Library and Information Science Commons^™

Biological Sciences Collection Development Policy, Jacquelyn Petzold

UNL Libraries: Collection Development Policies

The biological sciences collection exists to support the teaching, research, and service functions of the School of Biological Sciences and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln community. The public may benefit from the biological sciences collection, although specific materials are not collected to meet their needs. Biology-related materials not available in the library’s collection are generally readily available through Interlibrary Loan. The collection is focused on the biologically-based subsections of the Q Library of Congress call number range, although the heavily interdisciplinary nature of scientific study necessitates some overlap with R, S, T, and other areas.

Biological Systems Engineering Collection Development Policy, Dana W. R. Boden

UNL Libraries: Collection Development Policies

The Biological Systems Engineering collection supports the teaching, research and service activities of the department and the entire university community. Its primary audience is the faculty, staff, and students of the Biological Systems Engineering Department, uniquely situated in both the College of Engineering and the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) through the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR). The primary focus of the collection is support for the undergraduate and graduate curricula for Biological Systems Engineering. Specific and transient research needs of Biological Systems Engineering faculty and graduate students are supplemented through Interlibrary Loan. The focus …

Summary Brief: Unl Libraries 2003/04 – 2007/08 Acquisitions: Performance Of Non-Serial Volumes Available For Checkout, David C. Tyler

UNL Libraries: White Papers

The activity of the included five years’ worth of receipts was analyzed for both degree of idleness and extent of use. Analyses were conducted upon the collection of receipts as a whole and upon the collection disaggregated into broad subject categories and into Library of Congress (LC) subclasses. When reading the report to follow, one should keep in mind that statistics may sometimes mask as much as they reveal, especially when one is dealing with non-discrete category data. For example, several LC subclasses (e.g., HC = Economic Theory and Demography) cover multiple topical areas, so analysis at the LC …

Library Leaders Needed: Yes, Please Apply, Rebecca Mcelrath

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Studies show that strong leaders are needed for the future's strong libraries and other organizations. Employees working at all levels of the organization, not just the titled leaders, will be making decisions that affect the library's mission and future. Employees working at all levels of an organization, therefore, will need to develop the leadership skills to make these decisions. Even without formal leadership training opportunities, a person can begin their personal leadership training. The purpose of this article is to provide historical background on leadership, identify skills and characteristics of leaders, and to provide practical tips for gaining leadership skills …

Dance Collection Development Policy, Anita Breckbill

UNL Libraries: Collection Development Policies

The dance collection supports the teaching, research, and service activities of the entire university community. Its primary audience is the faculty, staff, and students of the Dance Division of the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts. Its primary focus is support for the undergraduate curricula for dance. Research needs of faculty and students are supplemented through Interlibrary Loan. While the collection also benefits other citizens of the state of Nebraska, materials are not purchased with them in mind. While the collection focuses on works classified in Library of Congress call numbers GV1580-1799 , research support is also provided by …

Music Collection Development Policy, Anita Breckbill

UNL Libraries: Collection Development Policies

The music collection supports the teaching, research, and service activities of the entire university community. Its primary audience is the faculty, staff, and students of the School of Music in the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts. Its primary focus is support for the undergraduate and graduate curricula for music. Research needs of faculty and students are supplemented through Interlibrary Loan. While the collection also benefits other citizens of the state of Nebraska, materials are not purchased with them in mind. While the collection focuses on works classified in Library of Congress call numbers M, ML and MT, and …

Information Technology And Online Resources In Dental College Libraries Of Haryana, Chetan Sharma

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Information technology (IT) plays an essential role in academic libraries. The presence of quality IT resources affects the status of the library. The present study describes the availability of IT infrastructure and online resources in dental college libraries of Haryana State, India, and highlights the causes, problems, and solutions in application IT.

What Is Broken About Scholarly Publishing … And How To Fix It, Paul Royster

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Conference Presentations and Speeches

Our hearts are broken because things aren't like they used to be.

The functions and (uncertain) future of scholarly publishing.

The issues that threaten:1. Library budgets vs. acquisitions costs 2. Outmoded distribution networks 3. Missing common infrastructure 4. Future of professional evaluation.

There have never been greater opportunities for scholarly publishing, especially the library as publisher.

New types of Scholarly Communication.

University Press culture vs. Library culture: When worlds collide.

At UNL Libraries, we publish book‐length works that presses considered unpublishable.

Vision Statement: 1. University faculties can take back scholarly publishing. 2. Academic libraries can be leaders of this effort.

Tracing The Archetypal Academic Librarian, Stephen E. Bales

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper analyzes the available evidence to develop a model of the archetypal academic librarian. It compares three periods to do so: (1) pre-Alexandrian Mesopotamian information institutions, focusing on the seventh century BCE Library of Assurbanipal (considered by many scholars to be the first universal or national library), (2) the Great Library of Alexandria (hereafter referred to as “the Library”), and (3) the twenty-first century American academic library. While the basic functions of the librarian have remained constant over thousands of years, one critical element, however, is missing as an integral element of modern academic librarianship, the creation of new …

Devising A Classification Scheme For Islam: Opinions Of Lis And Islamic Studies Scholars, Haroon Idrees, Khalid Mahmood

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Libraries use classification systems to arrange library materials in a logical order and provide users better access. Formal structured classification systems have been developed for this purpose. Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC), Charles Ammi Cutter's Expansive Classification (EC), The Subject Classification (SC) of James Duff Brown, Library of Congress Classification (LCC), Universal Decimal Classification (UDC), Henry E. Bliss's Bibliographic Classification (BC), and S. R. Ranganathan's Colon Classification (CC) are internationally known standard library classification systems. All these systems lack proper placement and coverage of materials being published on topics relevant to Islam. Islam is an area of extensive publication activity. Therefore, …

Essential Writing Tools For Building A Scholarly Foundation In Higher Education, Kelli R. Paquette

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The art of writing for publication is an intimidating concept for many beginning, tenure-track professors. This article is written to outline the essential writing tools for building a successful scholarly foundation in higher education. Writing ideas, such as identifying a topic and getting started, understanding the traits of high-quality writing, collaborating with colleagues, reviewing the literature and journals, and revising and resubmitting, are discussed. Just as knowledgeable contractors understand how tools work and can use the appropriate ones for various building tasks; scholarly writers must understand the required tools for high-quality intellectual writing and use those tools on a daily …

Metadata For Plant Seeds: Taxonomy, Standards, Issues, And Impact, Erin Wilson

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

A growing awareness of the importance of biodiversity has brought international attention to seed collecting, saving, and information sharing. Scientists are continually learning more about seeds at the most basic biological level, and this new knowledge is raising questions about the taxonomic systems scientists have used since the 1700s. Contemporary seed metadata is a complex and diverse area for study.This begins by looking at the taxonomic systems employed by botanists and discussing current trends and issues in that area of seed metadata. The most prominent seed metadata standards are examined. Third, the emerging field of bioinformatics is addressed, and the …

Organizational Communication For Organizational Climate And Quality Service In Academic Libraries, J. A. Bolarinwa, D. Y. Olorunfemi

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Librarians spend most of their time engaging in some form of communication. This paper article highlights practical approaches, suggestions, and explanations of effective communication in academic libraries. It suggests ways of improving the academic library services through appropriate communication techniques.

Management Of Change In Cataloguing: A Survey Of Practices In Covenant University And University Of Lagos, Nigeria, Felicia Yusuf

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study examined the management of change in cataloguing practices in Covenant University and University of Lagos , Nigeria. Thirty-five respondents who were current cataloguers and those who had worked as cataloguers were purposively sampled for the study. A descriptive survey method using a self-constructed questionnaire was used. Results showed that there have been major changes in cataloguing practices among cataloguers in these institutions over the years (online cataloguing, cataloguing of internet & electronic files, copy-cataloguing, different metadata structures, introduction of OPAC etc). Other major findings revealed by the study include: the involvement of non-professionals in cataloguing practices, there is …

Knowledge, Perception, And Attitudes Of Library Personnel Towards Preservation Of Information Resources In Nigerian Federal University Libraries, Samson Oyeniyi Akande

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper investigated the relationship among preservation knowledge, perception and attitude of library personnel towards preservation of information resources in Nigerian federal university libraries. Simple random sampling technique was used to select twenty university libraries from the twenty four federal university libraries in Nigeria. All the 660 library personnel in the selected libraries constituted the study sample. Data was collected by a questionnaire administered on the 660 personnel out of which 510 copies were returned. The response rate was 77.3%. The study found that knowledge and perception of library personnel about preservation of information resources correlate significantly with their attitude …

Information For Rural Communities: A Solution For Sustainable Development In The Niger Delta, Abraham Tabor Etebu

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Information provision for sustainable development in Africa 's rural communities is of great importance to government and their ministries. Rural communities are used to oral communication, which includes storytelling, meetings, messages through town criers, and others. Western methods of information provision, including libraries, museums, and so on, are alien to rural communities who are mainly illiterate. The Bayelsa State Gover

Use Of Electronic Resources By Postgraduate Students Of The Department Of Library And Information Science Of Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria, Obuh Alex Ozoemelem

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The population for the study was 78 postgraduate Masters and PhD students of the Department of Library and Information Science, Delta State University, Abraka. Due to the small population the entire population was used as the sample. The analysis of the data collected revealed that there is a low level of skill in the use of ICT among the selected respondents; the Internet via Cybercafé is the most used medium in sourcing electronic materials; respondents exhibit a very low experience in sourcing electronic materials; there is a high level of electronic resource usage regardless of gender difference by respondents. In …

Citation Analysis Of Doctoral Works Submitted To The Department Of Animal Science, University Of Ibadan, Nigeria, Wole Michael Olatokun

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The objective of this study was to carry out a citation analysis of doctoral theses submitted to the department of Animal science, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, with a view to finding possible relationships between citing, cited articles and authors (doctoral students). The research design used was the descriptive survey with the research elements for the study being the theses submitted for the award of doctoral degrees during the period 2000-2007. Frequency and percentage distributions (presented in charts, tables, and graphs) and measures of central tendency were used to analyse data. Findings showed that journals, books and conference papers ranked the …

Hiring The Reference Librarian: An Examination Of Duty Equivalents, Beatrice Priestly

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The purpose of this study is to provide an examination of reference librarian duty equivalents in other careers, to provide a calculation of the weighted worth in wages culminating in a recommended hiring salary. The study proposes other job titles whose duties relate to portions of the reference librarian’s day, providing a calculated view of the duties’ weighted worth after close examination of the US Government Bureau of Labor Statistics web site at www.bls.gov and their presentation of wage earnings data collected May 2006 and then posted to their web site April 2007.

Agronomy & Horticulture Collection Development Policy, Elaine Maytag Nowick

UNL Libraries: Collection Development Policies

The Agronomy & Horticulture Collection supports the RESEARCH, graduate, and undergraduate education mission of the department. It also provides information resources for related groups in the university such as Cooperative Extension, RESEARCH & Extension Centers, the Statewide Arboretum, and the Water Center. The Department is also supported by materials in other subject areas such as Plant Pathology, Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Statistics.

Biochemistry Collection Development Policy, Jacquelyn Petzold

UNL Libraries: Collection Development Policies

The biochemistry collection exists to support the teaching, research, and service endeavors of the Department of Biochemistry and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln community. The public may benefit from the biological sciences collection, although specific materials are not collected to meet their needs. Biochemistry-related materials not available in the library’s collection are generally readily available through Interlibrary Loan. The collection is focused on the QD Library of Congress call number range, although the heavily interdisciplinary nature of scientific study necessitates some overlap with the rest of Q, R, S, T, and other areas.

Closing The Gap: Investigating The Search Skills Of International And Us Students: An Exploratory Study, Charity K. Martin, Charlene Maxey-Harris, Jolie Ogg Graybill, Elizabeth K. Rodacker-Borgens

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Academic librarians are increasingly concerned about students' information literacy. International students, especially those who learned English as a second language, often struggle to use the library more than their American counterparts. Although the population of international students is on the rise, research on international students' ability to search library resources is limited.Previous studies have indicated that there are significant differences between the library skills of international students and those of US students. This exploratory study examined the ability of undergraduate and graduate international students to identify books, journals, and journal articles and compared it to a small control group of …

Metadata: Implications For Academic Libraries, Israel Yañez

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Academic libraries will do well to embrace metadata and the project possibilities it brings. Digital initiatives, particularly in the form of institutional repositories, help raise the profile of the academic library across campus and in the community. Metadata librarians, with an understanding of both metadata schemes and traditional cataloging, play a significant role in an academic library’s digital initiatives. Metadata librarians in academic libraries are a prime example of the 21st century librarian. This paper surveys the literature available on metadata and its implications for academic libraries. Definitions of metadata are offered. Metadata schemes are presented, including the scheme most …

E-Resource Collection Development: A Survey Of Current Practices In Academic Libraries, Robert Flatley, Krista Prock

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The extent of e-resources available for libraries to purchase is overwhelming. This survey examined how libraries are managing their e-collections. The authors looked at how collection development decisions are made; the role of librarians, administrators, faculty, students, and consortia; and what criteria are being used. The authors finish with suggestions for best practices.

The Patriot Act And Early Ala Action: Habermas, Strauss, Or Derrida?, David Woolwine

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

In the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks the United States Congress passed special security and anti-terrorism legislation which included the USA Patriot Act. In response to the passage of the Act in 2001 two Councils of the American Library Association (ALA) passed resolutions reaffirming the basic principles of that organization. This article is an account of how two early ALA Council resolutions CD 19.1 (Midwinter 2002) and CD 20.1. (Midwinter 2003) were drafted and brought to Council. It is also a reflection upon the nature of political and social discourse and the fixing of meaning. It asks …

Segmented Professions: Further Considerations Of Theory And Practice In Lis And Librarianship, Andrew Carlin

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

How relevant are theories of information to practical library work? Using sociology and the philosophy of social sciences, this essay discusses how theoretical work defines an area of knowledge in relation to other fields, the identification of researchable phenomena, and how phenomena are established as its own subject matter. Theorizing is a generic activity, highlighting connections between theory and practice, profession and field. While proposing that theorizing is important, this paper explores the nature of theorizing in LIS, and suggests that its cognitivistic foundations impede theory development. Information is a linkage between theory and practice, and this paper argues that …

New Engagements With Documentary Editions: Audiences, Formats, Contexts, Andrew Jewell

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Conference Presentations and Speeches

This paper is an effort to think about something different than the creation of documentary editions. It is an effort to think about the reading of them. Specifically, I want to think about the ways the reading of documentary editions is changing, or how it might change. First, however, a caveat: much of what I say is speculative and anecdotal. Though others’ research has been consulted, I’m heavily influenced by what I observe is happening with readers of my own editing project, The Willa Cather Archive, a digital thematic research collection dedicated to the life, work, and environs of the …

Criminal Justice Collection Development Policy, Suping Lu

UNL Libraries: Collection Development Policies

The criminal justice collection supports the teaching, learning, research, and other related service activities of the entire university community. Its primary users are faculty, staff, and students of the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (Lincoln Program) in the College of Public Affairs and Community Service, which is based at University of Nebraska-Omaha. Its essential focus is support for the undergraduate curricula for criminal justice. The collection is supplemented through interlibrary loan services whenever special curriculum and research needs of criminal justice faculty and students arise. Although the collection is not developed for the general public and community users, they …

Economics Collection Development Policy, Suping Lu

UNL Libraries: Collection Development Policies

The economics collection supports the teaching, learning, research, needs for economic information, and other related service activities of the entire university community. Its primary users are faculty, staff, and students of the Economics Department in the College of Business Administration (CBA). Its essential focus is support for the undergraduate and graduate curricula for economics. The collection is supplemented through interlibrary loan services whenever special curriculum and research needs of economics faculty and students arise. Although the collection is not developed for the general public and community users, they may benefit from the collection for their information needs. The main focus …

Political Science Collection Development Policy, Suping Lu

UNL Libraries: Collection Development Policies

The political science collection supports the teaching, learning, research, needs for political information, international exchanges and communications, and other related service activities of the entire university community. Its primary users are faculty, staff, and students of the Department of Political Science in the College of Arts and Sciences. Its essential focus is support for the undergraduate and graduate curricula for political science. The collection is supplemented through interlibrary loan services whenever special curriculum and research needs of political science faculty and students arise. Although the collection is not developed for the general public and community users, they may benefit from …