Library and Information Science Commons^™

Spring/Summer 2016 Vol. 15 No. 2, School Of Information Studies

School of Information Studies - Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Can Your Students Get Jobs? Library Help For Music Students' Career Preparation, Rachel Fox Von Swearingen, Veronica Wells, Marci Cohen

Librarian Publications

Your campus career center may not have the insider knowledge to help music students with their job hunts. Enhance and update your knowledge of industry information, techniques, and resources that support performers, music business professionals, and students pursuing other types of music careers as they enter the job market. Topics covered will include self-promotion for musicians, form contracts, resources for understanding standard contract terms, and locating company profile and industry trend research to identify potential employers and prepare for interviews.

A Conceptual Model For Video Games And Interactive Media, Rachel I. Clarke, Jacob Jett, Simone Sacchi, Jin Ha Lee

School of Information Studies - Faculty Scholarship

In this paper, we describe a conceptual model for video games and interactive media. Existing conceptual models such as the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR) are not adequate to represent the unique descriptive attributes, levels of variance, and relationships among video games. Previous video game-specific models tend to focus on the development of video games and their technical aspects. Our model instead attempts to reflect how users such as game players, collectors, and scholars understand video games and the relationships among them. We specifically consider use cases of gamers, with future intentions of using this conceptual model as a …

Demonstrating Your Scholarly Impact, Anne E. Rauh

Librarian Publications

Quantifying scholarly output via citation metrics is the long-standing practice to gauge academic success. While there are many limitations to this practice, the tools and methods used are important for scholars to understand. This workshop will teach participants to demonstrate the impact of their work through metrics such as impact factor, h-index, and citation counts. It will discuss access to the tools that provide these metrics and best practices for demonstrating one’s scholarly impact.

Crowdsourcing The Curriculum: Redefining E-Learning Practices Through Peer-Generated Approaches, Drew Paulin, Caroline Haythornthwaite

School of Information Studies - Faculty Scholarship

Inclusion of open resources that employ a peer-generated approach is changing who learns what, from whom, and via what means. With these changes, there is a shift in responsibilities from the course designer to motivated and self-directed learner-participants. While much research on e-learning has addressed challenges of creating and sustaining participatory environments, the development of massive open online courses calls for new approaches that go beyond the existing research on participatory environments in institutionally defined classes. We decenter institutionally defined classes and broaden the discussion to the literature on the creation of open virtual communities and the operation of open …

The Collins: W. Collin, Court Bookbinders & Ernst Collin, The Author Of The Pressbengel, Peter D. Verheyen

Librarian Publications

The Berlin-based firm of W. Collin led by Wilhelm and Georg Collin and the antiquarian, author, and editor Ernst Collin were among the leaders in German bookbinding trade and writings about the trade from the mid-1800’s into the mid-1930’s. During that same time, bookbinding experienced many transformations, as well, moving from a trade practiced in smaller master-run shops to large industrial firms, including changes in materials, book structure, aesthetics, and overall business climate with concerns about quality and business opportunities. As court bookbinders to Prussian Kings and German Emperors, the firm of W. Collin was privileged with access to commissions …

Telling Our Story: A Case Study Of A Collaborative Departmental Blog, Stephanie J.H. Mcreynolds, Anne E. Rauh

Librarian Publications

This case study will take readers through the planning and publication process of a collaborative departmental library blog at Syracuse University, which is a large private, non-profit research intensive university located in central New York State. It will provide an overview of the history of the project and the mission of the blog. It will describe the technical aspects, developing a publication schedule, and the editorial responsibilities of maintaining the blog. The impact of the blog is documented. The blog has raised awareness of the librarians’ expertise and this is explored alongside how posts have contributed to a number of …

Establishing A Communal Network For Professional Advancement Among Librarians Of Color, Tarida Anantachai, Latrice Booker, Althea Lazzaro, Martha Parker

Librarian Publications

This chapter examines the ways in which collaborative partnerships among librarians of color, within and even across institutions, can greatly assist in job satisfaction, retention of professionals, and bolstering librarians’ sense of support throughout their careers. It also provides specific examples and models in which these collaborations have occurred, including those that the authors have experienced and, in many cases, initiated

Die Collins: W. Collin, Hofbuchbinder & Ernst Collin, Der Autor Des Pressbengels, Peter D. Verheyen

Librarian Publications

Die Berliner Buchbinderei W. Collin mit ihren Leitfiguren Wilhelm und Georg Collin, die letzten Hofbuchbinder zu den preußischen Königen und deutschen Kaisern, sowie der Antiquar, Schriftsteller und Redakteur Ernst Collin, zählten zu den bedeutendsten Persönlichkeiten der deutschen Buchbinderei von Mitte des 19ten Jahrhunderts bis in die 1930er des 20ten Jahrhunderts. In dieser Zeit erlebte die Buchbinderei infolge der industriellen Revolution eine Umstrukturierung von kleinen Handwerksbetrieben zu Großbuchbindereien. Dies führte mit sich Vereinfachungen und Rationalisierungen an Technik, Material, sowie ästhetische und wirtschaftliche Änderungen. Als Hofbuchbinderei hatte die Firma W. Collin unter Wilhelm und Georg Collin besonderen Zugang zu und Aufträge von …

Are Self-Perception Measures Used In School Library Research Transferable To The Context Of Public Library Summer Reading Programs?, Marilyn P. Arnone, Ruth V. Small, Shicheng Weng

School of Information Studies - Faculty Scholarship

Several instruments previously validated for use in school library research were tested for their appropriateness in the context of public libraries’ summer reading programs for youth. The researchers were also interested in whether the connection between perceived competence in one’s own information skills and perceived competence in one’s own reading skills, as found in school library research, might also exist for participants in public library summer reading programs. In addition, a separate research question explored whether youth participants connected the summer reading program to increased confidence and improvement in their reading abilities. Findings suggest that reliable measures that can be …

Empirical Evaluation Of Metadata For Video Games And Interactive Media, Rachel I. Clarke, Jin Ha Lee, Andrew Perti

School of Information Studies - Faculty Scholarship

Despite increasing interest in and acknowledgment of the significance of video games, current descriptive practices are not sufficiently robust to support searching, browsing, and other access behaviors from diverse user groups. To address this issue, the Game Metadata Research Group at the University of Washington Information School, in collaboration with the Seattle Interactive Media Museum, worked to create a standardized metadata schema. This metadata schema was empirically evaluated using multiple approaches—collaborative review, schema testing, semi-structured user interview, and a large-scale survey. Reviewing and testing the schema revealed issues and challenges in sourcing the metadata for particular elements, determining the level …

Fall/Winter 2015 Vol.15 No. 1, School Of Information Studies

School of Information Studies - Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Fall/Winter 2015 Vol.15 No. 1, School Of Information Studies

iSchool Newsletter

No abstract provided.

“The Commitment Problem”: Spending To Zero To Maximize The Efficiency Of The Collections Budget, Robert M. Cleary

Librarian Publications

The difficulty for a library to spend their collections budget efficiently is a timeless problem. The diversity of a typical budget, with its mix of one-time and continuing funds, for an array of resources that have both regular and sometimes irregular frequencies, provides great challenges. Approval plans, usually expending one-time funds, generate expenditures that contain high variability on a weekly basis. Standing orders for serials fall into the same category. With some effort, it is possible to expend all continuing funds. But it is the commitments that do not result in expenditures, with funds remaining in cash balances that can …

Facilitating Discovery Of Historic Sound Recordings: Classroom And Research Strategies, Rachel Fox Von Swearingen, Jenny Doctor

Librarian Publications

The Belfer Audio Archive at Syracuse University Libraries holds one of the largest collections of sound recordings in the USA, specializing in formats dating from the 1890s to the 1970s. The co-presenters encourage student interaction with these collections, guiding their research and understanding of the recordings’ cultural significance and relevance. Experience shows that immediate engagement with music on pre-LP recordings is often lacking, especially given sonic imperfections that characterize playback from original media. Therefore, we create opportunities for students to discover and engage with historic recordings – to hear them, research them, and ultimately reference or repurpose them in their …

Collections And Space: An Update On Syracuse University Libraries' Journals Migration Project, K. Matthew Dames, Roberta B. Gwilt, Scott A. Warren, T. C. Carrier

Librarian Publications

To date, the Libraries have transferred to The Facility more than 100,000 volumes, including 7,000 journal titles, across all disciplines. By migrating these journals from Bird Library to The Facility, the Libraries will save the University more than $1.9 million within five years. Continued strategic use of The Facility helps the Libraries manage principal collections whose aggregate value exceeds $200 million. This paper reports on the progress of the Libraries’ journals migration project, provides additional context and data that led to the spring 2014 approval for the project from the provost.

Spring 2015 Vol. 14 No. 1, School Of Information Studies

iSchool Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Sharing Historic Costume Collections Online, Arden Kirkland, Kathi Martin, Marlise Schoeny, Kiki Smith, Gayle Strege

School of Information Studies - Faculty Scholarship

The recent increase in online costume history resources has provided scholars of dress with fresh sources of information for inspiring and validating their research. The best digital archives consider the needs of their users in creating systems that make it easy for more users to access the greatest amount of relevant information. Users of online costume history resources have specific needs that should be addressed, both for internal users (organizing and entering information) and external users (finding information). This paper follows a panel presentation at the 2014 Symposium of the Costume Society of America, on the subject of digital initiatives …

Why Video Game Genres Fail: A Classificatory Analysis, Rachel I. Clarke, Jin Ha Lee, Neils Clark

School of Information Studies - Faculty Scholarship

This paper explores the current affordances and limitations of video game genre from a library and information science perspective with an emphasis on classification theory. We identify and discuss various purposes of genre relating to video games, including identity, collocation and retrieval, commercial marketing, and educational instruction. Through the use of examples, we discuss the ways in which these purposes are supported by genre classification and conceptualization, and the implications for video games. Suggestions for improved conceptualizations such as family resemblances, prototype theory, faceted classification, and appeal factors for video game genres are considered, with discussions of strengths and weaknesses. …

A Qualitative Investigation Of Users’ Video Game Information Needs And Behaviors, Rachel I. Clarke, Jin Ha Lee, Stephanie Rossi

School of Information Studies - Faculty Scholarship

Video games are popular consumer products as well as research subjects, yet little exists about how players and other stakeholders find video games and what information they need to select, acquire, and play video games. With the aim of better understanding people’s game-related information needs and behaviors, we conducted 56 semi-structured interviews with users who find, play, purchase, collect, and recommend video games. Participants included casual and avid gamers, parents, collectors, industry professionals, librarians, and scholars. From this user data, we derive and discuss key design implications for video game information systems: designing for target user populations, enabling recommendations on …

Weeding In The 21st Century, Peter Tagtmeyer

Upstate New York Science Librarians Conference

Downsizing a branch library’s floor space by a third necessitates extensive materials de-acquisitioning to the tune of thousands of volumes. This presentation describes the context of downsizing, and the policies and procedures used to determine which materials were recently withdrawn from Colgate University’s Cooley Science Library collections.

Organizing Chemical Information To Support Lab Safety, Leah Mcewen

Upstate New York Science Librarians Conference

The Internet provides ready access to a wide variety of information sources relevant to answering chemical safety questions in the laboratory. However, this information is found in a wide variety of formats with varying audiences and intents. The quality of the information is difficult to evaluate, organize, and use to support risk assessment of laboratory work with hazardous chemicals. Professionals in health and safety, chemistry librarianship and informatics are partnering to address these challenges particularly in the academic research and teaching context. Goals are to streamline access to relevant data from authoritative sources, organize and classify chemical safety information to …

Designer Genes, Designer Drugs And Resources Designing “The New Biology”: A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, Fred Stoss

Upstate New York Science Librarians Conference

A seven-foot 1950s-style model of DNA hangs in my office, as a reminder of what we then knew about “The Molecule of Life.” We today marvel at how far we have come in our understanding of that molecule, its impact on the study of biology, and the new discoveries in “The New Biology” of the Post-Genomic Era. What resources, services, publications and training is required of science librarians to assist students, faculties, and staff. What are today’s driving forces directing “The Newest Biology?”

Collaborating To Improve Biological Sciences Students’ Writing And Research Skills, Tina Chan

Upstate New York Science Librarians Conference

Learn how the SUNY Oswego biological sciences librarian, biological sciences faculty member, and biological sciences academic advisement coordinator have collaborated to improve biological sciences students’ writing and research skills by offering a writing workshop and writing labs. The writing workshop teaches how to write lab reports, evaluating and citing sources, and plagiarism. The writing labs allow students to learn research skills and to gain feedback on their lab report draft.

A Practical Comparison Of Scopus And Web Of Science, A. Ben Wagner

Upstate New York Science Librarians Conference

Few organizations can afford both Web of Science and Scopus, making it difficult for librarians to make in-depth comparisons to support acquisition decisions. The new SUNY-wide Elsevier Big Deal included access to Scopus making it possible for our unversity to perform a review based on the current and much improved interfaces of both databases. Search, display, & analysis features will be compared with a special emphasis on author/institution disambiguation via clustering and citation metrics.

Library Video Collaborations, Jill Powell, Jeremy Cusker, Sean Taylor

Upstate New York Science Librarians Conference

Library videos are common on YouTube, but finding the time and resources to produce them is a challenge. A collaboration among the engineering librarians, the College of Engineering Teaching Excellence Institute, Library IT, and the Research and Assessment Unit at Cornell identified resources and resulted in the production of 8 videos for specific classes in materials science and biomedical engineering. Jill and Jeremy will discuss the details of the collaboration; Sean the software and hardware used.

Purposeful Gaming: Crowdsourcing The Correction Of Ocred Text In Biodiversity Heritage, Marty Schlabach

Upstate New York Science Librarians Conference

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) of scanned text enables full-text searching. Unfortunately, OCR software does not produce 100% accurate representation of the text, especially with older works having varying fonts, odd layouts and ink bleed-through. Led by Missouri Botanical Garden, and partnering with New York Botanical Garden, Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology and Cornell, an IMLS-funded project has developed 2 games to engage the public in correcting inaccurately OCRed text in BHL.

Doing It Yourself: Special Collections As A Springboard For Personal, Critical Approaches To Information, Patrick Williams, Lucy D. Mulroney

Librarian Publications

This chapter documents the collaboration between a curator of special collections, a subject specialist librarian, and a writing instructor to develop a different kind of instructional approach for undergraduate research and writing. We sought to use special collections as a springboard to create an environment in which students could investigate research questions that connect to their personal lives and interests; engage in various of modes of writing; conceive of the potential networks of production and circulation for their work; and identify the library as a locus for sustained, organic, social, and productive inquiry.

Citation Manager Comparison, Anne E. Rauh

Librarian Publications

No abstract provided.

How Context Matters In Digital Library Use, Swati Bhattacharyya

Dissertations - ALL

This research investigates how organizational context contributes to the use of digital libraries, an ICT-enabled information infrastructure. Traditionally digital-library use is measured with the help of statistical analysis of download and other related data, but statistics alone have limited power to explain how such an expensive information infrastructure is used to meet organizational goals. Such limitation was overcome in this study by relating digital-library use to the context of such use.

In the last decade many Indian research organizations have witnessed the abundance of such information infrastructures accessible directly by end-users. The convergence of several phenomena such as current business …