Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Following The Evidence: Approaches To Assessment In Academic Libraries, Gregory A. Smith

Gregory A. Smith

In an environment of strained budgets and heightened accountability, academic libraries need to base their planning, decision-making, and advocacy on evidence more than ever before. Fortunately, the resources required to collect, analyze, and visualize data—thus turning it into evidence—are increasingly accessible. This session will challenge participants to grow in their handling of evidence by exposing them to a range of data sources and analysis tools. In order to accomplish this goal, the presenter will share brief sketches of a number of recent library assessment efforts, focusing on projects with which he has been involved personally. The session’s brevity will preclude …

Information Workers In The Academy: The Case Of Librarians And Archivists At The University Of Western Ontario, Melanie Mills

Melanie Mills

For much of its history, the organizational culture for academic librarians and archivists at The University of Western Ontario was primarily a culture of the practitioner. While librarians and archivists supported teaching, research and service at Western, they did not directly engage in it. As a result of grassroots efforts undertaken by members of Western’s academic community in the mid-2000s however, the potential contributions of information workers to the teaching, research and service mandate of University began to garner recognition. Born out of this collective awakening, a successful union drive and shortly thereafter an inaugural Collective Agreement for The University …

Combining Forces On Campus: The Four C'S Of Faculty Liaison, Melanie Mills, Elizabeth Marshall

Melanie Mills

Now, more than ever, academic librarians across Ontario are expected to connect, collaborate, create and cooperate with faculty on their campuses. Learn how librarians at The University of Western Ontario (The D.B. Weldon Library) are building campus connections with faculty in the Arts & Humanities and Social Sciences by putting into practice The Four C’s.

Don't Worry Mom, I'M At The Library: Making Connections With Undergraduate Students, Melanie Mills, Jennifer Robinson, Marisa Mitchell

Melanie Mills

For the past three years Western Libraries has introduced our services, collections and facilities to students via a welcome tent erected during orientation week. A great deal of planning goes into creating interactive and meaningful orientation displays that will capture attention and educate students about the role of the academic library as a physical and a virtual space!

It Takes A Village To Raise A Tent: A Case Study In Pitching The Academic Library To Incoming Undergraduate Students, Melanie Mills, Marisa Mitchell

Melanie Mills

Rather than continuing to pursue formal inclusion in the University of Western Ontario’s O-Week program, Western Libraries shifted its approach to library orientation for incoming undergraduate students by launching its very own orientation campaign in the fall of 2005. The following article details the planning process and subsequent launch of Western Libraries inaugural system-wide library orientation initiative, whose aim was to position Western Libraries strategically as a key contributor to ‘the best student experience’ at Western. The overall impact of the campaign, as well as its influence on future orientation initiatives at the University of Western Ontario are also considered …

The Effect Of Next-Generation Catalogs On Catalogers And Cataloging Functions In Academic Libraries, Susan Wynne, Martha Hanscom

Martha J. Hanscom

No abstract provided.

"Print Or Electronic?" Reader Perceptions On Changing Needs And Goals In The 21st Century Academic Library, Celia Emmelhainz

Celia Emmelhainz

A summery of survey results in a post-Soviet academic library, as written up for a local conference.

A Declaration Of Survey Interdependence, Tammy Sugarman, Jennifer Jones

Jennifer L. Jones

Georgia State University Library administered LibQUAL+®, the library service quality survey, in 2003, 2005, and 2007. In 2009 when it was time to make decisions about another administration of LibQUAL+®, opinions were mixed. Some administrators liked the longitudinal data our previous iterations provided, and the comments always are quite valuable. On the other hand, the response rate drops each year, even with the introduction of incentives in 2007. Additionally, while LibQUAL+® provides useful information, it is not always specific to reports required by the university, such as the library’s institutional effectiveness report. The library decided on a two-fold approach. We …

Institutional Repositories At Small Institutions In America: Some Current Trends, Melissa Nykanen

Melissa Nykanen

The research reported in this article was undertaken to determine the level of implementation of institutional repositories (IRs) at small institutions enrolling fewer than 10,000 students. The study analyzed quantitative and qualitative data from IRs at a number of small institutions with the aim of observing relevant patterns and trends that may or may not be unique to small institutions. The study concludes that IRs at small institutions exist in significant numbers, and they exhibit some unique patterns, particularly in the benefits and challenges specific to small institutions, the association with IR consortia, and the focus on student research.

Weeding An Outdated Collection In An Automated Retrieval System, Patricia Bravender, Valeria Long

Patricia Bravender

In 2008 Grand Valley State University Libraries began a large weeding project in the automated retrieval system (ARS) at its Steelcase Library. An estimated 19,000 volumes were to be removed from the ARS. A systematic weeding of the ARS had never been undertaken and it presented a number of logistical challenges. This article discusses the system that was devised for this large weeding project.

Should Chat Reference Be Staffed By Librarians? An Assessment Of Chat Reference At An Academic Library Using Libstats, Patricia Bravender, Colleen Lyon, Anthony Molaro

Patricia Bravender

This study analyzes 1,557 chat reference questions received at Grand Valley State University Libraries over four semesters to determine the quantity and nature of the questions. Results indicated that use of chat reference was low and that less than a quarter of chat questions required a librarian to answer. The cost of a librarian answering a chat question ranged from $37 to $439 per question. The findings suggest that assigning chat reference to trained reference assistants will not affect patron service and that it is not cost effective to use reference librarians to answer chat questions.

Weeding An Outdated Collection In An Automated Retrieval System, Patricia Bravender, Valeria Long

valeria long

In 2008 Grand Valley State University Libraries began a large weeding project in the automated retrieval system (ARS) at its Steelcase Library. An estimated 19,000 volumes were to be removed from the ARS. A systematic weeding of the ARS had never been undertaken and it presented a number of logistical challenges. This article discusses the system that was devised for this large weeding project.

Learning To See: Deciding With Library Data, Cindi Trainor

Cindi (Trainor) Blyberg

Trainor shows how to take your library beyond anecdotes to start putting the data to work and emphasizes the importance of choosing the right indicators for your dashboard. She explains how one academic library is using readily available statistics to aid in making decisions about library hours, website design, strategic planning, and collection management.

Ordering Up Gimlet For Data Mining Success., Susan Gardner, Ken Simon

Susan Gardner Archambault

A Happy Employee Is A Productive Employee, Erin L. Davis

Erin Davis

No abstract provided.

Academic Library Management: Issues And Practices, Mohammed Aman

Mohammed M. Aman

Academic Library Management: Issues and Practices

Mohammed M. Aman, PhD.

Contents

1. Academic Libraries in the Context of Higher Education

2. Governance of Higher Education

3. Vision, Mission and Planning

4. Fiscal Management

5. Human Resources

6. Technical Services and Technology

7. Access and Public Services

8. Library Instruction and Information Literacy

9. Academic Libraries and Distance Learning

10. Marketing and Outreach

11. Library Buildings and Physical Management

12. Development, Grants and Fund Raising

13. Evaluation of Library Services and Programs

Available from

Global Information Co.

North Port Washington Rd. #107

Mequon, WI 53092 USA

globalinformationco@gmail.com

An Analysis Of Bibliographic References Collected By A Social Computing Group, C. Sean Burns

C. Sean Burns

This research presents an analysis of references collected by an established group of users who share a common interest on a social computing website. The purpose is to demonstrate how social computing functions as an instrument for measuring scholarly communication. The goal is twofold: to reveal how an analysis of the references collected by interested users compares to and complements citation studies.

Reorganization At The University Of Tennessee, 2007-2010 (And Beyond), Barbara I. Dewey

Barbara I. Dewey

No abstract provided.

Opening Pandora's Stream: Piping Musi Into The Information Literacy Classroom, Kathleen Langan

Kathleen Langan

No abstract provided.

Building Bridges: Restructuring Online Library Tutorials To Span The Generation Gap And Meet The Needs Of Millennial Students.”, Kathleen Langan, Dianna Sachs, Carrie Leatherman

Kathleen Langan

No abstract provided.

The Application Of Drupal To Website Development In Academic Libraries, Cristina Tofan

Cristina Tofan

Drupal is one of top tech topics in libraries right now. Academic libraries think very carefully about how they design their websites, and more and more libraries look at Drupal as a framework for their website development, as well as a cohesive interface for gathering content coming from different silos. In this paper we highlight the high degree of similarity that we observed across the websites of academic libraries in the United States, and we analyze the use of open source content management systems, with an emphasis on Drupal, in the development of these websites.

Positioning The Technological University Library In Higher Education And Human Resources Development In Africa, Elisha Chiware

Elisha Chiware

No abstract provided.

Snapshots Of Laptop Use In An Academic Library, Judi Briden, Ann Marshall

Ann Marshall

Retooling The Profession: Librarianship In An Era Of Accountability And Competition, Gregory A. Smith

Gregory A. Smith

Librarianship has changed substantially in recent years. We who work in libraries must continually acquire new knowledge and skills. We must adapt to the reality that academic libraries, along with their parent institutions, face increased accountability. The functions that many of us have thought to be at the core of our profession are slipping from our grasp and will leave behind a mere managerial role. Nevertheless, many academic libraries will find a viable future by adopting and taking seriously the role of supporting learning. As we look at disruptive innovators in the information and learning scene, we should consider carefully …

A Survey Of Religious Book Publishing With Implications For Collection Development In Christian College Libraries, Gregory A. Smith

Gregory A. Smith

Discusses five sources of religious books. Profiles the religious book publishing industry. Describes a delicate balance between ministry and industry. Situates religious book publishing in its cultural context. Discusses implications for collection development in libraries at evangelical Christian colleges.

Extending Liaison Collaboration: Partnering With Faculty In Support Of A Student Learning Community, Onda Bennett, Karen Gilbert

Karen Gilbert

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to describe the successful collaboration between faculty in Eastern Kentucky University Libraries and the University's Occupational Therapy Department in supporting a graduate student learning community, and the benefits of stepping outside of typical liaison activities to play an active role in this new educational paradigm.

Design/methodology/approach – In 2006, graduate students and faculty in Occupational Therapy at Eastern Kentucky University, with a librarian and with the support of a national professional organization, facilitated the completion of a graduate thesis through the use of a topic-based learning community. This team completed an in-depth, …

Little Boats, Big Catch: Institutional Repositories At Small Institutions, Melissa Nykanen

Melissa Nykanen

No abstract provided.

Supporting Name Authority Control In Xml Metadata: A Practical Approach At The University Of Tennessee, Marielle Veve

Marielle Veve

While many different endeavors to support name authority control in Extensible Markup Language (XML) metadata have been explored, none have been accepted as a best practice. For this reason, libraries continue to experiment with the schema, tool, or process that best suits their local authority control needs in XML. This paper discusses current endeavors to support name authority control in XML for digitized collections and demonstrates an innovative manual solution developed and implemented by the University of Tennessee Libraries to achieve this goal. Even though this method for authority control in XML metadata still relies on manual efforts, it effectively …

Implementing Social Networking Sites As Reference And Bibliographic Instruction Tools In Academic Libraries, Kathleen Langan, Dianna Sachs, Ed Eckel

Kathleen Langan

No abstract provided.

Yes, We're Open: Library Hours And What Patrons Really Want, Jennifer Link Jones

Jennifer L. Jones

The Georgia State University Student Government Association (SGA) announced a plan to petition the University Library to extend its hours. Specifically, SGA wanted the library to remain open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The library kicked into assessment mode and gathered data to determine whether longer library hours were appropriate, especially during a time of budget cuts. The library used the data to advise SGA, as well as to inform staffing and hours of operation decisions. Do patrons really want libraries to be open 24x7? Georgia State’s Training & Assessment Librarian will present her findings during this …