Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Promoting Vermont Films In Vermont's Libraries: Presenting Freedom & Unity - The Vermont Movie In A Small Vermont Library, Fred C. Pond, Nora Jacobson

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

This poster reviews steps taken to screen a recent Vermont movie (over a two month period, in six parts) at the Tunbridge (Vermont) Public Library, in an effort to promote Vermont films, at the same time provide provide programming for libraries.

The filmmakers and librarians initiated post-screening discussions on topics explored in the film, with the goal of engaging audiences on local issues.

A review of the audience attendance, funding and recommendations for future collaborations is included.

Building An Assessment Program In The Liberal Arts College Library, Lucretia Mcculley

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Now in its fourth year, the Library Assessment Committee at the University of Richmond has made great strides in establishing a sustainable assessment program within Boatwright Library. Prior to 2008, limited staff, time, expertise, and commitment were barriers to establishing an ongoing assessment program. As with many other liberal arts college libraries, most of our assessment efforts had focused on information literacy, since instruction is integral to the library and the university's mission. Library surveys and other assessment methods had only received close attention when the university was embarking on its re-accreditation process. With the growing emphasis on assessment within …

Why Some Students Continue To Value Individual, Face-To-Face Research Consultations In A Technology-Rich World, Trina J. Magi, Patricia E. Mardeusz

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

For decades, academic librarians have provided individual research consultations for students. There is little information, however, about why students schedule consultations, the kinds of assistance students feel are provided by librarians during consultations, and what students find valuable about face-to-face consultations, even with the availability of online research help. This exploratory, qualitative study of individual research consultations at the University of Vermont gathered students’ views on these questions. The findings will help librarians better understand how individual consultations serve students and what role consultations should play in the mix of reference services offered.

A Fresh Look At Privacy--Why Does It Matter, Who Cares, And What Should Librarians Do About It?, Trina J. Magi

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Provides a brief introduction to several reasons privacy is important to people and society, cites numerous studies reporting on people's attitudes about privacy, and recommends ways librarians can work to protect patron privacy.

What Students Need From Reference Librarians: Exploring The Complexity Of The Individual Consultation, Trina J. Magi, Patricia E. Mardeusz

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

The article reports on an exploratory study that identified the skills used by reference librarians during individual research consultations with undergraduate and graduate students in a wide range of disciplines. The skills fell into eight categories. As expected, librarians needed knowledge about information sources and their effective use, but the project revealed that consultations often involve higher-order skills, as well, such as knowing how to approach and organize the research endeavor, shaping a topic appropriate for the scope of a project, making connections among various pieces of information and applying them to the problem at hand, and identifying alternative research …

Fourteen Reasons Privacy Matters: A Multidiscipinary Review Of Scholarly Literature, Trina J. Magi

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Librarians have long recognized the importance of privacy to intellectual freedom. As digital technology and its applications advance, however, efforts to protect privacy may become increasingly difficult. With some users behaving in ways that suggest they do not care about privacy and with powerful voices claiming that privacy is dead, librarians may question whether privacy is worth protecting. This article reviews some of the extensive scholarly literature on privacy from disciplines outside the field of library science, including anthropology, law, philosophy, political science, psychology, and sociology, and it identifies fourteen reasons privacy matters to individuals, relationships, and to society. It …

A Content Analysis Of Library Vendor Privacy Policies: Do They Meet Our Standards?, Trina J. Magi

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Librarians have a long history of protecting user privacy, but they have done seemingly little to understand or influence the privacy policies of library resource vendors that increasingly collect user information through Web 2.0-style personalization features. After citing evidence that college students value privacy, this study used content analysis to determine the degree to which the privacy policies of 27 major vendors meet standards articulated by the library profession and information technology industry. While most vendors have privacy policies, the policy provisions fall short on many library profession standards and show little support for the library Code of Ethics.

Managing Digital Resources, Or, How Do You Hold Electrons In Your Hand?, Anna L. Creech

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

In the 1995 publication New Automation Technology for Acquisitions and Collection Development, Nancy Markle Stanley wrote a chapter entitled "Purchasing Electronic Resources: an Acquisitions Perspective"¹ in which she outlines the challenges of managing electronic resources. I had to chuckle a bit when l read the book, because at the time of its publication, my undergraduate library was in the process of finally automating their catalog. The evolution of electronic resources in libraries has all of the characteristics of technological innovation. There are libraries with the funding and vision to be early adopters, and there are libraries on the tail …

What's Best For Students: Comparing The Effectiveness Of A Traditional Print Pathfinder And A Web-Based Research Tool, Trina J. Magi

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

This quantitative study compared a print pathfinder and a web-based research tool in library instruction for two sections of a first-year business course. The traditional print pathfinder received higher ratings on use, ease of use, and helpfulness, but both tools resulted in students citing a similar number of recommended sources.

Basic International Reference Sources, Lucretia Mcculley

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Numerous reference sources are available to help librarians answer questions regarding the geographical and cultural characteristics of nations. In this article, Lucretia McCulley identifies the features that determine the quality of such materials, and explains how each of 13 research aids meets her criteria.