An inquiry into the availability of Canadian fiction in U.S. libraries with special attention to the influence of reviews

In order to investigate the availability of Canadian fiction in U.S. libraries and the influence of reviews in U.S. sources on this availability, 182 “Novels” that had been reviewed in Canadian Book Review Annual were searched in the OCLC data base and in Book Review Index. Findings suggest that Canadian fiction is widely owned by U.S. libraries only when a work has been reviewed in U.S. sources—especially Booklist, Kirkus, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly. Furthermore, results suggest that Canadian fiction is normally reviewed in U.S. sources only when the work is available in a U.S. edition. Anomalies are noted and suggestions are made for further research.     

The self-publishing phenomenon and libraries

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the concept of book self-publishing for fiction and nonfiction began to loom large in the North American publishing universe. As traditional mainstream publishers consolidated and were often loathe to take chances on unknown writers whose books might not turn immediate profits, some authors found that fewer and fewer publishing venues were open to them. As a result, new self-publishers—collectively called “author services” or print-on-demand (POD) publishers—appeared alongside subsidy (or vanity) publishers. Against the background of an increasing corporatization of mainstream publishing, book self-publishing can theoretically be situated as one of the last bastions of independent publishing. This article examines how academic and public libraries dealt with the book self-publishing phenomena during 1960–2004. To what extent did libraries collect fiction and nonfiction published by self-publishing houses? Can any patterns be discerned in their collecting choices? Did libraries choose to collect more titles from “author services” publishers than subsidy publishers?     

OPACs,Users, and Readers’ Advisory: Exploring the Implications of User-Generated Content for Readers’ Advisory in Canadian Public Libraries

This article examines the contribution of social discovery platforms and user-generated content (UGC) on readers’ advisory (RA) services in Canadian public libraries. Grounded Theory was used to conduct a content analysis of library-assigned subject headings and UGC of 22 adult fiction titles in 43 Canadian public libraries that use BiblioCommons, SirsiDynix, and Encore social discovery platforms. Findings indicate that UGC complements the MARC bibliographic record as it provides insight into the subject of a work, its protagonists, and the effect the book has on readers. User-generated reviews provide a rich data set that clearly connects to known RA access points.     

Relative Percentages of Fiction and Non-Fiction in Selected Canadian and American Public Libraries

A preliminary examination of American and Canadian public library acquisitions published during the 1970's suggests a model in which the percentage of non-fiction increases with collection size. Random samples taken from these particular Canadian libraries have a significantly higher percentage of fiction than the samples taken from their American counterparts; however, the observed difference can be explained by the aforementioned model, in which the variation is a function of collection size rather than nationality.     

U.S. Academic Library Spending,Staffing and Utilization during the Great Recession 2008–2010

The study analyzes the U.S. academic library spending, staffing and utilization trends during the “great recession” in the period 2008–2010. These trends are compared to similar trends during the period 1998–2008, one of the most robust economic periods in U.S. history. The data used in the study was from publicly available surveys from the National Center for Education Statistics. In general it was found that for both periods many similar trends persisted and were not significantly affected by macroeconomic conditions, and that U.S. academic libraries cannot be seen as a homogeneous group with similar investment and operating profiles. Between 2008 and 2010, growth among especially small to medium sized libraries has declined; while large libraries continue to expand their investments and grow, particularly in electronic services. The economic collapse that occurred in 2008 and the effects of which are still being distributed through the economy and society are having the same impact on all types and sizes of libraries, as many library trends are not influenced by the economic downturn of the period 2008–2010. The study describes the significant differences in the level and scope of spending, staffing, and utilization by size of library, and how the differences among small and large libraries became more accentuated in the period of the great recession.     

An Open Source ILS Glossary: Version 2

This article is a glossary of terms one finds in open source integrated library systems (ILSs). The focus of this glossary is on the two major open source ILSs—Evergreen and Koha. These are being used in an increasing number of U.S. and Canadian public libraries as well as other types of libraries. The glossary is an introduction to the terms that those working with these open source library systems use on a day-to-day basis, with links to sources with more information for those new to open source projects.     

关于中国公共图书馆同美国公共图书馆相比较的思考

从中国公共图书馆超过美国公共图书馆的方面、同美国公共图书馆相似的方面和与美国公共图书馆不同的方面这三个角度进行比较;通过比较,可使人们对中国公共图书馆近些年取得的成就和存在的问题有个客观的了解,同时也对美国公共图书馆的情况有所了解。     

“Lots of Questions about ‘Fake News’”: How Public Libraries Have Addressed Media Literacy, 2016–2018

ABSTRACT

This exploratory research investigates how American public libraries have addressed the issue of media literacy in their communities from 2016 to 2018, including programs, partnerships, and other initiatives. The authors selected this period because events, such as the 2016 U.S. presidential election, contributed to an increased national concern about media literacy. This study fills a research gap by providing a broader assessment of public library responses to this issue, as most of the published literature thus far stems from academic libraries. An electronic survey solicited data from both a stratified purposive sample and a self-selecting sample of public libraries throughout the United States (U.S.). Analysis of qualitative and quantitative data from sixty-five public libraries revealed several key themes related to media literacy initiatives, including types of initiatives developed, initiatives deemed most successful by staff, community response to initiatives, and reasons for not pursuing initiatives. Findings denote the current state of how public libraries address media literacy and offer practical guidance for those developing media literacy initiatives. Key findings are as follows: lack of staff time is the reason most often cited for not engaging in media literacy initiatives; more effective measurements are needed to assess both community needs and outcomes of library initiatives; “fake news” is a topic of interest in the community and among library staff; and there appears to be a relationship between staff interest in the topic and perceived interest on the part of the public, which may impact efforts to address the issue. Implications for practice resulting from those findings include engaging in initiatives that maximize service while minimizing staff time involvement; measuring and assessing community interests as well as outcomes of initiatives; using trending topics such as “fake news” to increase interest in library services; and continuing to increase staff awareness of and training in issues deemed important by the library community.     

Name Authority Work in Public Libraries

Random samples of U.S. public libraries were surveyed in summer 2010 to ascertain their name authority cataloging practices. Comparisons of authority work processes and types of authority work done were made among public libraries of different sizes. Results were compared to previous studies of public and academic libraries.     

Technology & U.S. government information policies: Catalysts for new partnerships

Technology, moving faster than policy development, has left U.S. government information programs resting on uncertain foundations. This article, an abridgement of a report by the ARL Task Force on Government Information in Electronic Format, is the result of an effort to develop a framework for understanding—philosophically, functionally, and fiscally — the patterns that exist for government information today, and the shifts in those patterns resulting from the introduction of government information in electronic formats. Four questions are identified that should be considered by government agencies and libraries as decisions are made about how to provide the public with government informtion in electronic format. The report points to be need for a clearer picture of how government responsiblities for public availability of government information in eictronic formats might be fulfilled in partnership with the private sector without the loss of the characteristics that make this information distinctive: the absence of restrictions on use, including for basic government information, absence of a fee.     

The evaluation of international credentials and the hiring of internationally trained librarians in Canadian academic and public libraries

This study examines the way in which libraries in Canada approach the issue of the evaluation of international credentials (ICs) held by internationally trained librarians (ITLs) and the eventual short-listing and hiring of such individuals. In the United States and Canada, librarianship, a non-regulated profession, is to a large degree governed by the American Library Association (ALA), but the ALA's statements regarding ICs and ITLs are often ambiguous. It is therefore frequently left to individual libraries to decide how best to deal with ICs and ITLs. Based on a questionnaire sent to managers of large academic and public libraries in Canada, this study concludes that a significant percentage of Canadian libraries, especially academic libraries, are open to hiring ITLs insofar as these libraries and their managers do not consider an ALA-accredited degree to be mandatory for an applicant to be short-listed for a job position. At the same time, these library managers possess very little information about the state of LIS education in countries other than the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, thus making their decisions about hiring ITLs problematic. Governing bodies of librarianship may wish to consider establishing nation-wide guidelines and/or bridging education programs to facilitate the integration of ITLs with ICs into the North American workforce.     

The evaluation of international credentials and the hiring of internationally trained librarians in Canadian academic and public libraries

This study examines the way in which libraries in Canada approach the issue of the evaluation of international credentials (ICs) held by internationally trained librarians (ITLs) and the eventual short-listing and hiring of such individuals. In the United States and Canada, librarianship, a non-regulated profession, is to a large degree governed by the American Library Association (ALA), but the ALA's statements regarding ICs and ITLs are often ambiguous. It is therefore frequently left to individual libraries to decide how best to deal with ICs and ITLs. Based on a questionnaire sent to managers of large academic and public libraries in Canada, this study concludes that a significant percentage of Canadian libraries, especially academic libraries, are open to hiring ITLs insofar as these libraries and their managers do not consider an ALA-accredited degree to be mandatory for an applicant to be short-listed for a job position. At the same time, these library managers possess very little information about the state of LIS education in countries other than the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, thus making their decisions about hiring ITLs problematic. Governing bodies of librarianship may wish to consider establishing nation-wide guidelines and/or bridging education programs to facilitate the integration of ITLs with ICs into the North American workforce.     

Research data management services in academic research libraries and perceptions of librarians

The emergence of data intensive science and the establishment of data management mandates have motivated academic libraries to develop research data services (RDS) for their faculty and students. Here the results of two studies are reported: librarians' RDS practices in U.S. and Canadian academic research libraries, and the RDS-related library policies in those or similar libraries. Results show that RDS are currently not frequently employed in libraries, but many services are in the planning stages. Technical RDS are less common than informational RDS, RDS are performed more often for faculty than for students, and more library directors believe they offer opportunities for staff to develop RDS-related skills than the percentage of librarians who perceive such opportunities to be available. Librarians need opportunities to learn more about these services either on campus or through attendance at workshops and professional conferences.     

Myth or reality: The absence of evangelical Christian fiction titles in the public libraries of the United States

With the emergence of evangelical Christian popular culture, debate persists about whether public libraries in the United States are purchasing evangelical Christian fiction. This study examines the presence or absence of best-selling evangelical Christian fiction titles from 1990 to 1999 in public libraries in comparison with the presence or absence of mainstream fiction bestsellers from the same period. Public libraries of some states purchase more evangelical fiction titles than others, and the proportion of evangelical fiction titles relative to total fiction titles also varies widely from state to state, and from census region to census region. Using data on the percentage of total religious adherents and evangelical adherents, variously defined, in states and census regions of the United States, a series of indexes was developed to rank states according to the proportion of their evangelical fiction titles in public libraries relative to the percentage of their evangelical population. In addition, there was a statistically significant relationship between the proportion of evangelical adherents in a state and the proportion of evangelical fiction titles held as a percentage of total fiction titles in public libraries, even when total expenditures for books and per capita expenditures were controlled for.     

E-Journal Cataloging in an Age of Alternatives: A Survey of Academic Libraries

This article reports on a survey of U.S. academic libraries that was conducted in the spring of 2008 to determine if and how academic libraries were actively cataloging e-journals in the age of the OpenURL, A–Z journal lists, and the batch loading of purchased MARC records.     

Fiction in Nigerian Public Libraries

This article reports the results of a survey of the provision and use of fiction in Nigerian public libraries. Evidence shows that, despite carefully framed acquisitions policy statements regarding fiction, in actual fact the public libraries allocate only a small percentage of their meagre book funds to fiction. Consequently, the fiction collections of these libraries are very small, and library clients borrow much less fiction than nonfiction. Nevertheless, Nigerian public libraries have a special interest in acquiring and promoting the reading of indigenous fiction.     

RECRUITMENT OF ACADEMIC LIBRARIANS

In order to establish recruitment procedures to fill professional vacancies, a committee was formed to investigate current recruitment and selection practices in academic libraries. The literature on recruitment was reviewed, and a questionnaire was sent to libraries at large academic institutions across the U.S. Results indicated that recruitment practices are not uniform, but that most libraries attempt to advertise widely. The survey revealed that the level of participation of professional staff in recruitment and selection procedures varies greatly. Search committees are used for all levels of professional positions, but their charges and power are not well-defined or consistent. Little standardization of recruitment and selection practices exists. Social sciences librarians may be especially interested in this application of a social science method-that of the structured survey-to a library issue.     

E-book ILL in Academic Libraries: A Three-Year Trend Report

In spite of the widespread trend of e-book adoption by U.S. academic libraries, interlibrary loan (ILL) of e-books is significantly lagging behind because of license agreement restrictions, unstandardized platforms, library policies, and technological barriers. More recently, the long-cherished tradition of ILL has been further challenged, because an increasing number of academic libraries are adopting user-based e-book purchasing models that have the potential to bypass ILL. This paper compares the findings of two longitudinal surveys on e-book ILL practices in U.S. academic libraries, based on random sampling. The results from inferential statistical analyses reveal that, while inter-library lending of entire e-books is seldom practiced and shows no growth, e-book chapter ILL is becoming more prevalent in U.S. academic libraries. Librarians have grown more knowledgeable about licensing and technological issues, but their perceptions of these barriers are mixed. The study also shows that larger institutions are more likely to perform e-book ILL services, and their librarians tend to be more positive about the future of e-book ILL.     

Attempts to televise parliament

Concern in Canada about U.S. cultural and economic “invasions” is not new—and here is some support for the contention that despite Canadian content regulations of recent years a large portion of the Canadian population still sees heavily Americanized TV programming simply because much of that programming comes directly from the U.S.—not via cable or Canadian stations subject to Canadian controls. The authors (a husband‐wife team) work in the Boston area, where Richard Nielson is on the Boston University faculty. Angela Nielson is a freelance writer‐researcher.