Evaluating Academic Library Outreach to Determine Return on Investment for Student Success

Campus outreach is a key part of an academic library’s service mission. However, the literature demonstrates a lack of assessment around library outreach, particularly from an institution-wide or programmatic perspective. The University of Houston Libraries assembled a team to evaluate return on investment for the Libraries outreach activities in service of meeting student success goals. This article shares the methodology, results, and recommendations made as a result of this project, with implications for outreach programs at other academic libraries.     

Books,Bytes, and Buildings: The Academic Library's Unique Role in Improving Student Success

Student persistence and completion are paramount in higher education, and institutions are employing targeted programs and initiatives to address these concerns. The academic library can play an especially important role in these efforts, given its unique interdisciplinary mission and its integrated instructional programs. With a foundation in both higher education and library and information science literatures, this article describes how one academic library engaged in cross-campus programs, partnerships, and initiatives to contribute to student success efforts. Other libraries may find these examples useful as they consider how to frame their work in the context of their institutions’ student persistence efforts.     

Managing Exploratory Units in Academic Libraries

Abstract

This article describes the role of exploratory teams in leading radical innovation within academic libraries, empirically expanding on Jantz’s research on the managerial and environmental conditions necessary for the creation of such units. Using historical and contemporary private-sector examples, as well as an in-depth case study from successful implementation of one such unit, this article documents the components, characteristics, and return on investment associated with academic library R&D. Finally, by tackling the concept of exploratory activities at the organization, team, and individual levels, the article presents actionable techniques for fully supporting, and adequately nurturing creative professionals whose job is to redefine 21st century librarianship.     

Student Journey Work: A Review of Academic Library Contributions to Student Transition and Success

This review aims to capture projects, services, and approaches that are being used to ensure student success and sustainability across the stages (or transitions) of the student experience of higher education, where these extend the traditional role of the library, in the UK and internationally. The article examines why the student journey (and supporting it) has become a central part of the contemporary academic library's repertoire. Fundamentally, through a student lifecycle perspective the author will attempt to show how academic libraries contribute to their university's bottom line? Finally, the article will reflect on strategic implications and areas for further investigation.     

Student Employment in Academic Libraries:

No abstract available for this article.     

Collaborating for Success: The Digital Library of the Caribbean

This article will provide a brief overview of the successes of the Digital Library of the Caribbean, an open access, multi-institutional, multilingual, inclusive, international digital library. It will discuss factors that support the sustainability of robust technical infrastructures, collaborative partnerships, shared governance, and shared interests in advancing Caribbean scholarly research. Partner relationships and shared governance are at the heart of the creativity and solutions which continue to grow the largest Caribbean content digital library in the world.     

Biking to Academic Success: A Study on a Bike Desk Implementation at an Academic Library

Sedentary behavior has increased over the last several decades, and this has led to major life-threatening health issues. Texas A&M University Libraries has introduced an innovative idea in three of their buildings. This case study highlights the implementation of Bike Desks at an academic library while offering strategies for other libraries wishing to replicate this project, and analyzes data from a user survey. The survey explored student experiences, including perceived satisfaction and any perceived gains in study habits while using the Bike Desk.     

Collaborating Around Critical Multiliteracies: A Formula for Success

This article explores facets of effective collaboration between a librarian and a professor in the education field at a master's-level public institution. When we reflected on what made (and continues to make) our collaboration work, we discovered what actions and approaches proved most critical. Accordingly, we frame what helped us collectively become more literate around four pieces of advice: (1) Move what you offer closer to end users and make it “just right”; (2) unite around similar purpose; (3) create wins for all; and (4) leave them wanting more.     

Training Student Workers for Cross-Departmental Success in an Academic Library: A New Model

Many academic libraries rely on a student workforce for everyday operations, interacting with patrons, and assistance with larger projects. Training these students for such multifaceted and customer-service-focused positions can be a challenge. This article traces an overhaul of training procedures made during the transition to a centralized, services desk workflow. All aspects of training a large student workforce, from planning and presentation to assessment, are outlined. Interactive group sessions and peer-to-peer reinforcement of procedures have proven to be most effective in training student workers for varied roles in an academic library.     

Breaking New Ground: The Case for Seed Libraries in the Academic Library

Seed libraries are a relatively new innovation in the library field, offering seeds, gardening information, and the opportunity for community and ecological engagement to members. While they are increasingly popular in public libraries, they have not yet established a foothold in academic libraries. This paper defines the nature and role of seed libraries, the current state of seed libraries in North American universities, and offers recommendations for the establishment of seed libraries in academic libraries.     

国外高校图书馆留学生延伸服务及思考

[目的/意义] 留学生是高校图书馆的特殊的用户群体,国外高校图书馆对留学生延伸服务的研究已有较长历史和实践经验,通过对相关研究成果的分析为国内高校图书馆提高留学生延伸服务提供意见和建议。[方法/过程] 通过文献分析法对部分国外相关研究和实践进行考察和分析。[结果/结论] 国外相关研究重视案例及数据分析,对不同层次留学生延伸服务提出不同的研究重点,重视比较分析、研究方法的科学性及社交媒介带来的影响。我国高校图书馆留学生延伸服务的研究及其实践应注重多方合作和国际化服务能力的提升,并朝更加细化、多元化和个性化的方向发展。     

Boot Camps for Graduate Student Success: A Collaborative Initiative

Although graduate students are interested in learning data, grant, literature research, presentation, scholarly communication, and writing and publishing skills – topics not typically taught within their curriculum – scheduling conflicts during the academic year often prevent them from attending workshops that teach these skills. This article describes a grant-funded initiative where multiple campus units collaborated to provide themed boot camps outside of the fall and spring semesters. It also offers recommendations for adapting such a program at other institutions for lower cost, which administrators and practitioners in higher education, especially in academic libraries, may be particularly interested in.     

Collaborate or Die! Collection Development in Today's Academic Library

SUMMARY

The practice of collection development faces many challenges in the present and likely future library environment. The following text presents concepts for collaboration as viable solutions to these challenges for collection development in academic libraries. In particular, a model of collaboration involving department faculty representatives and library liaisons is discussed. Consulting professional literature on this topic has offered insight into the establishment of librarian-faculty relationships, the process of collaboration, benefits of collaboration, as well as problems that may result from such cooperative relationships. Examples are illustrated from experiences at three academic libraries: University of Nevada Las Vegas, University of South Florida, and Hillsborough Community College.     

Leveraging Student Employee Expertise for Collection Projects

Collection stewardship responsibilities of academic librarians continue to be supported by approval plans, large e-resource packages, and material leasing programs. But while those technologies and programs can save time, librarians still find it challenging to engage with in-depth collection projects like systematic weeding, evaluation, and use analysis. At the same time, student employees are seeking opportunities for experiential learning and acquiring skills translatable to the professional world. The authors suggest some creative ways to match librarians’ collection needs and students’ job expectations by providing opportunities for these employees to collaborate with librarians in the management, development, and marketing of collections.     

Supporting Student Success in the First-Year Experience: Library Instruction in the Learning Management System

This article discusses how the Library and Office of Institutional Research at a public college measured the relationship of an online information literacy module in the learning management system with student success metrics in a first-year experience course. Specifically, the authors examine the relationships of an online instruction module, online module completion status, library use sessions, and student success metrics, such as semester grade point average (GPA), one-year retention, and academic standing. The results suggest that students who participated in the online information literacy module had better student outcomes than those that did not participate in the module. Research assignment grade and library use sessions are found as significant predictors of student semester GPA and one-year retention, controlling for high school GPA, student characteristics, and utilization of student support services. Practice implications are discussed.     

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.     

Propagating Your Story with Pinterest: Possibilities for Academic Libraries

Abstract

This article explores ways that academic libraries can promote their resources and services, as well as their roles in their communities with the help of Pinterest. It is the first study to examine the usage of Pinterest in an academic library of Bangladesh. Academic libraries have many options for using Pinterest to enhance resources and services. It is a versatile way for academic libraries to connect with patrons as well as reach patrons to enlighten about the significance of the library’s roles in communities. This article provides a literature review giving a special focus on the opportunities of using Pinterest for academic libraries. In addition, the author provides examples of successful ways of using the Pinterest account of East West University library, Dhaka, Bangladesh.     

Thinking Like a Student: Subject Guides in Small Academic Libraries

ABSTRACT

Small academic libraries must produce Web-based subject guides despite limited budgets. This practical communication describes how one such library in Australia used freely available wiki software and third-party hosting to create a set of Web-based subject guides. A subsequent redesign was then based around typical student tasks. This case demonstrates that it is possible to produce high-quality guides that meet student needs with minimal costs.     

Balancing Act for the Future: How the Academic Library Engages in Collection Development at the Local and Consortial Levels

ABSTRACT

Collection development remains a major focus and concern of current interest for all types of libraries. Consortia began as a means of sharing resources and of leveraging purchasing power for its members. How does a library balance its individual collection needs, both present and future, when it is a member of a consortium? Do the expectations of the consortium outweigh the needs of the individual library member? This article will address how an academic library engages in collection development at the local and consortia levels, addresses the benefits and challenges of consortia memberships, and responds to its local patrons in light of its obligations and commitment to a consortium.