Library and Information Science Commons^™

Internet Information Retrieval Experiences And Challenges Of Aga Khan University Library Users, Nasra Gathoni

Libraries

This study reports on internet information retrieval experiences and challenges of Aga Khan University library users. The unit of analysis was obtained through a purposive sampling method and data collected using a structured questionnaire. The data was quantitatively analyzed and descriptive statistics provided. 87% (52/60) of the members in the sample completed and returned the questionnaire. 83% indicated that they had prior computer skills and 52% had training in Internet searching. 35% of the respondents who did not use any of the search techniques indicated, was noted. Gender did not appear to affect use the retrieval of information vis-a-vis use …

Internet Information Retrieval Experiences And Challenges Of Aga Khan University Library Users, Nasra Gathoni

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study reports on internet information retrieval experiences and challenges of Aga Khan University library users. The unit of analysis was obtained through a purposive sampling method and data collected using a structured questionnaire. The data was quantitatively analyzed and descriptive statistics provided. 87% (52/60) of the members in the sample completed and returned the questionnaire. 83% indicated that they had prior computer skills and 52% had training in Internet searching. 35% of the respondents who did not use any of the search techniques indicated, was noted. Gender did not appear to affect use the retrieval of information vis-a-vis use …

Use Of Electronic Resources By The Academics: A Case Study From University Of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, Pradeepa Wijetunge Dr., Abhirami Sivasanthiran Ms.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the use of electronic resources (e-resources) by the academic staff of University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka. The study aimed to determine their awareness and perceptions towards the e-resources, training, and the factors affecting the usage. Convenient sampling method was used to select a sample of 37 academics from a population of 431. The study adopted both quantitative and qualitative approaches, by using a questionnaire and a discussion. The study revealed that the majority often uses Internet to fulfill their information needs, they have learnt about the availability of the e-resources from their …

Impact And Usefulness Of E-Resources On Delivering Knowledge In Contemporary Learning Environments Of Medical Colleges In Kerala: A Study, Rony Sebastian, Dr.P Muthumari

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Advances in ICT and increased availability of e-resources at affordable cost during the past few decades have brought radical changes in the way information is gathered, stored, organized, accessed, retrieved and consumed. The present study analyses the impact and usefulness of E-resources on delivering knowledge in contemporary learning environments of medical colleges in Kerala. The main objectives of the study are to identify the level of awareness, purpose, frequency, access points, key constraints and level of satisfaction towards the use of e-resources among the undergraduate students of Medical colleges. A descriptive survey method was chosen by using a well-structured questionnaire …

Running With The Amazons, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

WHY HAVEN'T LIBRARY SYSTEM and information database designers included as many user-friendly features as Amazon and Google? This question, posed at the recent annual meeting of the American Society for Information Science & Technology (ASIST), was answered by UCLA professor Marcia Bates, who said that from 20 years of research we know what should be included, but we've never had the money to implement fancy search features. Now, we have a lot of catching up to do.

Access To Online Databases: Predicate For Faculty Research Output, Mercy A. Iroaganachi, Roland Izuagbe

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study examined the role of access to online databases as the basis for faculty research output in six universities (comprising two each of federal, state and private) in two Southwestern states in Nigeria. A descriptive research design guided the study. Multistage sampling procedures including purposive, stratification, randomization as well as proportionate sampling techniques were employed to select 339 faculty members who provided the data for the study. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Of the 339 copies of the questionnaires administered, 89 per cent were retrieved fully completed and found usable. The research questions that guided the …

Genetics Home Reference: A Review, Jessica A. Koos, Ashley Bassett

Library Faculty Publications

Genetics Home Reference is a free, online resource created and maintained by the National Library of Medicine. It is designed to provide genetic information to a wide variety of audiences, particularly the general public. The site consists of original information and links to other curated resources.

Trip Database: Turning Research Into Practice For Evidence-Based Care, Gregg A. Stevens, Lori Fitterling, F. Victoria Kelly

Library Faculty Publications

Trip Database is a freely available search engine based in the United Kingdom. Trip directs users to journal articles, practice guidelines, and other research to support evidence-based medical practice. This column includes sample searches in both the free version and in the subscription Pro version.

Sociological Abstracts Vs. Socindex For Graduate Students In Sociology: Comprehensive Enough To Satisfy?, David C. Tyler, Jeanne Cross, Erica Defrain

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

In 2005, EBSCO introduced a comprehensive database for sociology that could be a competitor for Sociological Abstracts, SocINDEX/SocINDEX with Full Text. Library science quickly produced a product review, a few general comparative analyses of the two, and a few comparative analyses of the databases’ utility for particular populations of researchers/students. The authors hope to add to this literature with an analysis of the databases’ utility for graduate students in sociology completing their theses and dissertations. The citation checking variation of the checklist method was employed for four random samples of cited items, and the authors’ sampling frame was …

Faculty Awareness And Use Of Library Subscribed Online Databases In The University Of Education, Winneba. Ghana: A Survey., Agatha Gifty Larson

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Faculty awareness and use of Library subscribed online databases in the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana: A survey.

Today electronic databases have become the backbone of many academic libraries around the globe including Ghana. This is largely due to its advantages over the print resources. Libraries spend colossal amount of resources on online databases in a bid to enhance teaching, learning and research in institutions of higher learning. This study was carried out to examine the usage of online databases by faculty members of the University of Education, Winneba. It focuses on only the Winneba campus to address the following …

Imslp/Petrucci Music Library, Colleen Hoelscher

Library Faculty Research

The International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP), also known as the Petrucci Music Library, is a crowdsourced database of public domain music scores. Driven by a belief that “music should be something that is easily accessible to everyone,” the site was created in 2006 with a goal of creating an exhaustive collection of music scores that are not under copyright. Today, over 390,000 scores are freely available to download from IMSLP, representing approximately 119,000 works by over 15,000 composers.

Attitudes Of Ohiolink Librarians Toward Google Scholar™, Joan Giglierano

Joan Plungis

Almost three years after Google Scholar's inception, only a third of Ohio Library and Information Network (OhioLINK) member libraries link to it from their Web sites. This article reports the results of a July 2007 survey of OhioLINK academic librarians, conducted to find out about their attitudes and current practices regarding promotion of Google Scholar. It compares the findings about placement of Google Scholar on Web sites and inclusion in library instruction with previous research, and includes recommendations for libraries about Google Scholar.

Pillbox: A Solid Dosage Medication Identification Tool, Emily J. Vardell, David Goolabsingh, Vedana Vaidhyanathan

Faculty Research, Publications, and Presentations

Pillbox is a tool that can be used to rapidly identify solid dosage medications. The database, created and maintained by the National Library of Medicine with the support of the Food and Drug Administration, seeks to enhance patient safety through the identification of solid dosage medication. Users enter physical characteristics of a medication, possible matches are provided, and links to additional resources are offered. A comparison with comparable resources was conducted and future enhancements to Pillbox are discussed.

Swan Song And Issues Unresolved., Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

No abstract provided.

Abundance Of Information., Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Consider the impact of abundance, coupled with connections, on newspapers. The ability to deal with large amounts of digital text and graphics, reaching millions of people quickly, and the low cost of providing digital access have diminished the appeal of traditional newspapers. Readers and advertisers alike can now look to scores of alternative competitors.

E-Access Changes Everything., Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

According to several of the plenary speakers, this reconception must involve essential local services built around ever-growing collections of e-resources. Research and pizza Kevin Guthrie, president of Ithaka, believes that the digital delivery of knowledge changes everything: "books in electronic form will change our world." (Burke's company, ProQuest/Serials Solutions, produces Summon, which puts into action many of her suggestions, but her talk was not a sales pitch-she also mentioned competitors' products and did not dwell on any one in particular.) Listen to the first-years Discovery solutions, including federated search, local discovery system software (such as Primo, Enterprise, Encore, VuFind, or …

Hidden Conference Gems., Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Summer is the time for professional conferences. Every librarian knows about the biggest ones--held by the Special Libraries Association (SLA), American Library Association, and International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)--which attract thousands. For those interested in e-content, however, some alternatives provide an opportunity to learn and share in a more intimate environment.

The Value Gap., Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

It is more important than ever, suggested several companies in the annual Database Marketplace Survey, to measure collection use fully and better evaluate the value of the library to its constituencies. Strategies range from focusing on usage statistics to guide collection development to measuring (and improving) users' perceptions of the library.

A Rough Road Ahead., Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

As libraries and the institutions that fund them prepare their 2010 budgets, things look grim. Both the Association of Research Libraries and the International Coalition of Library Consortia have issued statements calling on scholarly publishers to work with libraries to find common ground on materials pricing in a prolonged period of economic downturn. In response, database companies that sell mostly to libraries are preparing a variety of strategies to cope with their customers' budget pressures.

Back To The Scriptorium: Amid Budget Woes, Vendors And Librarians Find A Common Purpose, Carol Tenopir, Gayle Baker, Jill E. Grogg

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Picture medieval monks hunched over their desks in the scriptorium as they labor to copy manuscripts. A 21st-century version of this activity is being repeated daily in the world's libraries and publishing houses as major digitization projects seek to preserve millions of printed books and documents. The work of medieval scribes ensured that the classics were available when the invention of movable type and the printing press made books accessible to the masses, transforming the world. Today's laborers are hunched over digitization equipment, but their goal is the same: copying and preserving resources so they are available now and into …

Information On The Go., Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Libraries and publishers are busy redesigning and formatting content while introducing new services to make the best use of handhelds. Nowhere was this more apparent than at the 2009 Association of College and Research Libraries recent meeting.

Reaching The Net Gen., Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Socioeconomic skewing Opening keynote speaker John Palfrey (faculty codirector, Berkman Institute for Internet and Society; professor, Harvard Law School; and coauthor of Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives ) warned that "one [wrong] perception...is that all young people use technology in the same way and that adults don't use technology." The information tap Within the young, tech-aware group, Palfrey pointed out certain concrete and distinct patterns of information-seeking behavior that signal real change. Because members of this group see their digital identity as merged with their total identity in a "converged environment," they can toggle easily between …

Visualize The Perfect Search., Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

The lifetime work of Ben Shneiderman, founder of the Human-Computer Interaction Lab (HCIL) at the University of Maryland, suggests that combining visualization with interactivity allows researchers to discover, not just retrieve. Visualization approaches use the content of the database or digital library to guide interface choices.

A New-Old Role For Libraries., Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Tenopir discusses the the Nov 2008 annual Charleston Conference: Issues in Book and Serial Acquisition--"The Best of Times, the Worst of Times." The discussions at Charleston focused on preserving born-digital materials, not just digitizing old analog or print items.

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 …

Scenes From A Database., Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

H.W. Wilson's new Cinema Image Gallery (CIG), along with some other excellent resources, will help searchers find all kinds of information about the motion picture industry.

Are Electronic Journals Good For Science?, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Most people accept the notion that e-journals, through library subscriptions or open access, are good for science. They save readers time in tracking down articles and help them identify relevant materials from a wide range of journal titles. However, the academic world was buzzing recently over a study that challenged this notion.

Science Information Without Borders., Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Online resources are critical to the concept of "libraries without borders," the theme of the 2008 World Library and Information Congress at the 74th International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) general conference, held in August in Québec City.

Dialog Finds A New Home., Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

THE BIGGEST INDUSTRY NEWS this summer was the announcement that proQuest had acquired Dialog from Thomson Reuters. Dialog was beginning to look like an unwelcome stepchild as new strategies by Thomson Reuters were moving the firm away from traditional databases and library markets. ProQuest, by contrast, has a solid foundation in both areas and has been aggressively building with new acquisitions and products.

Still, the news came as a surprise to most of us, as the change happened remarkably fast--rarely is a major acquisition rumored, announced, and completed all within a month.

Dialog, the grandfather of online database systems that …

The Past Catches Up., Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

IF YOU WERE IN LIBRARY SCHOOL anytime during the last 40 years, you are probably familiar with F.W. Lancaster and his books on indexing, online searching, or paperless information systems. I recently reread the first online searching textbook ever written, while preparing a Library Trends article (Spring/Summer 2008) in tribute to Lancaster. The book, Information Retrieval On-Line (Melville), by Lancaster and Emily Fayen, appeared in 1973 when only a few librarians and subject specialists were tackling the new world of online databases.