Scholarly Communication Commons^™

The High Cost Of Textbooks: A Convergence Of Academic Libraries, Campus Bookstores, Publishers?, John H. Pollitz, Anne Christie

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

[First two paragraphs]

While the attention of Oregon State University librarians, like many others around the world, has been directed to the rising costs of journals and their impact on our resources, another form of inflation has been occurring which has a much more dramatic effect on the lives of our students. This is the spiraling inflation in the cost of textbooks. In this status report we discuss issues concerned with textbook costs on campus and the possible roles of the library.

The cost of textbooks is not a new concern for our students; it has been an ongoing issue …

Major Literary Award Winners In The Medium-Sized Academic Library, Todd Spires

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

This article addresses the role of major literary award-winning books and authors in the medium-sized academic library. It details a study performed at Bradley University’s Cullom-Davis Library in early 2006. The project surveyed award-winning books held by the library at the time of the study. The purpose of the survey was to evaluate past selection performance of these materials, to provide data on items that the library needs to acquire and to encourage library faculty to watch for and make use of literary and other prize winning materials. The article describes the thought-process involved, the actual workflow and the …

The Emerging Technology: 21st Century Web Based Environments And Their Resultant Effect On The Work Responsibilities Of Academic Reference Librarians Were The Predictions Correct?, Hope Marie Cook

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

This paper will examine the changing work responsibilities and required skills of academic reference librarians in the 21st century due to the evolving advancements in technology. For the purpose of the paper, the term “Web Based Environment” is defined as any library that utilizes local area networks, wide area networks, the Internet, and Intranets to make available electronic information resources. This access is made available to the user community. Utilization of these resources can be obtained both locally and remotely and, therefore, it is understood that the use of these sources may be executed by physically walking into a …

Librarian Publishing Preferences And Open-Access Electronic Journals, Elaine Peterson

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

Librarians have often led the way in championing Open-Access (OA) journals on the Internet as an alternative to established journal titles that are subscription based. In the discipline of Library and Information Science, all types of journals continue to be published—paper and electronic, subscription-based and free. Using a survey, this article explores how some librarians view OA titles. The article collects suggestions for editors of OA journals. The article also asks questions about the relationship of OA journals to the promotion and tenure process for academic librarians.

Leveraging The Skills Of The Corporate Special Librarian To Enhance The Perceived Value Of Information And Sustain Communities Of Practice, Patricia Margulies

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

An assessment is made of a fairly recent commitment by many business and governmental organizations to take a strategic look at ‘organizational knowledge,’ its origins and its management. Based on their activities and findings to identify, capture, and disseminate organizational knowledge, the paper describes how the Information Resource Center (IRC) and its special librarians can ensure the enterprise’s knowledge and information goals are met while heightening the IRC’s own intrinsic organizational value and profile.

This paper argues for major participation by the IRC and its special librarians in communities of practice (COPs). Such IRC participation is viewed as a …

Internet Use By Teachers And Students In Engineering Colleges Of Punjab, Haryana, And Himachal Pradesh States Of India: An Analysis, Rajeev Kumar, Amritpal Kaur

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyze the use of the Internet and related issues among the teachers and the students of engineering colleges in India’s three States viz. Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. A well-structured questionnaire was distributed among the 1980 teachers and students of all the engineering colleges of the three states of India under study. The response rate was 80.9 percent. The present study demonstrates and elaborates the various aspects of Internet use, such as frequency of Internet use, methods used for learning of Internet skill, most frequently used place for Internet use, purposes for …

“That’S The Way We Do Things Around Here”: An Overview Of Organizational Culture, M. Jason Martin

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Introduction

Culture permeates all aspects of any society. It acts as the basic fabric that binds people together. Culture dictates tastes in music, clothes, and even the political and philosophical views of a group of people. Culture is not only shared, but it is deep and stable. However, culture does not exist simply as a societal phenomenon. Organizations, both large and small, adhere to a culture. Organizational culture determines how an organization operates and how its members frame events both inside and outside the organization. This paper explores the basic concepts of organizational culture. It describes what organizational culture is, …

Designing An Academic Outreach Program Through Partnerships With Public Schools, Alan R. Bailey, Linda M. Teel, Hazel J. Walker

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

The article discusses an outreach program at the Teaching Resources Center of J.Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University. The collaborative project consists of three significant components created to partner with public schools within a designated service area. A library card for educators, interlibrary loan services and a production center provide commitment and support to area educators.

E-Resources And Services In Engineering College Libraries – A Case Study, K. R. Mulla, M. Chandrashekra

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Introduction

Libraries have witnessed a great metamorphosis in recent years both in their collection development and in their service structure. Over the last several years, a significant transformation has been noticed in collection development policies and practices. Print medium is increasingly giving way to the electronic form of materials. This study examines libraries by region within the State of Karnataka, India. It examines the level of effort taken by the engineering college libraries in Karnataka to build electronic resources.

Mobile Phone Usage Patterns Of Library And Information Science Students At Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria, Esharenana E. Adomi

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate mobile phone usage patterns among students of the Department of Library and Information Science, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria. Through systematic random sampling technique, data were collected by means of a questionnaire from one hundred (110) undergraduate students. Results reveal that a majority of the respondents communicate using their own handsets; the students also use mobile phones at mobile phone shops/booths/kiosks. Some also use friends or relatives phones; while most respondents use mobile phone to communicate with their parents/relatives, there are those who use the phone to send/receive text messages; family …

Reshaping The World Of Scholarly Communication—Open Access And The Free Online Scholarship Movement: Open Access Statements, Proposals, Declarations, Principles, Strategies, Organizations, Projects, Campaigns, Initiatives, And Related Items—A Webliography, Paul G. Haschak, Linus A. Sims

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

[Introduction]

Since World War II, we have seen a proliferation of scholarly materials. In particular, there has been a tremendous growth in the size and cost of the primary journal literature.

With prices continuing to rise at a rate greater than the general price index, the current scholarly communication system is becoming more and more unaffordable.

The rise in the cost of serial subscriptions has forced academic libraries over the last several decades to cancel existing serial titles, add fewer and fewer new serial titles, and buy fewer and fewer books.

In is apparent, that the crisis in the scholarly …

Assessing Library Collections Using Brief Test Methodology, Jennifer Benedetto Beals

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

The brief test methodology was developed by Howard White as an assessment tool to determine or verify the existing strength of a library collection. The relatively quick and inexpensive procedure utilizes the Research Libraries Group’s Conspectus levels, subject expertise, and cataloging records in WorldCat. In support of the University of Tennessee Libraries’ continuing efforts to encourage resource sharing with Information Alliance partners, I developed a project with art counterparts at the University of Kentucky and Vanderbilt University. Using brief tests, I completed an assessment of each institution’s collection in the subject area of African art. The results enabled us …

Subject Librarians In The Changing Academic Library, Louise Feldman

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

This article overviews the literature and key topics surrounding the role of subject librarianship in the evolving environment of academic libraries. Subject librarians are looked at in the context of the broad trends affecting librarianship and in the context of the traditional roles they have held in collection development, instruction, and reference. The author opened a discussion on this topic entitled, “Subject Librarians: Viable or Vanishing?” for the RUSA-CODES Dual Assignments Discussion Group at the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting in San Antonio, Texas in January of 2006.

Tiered Reference: The New Landscape Of The Frontlines, Susan Gardner

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Introduction

When one walks into a typical academic library today, he or she is hard-pressed to see a reference librarian in plain view working at a public services desk. The well marked “reference desk” of yore, staffed by a smiling librarian and once a staple of every traditional academic library, has evolved into a less visible, more amorphous facility. Most libraries now use a new service strategy called “tiered reference,” whereby the initial reference contact point is with trained students or paraprofessionals at a general service desk. These non-librarians field all manner of questions, including directional, computing, and occasionally reference. …

Exploring The Lsu Libraries’ Virtual Reference Transcripts: An Analysis, Jenna Ryan, Alice L. Daugherty, Emily C. Mauldin

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

Virtual reference is an important service provided by the Louisiana State University Libraries. A subcommittee within the Reference Department of Middleton Library decided to quantitatively and qualitatively review virtual reference transcripts for the 2005-2006 school year in order to assess and evaluate strengths and weaknesses of the services provided. The transcript analysis provides information reflecting how our patrons are using virtual reference and how our librarians are performing in the virtual environment.

The Use Of Scholarly Monographs In The Journal Literature Of Latin American History, Meiyolet Mendez, Karen Chapman

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

This study explores the use of the monograph in the journal literature of Latin American history through a reference study of Hispanic American Historical Review for the years 1985, 1995 and 2005. The authors found that the use of monographs as secondary sources increased over time. Monographs in Spanish and Portuguese were heavily used, although English was the predominant language. Distribution of publication dates varied somewhat over the period, with less use of works from the previous five years in 2005. The most frequently-cited publishers were university presses. The authors concluded that the monograph continues to play a vital …

Queer Studies In Asia, Paisley Currah

Center for LGBTQ Studies (CLAGS)

How does research about diverse sexualities and genders circulate through Asia? How do linguistic barriers affect the flow of local and regionally produced knowledges? Who calls the shots, defines the agenda, decides who gets published? How can we create more venues for South-South dialogues?

Change And Connections: Passion And Organizational Change, Lynn Baird

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

First paragraph:

Librarians are change agents, working in an environment that requires us to be both leading and chasing change. We lead change when we create programs to meet our institutional needs based upon our knowledge of our students and faculty, available resources, and our awareness of the potential for what might be. We chase change when institutional priorities shift suddenly, in response to external forces such as funding or politics, or as a result of leadership transitions. Change can be invigorating for us as it keeps the creative juices flowing. Conversely, it can be exhausting when we feel as …

Cross-Disciplinary Prospecting: Educational Technology Offers Up Gold For Library And Information Science Curricula, Michael J. Miller

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

This article provides an overview of the current trends in information and communication technology affecting library services and recommends how, because of these trends, library and information science (LIS) curricula should turn an inquisitive, interdisciplinary eye toward the field of educational technology. Gaps in current LIS professional training and practice are cited, curriculum standards in LIS and educational technology programs are described and compared, and examples are presented to demonstrate how educational technology pedagogy and practice help to successfully augment library skills, service, and practice.

Differences In Indexing Term Vocabularies And Agreement With Subject Specialists, John M. Weiner

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

Index terms are an important component in considering a scientific topic. In a real sense, the indexing terms represent the vocabulary and language of the topic. Study of these critical terms has employed human and machine techniques. Computerized indexing systems can accurately and completely recognize terms, but the different strategies for organizing and evaluating the concepts (i.e., informative terms) and related issues may not be effective in accomplishing the desired descriptive actions. This paper explored the results of two computer supported approaches in indexing scientific documents against a background of simple random generation of informative terms in varying sized …

Papa's Got A Brand New (Virtual) Bag: Real-Time Chat And Reference Discourse, Darren Chase

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

Many librarians agree that virtual reference has expanded the range of library reference services. Along with an expansion of reference service, virtual reference (especially real-time chat) has influenced reference discourse. Style characteristics of chat include its telegraphic brevity, its conversational and informal tone, and its tendency towards interview and exchange. A bedrock feature of traditional reference service is the reference interview-as this and other aspects of reference exchange are conversational, chat is exceptionally resonant within the continuum of reference services. The virtual reference librarian operates in a medium both familiar and leading-edge (a bridge between the traditional and the …

Aligning Campus Portals With Learners’ Needs: A Preliminary Study On The Implementation Of Campus Portals In Iranian Higher Education Communities, Alireza Hejazi, Mitra Dilmaghani

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

Effectively developing and deploying campus portals can dramatically increase productivity and profitability of research and education. The cutting edge of this initiative lies in aligning portals with students’ current needs. Our study aims at identifying these needs and provides a preliminary theoretical framework for portal developers to benchmark their objectives according to educational requirements. The study is mostly done based on local observations and experience of its conductors within higher education communities in Iran. The result of this primary study paves the way of implementing campus portals in the Iranian higher education communities which will be paced by the …

Teaching Information Literacy To The Advanced Writing Class In Three Sessions, Colleen Kennedy

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Introduction

As is the case at many universities, Northern Kentucky University’s Advanced Writing class is often thought of as the “Research Paper class.” Frequently, a research paper on a variety of topics is the capstone of the course and many of the other course assignments lead up to it. Students are usually brought to Steely Library for one class during the semester to be taught all the information competencies deemed necessary in one session. The classes are from 50 minutes to 75 minutes long.

The pilot program described here was a first attempt at an informal trial to determine whether …

Information And Communication Technologies And The Effects Of Globalization: Twenty-First Century “Digital Slavery” For Developing Countries—Myth Or Reality?, L. A. Ogunsola

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

The main goal of this paper is to examine the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) revolution and the concept of globalization as they effect developing countries. Globalization as one of the reasons for possible widening of the gap between the poor and the rich nations was examined and the emerging concept of “digital slavery” was carefully evaluated. The wide gap in availability and use of ICTs across the world and the influences ICTs exert on globalization at the expense of developing countries were carefully examined and suggestions and necessary policies were offered for developing countries to leap-frog the industrialization …

Users And Internet Skills: A Report From Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria, Stella E. Igun

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

This study, based on a survey of eighty-one (81) users of a cyber café owned and run by the Delta State University, Abraka in 2005 examines the self-reported level of Internet skills; sources of such skills; the additional skills desired, and preferred ways of acquiring them; and how the Internet has influenced and affected their research. The results show 71% of respondents rated their Internet skills between average and very high; 78.8% acquired their Internet skills either online or through teaching by colleagues or friends. World Wide Web (WWW) skills were the most sought after additional skill (73%). Continuing …

Narrowcasting To Faculty And Students: Creating An Efficient “Research By Subject” Page, Rob Withers, Rob Casson, Aaron Shrimplin

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

Libraries provide thousands of e-resources, but most users need only a handful. Miami University has created an interface which enables subject specialists to select from electronic resources provided by the Libraries, add links to related resources, and post announcements in each subject area. In addition, subject specialists can create multi-database searches for each subject area. Subject specialists can make immediate changes, web developers are relieved of reviewing and making changes submitted by others, and students and faculty see the resources they need. The University portal will eventually link to subject areas corresponding each students’ classes and faculty member’s teaching …

Handling Legal Questions At The Reference Desk And Beyond, Newkirk Barnes

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

This article offers reference librarians practical advice on how to approach legal information requests that arrive via the reference desk, as well as through e-mail and chat. It suggests how to avoid the unauthorized practice of law by focusing on the activities reference librarians can safely perform when faced with legal questions from both their on-site and virtual users. The article discusses how reference librarians can conduct effective legal reference interviews both in person and online. Additionally, it suggests ways to include instruction in legal reference encounters, and possible sources for referral of questions that require professional legal assistance.

You Are What You Link: A Guideline For The Enrichment Of Information On Campus Portals—A Perspective From Iran, Alireza Hejazi, Mitra Dilmaghani

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

The main concern over campus portals is quality of data and information they provide for their users who are mainly students. Usually content is so important at universities and colleges that it is regarded as the king, but which factor is the most crucial one for the effectiveness of portfolios? The increasing role of campus portals in directing students to their desired destinations has proved them to be effective tools of worldwide education and research. This makes a challenge for academic portal developers to utilize their portfolios with qualified data and information. It seems that the enrichment of information …

Udlib/Search: Enhancing Information Literacy In Delaware Public Schools Through Use Of Technology, Dianna Mckellar

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

[Introduction]

Technology is being introduced to students at an earlier age each year. In today’s society students need to acquire a comfort level with technology and strong information literacy skills, preferably at an early age. It is for this reason that schools are being encouraged to create programs that both pique students’ interest in and develop their knowledge of technology.

UDLib/SEARCH is an example of a statewide program that enhances information literacy through use of technology and could be used as a model for similar programs. UDLib/SEARCH provides 16 periodical and encyclopedia databases as well as training on the use …

Building Library Collections, The Ebay Way, Camila Gabaldón

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

eBay provides a fresh way to find and purchase items that build a library’s special collections and archives, supplement circulating collections, or replace journal issues that are missing. At Western Oregon University (WOU), we have used eBay to build our archives collections and are looking to expand our use to the general collections. This article uses some of our experiences to describe how eBay can be used to acquire library materials and includes lessons that we have learned, tips for optimizing your searches, and hints for eBay novices.