Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Children In The Workplace: An Exploration In Library Policy Making, Sharolyn Swenson, Marissa Anne Bischoff, Ryan Lee

Faculty Publications

Children in the workplace are becoming a more common discussion in various work environments, including libraries. Since the university has no policy addressing this issue, a task force was charged to draft a recommended policy for the university library regarding bringing children to the workplace. The task force reviewed existing policies and conducted a survey and interviews with library employees. The resulting policy provided guidelines for employees and their supervisors without being overly prescriptive. This article provides a case study of how the task force used assessment methods and tools to create an appropriate and inclusive policy. While the specific …

Review Of Hopeful Visions, Practical Actions: Cultural Humility In Library Work, Carol A. Leibiger

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The User Experience: Student Perspectives On Library Course Reserve, Sara Foster, Duane Wilson, Shannon Sanders, Justin Johnson

Faculty Publications

A group of researchers from an academic library surveyed students to understand how and why the members of their community use course reserve services. Students were happy with the service and used it as a replacement for purchasing textbooks. Frequent users requested more textbook offerings, and both users and nonusers indicated a need for increased promotion of the service. Users provided specific suggestions for improvement that should be examined. Findings illustrated the value of course reserve services as a way to help students with college affordability and to support instruction and learning.

In Their Own Words: Perspectives On Collection Weeding From Library Employees And Teaching Faculty, Dan Broadbent, Megan Frost, Gregory M. Nelson, David Pixton

Faculty Publications

Following a Science and Engineering collection weeding project of over 350,000 print items, our research team conducted interviews with 20 library employees and 19 teaching faculty involved in the project. The purpose of the interviews was to assess the interviewees’ perspectives and feelings relating to the time required to complete the project, inter- and intra- library communication, the decision-making processes, and their personal assessment of the costs and benefits of the project. The interviewees also offered their views of the overall project’s successes and areas for improvement. Drawing from a qualitative analysis of the interviews, we provide guidance for other …

Including Latinx Communities In Academic Libraries: A Theoretical Approach To Information Access, Andrew A. Wakelee, Kim M. Thompson

Faculty Publications

While more Latinx students continue to enroll in higher education, physical, intellectual, and socio-cultural barriers to information may continue to impede their success and inclusion. A tripartite theoretical model that examines physical, intellectual, and socio-cultural information access provides insights for academic libraries to better meet Latinx students’ information needs and include them in campus life. This paper gives an overview of the theoretical framework along with practical steps libraries can take to improve information equity.

To The Side, To The Side: Academic Libraries And Libguides Layout Adoption, Chris Neuhaus, Anne Marie Gruber, Angie Cox, Hyunseung Koh, Jim Kelly, Claire Bowling, Gail Bunz

Faculty Publications

In 2014, Springshare introduced a new LibGuides layout option. In addition to the traditional horizontally-tabbed layout (top navigation), LibGuides designers now have the option of vertically-arrayed tabs on the upper left-hand side of the page (side 10 navigation). Like the university hosting this study, schools have, to varying degrees, shifted their LibGuides toward side navigation and away from top navigation. To better understand the research behind this migration, researchers at the University of Northern Iowa conducted a thorough literature review on navigation menu location preferences and navigation menu efficacy within the field of librarianship and computer science. This review identified …

The Effect Of Fiction On Religious Studies Display Shelves In An Academic Library, Marissa Bischoff, Gerrit Van Dyk

Faculty Publications

The religious studies librarians at Brigham Young University (BYU) began a book display research project to examine the circulation rates of religious studies titles placed on display and to specifically evaluate the impact of religious fiction on that display in an academic library. Student employees were tasked with curating the displays over several years and maintaining a spreadsheet with the titles displayed and resulting checkout rates. Religious fiction (from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint tradition) circulated over 80% the first three years, higher than the religious nonfiction on display and the same genre in the stacks. In …

Common Intellectual Experiences And Academic Libraries, Susan Montgomery, Jonathan H. Harwell

Faculty Publications

As discussed throughout this volume, colleges and universities have explored ways to integrate high-impact practices into their campus learning. At Rollins College, a small liberal arts college with a graduate business school in Winter Park, Florida, faculty members have been essential in fostering initiatives that center on creating a common learning experience for their students. As library faculty members at Rollins, we have been heavily involved with the rFLA (Rollins Foundations in the Liberal Arts) curriculum for undergraduates. This chapter presents our work as a case study.

“People Are Reading Your Work,": Scholarly Identity And Social Networking Sites, Marie L. Radford, Vanessa Kitzie, Stephanie Mikitish, Diana Floegel, Gary P. Radford, Lynn Silipigni Connaway

Faculty Publications

Scholarly identity refers to endeavors by scholars to promote their reputation, work, and networks using online platforms such as ResearchGate, Academia.edu, and Twitter. This exploratory research investigates benefits and drawbacks of Scholarly Identity efforts and avenues for potential library support. Data from 30 semi-structured phone interviews with faculty, doctoral students, and academic librarians were qualitatively analyzed using the constant comparisons method (Charmaz, 2014) and Goffman’s (1959, 1967) theoretical concept of impression management. Results reveal that use of online platforms enables academics to connect with others and disseminate their research. Scholarly Identity platforms have benefits, opportunities, and offer possibilities for developing …

Collection Weeding: Innovative Processes And Tools To Ease The Burden, Gregory M. Nelson, Michael C. Goates, David S. Pixton, Megan Frost, Dan Broadbent

Faculty Publications

Evaluating collections and ultimately removing content poses a variety of difficult issues, including choosing appropriate deselection criteria, communicating with stakeholders, providing accountability, and managing the overall timetable to finish projects on time. The Science and Engineering librarians at Brigham Young University evaluated their entire print collection of over 350,000 items within one year, significantly reducing the number of items kept on the open shelves and the physical collection footprint. Keys to accomplishing this project were extensive preparation, tracking progress and accountability facilitated by Google Sheets and an interactive GIS stacks map, and stakeholder feedback facilitated by a novel web-based tool. …

The Ultimate Survey: Asking One Question At A Time To Get Feedback From Library Users, Leticia Camacho, Brian Wages, Taylor Harris

Faculty Publications

Libraries use surveys and other instruments to gather feedback from their users. However, with competition from many other campus entities requesting input, how can survey fatigue be avoided? To gather this feedback, the Social Sciences Reference Desk utilized a short, fun and easy method. Each week for 10 weeks during the fall semester of 2017, the reference assistants wrote a survey question on a whiteboard and provided sticky notes for patrons to write their answers. The survey provided valuable information about patrons’ needs and expectations. It also fostered changes that were easily implemented to improve the delivery of library services.

Collection Weeding: Breaking New Ground With Innovative Processes And Tools, Gregory M. Nelson, David Pixton, Megan Frost, Dan Broadbent, Michael C. Goates

Faculty Publications

• Intro
• Criteria
• Tools
• Feedback
• Lessons Learned

The Secret Lives Of Ebooks: A Paratextual Analysis Illuminates A Veil Of Usage Statistics, Jonathan H. Harwell, Erin Gallagher

Faculty Publications

This study applies the method of paratextual analysis to six electronic books, or ebooks, in an academic library collection at a small liberal arts college. Two books are selected from each of three platforms: ebrary, EBSCO, and SpringerLink. The characteristics of each book are described, including design and readership, as well as 2 years of usage statistics from the specific library, and altmetrics where available. The paratextual study leads to a closer investigation of the usage statistics themselves and concludes that despite industry standards, they are not calculated consistently across vendor platforms and that while these data are invisible …

Flipping The Leadership Model, Cristina Caminita

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Library And Undergraduate Research In The Liberal Arts: Present Contributions And Future Opportunities, Todd J. Wiebe

Faculty Publications

This study sought to describe library value as seen through its various contributions to the mentored undergraduate research experiences of students in the arts, humanities, and social sciences at Hope College. Concurrently, it explored new opportunities for how librarians might become more directly connected with students involved in this hallmark of the academic program. Findings were intended to both highlight existing library contributions and initiate a well-informed movement toward aligning library priorities with the greater institutional academic mission.

From Co-Location To Collaboration: Working Together To Improve Student Learning, Susan Montgomery, Suzanne D. Robertshaw

Faculty Publications

An academic librarian and the coordinator of a campus tutoring and writing center recently relocated to the library researched their value to second-year students. Differences in the amount and type of available data called for conducting in-depth interviews with students about their research and writing processes. The researchers also reviewed relevant material regarding similar collaborative efforts at other college and universities. The gaps revealed in the environmental scan along with the best practices of librarian/writing center collaboration helped determine future steps needed for both units to move from mere co-location to working in true collaboration.

Information Literacy And Instruction: Information Literacy Instruction With Primo, Elena S. Azadbakht

Faculty Publications

Discovery services are changing the way library users find and access library materials, especially electronic resources. These search tools are also impacting information literacy instruction for users at all skill levels. The University of Southern Mississippi Libraries in Hattiesburg adopted Ex Libris’s Primo discovery service during the summer of 2014. Primo has now been a prominent feature on our website’s homepage for almost a full semester and has impacted the way we teach information literacy to our students. As the reference librarian for Health Sciences, I will describe my experience incorporating Primo into our library instruction for both first-year experience …

Jal In The Past Decade: A Comprehensive Analysis Of Academic Library Research, Lili Luo, Margaret Mckinney

Faculty Publications

A content analysis is conducted to examine the peer-reviewed articles published in the Journal of Academic Librarianship (JAL) from 2004 to 2013. Five key variables are studied: authorship, article type, topic, research methods/design, and research theories/models. About three-fourths of the articles were authored by at least one librarian, and over half of the articles were co-authored. More than two-thirds of the articles were primary research articles, and a total of 24 topics related to academic libraries were covered, among which information literacy was the most popular one. Survey and content analysis are the two most frequently used research methods in …

Reference Service Evaluation At An African Academic Library: The User Perspective, Lili Luo, Viscount Buer

Faculty Publications

Purpose – This paper aims to provide a detailed discussion of a large-scale library reference evaluation study conducted at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) in Ghana. The study seeks to evaluate the reference service from the user perspective, focusing on how users use and perceive the service. Design/methodology/approach – Self-administered survey was used as the data collection instrument. One thousand questionnaires were distributed to library users in a three-week period, and the response rate was 63.7 per cent. Findings – The reference service had a high non-use rate of 42.6 per cent, which was primarily attributed to library users’ …

Why Can't They Keep The Book Longer And Do We Really Need To Charge Fines? Assessing Circulation Policies At The Harold B. Lee Library: A Case Study, Duane E Wilson

Faculty Publications

In response to a charge from the library administration, the Circulation Committee of the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University designed and implemented a thorough assessment of circulation policies. Using multiple assessment methods including surveys, focus groups, and statistical analysis, the committee determined that the undergraduate checkout period was not sufficient and that the fine structure needed to change. Using the information obtained through the assessment, they were able to successfully lobby for an extension to the undergraduate checkout period and for the elimination of fines for regular overdue materials.

Reenvisioning Access Services: A Survey Of Access Services Departments In Arl Libraries, Duane E Wilson

Faculty Publications

In spring 2012 a study was undertaken to investigate the current structure of Access Services in ARL Libraries and to understand current and future trends in departmental organization and cross-training. The survey determined that Access Services Departments in ARL Libraries typically contain a core set of services, though their structure is based on local needs. Most ARL Libraries have not experimented with combining reference and circulation functions and have only begun to consolidate traditional Access Services areas at single service points. The author recommends that Access Services be organized around a public services point instead of organizing the department around …

Workplace Culture In Academic Libraries : The Early 21st Century, Kelly D. Blessinger, Paul Hrycaj

Faculty Publications

Organizational culture and leadership: exploring perceptions and relationships / Pamela S. Bradigan and Lynda J. Hartel -- Building on our strengths: working towards a preferred workplace culture / Carol Shepstone and Lyn Currie -- Organizational culture and administrative change: a case study at a metropolitan academic library / Jason Martin -- Organizational climate assessment and improvement planning / Patricia MacDonald -- Helping new librarians find success and satisfaction in the academic library / Rebecca K. Miller -- Beyond diversity: moving towards inclusive work environments / Paula M. Smith -- Cultural competencies in authentic leadership / Joan Giesecke and Charlene Maxey-Harris …

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 …

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 …

The Third Place: The Library As Collaborative And Community Space In A Time Of Fiscal Restraint, Susan Montgomery, Jonathan Miller

Faculty Publications

In a period of fiscal constraint, when assumptions about the library as place are being challenged, administrators question the contribution of every expense to student success. Libraries have been successful in migrating resources and services to a digital environment accessible beyond the library. What is the role of the library as place when users do not need to visit the building to utilize library services and resources? We argue that the college library building’s core role is as a space for collaborative learning and community interaction which cannot be jettisoned in the new normal.

The Role Of Web Services In Portal Design: Approaches For An Algerian University Library, Mohamed Ridda Laouar, Richard Hacken, Mathew Miles

Faculty Publications

Purpose - Today, with access to enormous quantities of information facilitated by the web, boundaries between remote and local source documents become invisible. This is of extreme interest for libraries in Algeria, whose local holdings are very limited. Taking for inspiration the idea that a networked environment can benefit less affluent nations, we present a conceptual model for the design of a scholarly web portal at the University of Tébessa, with which we hope to create scholarly work stations that combine local and remote holdings, tools and documents.

Design/methodology/approach - We present an outlined conceptual model of library portal architecture, …

Tapping Utah's Scholarly Works, C. Jeffrey Belliston, Allyson Mower, Cheryl Walters

Faculty Publications

Librarians from academic institutions in Utah talked about the institutional repositories (IRs) they have created to provide open access to the intellectual output of their faculty, staff, and students. Panelists provided an introduction to institutional repositories, considerations in choosing an IR software, workflow and copyright issues. They also highlighted some of the variety of materials in their respective IRs. 38 slides.

Federated Searching: Do Undergraduates Prefer It And Does It Add Value?, C. Jeffrey Belliston, Jared L. Howland, Brian C. Roberts

Faculty Publications

Randomly selected undergraduates at Brigham Young University, Brigham Young University Idaho and Brigham Young University Hawaii, all private universities sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, participated in a study of federated searching. This paper reports the study results including differences in time spent between searching databases in federated and non-federated fashion, satisfaction with citations gathered using each method, preference between methods, and quality of citations retrieved by each method judged by two different rubrics. Undergraduates rated their satisfaction with the citations gathered by federated searching 6.5% higher than their satisfaction using non-federated search methods. Additionally, 70% …

The University Library: The Center Of A University Education?, Patricia A. Frade, Allyson Washburn

Faculty Publications

During 2001-2002, a formal study was conducted jointly by Brigham Young University's Office of Planning and Assessment (OPA) and the Harold B. Lee Library (HBLL) to determine the value of the library to the university community. The study described in this paper was undertaken at a time when some experts were predicting the demise of the academic library, and university administrators were questioning the need for new building, budget, and personnel requests. This paper will present a description of the study and its results, a comparison of similar data collected two years later, and a description of two new student …

Information Commons At Brigham Young University: Past, Present, And Future, Michael J. Whitchurch, Jeffrey C. Belliston, William Baer

Faculty Publications

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to show that the idea and implementation of information commons is becoming more prevalent in the academic library community. Many of these have been implemented in what were once General Reference areas of libraries. This paper discusses the process and experience of the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University, including concept development, acceptance and implementation. In addition, the first 18 months of operation and our visions for the future of our implementation are contained herein. One of the major themes of the paper is that change in an information commons is …