FRBR and Further

ABSTRACT

Based on his experience, the author summarizes what reference/collection development librarians and library users want and expect from aggregator databases, and what's needed from database vendors and from librarians to meet these expectations. Particularly important are content quality, reliability, modularity, and affordability, interface simplicity and flexibility, and reliable congruence between and integration of print and electronic editions. From vendors, librarians should demand more and better content guarantees, purchase options, communication of content details and changes, full-text searching, and persistent URLs for individual titles. Librarians should provide analyzed cataloging and holdings for all titles in aggregator databases, keep these records current, fully integrate them with records for print and other electronic editions, and incorporate them into web catalogs, in addition to providing other web access tools such as browsable title lists.     

Checking Up on Court Citation Standards: How Neutral Citation Improves Public Access to Case Law

A small number of appellate courts require neutral citation, a legal citation format that frees citation to judicial decisions from adherence to particular formats or vendors. As law libraries increasingly rid their print collections of case law reporters, a gap appears in public access to the law, as many courts still require citation to print-based formats from particular commercial publishers. With widespread availability of case law in electronic formats through commercial databases and government Web sites, law librarians must continue to urge courts to consider adopting neutral citation principles to ensure greater accessibility to court opinions. This article retraces the history and quirks of neutral citation and aims to ground the arguments for more widespread adoption of neutral citation in the increasing concern over public access to the law.     

Interactive Multi-Media and Electronic Media in Academic Libraries:

Electronic information formats such as optical media or multi-media used in colleges and universities present challenges for academic library policy makers. Some policy areas that should be considered for electronic and interactive formats are familiar and some are new. This paper describes areas of policy and decision points for services involving new and emerging formats such as hypermedia, interactive multi-media and full-text electronic files. Topics include: planning, staffing, collection development, security, access and services. The areas discussed were encountered by librarians in the author's library during the process of installing a 20-work-station Interactive Media Center.     

Locating grey literature on communication disorders

This article provides an overview of selected Web-based resources containing grey literature in the area of communication disorders. It is geared to practitioners, researchers, students, and consumers seeking reliable, freely available scientific information. Grey (or gray) literature has been defined as "that which is produced on all levels of government, academics, business, and industry in print and electronic formats, but which is not controlled by commercial publishers."1 This paper reviews various general reference sources potentially containing grey literature on communication disorders. This review includes identification of the methods specialists in this field use to obtain this valuable, yet often overlooked, literature. Access points and search tools for identifying grey literature on communication disorders are recommended. Commercial databases containing grey literature are not included. Conclusions presented in this article are considered complementary to traditionally published information resources on communication disorders, such as scholarly journals, online databases, etc.     

The Omnipaedia Is Here,But Where Is It?

Summary

Electronic access to information is transforming both the vision of future libraries and the way in which librarians today deliver information services. In reference service, especially in academic libraries, the wide availability of electronic access to periodical indexes and full-text periodical databases has raised speculation about the possibility of relying on purely electronic reference collections. A field test indicates that this is not yet a viable option and points to the continued vital role of the reference librarian as guide, interpreter, and integrator of print and electronic information sources. In the tradition exemplified by Charles Bunge's “Potential and Reality at the Reference Desk: Reflections on a ‘Return to the Field,’” this article rests on field experience and testing, and is written in part in the first person.     

Print to Electronic: The Library Perspective

For publishers and librarians to work well together it will help for publishers have a good idea of the circumstances and challenges currently facing libraries. This includes but is not limited to budget; libraries also struggle with a complex technology environment, quickly changing licensing, pricing and content options, and incomplete adoption of standards by publishers and software vendors. This paper is a short introduction to these issues and includes a brief overview of what publishers can do to help librarians, and what librarians can do to help publishers.     

Database publishing statistics

The database industry was initiated in the early 1970s by the abstracting and indexing (A&I) or secondary publishers as they converted their print products to computer-readable form. In the 1980s a number of primary publishers followed suit and introduced the first full-text databases—first on magnetic tapes and then on CD-ROMs. CD-ROM was responsible for accelerating the growth of full-text databases. The majority of the early databases were produced by government and not-for-profit organizations. In the mid-1980s the commercial sector started large-scale production of databases and now produces the majority of all publicly available databases. This paper traces the growth of the computer-readable database industry from the 1970s to the present.     

图书馆按需打印的实践与未来

按需打印是出版行业的一次革命性变革,它使出版的形态发生变化,将对图书馆的未来发展产生重要影响。对于读者服务来说,自动印书机(EBM)的打印目录数据库增加了读者获取文献的渠道,其运用使读者能够根据需要自我汇编图书并打印。对于图书馆文献收藏策略来说,EBM+PDA模式将图书馆员从以往的揣测式采访的困境中解脱出来,使购买的文献就是真正流通的文献。但EBM存在价格昂贵、作者和出版商认可程度不高、没有配套适用的著作权法及相关法律等问题。     

Publisher—library relationships in the digital environment

STM represents 250 publishing companies and learned societies, and recognizes that the advent of digital networks affects authors, publishers, librarians, and readers. Dialogue between publishers and librarians is essential to creating the sense of partnership and open-mindedness needed to meet the future needs of scholarship and research. Publishers and librarians have complementary roles and responsibilities, serving the same needs and facing similar challenges. The interests of publishers and librarians need to be rebalanced in order to seize the benefits of digital information flow. Legislation provides a framework of copyright, privacy, competition, and consumer law that protects against misuse while facilitating the flow of information from author to reader. If laws need to be amended, such changes should be made on the basis of the mutual agreement of all members of the community. There is much to be achieved without legislative change. Neither publishers nor librarians should shy away from the issues that divide them, especially the scope of fair use and the exchange of copyright information between libraries. A more detailed analysis of the impact of copyright exemptions is needed. The development of a predictable licensing environment and the testing of new business models requires co-operation between publishers and librarians, and leads to better mutual understanding. STM seeks dialogue with libraries and with other members of the research and scholarly communities in order to meet the challenges, opportunities, and expectations created by the digital environment.     

Ebooks Versus Print Books: Format Preferences in an Academic Library

When a scholarly monograph is made available in both print and electronic formats, which format will users prefer? This study analyzed monograph usage data from three university presses in the University of Toronto Libraries' collections, comparing print and ebook usage patterns of identical titles. The goal was to examine format preferences and determine whether there are differences in usage across subject disciplines or publishers. The study showed that although in many cases users preferred one format over another, they used books in both formats. If a subject was popular, usage tended to be high for both formats, and if unpopular, low for both formats. The data also indicated that there were some noticeable differences in ebook usage for particular subjects, and the authors concluded that format does matter and therefore it is desirable for libraries to provide both formats if possible. The study also highlighted how critical metadata are in promoting the use of electronic resources. If there were no ebook metadata within the library catalog, the ebook usage was low. This analysis adds to a growing body of literature in user preferences on book formats that can assist libraries in making better-informed decisions in collection building.     

Print versus electronic journals: a preliminary investigation into the effect of journal format on research processes

Purpose: To begin investigating the impact of electronic journals on research processes such as information seeking, the authors conducted a pilot journal-use study to test the hypothesis that patrons use print and electronic journals differently.Methodology: We placed fifteen high-use print titles also available in electronic format behind the circulation desk; patrons were asked to complete a survey upon requesting a journal. We also conducted a parallel survey of patrons using library computers. Both surveys asked patrons to identify themselves by user category and queried them about their journal use.Results: During the month-long study, patrons completed sixty-nine surveys of electronic and ninety surveys of print journal use. Results analysis indicated that fellows, students, and residents preferred electronic journals, and faculty preferred print journals. Patrons used print journals for reading articles and scanning contents; they employed electronic journals for printing articles and checking references. Users considered electronic journals easier to access and search than print journals; however, they reported that print journals had higher quality text and figures.Discussion/Conclusion: This study is an introductory step in examining how electronic journals affect research processes. Our data revealed that there were distinct preferences in format among categories. In addition to collection management implications for libraries, these data also have implications for publishers and educators; current electronic formats do not facilitate all types of uses and thus may be changing learning patterns as well.     

Out of the Stack and into the Net

Summary

The transition of academic library reference resources from print to electronic format has been characterised by a growing level of strategic decision making by librarians, as mediated searches were replaced by end-user CD-ROM formats, only to be superseded by online user access. The experience of Australian university libraries, which were early adopters of these changes, is outlined. Particular factors which impacted on this transition in other English-speaking countries (the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and South Africa) are also described. The formation of purchasing consortia has been crucial in all countries in facilitating this transformation of reference collections.     

The use of electronic mail at the reference desk: impact of a computer-mediated communication technology on librarian-client interactions

Commonly recognized computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools include virtual environments, bibliographic databases, listservers, newsgroups, group teleconferencing, interactive messaging systems and electronic mail. The use of these technologies in libraries has grown exponentially over the past decade. Electronic mail has emerged as an especially popular communication tool for librarians, and their colleagues and patrons. This paper explores the use of a reference department electronic mail service and its impact on reference services and librarian-client interactions. Several issues related to the implementation of CMC technologies are presented, including the maintenance and monitoring of reference electronic mail systems, the types of questions that are typically posted, and potential barriers to the implementation and use of reference e-mail.     

Exploring behavior of E-journal users in science and technology: Transaction log analysis of Elsevier's ScienceDirect OnSite in Taiwan

In the era of digital libraries, Web-based electronic databases have become important resources for education and research, providing functionality and ease of use superior to print products. Analysis of usage of such online systems can provide valuable information on user behavior, and on usage of electronic information in general. Furthermore, the findings can be used to improve effectiveness of these electronic systems and identify areas for improvement, ranging from user interface and functionality to documentation and product training. This article analyzes usage of the Taiwan-based ScienceDirect OnSite E-journal system, one of the largest and most heavily used full-text Science, Technology, and Medicine (STM) databases worldwide.     

Supporting User Needs and Skills to Minimize Library Anxiety:

Academic reference and instruction librarians are commited to providing excellent and appropriate service to their library users. However, the increasing diversity of users in today's academic libraries, coupled with the overwhelming amount of information available in a variety of formats, often form barriers which prevent users from feeling sufficiently comfortable in approaching the reference desk to ask for assistance. Guidelines are suggested for use by academic librarians in evaluating facilities, services and staff in their libraries to assess their effectiveness in welcoming users and validating their information needs.     

Digital Reference in Slavic and East European Studies with an Examination of Practice at the University of Illinois and the Library of Congress

SUMMARY

This article presents a survey of digital reference trends in the United States with an emphasis on services for Slavic and East European studies. It is based on the author's experience as a Slavic reference librarian at the University of Illinois (Slavic Reference Service) and the Library of Congress (European Division). Topics include the conflict between print and digital resources, coping with electronic serials, full-text databases and websites, digital communication tools such as e-mail, chat, and web forms, the proliferation of websites from Eastern Europe and the NIS, and opportunities for bibliographic instruction via the web. The article concludes with suggestions for keeping current and ideas for possible reference collaboration among Slavic and East European studies librarians.     

期刊全文数据库中的帕累托效应及其对图书馆资源建设的影响

通过对2007—2010年ScienceDirect数据库和中国期刊全文数据库的下载数据统计分析可知,两个期刊全文数据库中均存在帕累托效应,非母语文献期刊全文数据库表现出的帕累托效应更为明显,专业特色强的学校期刊全文数据库表现出的帕累托效应比综合性学校更为明显。期刊全文数据库中的帕累托效应有助于图书馆确定核心期刊,订购纸本期刊和电子期刊,优化区域联盟采购,有助于图书馆与院系划分经费分摊比例,发现参考咨询服务和读者培训的重点。     

The Availability of Faculty Publication Databases from Library Web Pages

Abstract

Faculty publication databases or author bibliographies offer libraries an opportunity to provide services to users. Initially, these databases remained initiatives of special libraries in the health-sciences fields. Librarians used the publication information derived from these databases to compile lists for annual reports. However, the advent of new technologies, especially the Web, prompted numerous libraries to develop faculty publication databases for their institutions. The author conducted a survey of various listservs to discover the history and development of these databases. The results illustrate the popularity of Web-based faculty publication databases. The motivation for their creation varied, but most respondents emphasized the desire to highlight the research activities of their institutions. In addition, the content of materials included in the databases and the definition of faculty also varied, depending on the type of library. Librarians reported a wide range of software employed in the development of these databases highlighting their creation by librarians with various levels of programming skills. Moreover, additional features included in these projects underscore the potential for librarians to provide added value from this service. Finally, while institutional repositories seemingly present similar content, publication databases differ in their focus on a citation format that offers a solution to items without copyright permission for full-text accessibility.