Applying Traditional Librarianship to New Roles for Special Librarians

ABSTRACT

Public and academic libraries continue to have a vital role in providing reference services. As more and more information is only available in electronic form, reference librarians need to reaffirm their core values. Some of the changes happening in reference include smaller reference collections, the disposition of printed reference books, and the increased use of electronic tools. Other topics include different service models for the reference desk, the changing nature of reference questions, and changes in staffing at the reference desk. Finally, the authors speculate about the future of reference services.     

Do Off-Campus Students Use E-Books?

ABSTRACT

The number of electronic books (e-books) that are available is increasing rapidly. Libraries are acquiring them individually, in large groups, and as part of collections. Off-campus librarians perceive them to be the best solution to the problems and expenses related to loaning and shipping print books to off-campus students. This study looks at the usage of e-books by off-campus students at Central Michigan University (CMU) to see if usage patterns can assist librarians with e-book collection development to support off-campus programs.     

What Would You Like Earth's Largest Library to Be?

Abstract

A college librarian reflects on the role of libraries and how they address local needs in the age of electronic library collections. He explores the question of whether a conglomeration of all books ever published can replace collections developed by librarians who know their patron base.     

Electronic vs. Print Reference Sources in Public Library Collections

Summary

The evolution of electronic sources has had a significant impact on reference collections in libraries, and public library reference collections are no exception.

Evaluating, selecting, and organizing sources to meet the needs of public library users has always been a fundamental role of public librarians. However, now they have the added responsibility of evaluating electronic resources and deciding whether the electronic sources will supplement or replace traditional paper reference sources. Issues of authority, accessibility, cost, comfort, and user education must be carefully weighed during this evaluative process.     

Demand for E-books in an Academic Library

ABSTRACT

Rather than create a collection solely to support distance learners, libraries should consider the needs of all customers when developing a digital library. The acceptance of digital libraries is dependant upon the conversion of resources to an electronic format that is easy to use and is fully searchable. While electronic journals are widely accepted by most academic library customers, the delivery of online books has had a very different acceptance rate. Rather than support the sequential reading of books, electronic books are commonly used to find information and can be particularly well-suited for reference purposes. This article will provide insight into the history of e-book models and evaluate the usage statistics of a large electronic book collection in an academic library.     

Electronic Stacks

Summary

The awareness of Web sources in reference service has risen in recent years as many reference librarians have become more Internet-minded. During the reference process, we often ask ourselves: can this question be answered by using the Web?

The use of Web sources is expanding the amount of available reference information, enhancing individual libraries' collections, and, hence, providing better user service. There are many benefits in using the Web sources in reference service. There are also some drawbacks. Some useful Web sources are reviewed.

The Web, when used properly, provides reference librarians with a valuable resource option to help improve their services in an effective manner.     

Approaches,Techniques, and Criteria for Serials Evaluation in the Electronic Environment

Abstract

An overview of traditional methods of evaluating serials collections and serial titles is presented and applied to electronic resources. Traditional methods such as holdings, checklist, conspectus, availability studies, document delivery studies, citation studies and use studies used for the evaluation of serials collections in print can be modified for the evaluation of electronic serials collections. Issues, problems and challenges associated with electronic serials evaluation are then outlined, and conclusions that emphasize the continuing importance of serials evaluation in the electronic environment are drawn.     

Current Issues in Music Reference

Abstract

The climate of change in music reference represents a challenge to librarians. The three issues in the library literature that probably have the greatest impact on music reference service and are the subject of this paper are changes in users, sources, and modes of access to sources. These three issues are certainly related, as users need to use sources, and they need to know how to access them in order to use them. Reference librarians are called upon to mediate this process. Music library collections have their own peculiarities, however. Because they contain a wider variety of materials than many other kinds of library collections, reference librarians for music collections must be aware of the format, content, and intended uses of these materials, as well as the research patterns of their patrons. In the recent past, as cultural norms have changed with the paradigm of Western culture, users have wanted to use music libraries in new ways, and librarians are challenged to accommodate them. The musical genres used and requested by today's library patrons are different than they once were, both for listening and for academic study. Musical reference sources are being issued in electronic formats, and this represents a challenge for some users. The expanded use of interlibrary loan and electronic access to materials represents new opportunities and challenges. Music librarians are being called upon to provide services to patrons they may never see.     

Opportunities for Libraries with Print-on-Demand Publishing

ABSTRACT

Academic libraries, university presses, and commercial ventures are embracing print-on-demand publishing to improve services as well as reduce costs. The concept dates to the early 1990s, but problems with the technology coupled with a lack of interest by libraries and book vendors hindered its popularity. Today, print-on-demand remains ideal for institutional repositories and digital collections, as well as for collection development. It is especially popular for users with print preferences. Many publishers and librarians believe print-on-demand holds more promise for libraries than electronic books.     

Discovering How Information Seekers Seek:

The author observes that reference collections are often too large for librarians and users to learn them well and fully exploit them. Evidence suggests that many titles in what were designed to be lean "working" reference collections are rarely if ever consulted. Systematically-gathered use data are needed to guide selection and weeding decisions. Methods that have been employed to assess in-library materials use - including use of journals and circulating books as well as of reference works - are reviewed and their application to reference materials discussed. The author closes with concrete recommendations for carrying out reference collection use studies.     

Cataloging Digital Geospatial Data

Abstract

The availability and use of electronic cartographic resources is growing rapidly and has affected all aspects of map librarianship: acquisitions, reference and information services, and cataloging. Map librarians are questioning current practices, juggling priorities, shifting focus, and changing procedures as electronic cartographic materials become a larger part of their map collections. Cataloging practices are no exception to this transformation. This paper presents a preliminary examination of current cataloging rules, guidelines, and practices for electronic cartographic material, focusing on access points.     

Beg,borrow, and steal: Formal and informal access to the scholarly literature at U.S. master's universities

This study investigates the methods by which faculty obtain scholarly articles, books, and chapters. It focuses on full-text retrieval rather than discovery, drawing on a survey of 529 full-time faculty at U.S. colleges and universities in the Carnegie master's—large and master's—medium categories. When seeking articles, faculty rely mainly on their home-institution library collections, freely accessible online resources, and interlibrary loan. The situation is different for books, however; faculty most often purchase the books they need. Despite the continuing importance of formal access mechanisms (home-institution library collections and interlibrary loan), faculty rely on other sources of full text—informal access mechanisms—for 50% of the articles and 66% of the books they use. Nearly 25% get more articles from the open web than from any other source, and substantial minorities report heavy reliance on other sources. In particular, faculty sometimes use other libraries, often relying on current or past affiliations (e.g., part-time teaching) or on the user accounts of family, friends, and colleagues. Many are critical of their university library collections, but most are satisfied with freely accessible online resources and interlibrary loan.     

Use of Special Collections as an Opportunity for Outreach in the Academic Library

ABSTRACT

Academic special collections librarians have made great strides in making their collections discoverable and accessible to a wide audience. This article examines use of special collections departments and the many kinds of outreach librarians undertake to increase access to and knowledge of their collections, including creating electronic finding aids, digitizing material, collaborating with faculty, increasing participation in instruction and reference, and using exhibits, social media, and relationships with community partners to further the mission and goals of the library and the college or university. The article uses the University of Illinois at Chicago Special Collections Department as a case study.     

Self-Service Interlibrary Loan

Abstract

Technology is rapidly moving libraries toward a self-service interlibrary loan model. Patrons currently request books and articles through OCLC's unmediated ILL Direct Request service, and interlibrary loan management software enables users to request, track, and renew borrowed materials unassisted online. In addition, products such as SFX and Serials Solutions further expand unmediated requesting. Peer-to-peer resource sharing defined by the ISO ILL Protocol and direct consortial borrowing, which has become possible following the recently approved NCIP standard, encourage and support the widespread development of self-service interlibrary loan. As borrowing from other collections becomes an almost effortless process for library users, reference librarians must find ways to encourage patron use of local collections, as well as familiarize themselves with the mechanics of unmediated interlibrary loan to better assist patrons in their use of evolving interlibrary loan technology.     

Read in or check out: A four-year analysis of circulation and in-house use of print books

As libraries offer more multi-dimensional study areas and online resources, it is important to understand how print books are being used. The reported decline in print book circulation has largely been based on books checked out of the library without recording in-house use (books used in the library but not checked out). Including in-house use gives a more accurate representation of book circulation, helping to demonstrate the value of the physical library and print collections, and informing collection development. To better understand how our print collections are being used, we analyze holdings, checkout data, and in-house use data by subject, as well as circulation in regard to patron group, library gate count and student enrollment. Our findings show declining use of all print collections with the steepest decline in reference books. The majority of books used in house were not checked out, affirming the need to include in-house use data to provide an accurate picture of print book use and inform collection development. We use our findings to inform the redesign of our reference collection and suggest ways to integrate print and digital formats and promote the value of books and reading.     

OAI-PMH Harvested Collections and User Engagement

ABSTRACT

Discovery tools are used in libraries to bring together books, articles, and other resources. Research has focused on user and librarian evaluation of these tools, but there are few evaluations of non-book and non-article sources. Discovery tools can also include metadata for local collections harvested through the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH). Creating these harvests can be time consuming for staff, so it is important for libraries to understand if and how patrons use these records. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries (UNL Libraries) harvests metadata from local collections into the Encore discovery tool. A study was conducted to analyze patron use of OAI-harvested records. This study analyzed usage data for harvested collections obtained from different discovery sources and referrals through Encore. Google Analytics was used to evaluate searcher behavior differences between content referred through Encore and other referrals. Although discovery through Encore did not result in high numbers of traffic, there is evidence that patrons who discover records through Encore take more time looking through records than patrons using other discovery methods. This increase in time is a measure of engagement and may be reason enough for libraries to consider adding OAI-harvested collections to their discovery tool.     

Reference Publishing in the Age of Also

Summary

Reference publishing is in an era of competing technologies: print and electronic. For large multivolume reference books, the transition from being primarily a print resource to being primarily electronic is well advanced, perhaps nearly complete. For many smaller reference books, such as dictionaries, thesauruses, and almanacs, the transition is less advanced; in fact, it seems likely that print and electronic editions of such works may coexist for years to come. There are good reasons for this to happen, but this situation also poses challenges to librarians, publishers, and patrons. This article reviews some of the aspects of this transitional era in terms of what has been learned so far and what may develop in the future.     

An Opportunity for Change: College Accreditation and the New Library Manager

Abstract

Administering special collections within an academic branch library presents challenges in the areas of public services, collection management, facilities planning, and staffing. In art and architecture libraries, special collections can include a variety of materials such as rare books, trade catalogs, builder's guides, graphic and visual materials, artists' books, archival records in many formats, and files of ephemera. Public service issues relating to the administration of special collections housed in an architecture branch library (and its off-site repositories) will be addressed. Collection care and access services will be examined in light of recent technologies.     

Special Collections in View: Marketing and Outreach as Reference Services

Abstract

This article discusses the marketing and promotion of special collections in academic law libraries as complementary to, and a part of, effective reference services based in those collections. The two activities can share similar goals and be mutually reinforcing: good marketing can lead to better reference service and an increase in patrons using special collections; and better, more engaged reference service can lead to long-term interest and support for special collections among a library’s stakeholders.