Information Literacy Commons^™

Driving The Bus: Building Use Study And Space Assessment At Wright State University Libraries, Mandy Shannon, Sue Polanka, Bette S. Sydelko

University Libraries' Staff Publications

In response to the library’s strategic plan, the Wright State University Dunbar Library is in the midst of a long-term, multi-modal building use study. In the spring of 2015, the library’s assessment team used a combination of an open-source tablet-based software program, photographs, questionnaires, and preference-based voting to capture information about physical space use, building user perceptions, and user needs.

In the second phase of this building use study, librarians are working in collaboration with the Office of Institutional Research to develop two needs-assessment surveys based on the responses in the first phase. One survey will be distributed to students; …

Preservation Perspectives: Caring For Family Papers, Bill Stolz

University Libraries' Staff Publications

The article offers tips to protect, preserve and prolong the life of family papers. It suggests to make an inventory of the items, whether business records, order books, diaries and letters. It recommends to thoroughly examine the material and prioritize items by the condition, where deteriorating or damaged items need to be taken to a conservator for advice and stabilization's estimate.

Preservation Perspectives: Connecting The Next Generation To The Past, Bill Stolz

University Libraries' Staff Publications

A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experience of being a librarian dealing on topics including presidential museum and tomb of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, World War II and historical sites in Kentucky.

The Last Billion Years: A Geologic History Of Tennessee, Joanna M. Anderson

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Review of Byerly, D. W. (2013). The Last Billion Years: A Geologic History of Tennessee. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press. 212 pages. ISBN: 9781572339743

Rethinking Our Libguides To Engage Our Students: Easy Diy Libguides Usability Testing And Redesign That Works, Terese Desimio, Ximena Chrisagis

University Libraries' Staff Publications

The presenters described how they evaluated the usability of their LibGuides, implemented a redesign using a template, and assessed the project's outcomes - while using existing equipment and staff.

Econtent Quarterly - Volume 1, Issue 4, Sue Polanka, Mirela Roncevic

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Welcome to Issue 4 of eContent Quarterly. The publication of this volume marks the end of the first full year since we launched the journal at the American Library Association in Chicago, so it seems fitting to take a quick trip down memory lane and revisit the topics explored since June 2013. These included, among others, the importance of metadata, the versatility of children’s apps, and the benefits of user-centered design. Previous issues also provided thorough, introductory overviews of e-formats and e-reading devices for librarians overwhelmed by the complexities of the e-book market. They also featured case studies pointing …

Fun (And Added Value) Things To Do With Your Webpac, Leigh Ann Duncan

University Libraries' Staff Publications

For many libraries, the WebPAC is still the main and only public access catalog for the collection. The presentation will include some add-on items that libraries have incorporated into their WebPACs to make them more functional, accessible and valuable to their patrons. Items to be presented include QR codes, SMS text of data, virtual bookplates, pictures of toys or artwork, context-sensitive help, and data feeds from companies like LibraryThing for Libraries or Amazon. An integration of the library catalog with Facebook, LibraryElf, and a locally customized kids' catalog will also be shown.

Community Engagement Through Service-Learning, Maureen Barry

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Community engagement and libraries go hand-in-hand. Our communities are vital to our very existence. For academic libraries, serving students, faculty and staff is their primary role, and the immediate campus is often the community with which the library engages most often. But new roles, such as service-learning (S-L), provide meaningful opportunities for the library to connect with the surrounding communities and regions.

Econtent Quarterly - Volume 1, Issue 3, Sue Polanka, Mirela Roncevic

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Welcome to the third, Spring 2014 issue of eContent Quarterly. Since launching the journal at 2013 ALA in Chicago, we’ve covered an array of topics from every corner of the industry, including sweeping overviews of the vastness of the e-content landscape; case studies pointing to how e-content continues to revolutionize research in academic and school settings; and various product reviews, with insight from those who create them and feedback from those who use and purchase them. To our own surprise, we’ve also been able to structure each issue around a central theme. Issue 1, thus, focused on the importance of …

Households, Terese Desimio

University Libraries' Staff Publications

New to this chapter in the Eighth Edition are e-resources that can be offered as alternatives to print resources. While the e-resources may not be as comprehensive as the print resources, they can provide some good information in the event that access to print resources is not possible. All of the print resources listed are appropriate for a basic library reference collection or circulating collection and most are appropriate for home libraries. From cocktails to cockatiels, this chapter supports a wide variety of reader interests.

Woody Plants Of Kentucky And Tennessee: The Complete Winter Guide To Their Identification And Use, Joanna M. Anderson

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Review of Jones, R. L. & Wofford. B. E (2013). Woody Plants of Kentucky and Tennessee: The Complete Winter Guide to Their Identification and Use. Lexington, KY: The University Press of Kentucky. 224 pages. ISBN: 9780813142500

Econtent Quarterly - Volume 1, Issue 2, Sue Polanka, Mirela Roncevic

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Welcome to the second, Winter 2014 issue of eContent Quarterly. Since launching the journal at 2013 ALA in Chicago, our goal has stayed the same: while the library and publishing industries remain in a state of flux, we want to tackle e-content from every angle and through the voices of a variety of information professionals shaping it. This includes public, academic, and school librarians as well as publishers, aggregators, book distributors, and all others in the business of selling e-content to libraries.

Big Data, Little Numbers: Sources For Ebook Statistics, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Anyone interested in buying, selling, or creating ebooks has probably needed a fact, figure, or statistic to help make a decision, make a point, or make a purchase. Big Data, surveys, trends, market research, patron attitudes, cost analysis, and a host of other information points are available; you just need to know where to find them. In this column I highlight a variety of tools for librarians, publishers, and other information industry professionals for locating that perfect number.

The list is certainly not exhaustive as there are so many resources available. The list includes my personal favorites, ones that I …

Econtent Quarterly - Volume 1, Issue 1, Sue Polanka, Mirela Roncevic

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Welcome to the first, Fall 2013 issue of eContent Quarterly. As promised in the Preview issue which launched at the ALA conference in Chicago in 2013, our goal is to tackle e-content from every conceivable angle and through the voices of a variety of information professionals shaping the e-content landscape, including public, academic, and school librarians as well as publishers, aggregators, distributors, and others catering to libraries.

What Librarians Need To Know About Epub3, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Librarians and library users face challenges with multiple ebook formats. The most common are confusion on the part of users as to what file type they need and what the file type means, as well as how to download it properly to their devices. The sheer number of vendor interfaces also cause technical difficulties due to format variety and instructions for use. In fact, in October 2012, Library Journal Patron Profiles reported that 23% of library patrons were unsuccessful in borrowing ebooks due to technical difficulties. Library users, faced with a variety of ebook formats on a regular basis, are …

Recruiting Entry-Level Sci-Tech Librarians: An Analysis Of Job Advertisements And Outcome Of Searches, Mary Lou Baker Jones, Mary Frances Lembo, James Manasco, John Sandy

University Libraries' Staff Publications

What qualifications are academic library administrators looking for in candidates for entry-level science and technology librarian positions? The Student Relations Committee of the Sci-Tech Division decided to explore this question, with the objective of providing career development information to students in library and information science who are interested in science or technology library positions.

Implementing Sierra, Leigh Ann Duncan

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Partnering with vendors for development and beta-testing of new software requires preparation, communication, and organization. These three libraries will explain their role as development partners moving to the Sierra integrated library system.

Medical E-Reference: A Benchmark For E-Reference Publishing In Other Disciplines, Terese Desimio, Ximena Chrisagis

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Electronic medical information retrieval systems and reference sources were some of the first discipline specific e-resources to be developed, due to physicians’ need to access the most current and relevant clinical information as quickly as possible. Many medical publishers and information aggregators have been incorporating the features their users demand for years. Thus, medical e-reference publishing could serve as a benchmark for e-reference publishing in other fields. Yet medical e-reference is not without its challenges. Today’s physicians and medical students expect immediate and user-friendly electronic access to media rich and value added clinical references, particularly via their mobile devices. Publishers, …

Outstanding Business Reference Sources: The 2011 Selection Of Recent Titles, Carolyn S. Fang, Susan Hurst, Nathan Rupp, Diane Campbell, Craig Eich, Ann Fiegen, Joan Giglierano, Gene Hayworth, Van Houlson, Pauly Iheanacho, Michael Matos, Michael Oppenheim, Terry Zarsky

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Each year, the Business Reference Sources Committee of BRASS selects the outstanding business reference sources published since May of the previous year. The committee reviewed 31 entries; 3 were designated as “outstanding,” and 7 were placed into the other noteworthy titles category. Of the 7 noteworthy titles, 2 were labeled as significant new editions. These works cover a variety of topics: industrial/organizational psychology, leadership, law and finance, economic history, marketing and demographics, as well as operations research and management science.

Reference On The Web: Help For Small Business, Carolyn S. Fang

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Thanks in part to the recession, there has been a growing trend in small business start-ups. Drastic layoffs in major industries have led to a resurgence of individuals looking to start and build their own businesses, many for the first time. Included in this listing are some of the more popular free Web sites designed to help the novice entrepreneur navigate the world of self-employment.

Serials Label Printing With Zebra Tlp Printers, Leigh Ann Duncan

University Libraries' Staff Publications

In 2009, Wright State University Libraries began printing single monographic spine labels with Zebra printers. The process worked so well, we wanted to print serials labels with the printers as well. Because serials labels are not one of the print templates options, we had to make the procedure work with the legacy printing method. These posters will illustrate how we used Zebra TLP 2824 printers with Print Wizard to format and print serials labels.

Outstanding Business Reference Sources: The 2010 Selection Of Recent Titles, Michael Oppenheim, Carolyn S. Fang, Nathan Rupp, Anne Bradley, Diane Campbell, David Flynn, Joan Giglierano, Gene Hayworth, Pauly Iheanacho, Peter Mckay, Terry Zarsky

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Each year at the ALA Annual Conference, the Business Reference Sources Committee of RUSA’s Business Reference and Services Section (BRASS) meets to select the outstanding business reference sources published since May of the previous year. With all due respect to the familiar and longstanding column title, committee members have come to think of our charge more broadly as finding the most outstanding business information sources, the better to reflect the evolving nature of the formats and means of accessing business information to meet reference needs. For 2010, the committee weeded titles proposed during 2009–10 down to fifteen that made the …

Focus: Market Research Databases, Carolyn S. Fang, Susan Hurst

University Libraries' Staff Publications

The article reviews several market research database web sites, including Passport Markets, located at www.euromonitor.com, from Euromonitor International; STAT-USA/Internet, located at http://home.stat-usa.gov, from the U.S. Dept. of Commerce; and MarketLine, located at www.datamonitor.com, from Datamonitor.

Search Scoping, Leigh Ann Duncan

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Search scoping allows you to create subsets of your database, and determine which records belong in each scope. Although scoping can also be applied to staff activities, this poster is concerned with scoping as applied to the web catalog.

Wireless Workstation, Leigh Ann Duncan

University Libraries' Staff Publications

This new product allows libraries to perform basic circulation functions, as well as inventory and internal use functions via handheld devices. This presentation will explain the functionality as well as the implementation at Wright State University Libraries.

Loan Rules Run Amok: An Overview Of Circulation Parameters, Leigh Ann Duncan

University Libraries' Staff Publications

This presentation focuses on circulation loan rules and the loan rule determiner table, which work in junction to govern circulation activity. Tips for streamlining and cleaning up your circulation parameters will be given as well as information for further study from the manual and other sources. This presentation is geared toward all users who have a familiarity with circulation.

Webopac Page Editing And Design, Leigh Ann Duncan

University Libraries' Staff Publications

In this presentation, you'll learn how to customize the static and dynamic pages in the WebOPAC, as well as some of the forms. We will also examine interesting WWWoptions and some tools available to assist in a WebOPAC redesign. This session is appropriate for the beginner and intermediate audience.

Customizing Your Webopac, Leigh Ann Duncan

University Libraries' Staff Publications

The poster gives step-by-step instructions for updating your WebOPAC, beginning with defining your goals and ending with implementing your design.

Teaching A Credit Course: What You Don’T Know May Surprise You!, Arlieda Ries, Carolyn S. Fang

University Libraries' Staff Publications

An inside look at the realities and differences between teaching a one-shot B.I. lecture and teaching a library course for credit: time, student relations, administrivia, rewards, etc.