Learning to Teach in a New Medium

Abstract

The development of a new method of providing instruction involves many different issues. This paper examines a pilot project in which videoconferencing was used to provide library instruction to students at remote campuses. The librarians initiating this new service confronted the issues of training, adaptation of instruction techniques to the new format, and collaboration with faculty and administrative staff. They also dealt with administrative issues such as scheduling classes and facilities and staff scheduling. This paper examines how this cross-departmental project developed and was supported, how the initial training was conducted, and how existing class outlines were adapted. Also discussed are the lessons learned from the initial sessions. Varied administrative and collaborative challenges face the library, faculty, and departmental administrators as this project moves from pilot project status into a regular and required part of the curriculum.     

Yeah,I Found It! Performing Web Site Usability Testing to Ensure That Off-Campus Students Can Find the Information They Need

Abstract

A well-designed and user-friendly Web site is essential with the large and rapid increase in the number of off-campus users. Web site usability studies can help ensure that libraries provide effective and efficient access to their Web site for both on-and off-campus users. Formal usability studies, focus groups, and cognitive walkthroughs are usability techniques that can be incorporated into a Web site study. These three techniques will be discussed with real life experiences added in to provide the reader with suggestions of how to and how not to use the techniques.     

External Funding for Library Education

No abstract available for this article.     

Institutional Challenges in Web-Based Programs

Abstract

Institutions, as we know, are quickly embracing distance education, in the forms of online or Web-based courses and programs at phenomenal rates. Oftentimes, however, significant institutional structures, including such areas as registration, advising, library, and technical support are overlooked until too late. Institutions must have clear, well-planned strategies in place in order to maximize their students' learning experiences and overall satisfaction with distance education programs to avoid attrition and maximize retention. This paper provides many useful and easy to implement strategies for institutions considering distance education, as well as for those already engaged in serving students online. In particular, this paper explores experiences of students pursuing the Master of Library and Information Science degree through a Web-based program. Their challenges will be described, and the institutional responses and solutions will be offered.     

Taking Assessment on the Road

Abstract

This paper presents the results of focus groups conducted by Utah academic librarians at branch campuses in Utah. Librarians met with distance learners on-site to gain insights into their informationseeking behavior and to learn if they are using library services. Students rely heavily on the Web for information and also utilize known resources in friends and family. Marketing and publicizing library services through classes and at the delivery sites is vital. Students appreciate the services libraries offer and strongly prefer face-to-face instruction and direct assistance from a librarian.     

Preparing for and the Management of the Accreditation Visit

No abstract available for this article.     

Using Visualization to Understand Phrase Structure

Abstract

From a concern with helping users deal with information overload, we are developing suitable visual metaphors for representing the dispersion of information and developing tools for supporting the ability of users to interact with these metaphorical displays and to navigate the information landscapes that they represent. WordView, our initial application within the OverView project, was designed to be an easy-to-use tool to study naturally occurring phrases and to support the future design of intelligent text input systems. It embodies an easy to understand graphic summary and a user-controllable inspection facility.     

Closing the Distance: Bringing a Personal Librarian Program to Online Learners

ABSTRACT

In an effort to bridge the gap between the one-on-one attention that students receive when they come into the library and the attention given to online learners, the University of West Florida Libraries added an online learner component to its Personal Librarian Program. Personal librarian programs provide an opportunity for individualized outreach to students and can be particularly beneficial to online learners who may not receive it otherwise. While much of the literature on outreach to online students focuses on embedded librarianship, a personal librarian program emphasizes a direct connection and fosters an independent and strong relationship between the librarian and the student. The implementation of a personal librarian program for online learners by the University of West Florida has had successes and challenges that illuminate lessons for other institutions considering implementations of similar programs.     

Assessing Minds Want to Know

Abstract

This paper discusses requirements for constructing balanced questions for surveys when assessing library services for off-campus learning programs, including criteria for creating good questions. After exploring research goal and objective setting, the discussion turns to defining research type, selecting research format, and constructing questions. The next section focuses on question structure and wording issues with attention given to characteristics of open-ended and closed-ended questions and their application, double negatives and stating questions in the negative, use of time, eliciting a summary judgment, and bias exhibited in questions. Finally, consideration is given to a list of issues to note and avoid in question formation.     

Anything,Anytime, Anywhere

Abstract

Students and faculty have come to expect off-campus access to the full portfolio of electronic resources made available by their library. They demand, and should be provided, simple access to electronic information sources 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, regardless of their location. Proxy servers have been the solution of choice for remote authentication for some time now, but library users tend to have difficulty with manually configured proxies, and there are beginning to be robust alternatives that can provide secure off-campus access to library resources. Remote authentication should not be a matter of getting a proxy server running and then forgetting about it. New developments should be investigated to ensure the easiest, most reliable and most secure access possible-in the interests of libraries and their users.     

Selecting Electronic Document Delivery Options to Provide Quality Service

Abstract

Providing electronic document delivery (EDD) services to off-campus students can be a challenge. Methods of delivery that work well for one group of users might not work at all for another group. Knowing and using the different EDD service options to accomplish the goal of providing quality service to students results in a win-win situation. Student expectations of timely delivery of material are met and the department develops a reputation of dependable quality service. Library users have raised expectations from the 24/7 services available through the World Wide Web. Providing EDD of information to the researcher's desktop helps the library meet these needs and expectations. However, the options for desktop delivery can also be overwhelming, so knowing how and why different software and delivery methods work enables the practitioner to control the outcome of the transaction. This control over the service also ensures that quality service expectations are met by the library since the practitioner has the ability to use a variety of delivery options to the user's desktop.     

Collaborating on Electronic Course Reserves to Support Student Success

Abstract

As we move into an era in which an increasing amount of information is available in digital form and more universities and colleges are providing distance education courses, electronic course reserves are becoming an essential part of library services. The Digital Reading Room (DRR), an Athabasca University collaboratively developed e-reserves system, facilitates immediate student access to faculty selected, course specific resources in a variety of media and promotes increased use of electronic information resources. To encourage student success in a digital environment, the Library has worked with Faculty to create information literacy tools designed to help students become better researchers and information consumers.     

A Study on Using Rubrics and Citation Analysis to Measure the Quality of Doctoral Dissertation Reference Lists from Traditional and Nontraditional Institutions

Abstract

As distance education programs continue to grow, so do the services offered by libraries to the communities created by such programs. However, for these programs to be successful, the people that they are intended to serve need to be aware of the support and services available to them. Without such awareness, the services will go unused. Through a survey, the librarians at Emporia State University learned that making distant students aware of services was essential to the success of distance learning library services. Librarians discovered that creating a marketing plan to guide the marketing process was essential. This tool serves as a road map to visually illustrate the path from the conception of ideas to the realization of the marketing goals and objectives. This paper examines the process of writing a marketing plan and intends to illustrate how it can assist the library in marketing its services to a distant population.     

Collaboration Between Distance Education Faculty and the Library

Abstract

At a university with no centrally administered distance education (DE) program, the library is faced with the challenge of not only identifying but also supporting a rapidly increasing number of disparate DE initiatives. In this environment, a one-size-fits-all approach to inviting and encouraging faculty collaboration in the integration of library research into the DE curriculum was not sufficient. This presentation will discuss various methods used at one university to increase the level of collaboration between the library and distance education (DE) faculty.     

ARMs,OCLC Internet Services,and PURLs

Abstract

Internet communication delays adversely affect the performance of online services like those offered by OCLC. This article discusses some of OCLC's efforts to provide more consistent communication performance. This includes the use of Alternate Routing Methods (ARMs) and specialized URLs.     

Personnel and Technology:

No abstract available for this article.     

A Literature Review Covering 20 Years of Research on Marketing Library Resources to Distance Learners

The literature on marketing library resources to distance students reaches back to at least the mid-1980s based on a simple EBSCOHost search across over 40 different databases. Authors of this study sought to develop a comprehensive understanding of what our colleagues have learned via research about this critical topic. Because the Web, as we know it, first materialized in the mid-1990s with the advent of Netscape Navigator, we chose to limit our research to two decades. According to Thorpe and Holt (2018 Thorpe, R., &; Holt, R. (2018). The SAGE dictionary of qualitative management research. London, England: SAGE. doi:10.4135/9780857020109[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]), the systematic literature review helps researchers make sense of large volumes of information and allows for the translation and synthesizing academic research so that it can be utilized in policy or practical contexts (Para. 7). The current researchers considered this an ideal approach as we aim to develop a clear and comprehensive picture of the research on marketing library resources to distance populations.     

Chat It Up! Extending Reference Services to Assist Off-Campus Students

Abstract

A virtual reference service is likely to attract both on-campus and off-campus students and providing one service for all users can extend the hours of availability to all students. The needs of these two student populations may differ and off-campus users may present some specific challenges to the reference staff. While some libraries do have a specified distance education librarian, it is unlikely at many institutions that there will be reference staff dedicated only to answering questions from off-campus students. Reference services for off-campus students do present special issues about which general reference staff may not be aware. With awareness of these challenges and proper training, an existing virtual reference service can be extended (or improved) to help off-campus students, or a new chat service can be developed with the objective to assist all user groups with equal success.