FRBR and Further

ABSTRACT

Based on his experience, the author summarizes what reference/collection development librarians and library users want and expect from aggregator databases, and what's needed from database vendors and from librarians to meet these expectations. Particularly important are content quality, reliability, modularity, and affordability, interface simplicity and flexibility, and reliable congruence between and integration of print and electronic editions. From vendors, librarians should demand more and better content guarantees, purchase options, communication of content details and changes, full-text searching, and persistent URLs for individual titles. Librarians should provide analyzed cataloging and holdings for all titles in aggregator databases, keep these records current, fully integrate them with records for print and other electronic editions, and incorporate them into web catalogs, in addition to providing other web access tools such as browsable title lists.     

Changes in Public Library Youth Services: A Content Analysis of Youth Services Job Advertisements

ABSTRACT

This article investigates requirements and responsibilities for public library youth services librarians. Position advertisements were published in American Libraries in five-year increments, from 1971 to 2001. Youth services librarian positions were analyzed as to changes in position titles, education requirements, job responsibilities, and personality characteristics. Findings suggest that the number of advertised youth services positions is increasing, and job titles are changing from the specific “children's services” to the more generalized “youth services.” Advertised responsibilities of the youth services librarian have consistently emphasized collection management and administrative duties, and many advertisements place a heavy emphasis on personality traits.     

Classifying Librarians: Cataloger,Taxonomist, Metadatician?

ABSTRACT

A study of job advertisements for technical services librarian positions provided insight into critical aspects of the library profession, issues that affect the work life of academic librarians. A review of several hundred job ads with a focus on job titles revealed problems with the use of terminology and the actual conceptualization of positions. Based on the ads reviewed, libraries also appear to be raising their expectations for types of knowledge and skills required and personal qualities desired.     

Health sciences librarian competency perceptions: a survey of national community college librarians

Objective:The primary objective of this study was to determine how community college health sciences librarians perceive their proficiencies in the essential skills, knowledge, and abilities necessary for the practice of a health information professional as defined by the Medical Library Association (MLA) Competencies for Lifelong Learning and Professional Success. A secondary objective was to determine their current level of engagement with the professional community and identify barriers to further professional development.Methods:A survey was posted to various email discussion lists, and volunteer follow-up interviews were conducted.Results:The survey was completed by seventy-five community college health sciences librarians, and seven follow-up interviews were performed. Survey results indicated that community college health sciences librarians perceived themselves as having intermediate or advanced intermediate proficiency in the six MLA competencies. Survey and interview results indicated that community college health sciences librarians were engaged with the profession and faced the same barriers to continued professional development and continued education as other academic librarians.Conclusion:The results affirm that community college librarians who are responsible for collections and services in the health sciences meet the MLA competencies, which fills a gap in the literature regarding how these librarians develop professional competencies and are involved in professional associations. The results suggest that community college librarians can improve their skill levels by continuing their education and following trends in the literature.     

Supporting Indigenous Studies Programs Through Sustainable Budget Allocation

ABSTRACT

This study assesses acquisitions budget allocation for sustainable support of Indigenous Studies (IS) and the challenge of addressing the needs of an emergent subject area. A survey of collections librarians provided context for library allocation practices of other Canadian institutions offering IS programs. An analysis of titles purchased before and after creating an IS subject fund was performed; results reveal that there was an increase in the number of IS titles purchased annually after the fund was created. A defined subject fund allowed flexibility beyond conventional library collections structures to address the unique needs of IS as an academic discipline.     

Collaboration and Organization for Successful Serials Cancellation

Serials cancellations are dreaded equally by librarians and faculty. Previously, faculty reviewed title lists, and librarians canceled what they recommended. Today's cancellation process is more complex; there has to be a context and a timetable. Reports must include at least data about historical pricing and titles associated with e-packages that are not cancellable. Although libraries' workflows differ, there are basic steps necessary to carry out a successful cancellation process. This joint presentation demonstrated how integrated planning and the use of serials management tools are used to organize complex information into useable data. It takes early and collaborative planning between Collection Development, teaching faculty, and Serials Technical Services to make a dreaded process less painful and more effective. This tactics session was delivered in parts by Susanne Clement and Gaele Gillespie, Head of Collection Development and Serials Librarian, respectively, at Watson Library, University of Kansas, and by Sarah Tusa, Coordinator of Collection Development and Acquisitions at the Mary and John Gray Library, Lamar University.     

Barron's Online (barrons.com)

ABSTRACT

In this article Jenkins and Beall, librarians at Auburn University, have identified free Web sites for providing answers to business reference questions most frequently asked in academic libraries. The authors determined these questions by polling other business librarians, researching the topic on the Internet and in business literature, and drawing upon their business reference backgrounds. Web sites were selected by searching the Internet extensively, querying other business librarians and business faculty, combing numerous business academic library Web pages, and experience by the authors in answering business reference questions via the Web. The researchers sought answers and noted productive sites for each question. Jenkins and Beall expect this article will help other librarians determine the most useful Internet sites for answering business reference questions. They also hope this research will provide guidelines for librarians in developing solid lists of essential Web sites for business researchers.     

Expert Googling

Abstract

Google is the search engine of choice for most Internet users. For a variety of reasons, librarians and other expert searchers do not always use Google to its full potential, even though it provides capabilities not possible in traditional bibliographic databases and other search engines. Applying expert searching principles and practices, such as the use of advanced search operators, information retrieval strategies, and search hedges to Google will allow health sciences librarians to find quality information on the Internet more efficiently and effectively.     

Animal Rights and Animal Welfare: Historical Resources

SUMMARY

Although literature of the animal rights movement can be traced back to ancient philosophers, the animal rights movement as we know it today has a relatively brief history. This article identifies some of the key works in recent literature in the history of animal rights. Included are reviews intended to aid librarians in selecting titles in animal rights and animal welfare history. Works are divided into two categories: bibliographies and general historical works.     

It's a Wrap (Part 1)

Abstract

Due to cuts in the binding budget, librarians in the science libraries at Washington State University were forced to consider alternative ways to preserve journals. We considered a number of important variables to select journals that would no longer be bound in the traditional manner, and selected shrinkwrapping as a preservation method for those titles.     

Drilling deeper into the core: an analysis of journal evaluation methodologies used to create the “Basic List of Veterinary Medical Serials,” third edition

Objective:

The paper analyzes the journal evaluation criteria used to create the third edition of a core list of veterinary serials to determine the impact of each criterion on the final composition of the list in order to assess the value of using multiple criteria in creating a core list.

Methods:

Three additional lists were generated from criteria that were previously combined to prepare the third edition of the “Basic List of Veterinary Medical Serials”: a list based on journal recommendations from veterinary specialty organizations, another list based on journals selected by veterinary librarians, and a list based on both indexing coverage and scholarly rank. The top fifteen journals in each of the three lists were then compared to reveal potential biases. Subject representation on the full lists generated by each of these methods was also compared.

Results:

The list based on journal recommendations from veterinary specialty organizations exhibited a focus on clinically relevant titles. The list based on veterinary librarian recommendations resulted in the broadest subject coverage. The list based on indexing and scholarly rank, while emphasizing research titles, produced the largest number of unique titles.

Conclusion:

A combination approach that includes objective evaluation measures and practical input, whether from librarians or discipline experts, can improve coverage and can result in a list that balances research-based with clinical practice journals.

Highlights

• Analysis of criteria used to create the “Basic List of Veterinary Medical Serials” reveals biases inherent in different quality measures that result in different journal emphases.
• Use of indexing or scholarly rank is often thought of as a limiting factor, but in this study, the journals that were scored solely on these two criteria resulted in the inclusion of the greatest number of unique titles.
• Librarian input produced the broadest subject coverage of any list.

Implications

• An analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of various methodologies reveals clear evidence for using both objective and subjective criteria in developing a core list. Collection development decisions would equally benefit from this approach.
• Comparison of the top titles on core lists underscores the value of input from practitioners or discipline experts in collection decisions.
• Bias toward clinical content revealed in the input from the veterinary specialty organizations indicates the importance of understanding the purpose and compilation methods used in creating recommended lists before using them in collection development.

     

Licensing Digital Content: A Practical Guide for Librarians. 2nd ed. Harris,Lesley Ellen

Abstract

Advances in technology create dramatic changes within libraries. The complex issues surrounding this new electronic, end-user environment have major ramifications and require expert knowledge. Electronic services librarians and electronic resources librarians are two specialized titles that have recently emerged within the field of librarian-ship to fill this niche. Job advertisements listed in American Libraries from January 1989 to December 1998 were examined to identify responsibilities, qualifications, organizational and salary information relating to the newly emerging role of electronic librarian.     

Trends of European picture book production since 1945

Abstract

The dramatic increase in the use of the global network is examined through statistics and examples of the involvement of many countries. Despite the explosive growth of Internet use and contrary to the increasingly frequent characterization of the Internet as global, gaps are identified in the international coverage of the network. Evidence of the participation of librarians in the global network is sought through an analysis of subscriber lists for selected library-related listservs. Findings show that representation of librarians from a few countries is very high, while representation of librarians from most countries is low or non-existent. The value of the Internet and the potential role librarians can plan in this evolving environment are discussed.     

Nothing to Fear

Abstract

Vendor-supplied e-resource statistics are often unavailable, unreliable, or not comparable across vendors. This study compared locally generated usage statistics to those supplied by four major publishers, and analyzed the resulting patterns of use. The additional information provided by vendor statistics was assessed to see how it might be utilized selectively to provide a better understanding of the importance of individual titles. The local statistics for all titles provided by the four publishers were then compared. A strong similarity between the two datasets was found, supporting the position that local statistics are a viable alternative to vendor statistics. Another finding was that the 80/20 rule is closer to 80/30 in the online environment. Some of the issues for subject librarians and electronic resources librarians are discussed.     

Taking Library Instruction into the Online Classroom: Best Practices for Embedded Librarians

ABSTRACT

The proliferation of online courses has led librarians to adapt their instructional techniques and follow teaching faculty and students into the online environment. Moving beyond Web pages and online research guides, librarians are now becoming instructional partners in online course management systems. Through an online survey of librarians and a literature review, the authors examine best practices for these “embedded librarians.”     

Education Resources

Abstract

Governmental, non-profit, and commercial organizations are putting a variety of materials online which provide access to information previously published in print, or on stand-alone fee-based databases. Although it is still difficult to locate information efficiently on the Internet, access to relevant materials has been improved by subject-organized online indexes of resources. These indexes take some of the chaos out of locating relevant materials. Rapid growth in online in electronic publishing combined with access to resources via organized indexes to online information make the Internet useful to reference librarians and educators. This article lists some of the resources and access points for information relevant to educators and librarians.     

The Development and Use of a Genre Statement for Electronic Journals

Summary

The proliferation of electronic resources led the librarians of Cornell University's Mann Library to develop genre statements to aid in their selection decisions. Genre statements, one for each of five classes of electronic information, supplement the collection development policy and assist the genre specialists in selecting titles by outlining general and specific criteria. They also serve as summaries, updated annually, of the present state of the collection of the genre and of future issues to be addressed.     

Embedded & Clinical Librarianship: Administrative Support for Vital New Roles

ABSTRACT

Medical libraries continue to face the challenge of demonstrating relevance and value in hard economic times. Job titles such as “embedded librarians,” “clinical medical librarian,” and “informationist” have become more common as medical libraries strive to meet patrons at the point of need within a natural workflow. This article provides an overview of such positions, including necessary skills and expertise, added value, administrative challenges, and a discussion of evaluation.