Academic Libraries and Autism Spectrum Disorder: What Do We Know?

This paper examines the rising rates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children in the United States (1 in 59), and explores the role academic libraries can play in helping college students with ASD. A literature review of how different types of libraries (school, public, academic) support students with ASD indicates research in this area in general is lacking. Findings point to lack of adequate training and awareness for librarians and staff, resources, services and spaces are universal challenges. Several initiatives that academic libraries and librarians may consider in helping students with ASD are identified and described.     

Library involvement in an autism support program: A case study

Abstract

The Students with Autism Transitional Education Program (STEP) at Eastern Illinois University is one of the few of its kind and is a leader in supporting college students with autism. Eastern Illinois University Library Services teamed up with the STEP in order to provide support to the students in the program. Students were interviewed about their experiences in the library in order to determine what their impressions of the library were and what potential needs they had. Students largely viewed the library as a safe haven and a great place for quiet study. Based on feedback, this case study also offers suggestions for improvement to make college and university libraries more welcoming to people with autism.     

Library Consortia are Poised to Support Affordable Learning in Higher Education

Abstract

As the cost of college attendance rises, affordable learning as a concept now encompasses attempts to address sharp increases in the cost of college textbooks for students. Through their expertise and negotiating power, library consortia have a unique opportunity to address textbook affordability in higher education—and OhioLINK is a leading example. It moved into negotiations with the “Big Five” global academic textbook publishers on behalf of its members in late 2017, and by July 2018 it had secured wholesale price agreements with all five: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., McGraw-Hill Education, Pearson, Macmillan Learning and Cengage. In the interest of assisting the library community at large (and college students everywhere), here’s what we’ve learned thus far.     

Academic librarians' support of autistic college students: A quasi-experimental study

The role of academic libraries and librarians in support of autistic students has been studied on a limited basis with no confirmation on how to best convey knowledge of support services most effectively. A quasi-experimental research protocol with three academic library sites and related professional development treatments enabled comparison on the impact of online training alone, online coaching combined with coaching, and existing autism support programs. Academic librarians' knowledge and attitudes, along with measures of the library's physical environment were calculated pre and post training. Results showed that coaching, combined with online instruction, is the most effective professional development strategy for increasing knowledge of academic library patrons on the autism spectrum; librarians are enthusiastic to learn more about services taking place in other academic libraries, and small changes in the library environment can be impactful.     

From the Library Plaza to the Golden Dome

Abstract

Creative, effective use of a committee can accomplish much toward increasing library outreach to the various constituents served. This article will address the outreach activities of the Georgia State University (GSU) Pullen Library's Communications and Public Relations Committee (C&PR), a library standing committee that has developed into a major contributor for Pullen Library public relations. The communities served by the library's C&PR are defined as GSU students, faculty and staff, and the wider metropolitan community of Atlanta, especially Georgia legislators and university and library donors. C&PR has responsibility for a variety of projects and events that serve these communities, such as Leadership Appreciation Night (the event for Georgia Legislators), Faculty Authors Exhibits, and displays for students and staff, such as Freshmen Week and Staff Information Day. This paper will also address the changing role of the committee as needs for public relations activities change in the university and     

A Study of Nontraditional Students' Perceptions of Their Library Research Skills

Abstract

The focus of this study is nontraditional students and their perceptions of their library research skills. Governors State University (GSU) in Illinois has a majority of returning adult students. The average age of students is 36 years old. This is a unique population to survey because nontraditional college students are becoming more prevalent. Not all college students are ages 18-22. There is a growing percentage of older students attending college. The findings from the survey discuss how students perceive their library research skills and how their skills have or have not progressed since attending GSU. The issue of the academic library becoming automated since some of these students last attended school is addressed. Recommendations are given for those students who will attend GSU in the future.     

Outreach at a Public,Academic, Regional Library- Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

Summary

Bell Library at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi has reached beyond its walls to utilize as well as to enrich the diverse community resources in our midst. In terms of distance education library support, the purpose is to compensate libraries that support A&M-Corpus Christi students living in their locales. In terms of consortium arrangements, we have played an integral part in the creation of the Coastal Bend Health Information Network, which is a unique blend of local college/university libraries and local hospitals. We have implemented the rather novel idea of having a specialized library, specifically a hospital library, outsource its library operations to our university library. When the local Art Institute of South Texas was brought under the university's organizational umbrella, Bell Library's contribution was to provide acquisition, processing, and cataloging support for Art Institute library holdings. We have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with a “sister library” in Mexico. In summary, Bell Library strives to know and cultivate community interests that parallel our own.     

大学生的图书馆获得感及其对阅读意愿的影响——以天津美术学院为例

从获得感的视角把握大学生对图书馆的综合感知水平,以期为强化大学生阅读意愿提供数据参考。本文以天津美术学院为例,使用Binary Logistic回归方法,从空间资源环境和人文环境两个维度分析大学生的图书馆获得感及其对阅读意愿的影响。结果发现,大学生的图书馆获得感处于一般水平且具有层次特征;大学生图书馆获得感存在群体差异,微信公众号使用程度、月阅读量、主要阅读方式及阅读能力感知的影响显著;在控制个体特征后,大学生的图书馆获得感对其阅读意愿具有显著的正向影响。     

User wayfinding strategies in public library facilities

An experiment in a public library demonstrates that Passini's conceptual framework of wayfinding can be applied to public library patron wayfinding behavior. Participants were asked to think aloud while completing prescribed wayfinding tasks. Findings indicate that library patrons use all five of Passini's strategies to varying degrees, supporting the need for further research testing this framework with library patrons. Participants were given varying level of details on Passini's strategies prior to completing the wayfinding tasks, and that intervention had no significant effect on the results.     

Assessing the 24/5 Library: A Case Study in Data and Perspectives

The 24-hour/5-days-per-week (24/5) model at Belk Library & Information Commons has experienced multiple changes since first implemented in 2006. First the library started small, then expanded, then reduced, and finally expanded again. This article tells the story of a library's 24/5 evolution within the assessment cycle framework, describes how data and perspective played a role in decisions, provides data on overnight head counts, offers a glimpse into the types of activities engaged in by students during overnight hours, describes student led advocacy efforts to reinstate library hours, and provides an overview of operations and security officer protocol.     

Challenges Faced by Reference Librarians in Familiarizing Adult Students with the Computerized Library of Today: The Cuesta College Experience

Summary

Adult students face several challenges in their encounters with the new computerized library of today. Having been out of school for several years many adult students are unfamiliar with the computerized revolution that has taken place within the library. Reference librarians on the other hand, face several challenges in helping adult students become familiarized with the new technologies. This article discusses some of the challenges both adult students and reference librarians face at Cuesta College, a mid-size community college in San Luis Obispo, California. Successful techniques for addressing some of these challenges are also exemplified.     

Measurement of communication flexibility: Working adults vs. college students

Earlier work has indicated that certain groups of adults might be disproportionately inflexible in their communicative interactions, but conclusions are uncertain due to the accepted practice of sampling college students to develop and validate measures. This study compared working adults with college student respondents on the Communication Flexibility scale (Martin & Rubin, 1994). Results from two samples of working adults indicate that adults score lower on communication flexibility than do traditional college students. This reinforces researchers’ need to be aware that some measures’ norms may vary depending on the targeted population.     

LISTENing to healthcare students: the impact of new library facilities on the quality of services

Following a low assessment of 'Learning resources' provision by the Quality Assurance Agency, the librarian of Homerton College, School of Health Studies commenced the LISTEN Project, a long-term study to monitor the effects of planned interventions on the quality of library provision. Surveys of entry-to-register student nurses & midwives were conducted in 1999 and 2001 by extensive questionnaires, inviting Likert-scaled and free text responses. Following a college relocation, students made greater than expected use of a new health studies library in Cambridge, and significantly less use of the local teaching hospital library. Using both a satisfaction index and a non-parametric test of mean scores, student evaluation of library services in Cambridge significantly improved following relocation. The physical accommodation and location of library services remain important to healthcare students. Identifiable improvements to the quality of services, however, will overcome initial resistance to change. Education providers must ensure the best mix of physical and electronic services for students who spend much of their time on clinical placement.     

Being a Librarian Isn't Enough: The Importance of a Nonlibrary Research Agenda for the Academic Librarian: A Case Study

Subject specialist college librarians can become producers and disseminators of knowledge by pursuing an active research agenda in their nonlibrary field. Research in an academic discipline can inform and enhance the college librarian's teaching, research, and collection development practices. Through such research, college librarians can elevate their personal status among their nonlibrary colleagues and students, as well as the prestige of their library and the library profession. Suggestions for managing traditional librarian duties and pursuing a nonlibrary research agenda are included.     

What do freshmen really know about research? Assess before you teach

The paper describes an effort to assess the information literacy skills of first year college students. An instrument was developed and information was gathered on students' experience and comfort in conducting library research as well as their perceived competence with specific information literacy skills. In addition, students completed a skills test to assess specific knowledge and skills relating to information literacy. Entering freshmen generally self-reported their skills to be less than “excellent.” This finding was supported by the results of the skills test. Strengths and weaknesses in information literacy skills are reported as well as implications for librarians who assess and teach these skills to students.     

First-generation students and the first-year transition: State of the literature and implications for library researchers

Few researchers have investigated the library needs of first-generation students in their first year of college or of the structurally disadvantaged groups who disproportionately comprise the first-generation student population. Without understanding how students' intersectional identities manifest in different library use, librarians cannot determine whether library services are helping, neglecting, or harming students. This article critiques the current state of the literature on first-year first-generation students, identifies critical areas for further study, and explains the utility of academic capital and library anxiety as theoretical frameworks to inform future research on first-generation students and first-year students, respectively.     

大学生利用电子资源的现状调查与分析——以华东师范大学图书馆为例

采用光沉积-液相化学法调节电子流向,构建了直接Z型TiO₂/Ag/Ag₃PO_{(4 )}(TAAPO)光催化材料.通过扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、X射线衍射仪(XRD)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、紫外-可见漫反射光谱仪以及光致发光(PL)光谱仪等手段对其进行表征,并对其在可见光照射下催化降解环丙沙星(CIP)的性能进行了研究.结果表明,当水体pH为3.0,催化剂分散浓度为0.3 g/L,CIP的初始浓度为15 mg/L时,光催化降解体系能够取得最佳的去除效果.在该组条件下,光照120 min CIP的降解率约为99%,并且在经历4个循环后仍然保持了良好的降解效果.在光催化降解CIP的过程中,主要反应活性物种为超氧自由基(·O₂     

An Investigation into the Knowledge and Use of Electronic Library Resources in Jamaican Community Colleges

ABSTRACT

This study used a quantitative survey to investigate the knowledge and use of online databases and the library's online public access catalog by final-year business associate degree students in five selected Jamaican community colleges. The study sought to determine students’ knowledge of electronic library resources, their value for electronic and print resources, the purposes for which students use electronic library resources, the influences on student use of electronic library resources, and the effects of training and instruction. Results from the study indicated that students are increasingly using Internet search engines for research purposes rather than online databases. Results also indicated that electronic library resources such as the OPAC are being underutilized by community college students. It was evident that proper instructional guidance is needed and welcomed by students. The findings of the study are critical to the implementation of policies and procedures geared toward sensitizing school administrators, library professionals, and other stakeholders to the benefits of increasing students’ knowledge and use of electronic library resources. Data will aid administrators in strategic planning and investments pertaining to these resources, and provide recommendations to improve knowledge and use of these resources within libraries. The research illustrates the special needs of community college students in Jamaica, particularly relating to needed instructional programs, in an effort to impart knowledge and promote the use of electronic library resources in these colleges.     

ABD or EdD? A Model of Library Training for Distance Doctoral Students

ABSTRACT

Libraries have been struggling for years to move beyond 1-shot library training. In spite of efforts in the last decade to promote information literacy for undergraduate and graduate students alike, libraries more often than not are still not reaching the goals articulated in the Association of College & Research Libraries's information literacy standards. The problems are compounded when institutions serve students who also happen to be taking part or all of their classes online or at field-based sites. The model for providing a library training program for students in the Doctor of Education (EdD) program in a distance program focuses on providing students with training that builds sequentially and developmentally at the points of need for students in the 1st year of classes and provides additional support for students once they have completed their course work. This multistepped approach is designed to help doctoral students throughout the doctoral process.