Working in the Asynchronous Environment

Abstract

Those called upon to instruct or moderate within the asynchronous environment must acquire the skills necessary to engage learners from across a distance. This paper will provide two case studies describing the experiences and practice of working in this environment. The first case study will describe the reference and instructional library support provided to the Master of Continuing Education program offered by the University of Calgary. The second case study will describe the services and resources offered by the Node Learning Technologies Network, particularly those aimed at librarians.     

Promise,Perils, and Planning

Summary

The promising future of new and better information services supported by the use of information technologies is well documented. Many journal articles describe successful experiences with better reference and instructional services, new services to new kinds of students who are engaged in distant independent learning or other non-traditional education, and better communication with library users. However, there are many perils on the way to delivering such improvements with the use of new finding tools, new software, new printing systems, and new telecommunication networks. An administrative overview of the sorts of planning which can smooth the implementation of information technology-based reference and instructional services outlines options for staffing, troubleshooting, fund raising, and budget development. Planning takes time and effort, collaboration and creativity. With appropriate emphasis on planning, the promise of implementing improvements in quality of services through information technologies can and should become a reality.     

Virtually Yours

Summary

The world of the reference librarian is changing. As more and more patrons go to the Internet first to meet their information needs, libraries must be there to help them locate and obtain relevant information. Libraries have been experimenting with virtual reference tools for some time. This paper will provide a brief overview of the development of virtual reference services, examine the need for and provide lessons learned from implementing virtual reference services in a major research library.     

Copyright and Electronic Library Resources

ABSTRACT

As electronic resources represent a larger percentage of libraries' purchases and services, copyright law, licensing, and other information laws are changing some traditional library functions. This article reviews the law of electronic resources through an outline of affected library services, including acquisitions and collection development; gifts, exchanges, and sales; archiving and preservation; circulation; interli-brary loan and document delivery; reserve; and research, reference, and instructional services. Legal issues considered include copyright, licensing, and database protection.     

Supporting Student Work: Some Thoughts About Special Collections Instruction

ABSTRACT

During the past decade we have noted a marked increase in the use of special collections materials in the university classroom. This presents the library with an opportunity to assert its role as a unique and irreplaceable contributor to the University's core mission. Asserting this is predicated on the assumption that an instructor's goals will be met, that students will become successful researchers, and that library staff will survive the encounter. This is not easy to accomplish and this article is an attempt to describe those elements that we have found to be central to a successful instructional outcome.     

Managing the 21st Century Reference Department

Abstract

The reference department of the 21st century has to provide services, which are constantly being shaped by the changes in the information environment and the expectations of patrons of the fast-paced era. The presence of a visionary and dynamic leader to direct and influence the behaviors and activities of the staff who must provide the reference services is an important component in the delivery of quality services. This article focuses on the competencies that the leader must possess in order to get the job done well and influence and direct the employees' abilities towards the achievement of the department's predetermined goals. Some of the core competencies considered valuable for the reference leader are identified, defined and discussed.     

The Librarian as Bricoleur: Meeting the Needs of Distance Learners

Summary

Like bricoleurs, instructional librarians, especially those who provide instruction to distant learners, use a “tool-box” of materials and means to address the needs of adult learners. They also need to be adaptable and resourceful, staying abreast of current research and technologies in order to create an instructional repertoire (bricolage), to deliver services comparable to those that on-campus students receive. This article describes adult learners' needs and the variety of tools used to reach students in one university's instructional program.     

Drop Them a Postcard

Abstract

In the Lucy Scribner Library at Skidmore College, we have produced 11 different postcards to promote services and collections. We have discovered the advantages as well as the limitations of using postcards as marketing/instructional/informational tools. There have also been some practical lessons to be learned along the way.     

ILLiad,Document Delivery,and the Distance Student: How Document Delivery Can Enhance Support for Distance Library Users

ABSTRACT

Academic libraries serve great numbers of distance learners and must address the unique challenges faced by these students. Technology can bridge the gap in terms of access and use of library resources. Academic librarians working with distance students must examine their student population, determine the needs of their users, and be prepared to adapt technology available to meet those needs. Many academic libraries have adapted Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) ILLiad to allow better support of distance learners. Library models that have used OCLC ILLiad or similar software for distance services are discussed and can be used as a model for change in library distance services programs.     

Shifting expectations: Revisiting core concepts of academic librarianship in undergraduate classes with a digital humanities focus

ABSTRACT

This article explores best practices for supporting digital humanities (DH) activity and pedagogy in the undergraduate classroom on campuses without a DH center in the library. By examining specific aspects of librarians' curricular engagements, with a particular focus on reference and instructional activity, we discuss how reenvisioning these services aids in the development of effective support for both faculty and students engaged in DH. An included case study illustrates how redefining “traditional” librarian liaison roles and shifting expectations of faculty from one-shot instruction sessions to embedded librarianship models can be put into practice in undergraduate classrooms with a DH focus. The article concludes with a discussion of the librarian as digital humanist and how this role can positively impact undergraduate curricula.     

Using Google Scholar at the Reference Desk

ABSTRACT

Google Scholar has multiple uses as a reference tool of last resort, including citation completion, an alternative when catalogs are down, and interdisciplinary metasearching and database suggestion. During the reference desk transaction, users can be taught effective Google Scholar search techniques such as advanced search functionality and the nuances of results' groupings. In addition, reference desk interactions with Google Scholar give insight for instructional workshops.     

Beyond Consultation: A New Model for Librarian's Office Hours

ABSTRACT

Given the many changes in our students and their study and research practices, libraries are finding it necessary to seek new ways to reach these students. The Undergraduate Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign created a new model to do so. Librarian's Office Hours are a hybrid of reference and instructional services that fulfill the dual purposes of meeting the needs of term paper research counseling and library workshops. This article discusses the strategies involved in the creation and implementation of this service and examines suggestions for the future of such a service.     

Collaboration: The Key to Unlocking the Dilemma of Distance Reference Services

SUMMARY

Distant education offerings are growing at a phenomenal rate for academic institutions, creating new groups of library users that are remote from the main campus with unique library and research needs. Recent studies examining the needs of this unique and growing population note that reference and research assistance are key services needed. Many institutions have appointed or hired distance education librarians to help provide services to distant learners. They are often, however, one-person operations that function more as coordinators rather than full-service providers. Since the coordinator cannot provide all of the reference services alone, the key to providing these services for distant education students is to create and sustain good working relationships both in the library and with external entities. Offerings to distance students include phone reference and accessibility to online resources, plus virtual reference and often 24/7 services. This article will examine issues and experiences in bringing together different groups to provide reference services to distant learning communities. It will also describe key relationships necessary for keeping distance reference services at an optimal level.     

Eliminating traditional reference services in an academic health sciences library: a case study

Question:

How were traditional librarian reference desk services successfully eliminated at one health sciences library?

Setting:

The analysis was done at an academic health sciences library at a major research university.

Method:

A gap analysis was performed, evaluating changes in the first eleven months through analysis of reference transaction and instructional session data.

Main Results:

Substantial increases were seen in the overall number of specialized reference transactions and those conducted by librarians lasting more than thirty minutes. The number of reference transactions overall increased after implementing the new model. Several new small-scale instructional initiatives began, though perhaps not directly related to the new model.

Conclusion:

Traditional reference desk services were eliminated at one academic health sciences library without negative impact on reference and instructional statistics. Eliminating ties to the confines of the physical library due to staffing reference desk hours removed one significant barrier to a more proactive liaison program.     

Managing an Academic Reference Department

Abstract

To be an effective academic head of reference in the 21st century will require many of the same characteristics and skills necessary in the 20th century. While the traditional ways of providing reference services are changing, the fundamental need to provide access to information remains, and effective utilization of staff and other resources is paramount. Balancing the increasing pressures from shrinking budgets, growing costs, proliferation of expensive electronic resources, and high expectations from faculty and students creates a greater need for strong management expertise. The head of reference must be both an exceptional manager and an exceptional librarian.     

Budget Planning and Performance Measures for Virtual Reference Services

Abstract

The Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library, as a county government agency, is required to follow a specific budget planning process in order to obtain funding for library programs and services. One tool of this planning process-the “decision unit”-requires advanced planning and continued evaluation of potential and existing library services. Prior to receiving funds for any new service, performance measures must be established in order to measure the success of the service in relation to the public money invested. This article will look at the evaluation process built into the funding of the library's participation in a statewide virtual reference service and the implications for continuation and/or expansion of this service based on continued assessment.     

Information Services in the Year 2000 and Beyond

Summary

Today's libraries-academic, research, public, and elementary and secondary schools-are in the midst of an extended period of unprecedented change and adjustment. Having never been static organizations, they have existed within and responded to changes in the communities they exist to serve. Computerization, electronics, and telecommunications have resulted in the alteration of almost every function performed in libraries today. The reference services extended by these libraries are no different. In keeping with their missions and goals, they must adopt and incorporate the new information technology now as well as the year 2000 and beyond. Problems and challenges which must be solved and met are discussed. There is no doubt that the library user will benefit as services are expanded to include among other innovations: services expanded beyond the walls of the library and its physical collection, interactive face-to-face teleconferencing with information specialists, and machines utilizing artificial intelligence which assist in identifying and locating information.     

Providing Library Instruction to Distance Learning Students in the 21st Century

ABSTRACT

This study examines the variety of instructional practices employed in distance learning librarianship from the end of the 20th Century through the early beginnings of the 21st Century. The authors provide a thorough review of the literature on distance learning library instruction, and the study highlights the instructional services provided at two academic institutions with distinctly different clienteles and missions-one a large American university and the other a large Caribbean university.