Just the Facts: An Examination of E-Book Usage by Business Students and Faculty

Business students and faculty expect the electronic delivery of content within their multiple disciplinary subject areas. The speed of acceptance and the rate of migration from print to electronic sources within the various business disciplines outpaces the acceptance rates in the humanities and other social sciences. Business students and faculty exhibit information-seeking behaviors that are unique to the practice-oriented nature of a business education. Electronic resources re-enforce this information-seeking behavior. The technology utilized in the creation of e-books enables business students and faculty to successfully locate specific data, both textual and numeric within the resource, further reinforcing their behaviors and accelerating the demand for additional e-books. Business students and faculty use e-books as reference books.     

VERSO Graphic Interface to Reference Sources: A Project of Quinnipiac University's Arnold Bernhard Library

ABSTRACT

Librarians at the Arnold Bernhard Library of Quinnipiac University were concerned with the usage levels of their electronic reference titles. They added the titles to the library's Web page, made individual records in the online catalog, and even established links between an OPAC keyword search and a search through electronic reference titles. It was still felt that the collection was underutilized. In 2007, the Automation Librarian began a project to add one more level of access to these titles—a graphic interface that simulated the process of walking into a reference room and picking out a title. A preliminary version was loaded in the Fall of 2007, and early results indicate that it has found an audience.     

RUSA虚拟参考咨询服务实施与维护指南

虚拟参考服务实施与维护指南是美国图书馆协会（ALA）参考与用户服务分会（RUSA）于2004年6月发布,指南包括5个部分：虚拟参考咨询服务的定义、服务的准备工作、对所提供服务的具体规定、服务的组织、用户的个人隐私的保护。     

Human Rights Reference Sources: A Critical Annotated Bibliography

The area of human rights has had significant attention both nationally and internationally in the press and in the political arena. While there is a renewed commitment to human rights advocacy, there is also an upward trend in popular culture of depictions of torture. This article provides critical annotations of English-language reference sources published since 1990 and available both in print and online, in an effort to aid librarians collecting and weeding materials for human rights research.     

虚拟参考咨询隐私问题的研究

虚拟环境下，图书馆服务模式发生变化，技术环境的变更给用户和馆员带来了便利的同时也引发了新的问题，如网络安全、隐私保护等。本文从图书馆历史上的隐私问题出发，从网络、虚拟图书馆、信息咨询与隐私的因果关系层面分析了虚拟参考咨询中的不安全因素以及隐私侵犯的可能，建议最好以法律手段来进行隐私保护。     

虚拟参考咨询的理性思考

实时虚拟参考起步于商界,目前举步维艰。国外图书馆实时虚拟参考效果甚微,处境尴尬。且这项作业成本高昂,图书馆包袱沉重。国内对实时虚拟参考咨询项目应慎重决策,要从资金来源、用户市场、馆员素质、技术装备、虚拟环境及工作模式等方面作深入分析研究,待条件具备时才能上马。表1。参考文献13。     

国外虚拟参考服务研究的启示——基于2004-2005年的文献分析

通过分析国外2004-2005年虚拟参考服务领域的公开文献，揭示出近年国外虚拟参考服务发展的新特点和新趋向。认为重视服务效益、合理规划与组织联合虚拟参考服务、采用多种交流工具与手段等，为国内虚拟参考服务的实践带来有益的启示。     

E-Books and Ethical Dilemmas for the Academic Reference Librarian

When dealing with e-books, several ethical dilemmas exist as a result of competing professional values. Dilemmas identified and discussed here include challenges related to serving nonaffiliated users, providing high-quality service while respecting intellectual property rights, and balancing the needs of current users with the needs of future generations. Readers would like to have access to all e-books all of the time, with as few restrictions as possible. Librarians would like all of their users (affiliated or nonaffiliated, current or future) to be able to easily use e-books. Librarians also want to recognize the valuable contributions of authors, publishers, and content distributors while safeguarding patron privacy.     

Nursing Reference Center: A Point-of-Care Resource

Nursing Reference Center is a point-of-care resource designed for the practicing nurse, as well as nursing administrators, nursing faculty, and librarians. Users can search across multiple resources, including topical Quick Lessons, evidence-based care sheets, patient education materials, practice guidelines, and more. Additional features include continuing education modules, e-books, and a new iPhone application. A sample search and comparison with similar databases were conducted.     

威客模式与虚拟参考咨询服务

从威客模式的概念以及它的三种实现形式入手,分析了威客模式与传统虚拟参考咨询模式不同之处,指出当前图书馆虚拟参考咨询服务模式存在的问题,论述了图书馆虚拟参考咨询应该如何借鉴威客理念,创新思路更完善更高层次地发展虚拟参考咨询服务,从而让图书馆参考咨询得到升值.     

虚拟咨询服务的发展研究--兼论南京农业大学VRS的总体设计与技术实现

本文综述了国内外图书馆虚拟咨询服务(VRS)的产生和发展概况，介绍了南京农业大学图书馆虚拟咨询系统开发的整体思路和技术探索，提出虚拟咨询服务应建立以用户为中心的理念。     

虚拟参考咨询系统研究与应用--以复旦大学图书馆为研究开发模型

本文介绍国内外图书馆虚拟参考咨询服务的现状,复旦大学图书馆开发虚拟参考咨询系统的功能和技术,分析了虚拟参考咨询服务的应用情况。     

Click and Be Counted: A New Standard for Reference Statistics

ABSTRACT

This article discusses the National Information Standards Organization's new standard, NISO Z39.7-2004, which includes the reporting of the usage of library-generated Web pages and e-mail, live chat, and instant messaging reference queries. The integration of statistics on these new methods of providing service with traditional library statistics provides a more accurate picture of library services and demonstrates how libraries have expanded types of patron contacts in the digital age. This article also discusses the statistical reporting of individual reference queries handled away from the reference desk (e.g., in individual librarians' offices).     

A Survey of the Reference Sources for Holistic Medicine

Holistic medicine and therapeutic systems are increasingly popular health care alternatives. Reference librarians, when asked about subjects pertaining to the vast field of holistic health, have found the bibliographic resources to be obscure, confusing, and inconsistent. The first two sections of this article discuss the subject access that is provided by Library of Congress and National Library of Medicine subject headings. In the final section there is an annotated bibliography of the chief reference sources for the field. Reference librarians are encouraged to work through the difficulties of finding answers in this field and to treat such queries as typical consumer health care questions.     

Millennials’ Reading Behavior in the Digital Age: A Case Study of Pakistani University Students

Abstract

This article uncovers the reading trends of Millennials living in Pakistan by investigating their reading behavior within the digital paradigm. A cross-sectional survey-based quantitative research design was adopted. Masters students (16?years education) from the Higher Education Commission (HEC) recognized universities of Lahore, Pakistan was the study population. A total of 515 masters’ level students from 7 universities participated in the survey. The participants were recruited by employing a two-stage stratified purposive total population sampling technique. The study findings confirmed that despite their preferences for print material, Millennials were using electronic material for reading more frequently. However, the study showed that the reading purpose influences the choice of the reading format. Furthermore, the availability of electronic reading content in the public domain and open access contents may be a reason for increased use of e-content, as free websites were the preferred method of millennials for obtaining reading material. Social networking websites and intelligent search engines like “Google” were also in use and play a role in finding the relevant information and reading e-content. The study shows that the digital environment has a significant impact on the reading behavior of individuals, a fact which needs to be considered by academics, practitioners, and the individuals themselves. It is considered a baseline study that opens various potential directions and avenues for future research.     

Building a Better M.I.C.E. Trap: Using Virtual Focus Groups to Assess Subject Guides for Distance Education Students

ABSTRACT

Subject guides are often used as an alternative to in-person library instruction for distance education students. However, when students are not on-campus, it can be difficult to assess if they are getting all of the relevant information they need. In an organization that serves students located across the United States and even outside of the country, a method was needed to assess the effectiveness of library information provided to distance learners on specific topics. The William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration (Hotel College) at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), offers a number of on-campus and distance education courses, including classes taught at a satellite campus in Singapore. With diverse course offerings via distance education, the conventions and exhibitions subject area was chosen as a case study. Often referred to as M.I.C.E., the study of meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions in a hospitality context is a major subdiscipline within the Hotel College. After researching different approaches to studying the effectiveness of subject guides, a virtual focus group was chosen to gather feedback from students. This paper will demonstrate how focus groups can be created and how the information gathered can be used to increase effectiveness of subject guides. Readers will discover effective techniques and pitfalls for using virtual focus groups in conjunction with subject guides assessment.     

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.