bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Challenges and Opportunities: A Report of the 1998 Library Survey of Internet Users at Seton Hall University
Authors: Bao Xue-Ming
Published: June 2014

This survey aims to collect data to enable Seton Hall University librarian faculty and administration to analyze user satisfaction with information services provided through the Internet’s World Wide Web. Seton Hall faculty and students completed 786 questionnaires. About 80 percent of the respondents reported that they used the Web on a daily or weekly basis. The results reveal valuable information about the Internet users’ search strategies and their levels of satisfaction in using the Web. Analysis of the data suggests three challenges for academic librarians and five opportunities in providing Internet information services.
Defining and Measuring the Library’s Impact on Campuswide Outcomes
Authors: Lindauer Bonnie Gratch
Published: June 2014

Accreditation agencies, higher education institutions, and professional organizations all emphasize the importance of measuring and assessing the impacts or effects of teaching, learning, and other valued institutional activities. Academic libraries, one of the key players in providing and structuring instructional resources and services, also are expected to document how their performance contributes to institutional goals and outcomes. Using accreditation and ACRL sectional standards/criteria, higher education outcomes assessment research findings and recent findings from performance effectiveness studies, this article identifies important institutional outcomes to which academic libraries contribute; describes specific performance indicators whose measures of impacts and outputs provide evidence about progress and achievement; and offers a conceptual framework of assessment domains for the teaching–learning library.
Book Reviews As a Tool for Assessing Publisher Reputation
Authors: Jordy Matthew L. , McGrath Eileen L. , Rutledge John B.
Published: June 2014

This article reports on the authors’ efforts to develop a method of using book reviews to establish the reputations of publishers. The authors examined the quality of books published by de Gruyter, Greenwood, Doubleday, University of Georgia Press, and Louisiana State University Press as it is expressed in abstracts of book reviews published in the online version of Book Review Digest. The authors extracted a sample for each publisher from Book Review Digest, examined the sample, and compared each publisher sample against a control sample. Although it is true that most book reviews are positive, there are discernible variations in how reviewers express themselves about books. The study also looks at Choice as a source of book reviews, and briefly examines the relationship between price and quality. This study adds to the literature of the use of book reviews as a selection tool.
Humor in the Academic Library: You Must Be Joking! or, How Many Academic Librarians Does It Take to Change a Lightbulb?
Authors: Black Leah , Forro Denise
Published: June 2014

In an effort to improve profits and productivity for employers and the quality of work life for employees, many U.S. companies have begun to embrace humor in the workplace. Humor is thought to be a means to promote teamwork, reduce stress, stimulate creativity, and improve communication, morale, and productivity. Initiatives in business have included official programs such as creation of “humor rooms” for employee use as well as less-structured mechanisms such as encouraging the use of humor in memos and staff newsletters. This investigation discusses appropriate and potentially helpful applications of workplace humor to enhance the work atmosphere in academic libraries.
Subject Usage and Funding of Library Monographs
Authors: Crotts Joe
Published: June 2014

This investigation seeks to identify those variables that prove indicative of the demand for monographs by subject and to develop a practical method for allocating funding by subject that realistically reflects subject demand. The interrelationships among circulation, expenditure, and enrollment by subject are analyzed. Circulation is isolated as the single empirically supported parameter upon which the demand for monographs by subject may be measured. A model for allocating subject funding is developed.
Association and Division Membership among Small College Librarians
Authors: McCracken Peter
Published: June 2014

This study explores ALA membership among directors at small liberal arts colleges. Results show that directors at the smallest colleges are much less likely to be members of ALA and ACRL than their colleagues at larger colleges are. The study investigates trends based on the director’s level of completed education, the director’s tenure at her or his institution, and the relative size of the institutions. The discussion questions why directors at smaller colleges are less likely to be members of ALA and ACRL and examines how those associations might expand their services among these individuals.
Information Literacy of Physical Science Graduate Students in the Information Age
Authors: Brown Cecelia M.
Published: June 2014

This article reports on findings from a survey exploring the information literacy of physical science graduate students. The study also describes the graduate students’ perceptions of the physical and psychological components that enhance or detract from their ability to find, appraise, and use information and how they feel during the various stages of an information search. This snapshot investigation illustrates that physical science graduate students form an information-literate microcosm despite the lack of formal library instruction. The students offer a small number of reasons why they may be inhibited from locating an information source and report experiencing little anxiety as they search for information. They also describe their ideal information-seeking environment as being within the comfort of their home or the convenience of the library. Further, they place some emphasis, but not total reliance, on the capability to connect to the Internet quickly. Relevance, quality, and speed are the cornerstones of a successful search quest. Recommendations for outreach to graduate students who are not native speakers of English are made. Also, suggestions are proposed for library instruction that is specifically designed for, and attracts a greater number of, physical science graduate students.
Selected Reference Books of 1998–1999
Authors: McIlvaine Eileen
Published: June 2014

This article follows the pattern set by the semi-annual series initiated by the late Constance M. Winchell more than fifty years ago and continued by Eugene Sheehy. Because the purpose of the list is to present a selection of recent scholarly and general works, it does not pretend to be either well balanced or comprehensive. A brief roundup of new editions of standard works is provided at the end of the articles. Code numbers (such as AH226) have been used to refer to titles in the Guide to Reference Books, 11th ed. (Chicago: ALA, 1996).
Usability Testing: A Case Study
Authors: Chisman Janet , Diller Karen , Walbridge Sharon
Published: June 2014

Usability testing is a technique for identifying difficulty that individuals may have using a product. Usability tests of the Washington State University (WSU) Libraries’ online public access catalog (OPAC), Article Indexes, Full Text, More, and Other Library Catalogs sections revealed problem areas. A task force used test findings to recommend solutions that led to the participation of the working group involved in designing search screens, the libraries’ User Education Department, and Innovative Interfaces Inc., the OPAC vendor. Solutions are currently being implemented.
I’ll Go to the Library Later: The Relationship between Academic Procrastination and Library Anxiety
Authors: Onwuegbuzie Anthony J. , Jiao Qun G.
Published: June 2014

Approximately 95 percent of college students procrastinate on academic tasks such as writing term papers, studying for examinations, and keeping up with weekly reading assignments. At the graduate level, an estimated 60 percent of students procrastinate on academic tasks. Academic procrastination stems primarily from fear of failure and task aversiveness. It has been theorized, though not tested empirically, that highly anxious graduate students typically procrastinate while engaged in library-related tasks. This study investigated the relationship between academic procrastination and library anxiety at the graduate level. Participants included 135 graduate students enrolled in three sections of a required introductory-level educational research course. Findings revealed that, overall, academic procrastination was significantly positively related to the following dimensions of library anxiety: affective barriers, comfort with the library, and mechanical barriers. A canonical correlation analysis revealed that academic procrastination resulting from both fear of failure and task aversiveness was related significantly to barriers with staff, affective barriers, comfort with the library, and knowledge of the library. Implications for library anxiety reduction as a procrastination intervention are discussed.
Database Selection: One Size Does Not Fit All
Authors: Allison DeeAnn , McNeil Beth , Swanson Signe
Published: June 2014

With increasing costs and decreasing budgets, it is important for librarians to make sound purchasing decisions for electronic resources. What factors are important to consider in making a decision? How can librarians balance these factors, which may appear to be contradictory, and also meet the expectations of administrators, staff, and users? This article describes a strategy for making delivery decisions that address local conditions, pricing, feature options, hardware costs, and network availability. Finally, a model is presented for evaluating the decision based on dollar requirements and local issues.
College and University Mergers: Impact on Academic Libraries in China
Authors: Zhang Sha Li , Huang Hong-Wei
Published: June 2014

Since the early 1990s, under a state-planning program, individual colleges and universities in China began to merge with much larger universities. Such mergers have been a part of China’s higher education reform. The wave of mergers among colleges and universities will have a far-reaching influence on China’s academic libraries. In this paper, the author attempts to explore positive outcomes for academic libraries, present anticipated challenges, and offer possible solutions in the library merging process.
‘Shaking the Conceptual Foundations,’ Too: Integrating Research and Technology Support for the Next Generation of Information Service
Authors: Ferguson Chris
Published: June 2014

Basic approaches to reference service have not altered in recent decades despite dramatic changes in user needs, customer service technologies, and transformations in other areas of the library. Rather than add more layers of experimental services that deplete resources and increase complexity, information service should be reconceived to include new partners in support of the use of technology while undertaking substantially new approaches to on-site and network-based information service. By reengineering organizations in ways that bring librarians and technologists together within a common service environment, information service agencies can more effectively meet our users’ needs by moving more fully and flexibly into the network as changing circumstances warrant.
Other Duties as As igned: Emergin Trends in the Academic Library Job Market
Authors: Beile Penny M. , Adams Megan M.
Published: June 2014

Nine hundred job announcements published in four journals in 1996 were examined using content analysis to compare requirements and benefits among various positions in academic libraries. This study updates the article “The Academic Library Job Market: A Content Analysis Comparing Public and Technical Services,” in which authors David W. Reser and Anita P. Schuneman analyzed 1,133 job advertisements published in 1988 to compare public and technical services positions.1 A growing number of electronic-related advertisements in the past decade has led to the addition of a third division to be investigated, namely the systems and automation librarian. For purposes of comparison with Reser and Schuneman’s article, the authors retained the same research design and variables. These variables include levels of computer skills, foreign-language requirements, previous work experience, educational requirements, and minimum salary offered.
Integrating Library Research and Service: The Case of Internet Training for Small Business Executives
Authors: Ren Wen-Hua , Au Ka-Neng
Published: June 2014

Library research and service have the potential to be complementary. This paper reports on how the desire to better serve small business users for their government information needs led to a research survey of small business executives in New Jersey and how the research findings provided further motivation, guidance, and input to a successful Internet training program. The authors’ experiences show that academic librarians could improve effectiveness in both library research and service if they seek to integrate these two aspects of their career.
Technological Change in the Workplace: A Statewide Survey of Community College Library and Learning Resources Personnel
Authors: Poole Carolyn E. , Denny Emmett
Published: June 2014

It is a commonly held belief that technostress caused by change is affecting library personnel, although research on its impact in two-year colleges is practically nonexistent. This investigation examined how employees in Florida community college library and learning resource centers are dealing with technological change in their work environment. The results of the investigation indicated that staff are reacting positively. However, greater attention needs to be directed toward improving their inclusion in decision-making, revising job descriptions, and experimenting with alternative reward systems.
Life Cycle Costs of Library Collections: Creation of Effective Performance and Cost Metrics for Library Resources
Authors: Lawrence Stephen R. , Connaway Lynn Silipigni , Brigham Keith H.
Published: June 2014

An important issue for research librarians is the life cycle cost of acquiring and maintaining a collection. While purchase costs are easy to identify, associated acquisition, cataloging, circulation, and maintenance expenses are difficult to measure and attribute to specific collections. This paper develops a methodology to determine the life cycle costs of collections based on readily available statistical data collected annually by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). ARL cost data (e.g., salaries and wages, materials expenditures, and operating expenses) for a specific library are allocated to collections (e.g., manuscripts, serials, and microforms) based on the size of the collection and its relative space requirements. By aggregating allocated costs, total life cycle costs for a collection can be estimated. Results of this research indicate that life cycle costs of collections are many multiples of their purchase costs. Results further suggest that the life cycle costs of monograph collections overwhelm the costs of other collections in research libraries—the cost structure of a research library is largely driven by its monograph collection. These results should prove useful in efforts to control costs and improve performance in research libraries.
Leadership Competencies for Academic Librarians: The Importance of Development and Fund-raising
Authors: Winston Mark D. , Dunkley Lisa
Published: June 2014

Private-sector research has addressed the issue of leadership competencies as a part of defining the nature of effective leadership, the leadership qualities and areas of knowledge needed by those who contribute to organizational success, and the educational preparation needed by leaders. The societal, organizational, and competitive changes affecting academic libraries point to the need for effective leadership and the identification of leadership competencies for academic librarians. This article presents a rationale for the identification of an important component of such a statement of leadership competencies in the context of the knowledge and skills associated with development and fund-raising. This issue is key for professionals who play an important role in ensuring the value and viability of their employing organizations, as well as in articulating the relevance of academic library and information services to an array of potential funding sources. The research presented here describes the areas of expertise, experience, and skills associated with academic development positions in colleges and universities as a basis for identifying leadership competencies that are relevant to academic librarians and administrators.
The Florida Community College Statewide Collection Assessment Project: Outcomes and Impact
Authors: Perrault Anna H. , Adams Tina M. , Smith Rhonda , Dixon Jeannie
Published: June 2014

A collection assessment project was conducted in 1998 of the twenty-eight community college library/Library Resource Center (LRC) collections in Florida.1 The evaluative materials provided to each of the institutions produced a number of outcomes. To assess the project’s impact, a survey was conducted in fall 2000. The impact study found that, in the opinion of library administrators, the Florida Community College Collection Assessment study had influenced the appropriation of additional funds, informed librarians’ collection development decisions, and affected the weeding of collections through the presentation of institution-specific collection assessment reports that were provided for each library. The major finding of the impact study was that the additional funding for community college library acquisitions, passed by the Florida legislature in 1999, was not wholly successful in the revamping of outdated book collections because many of the Florida community college libraries received only part or none of the funding. The utilization of the project data, the findings of the impact study, and other follow-up to the project are reported in this article.
Use of Electronic Resources in Scholarly Electronic Journals: A Citation Analysis
Authors: Herring Susan Davis
Published: June 2014

Although information gathering and use patterns in the traditional print environment have been studied for many years, the electronic environment presents a new and relatively unexplored area for such study. This article describes a citation analysis of research articles from scholarly electronic journals published in 1999–2000. The analysis focused on the extent to which scholars are using electronic resources and the types and subject areas of online resources that are being referenced. Results indicate a growing reliance on electronic resources by scholars, a high occurrence of nontraditional types of resources, and a relatively high use of interdisciplinary references.
A Snapshot of Early Adopters of E-journals: Challenges to the Library
Authors: Brennan Martin J. , Hurd Julie M. , Blecic Deborah D. , Weller Ann C.
Published: June 2014

Studies documenting the usage patterns of electronic journals have compared print and e-journal characteristics, surveyed faculty for their perceptions and expectations, and analyzed the impact on library practices. This study, a qualitative exploration of a wide array of issues related to the research and teaching habits of early adopters of e-journals in a research setting, was conducted in the spring of 2001 with faculty in the basic and health sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Open-ended questionnaires provided a framework to wide-ranging discussions of perceptions, expectations, and changing practices pertaining to e-journals and other electronic resources. The results were analyzed with a specific focus on shared behaviors and values, discipline-dependent variations, and changing research and teaching habits. Several challenges for library resources and services are identified and discussed.
Applying Systems Design and Item Response Theory to the Problem of Measuring Information Literacy Skills
Authors: O’Connor Lisa G. , Radcliff Carolyn J. , Gedeon Julie A.
Published: June 2014

This article reports on a project to develop an instrument for programmatic-level assessment of information literacy skills that is valid—and thus credible—to university administrators and other academic personnel. Using a systems approach for test development and an item response theory for data analysis, researchers have undertaken a rigorous and replicable process. Once validated, this instrument will be administered to students to assess entry skills upon admission to the university and longitudinally to ascertain whether there is significant change in skill levels from admission to graduation.
Circulation as Assessment: Collection Development Policies Evaluated in Terms of Circulation at a Small Academic Library
Authors: Dinkins Debbi
Published: June 2014

At the root of all library acquisition decisions is the goal to add to the collection those materials that meet users’ needs. Compiling circulation statistics is one way of assessing users’ needs. This project seeks to assess the current collection development practices at Stetson University with respect to the circulation of books purchased in support of selected departmental curricula. Circulation statistics for books selected by five academic departments over a five-year period are compared with those of librarian selections in corresponding subject areas.
Information Needs and Experiences of Scholars in Women’s Studies: Problems and Solutions
Authors: Westbrook Lynn
Published: June 2014

Women’s studies faculty often engage in complex information-seeking patterns as they examine social issues from a variety of disciplinary and theoretical perspectives. Academic librarians constructing an understanding of those patterns in order to provide effective reference service can incorporate the results of this national, qualitative study on the information needs, information uses, successful strategies, productive tactics, and problem issues reported by a wide range of these interdisciplinary scholars. Finally, advice and guidance from forty-two women’s studies librarians in a wide variety of academic settings provide an array of practical tools for serving this complex population.
Web Citation Availability: Analysis and Implications for Scholarship
Authors: Casserly Mary F. , Bird James E.
Published: June 2014

Five hundred citations to Internet resources from articles published in library and information science journals in 1999 and 2000 were profiled and searched on the Web. The majority contained partial bibliographic information and no date viewed. Most URLs pointed to content pages with “edu” or “org” domains and did not include a tilde. More than half (56.4%) were permanent, 81.4 percent were available on the Web, and searching the Internet Archive increased the availability rate to 89.2 percent. Content, domain, and directory depth were associated with availability. Few of the journals provided instruction on citing digital resources. Eight suggestions for improving scholarly communication citation conventions are presented.
Does the Building Still Matter? Usage Patterns in New, Expanded, and Renovated Libraries, 1995–2002
Authors: Shill Harold B. , Tonner Shawn
Published: June 2014

Since the mid-1990s, more than 390 academic institutions have constructed new libraries or have expanded, renovated, or reconfigured an existing library. Given current concern about the future of libraries and the nature of space needs, it is important to know what impact these improvements have had on use of the physical library. Using responses from a 68-item Web survey conducted in early 2003, this article examines the impact of building improvements on usage of the physical facility. Recommendations for facility planning are offered, and implications for the “library as place” debate are explored. This report is a companion piece to an article published in the November 2003 issue.
Motivational Aspects of Information Literacy Skills Instruction in Community College Libraries
Authors: Small Ruth V. , Zakaria Nasriah , El-Figuigui Houria
Published: June 2014

This study explored the motivational aspects of information literacy skills instruction delivered by librarians in community college libraries. Librarians and students at seven community colleges were interviewed and observed. Involvement of faculty, use of technology, and students’ on- and off-task behaviors also were investigated. Data analyses used Keller’s ARCS Model, ACRL standards, and Small and Arnone’s Motivation Overlay for Information Skills Instruction. The majority of strategies used were to gain and maintain students’ attention. The range of strategies, rather than the number of strategies, appeared to positively affect student motivation.
Historians and Their Information Sources
Authors: Dalton Margaret Stieg , Charnigo Laurie
Published: June 2014

This article reports on a survey of historians and a citation analysis undertaken to revisit the questions treated in Margaret F. Stieg’s 1981 article published in College & Research Libraries. It examines which materials historians consider to be the most important and how they discover them. Their attitudes toward and use of electronic materials were also studied. Many characteristics of historians’ information needs and use have not changed in a generation: informal means of discovery like book reviews and browsing remain important, as does the need for comprehensive searches. Print continues to be the principal format. What has changed is that the advent of electronic resources has increased historians’ use of catalogs and indexes in their efforts to identify appropriate primary and secondary sources of information.
The Social Sciences: Who Won the ‘90s in Scholarly Book Publishing
Authors: Wiberley Stephen E.
Published: June 2014

The study of prizes awarded to books in the 1990s by leading social sciences scholarly associations helps us understand the disciplines, publishing, and libraries during that decade. This article examines data on prizewinners of the American Anthropological Association, the American Educational Research Association, the Association of American Geographers, the American Political Science Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Sociological Association. For the prizewinners, it reports the distribution of winners among publishers and universities; the extent of cross-disciplinary publishing; the degree of coauthorship; trends in library acquisitions of print versions; and accessibility of electronic versions. The University of Chicago Press ranked first among publishers, and the faculty at Harvard won more prizes than did faculty at any other institution. Library of Congress and Dewey Decimal classifications assigned to the winners show substantial cross-disciplinary interest. Sixteen percent of the books were coauthored. Library print holdings appeared to decline over the decade by approximately 20 percent; and in April 2004, 19 percent of prizewinners were available electronically.
Academic Library Directors: What Do They Do?
Authors: Hernon Peter , Powell Ronald R. , Young Arthur P.
Published: June 2014

Eleven library directors recorded their work-related activities for twelve days. The activities depicted show them as both managers and leaders, and reflect contact with various individuals within and beyond the institution as the directors deal with local, regional, and national issues. This paper also highlights how previously identified attributes compare with their everyday work.
Redesigning a Library’s Organizational Structure
Authors: Higa Mori Lou , Bunnett Brian , Maina Bill , Perkins Jeff , Ramos Therona , Thompson Laurie , Wayne Richard
Published: June 2014

The evolution from print to electronic resources and services continues to pose significant challenges for academic libraries. This article presents a systematic, evidence-based approach to guide this transition, which resulted in an exhaustive reorganization of library staffing and services. The approach begins with the necessity of accumulating and then evaluating data on staff workloads and responsibilities. At the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas Library, this evaluation revealed that a preponderant amount of time was still spent on print-related activities that were no longer considered to be library priorities. The corrective actions taken to remedy this misalignment are then discussed.
Selected Reference Works, 2004
Authors: Witte Sarah , Cargill Mary
Published: June 2014

This article follows the pattern set by the semiannual series initiated by the late Constance M. Winchell more than fifty years ago and continued first by Eugene Sheehy and then by Eileen McIlvaine. Because the purpose of the list is to present a selection of recent scholarly and general works, it does not pretend to be either well balanced or comprehensive. A brief roundup of new editions of standard works is provided at the end of the articles. Code numbers (such as AC527) have been used to refer to titles in the Guide to Reference Books, 11th ed. (Chicago: ALA, 1996).
Relative Influence of the LibQUAL+™ Dimensions on Satisfaction: A Subgroup Analysis
Authors: Heinrichs John H. , Sharkey Thomas , Lim Jeen-Su
Published: June 2014

This research study investigates the influence of the identified LibQUAL+™ dimensions on various aspects of the user’s satisfaction with the Academic Library at Wayne State University. Multivariate regression analysis results show statistically significant impact of LibQUAL+™ dimensions on user satisfaction. Moderated regression analysis results show the moderating impact of various demographic variables on the relationships between LibQUAL+™ dimensions and user satisfaction. The results of this research can be used to alter resource allocation expenditures to improve user satisfaction.
A Report on Faculty Perceptions of Students’ Information Literacy Competencies in Journalism and Mass Communication Programs: The ACEJMC Survey
Authors: Singh Annmarie B.
Published: June 2014

This article presents the results of a survey done of the faculty of programs fully accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) in 2002–2003. The purpose of the survey was to assess the faculties’ perceptions of their students’ information literacy skills as defined by the ACRL standards adopted in 2000. Faculty reported that most of their graduate students met the ACRL criteria for information literacy, but only some of their undergraduate students could be considered information literate by these standards. Faculty also reported consistent improvement in their students’ research process after receiving library instruction.
The Perception of Library and Information Science Journals by LIS Education Deans and ARL Library Directors: A Replication of the Kohl–Davis Study
Authors: Nisonger Thomas E. , Davis Charles H.
Published: June 2014

Analyzing the collective opinion of presumed experts, often termed a perception study, is a frequently used approach for rating journals or evaluating education programs. Replicating the 1985 Kohl–Davis study, seventy-one library and information science (LIS) journals are ranked according to their mean rating on a 1 to 5 ordinal scale by deans of ALA-accredited education programs and by the directors of ARL libraries (surveyed during the summer of 2003). Comparison of the results with the 1985 study found considerable continuity in journal perceptions over the past two decades, but more so by directors than deans. A weak to moderate correlation was found between deans’ ratings and Journal Citation Reports citation scores, whereas the correlations between directors’ perceptions and citation data were weak to nonexistent. The findings confirm a hierarchy of prestige among LIS journals, but the hierarchical order differs somewhat between deans and directors.
Quantifying Cooperation: Collaborative Digital Reference Service in the Large Academic Library
Authors: De Groote Sandra L. , Dorsch Josephine L. , Collard Scott , Scherrer Carol
Published: June 2014

The purpose of this study was to determine how successfully a large academic library with multiple reference departments and subject specialties could combine virtually to create one digital reference service. Questions were coded to determine who the users of the service were, the types of questions being asked, and the subject expertise of the librarian answering the question. The study found that the majority of questions were submitted by persons affiliated with the university, that ready reference and directional questions predominated, and that the librarians were able to successfully share the duty of answering the general reference questions while ensuring that the questions requiring subject expertise were answered by the appropriate subject specialists. Analysis of the types of questions will inform future decisions regarding webpage redesign, online instruction needs, and more appropriate FAQs (frequently asked questions.)
Selected Reference Works, 2004–2005
Authors: Witte Sarah , Cargill Mary
Published: June 2014

This article follows the pattern set by the semiannual series initiated by the late Constance M. Winchell more than fifty years ago and continued first by Eugene Sheehy and then by Eileen McIlvaine. Because the purpose of the list is to present a selection of recent scholarly and general works, it does not pretend to be either well balanced or comprehensive. A brief roundup of new editions of standard works is provided at the end of the articles. Code numbers (such as AC527) have been used to refer to titles in the Guide to Reference Books, 11th ed. (Chicago: ALA, 1996).
Challenges Facing High-volume Interlibrary Loan Operations: Baseline Data and Trends in the CIC Consortium
Authors: Beaubien Anne K. , Kuehn Jennifer , Smolow Barbara , Ward Suzanne M.
Published: June 2014

Interlibrary loan managers of a consortial group of large academic libraries presented a comprehensive report of their collective activities to their library directors to provide a better picture of their libraries’ resource-sharing activities, issues, and trends. The report covered three years of data and addressed trends in overall volume, turnaround time, serials-holding data in OCLC, lending audiovisual materials, reasons for unfilled lending requests, and resource-sharing aspects of electronic licensing. The study documents the importance of technical service’s role in maintaining accurate OCLC holdings and in facilitating union listing, two activities that have a tremendous impact on ILL effectiveness and efficiency. It also demonstrates that presenting common issues collectively to top administrators resulted in changes that might not have been achieved so easily at single institutions. This paper summarizes the report on consortial resource sharing, lists the report’s four recommendations, and reviews the positive changes in the participating libraries’ resource-sharing practices six months later.
Selected Reference Works, 2005
Authors: Witte Sarah , Cargill Mary
Published: June 2014

This article follows the pattern set by the semiannual series initiated by the late Constance M. Winchell more than fifty years ago and continued first by Eugene Sheehy and then by Eileen McIlvaine. Because the purpose of the list is to present a selection of recent scholarly and general works, it does not pretend to be either well balanced or comprehensive. A brief roundup of new editions of standard works is provided at the end of the articles. Code numbers (such as AC527) have been used to refer to titles in the Guide to Reference Books, 11th ed. (Chicago: ALA, 1996).
Faculty Status and Rank at Liberal Arts Colleges: An Investigation into the Correlation among Faculty Status, Professional Rights and Responsibilities, and Overall Institutional Quality
Authors: Bolger Dorita F. , Smith Erin T.
Published: June 2014

This survey of liberal arts colleges sought to determine a correlation between the personnel status of librarians and overall institutional quality. Based on the responses of the 125 colleges that participated in the survey, the higher the tier in which an institution is ranked in the U.S. News & World Report annual report on America’s colleges, the less likely that librarians will have faculty status or rank, the less likely they will be required to undergo a formal review process, the less likely they will have access to research funds, and the less likely they will be eligible to serve on campuswide faculty committees. Specifically, colleges in the top tier of the U.S. News and World Report rankings were almost seven times less likely to afford librarians faculty status and sixteen times less likely to afford faculty rank than those in the fourth tier.
Emotional Intelligence: Which Traits Are Most Prized?
Authors: Hernon Peter , Rossiter Nancy
Published: June 2014

Leadership encompasses self-management and managing relationships with others. Such a characterization is best known as emotional intelligence. This article identifies the traits that comprise emotional intelligence and suggests which ones might be most important for library directors to possess. The article also compares the emerging set of traits to transformational and transactional leadership in an effort to suggest which traits apply to two other leadership styles.
Recruiting Non-MLIS Graduate Students to Academic Librarianship
Authors: Knowlton Sean Patrick , Imamoto Becky
Published: June 2014

In response to declining numbers of qualified applicants nationwide for librarian positions in academic libraries, the University of Colorado at Boulder Libraries, in collaboration with the University’s Graduate Teacher Program, has developed a fellowship program that encourages graduate students with advanced subject or language expertise to consider careers in academic librarianship. In spring 2005, the libraries paired the first Provost’s Fellows with library faculty mentors. This article details the program and collaboration between the libraries and the Graduate Teacher Program and issues a call for similar programs to be established at other academic libraries.
Measurement of Use of Electronic Resources: Advances in Use Statistics and Innovations in Resource Functionality
Authors: Blecic Deborah D. , Fiscella Joan B. , Wiberley Stephen E.
Published: June 2014

The ICOLC guidelines and Project COUNTER codes of practice have advanced the measurement of use of electronic resources. At the same time, innovations in functionality within and among electronic resources are changing the environment in which use is measured. The present article explores measures of sessions and searches for one research library’s electronic resources. The article analyzes the transition from vendor-specific to COUNTER-compliant statistics, how vendors measure the running of search alerts, and the effects of federated searching on reported use. The analysis suggests that innovations in functionality may have changed the meaning of sessions and searches. The analysis also suggests the following principle: innovations in electronic resource functionality will necessitate advances in electronic resource usage measures to describe use meaningfully.
Academic Subject Guides: A Case Study of Use at San José State University
Authors: Staley Shannon M.
Published: June 2014

Subject guides are lists of resources created to assist students with their research needs. While academic librarians ascribe great importance to subject guide development, it is difficult to tell whether students find them useful. A review of the literature reveals a lack of user-centered data in this area. This study investigates students’ use of subject guides in three areas of study—Nursing, Journalism & Mass Communications, and Organization & Management. Results indicate that students who have received library instruction tend to use subject guides more frequently and find them useful.
Analysis of a Decade in Library Literature: 1994–2004
Authors: Blessinger Kelly , Frasier Michele
Published: June 2014

The purpose of this study was to analyze trends in publication and citation in library and information science journals over a decade (1994–2004) of the literature. This examination revealed the areas of concentration within the research, frequently published subjects through the years, and the characteristics of the top-cited authors and resources during this time. This information allows those in the field to follow the trends in publication, gives researchers the tools to determine which journals might give their work the most exposure and recognition, and can help libraries to make collection management decisions in this subject area.
Usability Testing of a Metasearch Interface: A Case Study
Authors: Wrubel Laura , Schmidt Kari
Published: June 2014

This study evaluated the usability of a metasearch, or federated search, interface used by the University System of Maryland and Affiliated Institutions. The authors conducted usability testing of the metasearch system to understand student perceptions of metasearch’s usefulness and to learn if students could effectively complete research tasks using metasearch. Students determined when they had successfully completed the task. The study found that students perceived metasearch to be a useful tool but that they had low rates of success in completing some tasks. Technical limitations and interface design problems contributed to their difficulties. Students expected to be able to construct searches as they do in Internet search engines and, for example, expected results lists to have relevancy ranking and more descriptive information.
The Librarian, the Machine, or a Little of Both: A Comparative Study of Three Information Literacy Pedagogies at Oakland University
Authors: Kraemer Elizabeth W. , Lombardo Shawn V. , Lepkowski Frank J.
Published: June 2014

Each year, Oakland library faculty provide information literacy instruction for Rhetoric 160, a first-year writing course, through a combination of WebCT-based online tutorials and in-class teaching. For this study, twelve sections of RHT 160 during the winter 2005 term were selected to compare three instructional methods: online instruction only, live instruction, and the current “hybrid” combination of live instruction and online tutorials. The sections were assigned to one of the instructional methods and, to assess student learning, all students (n=224) completed identical pre- and post-tests. Results of the study, including differences in student performance in relation to pedagogy, are discussed.
The Elusive User: Changing Use Patterns in Academic Libraries 1995 to 2004
Authors: Martell Charles
Published: June 2014

This article documents changes in library use during the past decade. Data from professional organizations reveal that circulation use has declined slightly, with notable variations in health and law and at individual institutions, including the Ivy League. Reference use has declined more steeply. Electronic use has skyrocketed, but counting use remains problematic. The HOLLIS Plus counting results at Harvard University are highlighted. Electronic Serials expenditures at academic research libraries (ARL) suggest that electronic use will continue to expand unabated. Major studies profiling users are cited. Notable benefits are predicted as the shifted librarian and the elusive user interact in virtual space.
Citation Analysis of Ph.D. Dissertation References as a Tool for Collection Management in an Academic Chemistry Library
Authors: Vallmitjana Núria , Sabaté L. G.
Published: June 2014

A bibliometric study was carried out on the citations within the chemistry field Ph.D. dissertations to ascertain what types of documents are the most frequently used in the research process, the most frequently consulted journals and obsolescence rate of the journals. The analysis covered 46 doctoral theses presented at the Institut Químic de Sarriá (IQS) from 1995 to 2003. The results obtained from the 4,203 citations revealed that the most frequently used documents were scientific papers, which accounted for 79 percent of the total; 33 journals met 50 percent of the informational needs; and the age of 50 percent of the citations was no older than 9 years. Finally, the results can be used as a tool for the collection management of the library.
Measuring Students’ Information Literacy Skills through Abstracting: Case Study from a Library & Information Science Perspective
Authors: Pinto Maria , Fernández-Ramos Andrés , Doucet Anne-Vinciane
Published: June 2014

New education models based essentially on competencies and skills are gradually displacing the old systems based on teacher instruction and passive and memory-based learning in students, as these new competencies allow the student to learn actively with better levels of performance. We consider abstracting as a transcendent learning tool to analyze the basic role of information analysis and synthesis skills within the learning processes and their relation to the abstracting processes. Using an action-research methodology, we analyze the abstracting skill of students on the first and final courses of the Faculty of Library and Information Science at the University of Granada (Spain). Based on postulates from information literacy, analysis and synthesis competencies are studied through the students' modus operandi at the different abstracting stages. Similarities and differences between the two groups of students are perceived and displayed, with reference to the relation between the learned subjects and the levels of competence and skill. In the light of these results, meaningful patterns and recommendations for improving students' skill levels are proposed.
Selected Reference Works, 2007
Authors: Witte Sarah , Cargill Mary
Published: June 2014

This article follows the pattern set by the semiannual series initiated by the late Constance M. Winchell more than fifty years ago and continued first by Eugene Sheehy and then by Eileen McIlvaine. Because the purpose of the list is to present a selection of recent scholarly and general works, it does not pretend to be either well balanced or comprehensive. A brief roundup of new editions of standard works is provided at the end of the articles. Code numbers (such as AC527) have been used to refer to titles in the Guide to Reference Books, 11th ed. (Chicago: ALA, 1996).
What’s in a Name? Using Card Sorting to Evaluate Branding in an Academic Library’s Web Site
Authors: Hepburn Peter , Lewis Krystal M.
Published: June 2014

Libraries are pressed to effectively promote use of the tools they provide users as well as their role in creating, selecting, and purchasing them. Applying “brand names” generated within the library is one promotional strategy. Usability testing at one academic library demonstrated how the card sorting technique can be used to evaluate branding efforts. The study found that library users do not recognize or comprehend library brand names in the absence of a consistent approach to branding even if they do use the services that have been branded.
Undergraduate Information Resource Choices
Authors: Mill David H.
Published: June 2014

This study provides a thorough overview of information consumption at a modest-sized liberal arts college. It is based on a citation analysis of an extensive sample of bibliographies drawn from papers written for 64 intermediate and advanced courses. The papers, representing 17 academic departments, were written during the 2004–05 academic year. The citations were analyzed by type of resource, and for books and journals, local ownership and age information was noted. The format (electronic or print) of locally available journals was also recorded. Both divisional and overall results are presented, and statistically significant results are noted.