Going the Extra Mile: Supporting Distance Education at University of Alaska Fairbanks

ABSTRACT

The Elmer E. Rasmuson Library at the University of Alaska Fairbanks has a long history of supporting distance education through state-of-the-art, remote access services. Harsh climate conditions (heavy snowfall and icing, high winds, and extreme temperatures), rugged terrain, limited road and telephone systems, and permafrost that prevents the installation of communications networks, all contribute to the challenge of delivering distance education. This article describes and explains the library's services while discussing the challenges of providing information access to a diverse student population living in an area covering over 500,000 square miles.     

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.     

Virtual Desk

Abstract

This paper will address the issues involved in establishing a statewide system of library support for distance learners and the ongoing challenges to be met. A primary consideration is how to establish continuity of service and provide an integrated experience for the user, despite contingent funding and distributed responsibility. Issues include selection of and access to electronic resources, improvements to Interlibrary Loan services, inter-library cooperative agreements, and providing and promoting reference services for students and faculty of multiple institutions.     

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.     

Proactive Outreach to Adult Students: A Department and Library Collaborative Effort

The number of adult learners in institutions of higher education is increasing, and these students' reasons for attending, ways of learning, challenges, and methods for overcoming challenges often differ from those of traditional-age students. Faculty and library personnel can support these students in their research efforts using several collaborative endeavors. One department and university library recognized the struggles of many of their adult students as they sought to conduct research for coursework, as well as theses or dissertations. Collaborative activities proved effective in reducing students’ anxieties and frustrations with using the library and its resources.     

The Half-Million-Square-Miles Campus

Abstract

A database that tracked information requests from University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) distance students using the Elmer E. Rasmuson Library's Off-Campus Services (OCS) indicated that, beginning in 2001, students became more self-reliant searchers. Reasons for this trend included: increased number of licensed online resources from which to choose; improved Internet connectivity for remote Alaskan communities; increased familiarity with e-mail and online searching; increased options for delivering material; and ongoing user education via the OCS office. As both UAF on-campus and distance students become more reliant on the library's online resources, services to both groups have begun to overlap and have become similar.     

广州地区医院图书馆资源现状和发展思路

通过对广州地区医学图书馆文献资源建设现状的概述，阐明当前众多的电子数据库在广泛使用，医务人员通过登录本单位图书馆的网页及因特网就能自主获得所需文献，从而淡化了图书馆的场所作用。面对这种现状，医院图书馆工作应进一步改进，读者服务工作应进一步深化，通过加强医务人员信息意识的培养、完善图书馆网页、建设更全面的文献资源及电子资源的整合、尝试设立学科馆员制度，真正让医务人员认识到图书馆仍然是文献信息中心，医务人员通过图书馆的帮助能够更加快捷、准确地获取高质量的文献。     

Going the Distance (and Back Again): A Distance Education Course Comes Home

Summary

University 300, a course on research and Internet skills, was originally developed at Washington State University for the distance education program. Using a critical thinking approach to the contemporary information environment, the course has grown, evolved, and been transformed into a general education course for the main campus at the university. The course's history shows how strong administrative support and beneficial collaborations across the university transformed the course into an emerging key component of the university curriculum.     

Going the Distance in Academic Libraries: Identifying Trends and Innovation in Distance Learning Resources and Services

In 2012, U.S. News & World Report ranked nineteen institutions on its Up-and-Coming national universities list. The universities were put on the list based on rankings from experts in higher education administration. The experts were asked to identify institutions that had implemented innovative ideas in the areas of academics, faculty, and student life. This article examines the distance education services and resources that are provided by the libraries at each of the Up-and-Coming universities in order to identify innovative ideas and trends related to the support of distance library users.     

Visualizing the Virtual Library

In my article "Planning the Virtual Library," published in the last issue of the Medical Reference Services Quarterly, visioning was included in the implementation process. Visioning is such a critical component, however, that I wanted to provide a follow- up article that would vividly illustrate its importance. Eugenie Prime needs no introduction to the medical librarian community; she is well known for her many years of work with CINAHL¹ and with the Medical Library Association. Since 1987, Eugenie has been the Manager of the Corporate Libraries at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, the research and development component of HP.     

Going the Distance for Grads: What Online Graduate Students Want from the Library

With new program additions and changes to existing graduate programs, librarians at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas were interested in investigating if students taking online courses were successful in accessing the library services and instruction. A survey was created that included all types of graduate students (fully online to fully in-person) to identify how they accessed the library and how confident they were in finding resources. The results of this survey have provided the researchers insight regarding successful strategies and where we need to improve; where distance learners are struggling more than on-campus students; and how we need to create varied approaches to disseminate library information and instruction. The study has also opened up communication and stronger collaborations with teaching faculty and instructional designers to better integrate the libraries into the curriculum. To help make findings more generalizable, the researchers aligned them with the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Standards for Distance Learning Library Services.     

关于网络课件开发的若干问题

详尽阐述网络课件的概念、种类、特点、网络课件开发的工具、方法及技术实现等。     

Instruction in a Virtual Environment

Abstract

In 2002, librarians at the Utah State University (USU) Libraries were awarded a grant to develop online tutorials. The major design challenge was to create tutorials specific to USU resources and students, including distance learners, while also making them flexible so that other Utah colleges and universities can adapt them for their own needs. The tutorials also needed to address the information behavior of a new generation of students accustomed to using computers and the Internet. While recent studies have begun to address some gaps in our knowledge of the information behavior of the Web Generation, we conducted a needs assessment to help us create a tutorial that more accurately addresses the existing knowledge and behavior of undergraduates at USU. We used multiple methods to determine the learning needs of our audience and to provide guidance for the design process.     

Going Local

Abstract

The United States federal government provides an increasing amount of state local environmental information via the Internet. This proliferation of information provides libraries of all types and sizes with service opportunities. An informed citizenry can contribute to the debate on environmental policy. The article identifies key sites that can be useful in providing local environmental information.     

Improving Distance Education for Students with Special Needs: A Qualitative Study of Students’ Experiences with an Online Library Research Course

This article describes a study in which seven students with diverse disabilities participated in a one-credit online library research course which had been adapted to be accessible using the best practices literature on distance education for students with special needs. Students provided feedback on the design of the course and participated in in-depth interviews. Results of this study suggest any given class may have students with different types of disabilities, with different paths toward learning. Using the principles of universal design for learning can improve distance education not only for students with special needs, but for all types of learners.     

基于web的信息检索虚拟课堂设计

基于web的信息检索 ,虚拟课堂就是利用Internetwww服务具有的各种功能 ,以浏览主页的形式提供远程教学服务。信息检索虚拟课堂的开发应注意其特点、构成虚拟课堂的要素 ,注意开发步骤。参考文献 5     

The First Non-Traditional Doctor of Pharmacy Graduates

Abstract

In June 2004, fourteen students graduated from the first completely online degree program at The Ohio State Universitythe Non-Traditional PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy) program. The program was implemented as a response to the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education requiring this degree for entry into pharmacy practice. This article reports on the development of the program, and it includes information gleaned from interviews with six of the graduates. Topics included the services that graduates used most, how they applied their new information seeking skills, the difficulties they had in using the library, and their suggestions for improvement. Importantly, the students were comfortable using the digital resources and felt they could not have completed the degree without online access to library resources.     

Doctoral Dissertations at a Distance

Abstract

The model suggests that librarians can assume the role of co-supervisor to ensure that the literature review of a doctoral dissertation is comprehensive and relevant. Librarians can also assist research students, make sure their supervisors are kept abreast of new information resources in their research disciplines, and act as a mentor to both student and staff member in library matters. The model was developed in recognition of the special support needs of off campus research students who are disadvantaged by isolation, time and distance. It is anticipated that adoption of the model will lead to increased rates of completion, higher standards of research, an improvement in information and literacy skills of research students and supervisors, and reduced isolation for off campus researchers.     

资源选择的质量评价准则——虚拟馆藏选择评价刍议之三

在《资源采集管理政策--虚拟馆藏选择评价刍议之二》提出的虚拟馆藏资源选择的范围政策基础上,进一步提出虚拟馆藏资源选择的相关质量评价准则。     

信息资源管理研究与教育：一个大有作为的领域

从分析国内外信息资源管理实践与理论的起源入手，对近年来建立在信息资源概念基础上的图书馆学、情报学和档案学等相关学科的集成趋势与特点进行探讨；认为信息资源管理这一概念具有集成相关学科领域知识而形成一个上位学科群的巨大包容力，开展信息资源管理教育十分必要。在对国内外信息职业发展现状和趋势进行研究后，从5个方面分析我国信息资源管理教育应关注的主要问题。