic Libraries: Sustainability In Action, Marianne A. Buehler

Library Faculty Presentations

Faculty and Librarian Collaborations:
- Sustainability Across the Curriculum
- Sustainability Research
- Sustainable Activity
- Opportunities

Living The Future 2012: Educational Role Of Libraries, Jennifer L. Fabbi, Jeanne Brown, Anne E. Zald, Steven Hoover

Library Faculty Presentations

No abstract provided.

From Art On The Wall To Something For All: How An Academic Library Turned Its Art Collection Into A Campus Attraction, Jill Cirasella, Miriam Deutch

Publications and Research

An important feature of the Brooklyn College Library is its art collection, the college’s only permanent art collection. In this article, we explain how the library came to have an art collection; how we supplemented the collection with museum-style wall labels, an online catalog, and an audio tour; and how we promoted the collection and sparked student creativity with an annual art contest. We pay particular attention to the decisions and details that might help other libraries working on similar projects.

Bridging The Gap: Transitioning Information Literacy Skills For Student Success, Jennifer L. Fabbi, David Forgues

Library Faculty Presentations

Context: UNLV, University Undergraduate Learning Outcomes, Inquiry & Critical Thinking, Information Literacy, iSkills Assessment

If You Build It, Will They Come? Building The Collaborative Infrastructure And The Ohiolink Collaborates Toolbox, Barbara J. Strauss, Margaret Maurer, Julie Gedeon

Michael Schwartz Library Publications

This research examines how libraries are collaborating, why libraries collaborate, and seeks the environmental conditions that foster successful cross-institutional collaborations. The Ohio Library and Information Network (OhioLINK) Consortium’s CollaboraTeS Project is examined, to inventory expertise and needs within the OhioLINK community and the members’ willingness to share, barter or contract their expertise with other OhioLINK institutions. This is followed by an examination of a sample of North American collaborative projects to identify environmental conditions that foster collaborations in North American libraries. A brief survey within the OhioLINK environment was then conducted that validated anecdotal evidence that the CollaboraTeS Toolbox has …

Bridging The Information Literacy Gap: First-Year Students Reflect For Success, Jennifer L. Fabbi, Dan Gianoutsos, David Forgues

Library Faculty Presentations

UNLV Context

• Fall 2011: 22,138 undergraduate students; 72% were fulltime; 5135 freshmen with a 76.4% first-yr retention rate (2010 to 2011); 40.6% six-year graduation rate

• Budget-induced movement to large-enrollment classes – Program eliminations and consolidations underway

• General Education Reform developments – Articulation of University Undergraduate Learning Outcomes, especially Inquiry and Critical Thinking – New general education requirements extending vertically throughout the curriculum

• Focus on enhancing the first-year experience for incoming students

Laboratory Office Hours As Outreach In The Health Sciences: Better Research Skills For Better Careers, Todd Prusin

University Library Faculty Publications

Medical librarianship is changing in healthcare environments. Since 1996, by which time the standards that determine how hospitals acquire accreditation changed, many hospitals are acquiring accreditation without a qualified medical librarian on site. For that reason, it has become even more important that healthcare professionals, doctors, nurses and other clinicians, learn to access and evaluate quality information as an integral part of their academic training. Because of this, medical clinicians must begin their careers with strong research skills. These skills must be attained during their academic matriculation and studies in the field of librarianship have shown that departmental outreach hours …

Partnering With It To Help Disadvantaged Students Achieve Academic Success, Janet H. Clarke

Library Faculty Publications

This case study will describe how the Stony Brook University Libraries instruction program partnered with another student support service (student computing office) to nurture a relationship with the Educational Opportunities Program (EOP) over several years to provide their students with the library research and computer skills needed to succeed in college. EOP is a state-funded program aimed at economically disadvantaged students whose high school education has not fully prepared them for college success.

Hitch Your Wagon To Institutional Goals, Anne E. Zald, Michelle Millet

Library Faculty Publications

The landscape of accreditation and accountability in higher education is in a period of rapid change, coalescing around issues identified in the 2006 report of the Spellings Commission, “A Test of Leadership: Charting the Future of U.S. Higher Education.” Information literacy librarians need to connect their instructional efforts to the institutional strategies and initiatives that address continuous improvement whatever their source, e.g. accreditation agencies, funding bodies such as state legislatures, institutional participation in the Voluntary System of Accountability (VSA), University & College Accountability Network (U-CAN), or internal initiatives of the institution’s administration. The challenge for instruction librarians is great, requiring …

Is The Loop Really Closed?: The Assessment And Reassessment Of Communications 101 Learning Outcomes, Carrie A. Gaxiola

Library Faculty Presentations

Conclusion: The students received good grades from Phase I library instruction, however did they really learn what we targeted? We could not really say for sure. This case study reveals that an appropriate method and instruments are imperative for retrieving valid data. This case also displays the importance of collaboration and teamwork. Communication was always open between all members of the team as well as with the library instruction department. We were able to forge a great relationship with the Communication Studies Director– the libraries’ liaison and the Communication Studies Director authored a textbook chapter together about the library for …

Developing Reusable Learning Objects At Itt Dublin Via The Irish National Digital Learning Repository, Philip Russell, Gerry Ryder, Gillian Kerins

Other Resources

During a two year period commencing from June 2010 until the present, a suite of online reusable learning objects (RLOs) have been created at ITT Dublin library covering a range of information literacy competencies.

This poster will outline the development of RLOs at ITT Dublin and how these resources have been shared, reused and repurposed to enhance information literacy progression. The article will focus on best practices and lessons learned during the design, development, and implementation process including the pedagogical approach, application of the software and the collaborative working arrangements that the digital learning resources have helped to foster.

Resource Discovery Tools: Supporting Serendipity, Tammera M. Race

DLTS Faculty Publications

Serendipity, the accidental discovery of something useful, plays an important role in discovery and the acquisition of new knowledge. The process and role of serendipity varies across disciplines. As library collections have become increasingly digital faculty lament the loss of serendipity of browsing library stacks. Resource discovery tools may have features that support serendipity as part of information seeking. A comparison of four commercial Web-scale discovery tools, Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) WorldCat® Local1, Serials Solution2® Summon3™, ExLibris4® Primo Central5™, and EBSCO Discovery Services (EDS)6™, links product features to characteristics that support serendipitous discovery. However, having such features is only …

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

Faculty Publications

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 …