Library and Information Science Commons^™

Libraries Atwitter: Trends In Academic Library Tweeting, Darcy C. Del Bosque, Sam A. Leif, Susie Skarl

Library Faculty Publications

Purpose – This paper aims to present an overview of how libraries are using Twitter in an academic setting.

Design/methodology/approach – This study analyzed the current state of 296 Twitter accounts from a random sample of academic libraries. A total of 19 different criteria were explored, with an emphasis on the following three categories: layout and design, content and number of tweets, and account followers.

Findings – Only 34 per cent of libraries in the study had a Twitter account and characteristics varied widely among libraries, however it is evident that it is possible to successfully communicate with patrons via …

Why Not Just Google It? An Assessment Of Information Literacy Skills In A Biomedical Science Curriculum, Karl Kingsley, Gillian M. Galbraith, M. Herring, Eva Stowers, Tanis Stewart, Karla V. Kingsley

Library Faculty Publications

Background: Few issues in higher education are as fundamental as the ability to search for, evaluate, and synthesize information. The need to develop information literacy, the process of finding, retrieving, organizing, and evaluating the ever-expanding collection of online information, has precipitated the need for training in skill-based competencies in higher education, as well as medical and dental education.

Methods: The current study evaluated the information literacy skills of first-year dental students, consisting of two, consecutive dental student cohorts (n = 160). An assignment designed to evaluate information literacy skills was conducted. In addition, a survey of student online search engine …

Toward A Nevada Digital Collaborative, Jason Vaughan

Library Faculty Publications

In mid-2008, through Library Services and Technology Act funding, the Nevada State Library and Archives brought together members for a newly established Nevada Statewide Digital Advisory Committee (hereafter referred to as “NSDAC”) to engage in a comprehensive, statewide digital planning process. As stated in the charge, “Advisory committee members participate in the identification of issues regarding digitization in Nevada, collaborate in the planning and development of a statewide digital initiative . . . and contribute to effective communication among the key digital stakeholders in Nevada.” The full charge is provided in Appendix A. By design, the committee included members from …

National Writing Project: Internet Resource, Priscilla Finley

Library Faculty Publications

The National Writing Project (NWP) is a federally funded program that focuses on the teaching of writing, and coordinates and supports professional development for writing teachers (K-16) at over 200 college and university partner sites.

Introducing Transliteracy: What Does It Mean To Academic Libraries?, Thomas A. Ipri

Library Faculty Publications

Transliteracy is recent terminology gaining currency in the library world. It is a broad term encompassing and transcending many existing concepts. Because transliteracy is not a library-centric concept, many in the profession are unsure what the term means and how it relates to libraries’ instructional mission and to other existing ideas about various literacies. Transliteracy is such a new concept that its working definition is still evolving and many of its tenets can easily be misinterpreted. Although this term is in flux, academic librarians should watch developments in this new field to continually assess and understand what impact it may …

Building Pathfinders With Screen Capture Tools, Patrick Griffis

Library Faculty Publications

This article outlines freely available screen capturing tools, covering their benefits and drawbacks as well as their potential applications. In discussing these tools, the author illustrates how they can be used to build pathfinding tutorials for users and how these tutorials can be shared with users. The author notes that the availability of these screen capturing tools at no cost, coupled with their ease of use, provides ample opportunity for low-stakes experimentation from library staff in building dynamic pathfinders to promote the discovery of library resources.

Dirt: Digital Research Tools Wiki, Priscilla Finley

Library Faculty Publications

This wiki listing of Web-based tools and commercial software is geared to humanities/social sciences researchers. Users can identify tools for specific research tasks. Project organizers are the only editors, but they actively solicit suggestions.

Enhancing Opac Records For Discovery, Patrick Griffis, Cyrus Ford Zarganj

Library Faculty Publications

This article proposes adding keywords and descriptors to the catalog records of electronic databases and media items to enhance their discovery. The authors contend that subject liaisons can add value to OPAC records and enhance discovery of electronic databases and media items by providing searchable keywords and resource descriptions. The authors provide an examination of OPAC records at their own library, which illustrates the disparity of useful keywords and descriptions within the notes field for media item records versus electronic database records. The authors outline methods for identifying useful keywords for indexing OPAC records of electronic databases. Also included is …

Talkin' 'Bout My Generation: Exploring Age-Related Resources, Susie Skarl, Sidney Lowe

Library Faculty Publications

In the past few years, as technology has radically changed how we find and use information resources, library staff have begun to notice significant generational differences in the information-seeking behavior of library patrons. These frequent observations at the reference desk and in library instruction classes planted the first small seeds of our interest in this topic. Internet sites and online articles about generational differences are plentiful and focus on a wide range of subjects, such as learning styles, social behaviors, moral values, technological skills, marketing, communication, and workplace performance.

Smartphones: A Potential Discovery Tool, Eva Stowers, Wendy Starkweather

Library Faculty Publications

The anticipated wide adoption of smartphones by researchers is viewed by the authors as a basis for developing mobile-based services. In response to the UNLV Libraries’ strategic plan’s focus on experimentation and outreach, the authors investigate the current and potential role of smartphones as a valuable discovery tool for library users.

Assessment Tool Or Edutainment Toy, Patrick Griffis

Library Faculty Publications

The use of Clickers as a tool for library instruction has been growing in popularity because library instructors view this technology as a mechanism to foster interactivity within library instruction sessions in order to increase overall student engagement. However, a newly emerging area of interest for library instructors is the use of Clickers as a tool for library instruction assessment. This paper posits some of the viewpoints of various instructors using Clickers including the viewpoints of library instructors. The central question considered in this paper is whether Clickers are an effective and feasible tool for library instruction assessment. This examination …

Global Information Technology Report 2006-2007: Connecting To The Networked Economy, Priscilla Finley

Library Faculty Publications

This World Economic Forum report by Dutta (INSEAD) and Mia (WEF) evaluates the penetration of information and communication technologies (ICT) in 122 economies across the globe.

Encyclopedia Of Gender And Technology, Priscilla Finley

Library Faculty Publications

This encyclopedia compiles 213 four- to five-page entries making observations about the role of gender in human interaction with information technology and the IT profession. Intended as a preliminary research agenda encompassing essays on gender and IT education and the workplace, the volume contains many essays that simply survey struggles faced by women in many parts of the world who interact with the Internet or telecommunications technology.

Center For Women And Information Technology Web Archive, Priscilla Finley

Library Faculty Publications

The Web site of the Center for Women and Information Technology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, includes in the Resources section various listings of print and online resources relevant to women's studies.

Oxford Internet Institute, Priscilla Finley

Library Faculty Publications

The Oxford Internet Institute hosts over 50 archived Webcasts of speakers, events, and conference sessions on Internet-related research and education intended to shape policy and practice.

Movies Made For Television, 1964-2004, Priscilla Finley

Library Faculty Publications

Scarecrow's 2005 edition of Marill's "Movies Made for Television" series is an attractive five-volume set that carries forward the work of creating a guide to English-language telefeatures created for American television, which began with the 1980, 1984, and 1987 editions.

Hitting The Headlines In Europe: A Country-By-Country Guide To Effective Media Relations, Priscilla Finley

Library Faculty Publications

Burton and Drake's guide offers a practical approach for British or American flacks who are planning public relations campaigns in Europe. The first half presents an overview of the European media landscape with specific advice about approaching print media, news agencies, and media centers. The second half profiles 43 European countries, surveying the general media environment and noting key players in various media genres.

Policies Governing Use Of Computing Technology In Academic Libraries, Jason Vaughan

Library Faculty Publications

The networked computing environment is a vital resource for academic libraries. Ever-increasing use dictates the prudence of having a comprehensive computer-use policy in force. Universities often have an overarching policy or policies governing the general use of computing technology that helps to safeguard the university equipment, software, and network against inappropriate use. Libraries often benefit from having an adjunct policy that works to emphasize the existence and important points of higher-level policies, while also providing a local context for systems and policies pertinent to the library in particular. Having computer-use policies at the university and library level helps provide a …

A Library’S Integrated Online Library System: System Assessment And New Hardware Implementation, Jason Vaughan

Library Faculty Publications

For more than a decade, a consortium of academic libraries in southern Nevada has shared a central integrated online library system (IOLS), Innovative Interfaces’ Innopac (Innovative when referring to the vendor, Innopac when referring to the software). At present, this consortium includes the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) (both the main university library system and the UNLV law library), the Community College of Southern Nevada, Nevada State College, and the Desert Research Institute. The last central-site server was purchased and installed in 1997. In the four intervening years, tremendous growth occurred with the system, necessitating a hardware upgrade. Prior …

Some Practical Points On Organizing Etd Consortia, Silvia B. Southwick, Ana Pavani

Library Faculty Publications

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) digital libraries are being developed worldwide. Higher education organizations commonly collaborate in these efforts by forming consortia. Some of the existing consortia are at the national level while others are at regional levels. NDLTD (Networked Digital Library for Thesis and Dissertations) is an initiative that is creating an international consortium which includes organizations or other ETD consortia in various countries. Consortia are important because they create an opportunity to collaborate, to share experiences, and to establish or adopt standards that guarantee interoperability among participant ETD digital libraries. However, developing consortia is challenging since it requires …

Journal Selections: Let’S Support Our Students’ Futures, Eva Stowers, Lesley J. Johnson, Susan L. Meacham

Library Faculty Publications

Dietetic educators concur that use of professional journals in the undergraduate curriculum promotes student reading skills, exposes students to current research, enhances computer skills and prepares dietetic students for the real world environment. Those of us in educational institutions are continually asked to review our university library holdings; prioritizing on the basis of department selections, cost, rate of inflation, use by faculty and students and availability through interlibrary loans and other document retrieval procedures. No doubt, those in industry and clinical and private practice are also watching their budgets and are asked to review expenses for professional publications.

Information Research Strategies (Imt 220) And Fluency With Information Technology (Cse 100): Two Approaches To Teaching Use Of Technology, Anne E. Zald, Nana Lowell, Zoe Clelland

Library Faculty Publications

The University of Washington has recently initiated two approaches to teaching technology and information resources via the School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) and Computer Science and Engineering (CSE). The courses developed by the respective departments, IMT 200 2 and CSE 100, offered specialized instruction, regarding computer use and the availability of information resources. These courses were offered during Winter 1999 and Spring 2000 quarters, allowing for the evaluation of their success over time, and comparison to courses that were unaccompanied by this type of information resource instruction. Questionnaires were administered to students in IMT 220 and CSE 100 …