Information Skills for Distance Learning

Abstract

In spring 1997, the Education Services department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) Health Sciences Library (HSL) developed six Web-based tutorials designed to teach information skills. This paper describes how the modules were created.     

A Down Under Reference Experience

Summary

In the summer of 1999, the author, a library science student pursuing his master's degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, travelled to Australia to do a field experience at the University of Sydney Law Library. This article talks about his experience, discussing, among other issues, his experiences behind the reference desk and difficulties in learning how to research Australian law.     

Telefax Protocol and the “Nouveau Faxe”

Abstract

Forty U.S. and Canadian medical libraries are electronically transmitting interlibrary loans to the Eastern European Medical Library of Latvia. This resource sharing initiative is an outgrowth of a pilot project of the International Cooperation Section of the Medical Library Association. The interlibrary loans are sent free of charge using the National Library of Medicine's DOCLINE system. This article will discuss the success of this program and how it started.     

Providing a State-Wide Digital Library

Summary

The State Library of Delaware has brought DelAWARE: The Digital Library of the First State into being in regular, steady increments. Providing a digital library for a state library network, no matter how small, is always a project both blessed with support systems and fraught with unforeseen obstacles. You just never know what will happen next or who will show up to save the day.

By steadfastly working and collaborating with all partners (librarians, vendors, state agencies), De/AWARE: The Digital Library of the First State is being brought into existence, a product at a time. By addressing the needs and difficulties of its users, the digital library grows into something uniquely useful for the state and its citizens.     

A best-fit solution: transforming an NHS Library and Knowledge Service in readiness for a new hospital building without a traditional library space

Background:Over a decade ago, the Hill report argued that a shift in vision was required to change the perception of National Health Service (NHS) Library and Knowledge Services (LKS) in England from “book repositories” to essential services that underpin clinical decision-making by patients, carers, and health care professionals. Health Education England''s Knowledge for Healthcare: A Development Framework for Library and Knowledge Services in England 2015–2020 advocates embedding librarians within clinical and management teams in order to provide access to high-quality evidence at the point of need.Case Presentation:In April 2019, Royal Papworth Hospital relocated twelve miles from its historic village location in Papworth Everard to its new state-of-the-art hospital on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. The design for this new hospital did not accommodate a traditional library space and therefore necessitated a transformation of the LKS. The organization opted to embed the LKS staff into the clinical setting and relegate 80% of the print collection to off-site storage. This project and its associated steps are presented as an example of health care library transformation.Conclusion:Embedding the LKS team in the clinical setting, engaging in proactive outreach activity, and improving our marketing led to a 44% increase in literature searches requested compared to the same eleven-month period in the previous year. A 40% decrease in our print book loans indicates additional barriers to using a click-and-collect service and the need for greater investment in our e-book provision. However, early outcomes for our best-fit service transformation are positive. Having an open, dual mindset has enabled the service to embrace change and maximize emerging opportunities to collaborate with clinical staff on new projects.     

The Klaipeda University Library in Lithuania

Summary

The author, Library Director at the University of Klaipeda (Lithuania) and Washington State University Libraries' Library Fellow, writes about her own library in the context of other Lithuanian academic libraries and emerging consortia in Lithuania and the European Community. Both the Consortium of Lithuanian Libraries' project, the Lithuanian Integrated Library Information System (LIBIS), and the European Community's project, the Trans-European Cooperative Scheme for Higher Education (TEMPUS), are specifically noted. The author also offers both her impressions of American academic libraries gathered during her experience as a Library Fellow based at Washington State University Libraries and her hopes for the future of academic libraries in Lithuania.     

An Academic Library's Self-Study in Ethics: A Library-Wide Investigation of Ethical Practice

Abstract

In the fall of 2017, the Clark Library at the University of Portland undertook an investigation of ethics in academic libraries to understand ethical practices in the library’s day-to-day work. The self-study was a year-long, library-wide project with directed activities within small groups, individually assigned readings and responses, and discussions at all-staff meetings. The project culminated in three specific deliverables: an annotated bibliography focused on ethical issues by functional area, a Clark Library Statement of Ethics, and a Statement of Ethical Information Use for inclusion in University syllabi.     

Flash-Authoring Tools

Abstract

Library projects to develop online instructional media can strain budgets and resources for technical expertise. New Flash-authoring tools may provide an inexpensive, easy-to-use, and quick alternative for librarians. The University Library at Cleveland State used a Flash-authoring tool to create a series of Web-based learning modules to deliver library instruction to undergraduate students. An overview of the technology, leading products, and Cleveland State's project, along with practical considerations for librarians is included.     

“A community of common descent”: Planning the documentation of diaspora through the Electronic Irish Research Experience

ABSTRACT

In 2014, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library at the University of Montana–Missoula was awarded a one-year National Leadership planning grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to explore the development of EIRE, the Electronic Irish Research Experience. EIRE was conceived as a digital humanities project to address gaps in the scholarship on the Irish in the United States by bringing private and institutional archival collections together online. Throughout the planning year, the Mansfield Library and its partners refined the scope of EIRE, prioritized certain aspects of the project over others, and grappled with questions of sustainability, accessibility, and resource allocation. This article shares our vision, process, results, and lessons learned.     

Developing an Outreach Program Based on Freedom Songs

SUMMARY

The Flint Public Library developed the grant funded program, “The Power of Song: Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round,” to provide young people with in-depth exposure to the creative and purposeful aspects of the protest traditions of African-American freedom songs. The project used the resources of the Library to promote individual student and community research.     

Teaching PubMed in Cyberspace: The Development of a Self-Learning Package

ABSTRACT

This article discusses the development of a series of online modules for learning the PubMed version of MEDLINE. Funded by a National Library of Medicine grant and targeted initially to physician assistants practicing in New Hampshire, the project is approved for CE credit nationally by the American Association of Physician Assistants. The development of the project is described, the tutorial modules are reviewed, and issues encountered with technology and human factors are discussed and evaluated.     

Electronic Reserves at Fort Lewis College Using Innovative Interfaces,Millennium Integrated Library System

Abstract

The John F. Reed Library at Fort Lewis College (FLC) implemented Electronic Reserves in the fall semester, 2003. FLC is a four-year liberal arts college in Durango, Colorado, with just over 4,000 students. Staff members use the Innovative Interfaces, Millennium Integrated Library System with the Course Reserves module along with Adobe Acrobat for scanning documents. The case study provides information on getting started, management of the project, necessary documentation, copyright concerns, implementation, statistics, and future directions.     

From Clutter to Cash

Abstract

In 2003 the University of Maryland's Engineering and Physical Sciences Library conducted a pilot project selling gift books on the Internet resulting in gross sales totaling $9,326, a net profit of $6,917, for only 96 calculated staff hours. This article describes this project from inception through conclusion summarizing the detailed processes needed to get started and make it profitable, while also giving step-by-step advice on running an online book sale. After 3 years of operation (over $18,000 in sales), the project came to an end when the Library Administration Earned Income Committee recommended retail sales such as this not be part of the libraries' mission.     

Library Research Project for First-Year Engineering Students: Results from Collaboration by Teaching and Library Faculty

SUMMARY

This article will discuss three years of collaboration between the Freshman Engineering Program and the Engineering Library of the University Library System at the University of Pittsburgh. This collaboration has resulted in a library research project that is integrated into the freshman curriculum. The project ultimately provides the students with a research structure for presentations in an annual mock professional conference. The mission of the Freshman Engineering Program's academic and advising components is to create a first-year experience that promotes the student's continued pursuit of an engineering degree through commitment to clearly understood and self-declared goals. The goal for the Engineering Library is to introduce library research as a necessary skill-set for successful engineers. The successful outcome of all of these goals requires the collaboration between “teaching” faculty and “library” faculty and results in better prepared, more focused students. Developing and integrating a library research project into the freshman engineering academic curriculum is a significant opportunity for library instruction, and the approach demonstrated here may be transferable to other disciplines.     

Academic Engagement in the Library Commons

Abstract

Beginning in July 2002, the Health Sciences Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill underwent an 11 million dollar renovation. During three phases of the renovation, parts of the collection were inaccessible to patrons. In order to continue to make the library's collection available, library staff created a paging system. Patrons submitted requests for needed library materials using paper and electronic forms and library staff retrieved the requested items. The paging service was modified three times based on prior experience. Patrons were generally satisfied with the service. The renovation ended in December 2004.     

The Ins and Outs of Providing Electronic Reserves for Distance Learning Classes

Abstract

Distance Learning Library Services at the University of Kentucky provided an electronic reserves service as a pilot project for distance learning courses in the 2000–01 academic year. Distance Learning Programs, which is a part of the Distance Learning Technology Center, funded the project. Policies and procedures were formulated, an account was set up with the Copyright Clearance Center, and the service was marketed. Our first electronic reserves were available for the Fall 2000 semester.     

Organizing Interpretive Text for a Digital Library: How User Testing Found the Lost Frontier

SUMMARY

This paper looks at exercises done with user focus groups and how they have influenced the reorganization of Meeting of Frontiers' interpretive text content. Meeting of Frontiers is an international collaborative digital library project at the Library of Congress. Testing consisted of a user survey and card sorting exercises in order to refine the site hierarchy and identify problems with design proposals.     

Russian National Electronic Children's Library

ABSTRACT

The Russian State Children's Library (RGDB) is the largest children's library in the world and has been serving as a cultural and educational center for more than 45 years. Important aspects of RGDB's activities are the development of electronic resources and setting up the library site for distant users. The National Electronic Children's Library in Russia is a specialized digital collection of publications about children and for children. This article focuses on these aspects and the future steps of the project.     

OpenAthens odyssey: challenges of implementing federated authentication for a multi-institutional user population

Background:The Texas Medical Center (TMC) is home to one of the world''s largest cohorts of faculty, students, researchers, and clinicians who rely on seamless and immediate access to digital biomedical and health resources. This group is served by the TMC Library, with a collection that includes over 380,000 ebooks and 59,000 ejournals. In 2018, the TMC Library implemented OpenAthens, a federated authentication system to replace a locally hosted instance of EZproxy.Case Presentation:The TMC Library is unique in its multi-institutional user population, which presents distinct challenges in adopting a single sign-on authentication system. Our project involved OpenAthens technical support, information technology teams from six academic institutions, and over thirty publishers. Implementation included the creation of an OpenAthens parent account, an active user directory, a resource catalog, and installation of our OpenAthens credentials at each publisher site. Because the TMC Library serves multiple institutions, OpenAthens built a custom login page and a portal to support both single sign-on and a generic username and password option. This case report discusses the reasons why OpenAthens was chosen, the preparation methods for implementation, the various challenges encountered and resolved, and recommendations for other health sciences libraries considering this system.Conclusions:The OpenAthens system provides important benefits: granular usage reports, single sign-on access, and data to negotiate reduced pricing for online resources. With prior knowledge and preparation, health sciences libraries can successfully implement OpenAthens with customizations tailored to their specific resources and user population.