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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

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Publications and Research

Academic libraries

2017

Information Literacy

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Reference Mode Preferences Of Community College (Two-Year) And Four-Year College Students: A Comparison Study, John Carey, Ajatshatru Pathak Mar 2017

Reference Mode Preferences Of Community College (Two-Year) And Four-Year College Students: A Comparison Study, John Carey, Ajatshatru Pathak

Publications and Research

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the reference service mode preferences of community college (two-year) and four-year college students. Methods The researchers administered a paper-based, face-to-face questionnaire at two institutions within the City University of New York system: Hunter College, a senior college, and Queensborough Community College, a two-year institution. During the summer of 2015, the researchers surveyed 79 participants, asking them to identify their most and least preferred mediums for accessing library reference services. Results – Nearly 75% of respondents expressed a preference for face-to-face reference, while only about 18% preferred remote reference services …


“There Is Nothing Inherently Mysterious About Assistive Technology”: A Qualitative Study About Blind User Experiences In Us Academic Libraries, Adina Mulliken Jan 2017

“There Is Nothing Inherently Mysterious About Assistive Technology”: A Qualitative Study About Blind User Experiences In Us Academic Libraries, Adina Mulliken

Publications and Research

Eighteen academic library users who are blind were interviewed about their experiences with academic libraries and the libraries’ websites using an open-ended questionnaire and recorded telephone interviews. The study approaches these topics from a user-centered perspective, with the idea that blind users themselves can provide particularly reliable insights into the issues and potential solutions that are most critical to them. Most participants used reference librarians’ assistance, and most had positive experiences. High-level screen reader users requested help with specific needs. A larger number of participants reported contacting a librarian because of feeling overwhelmed by the library website. In some cases, …