Making the bridge: Testing a library workshop for a summer bridge learning community

The John F. Kennedy Memorial Library at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA), collaborated with the CSULA Student Support Program and the Educational Opportunity Program in an innovative attempt to increase visibility and use of library resources and services by at-risk students enrolled in the 2005 Summer Bridge Program. Workshops were held for tutors, study group leaders, and writing instructors associated with the Summer Bridge. Assessment of the program was conducted through a survey of workshop participants. Writing instructors and tutors were overwhelmingly positive in their response to the workshop, but study group leaders were more evenly divided in their assessment of the workshop's utility, which suggests that alumni of the Summer Bridge Program may benefit from additional instructional support services.     

Innovation and Collaboration Brings Forth a New Approach to Bibliographic Instruction—Teach the Teachers

ABSTRACT

In 1994, the librarians at the University of Toledo's Carlson Library developed a bibliographic instruction program that is both efficient and successful. “Teach the Teachers” has been implemented in the English Department's Composition classes where it depends on the collaborative efforts between librarians and classroom instructors in assuring solid student library skills. The program philosophy shifts a librarian's teaching efforts from teaching the student to teaching the instructor. Librarians empower classroom instructors with the knowledge to teach basic information retrieval skills. This paper will discuss the development of the program, as well as the techniques used by both librarians and classroom instructors.     

Assessment,Analytics, and Analysis: Demonstrating the Impact of LMS Embedded Librarians on Student Learning

Librarians are committed to supporting teaching, learning, and research. They are equally committed to supporting student success and retention. Demonstrating the impact that learning management system (LMS) embedded librarians make on student learning has been difficult to correlate, however. Studies that assess this connection, using qualitative and quantitative data have been undertaken in recent years. In a university regional campus library study conducted in 2016–2017, LMS embedded librarians explored the relationship between student learning and information literacy instruction, relying primarily on a customized LMS embedded librarian page of library resources and learning objects. They used a rubric to assess student research papers and bibliographies, LMS course analytics, instructors’ grades, and student feedback. This article reviews the literature and their methodology, challenges, and findings. They wish to guide colleagues, committed to assessing how librarians contribute to student learning, in selecting assessment approaches and validate their instructional role.     

Pressing the F1 Key- And Retrieving Each Other

Summary

At 3:30 any afternoon of the week, public librarians may feel confident of serving students. Indeed, students comprise a significant portion of public library users, and they require a good deal of attention. Unless librarians work with the schools, though, we do not truly complement the curriculum. The Newark (NJ) Public Schools and the Newark Public Library have therefore embarked on a program of library orientation for teachers. Synergy with instructors has taught public librarians new means of reinforcing learning.     

Perceptions of American Library and Information Science Periodicals Among Central European Librarians

During the first four months of 1996, ASSIST MTERNATIONAL INC. conductcd an assessment of the Cooperative Pcriodical Program through which library and information science periodicals provided gratis by American publishers are delivered to 51 libraries in 13 countries of central Europe and the forrncr Soviet Union. The CPP is the largest source of English languagc library and information scicnce periodicals among the 35 libraries that responded. Librarians gavc the periodicals high ratings in terms of their value and use. Almost half of the periodicals '(47%) were rated as Very Important in terms of their value and use by a majority of the librarians; 73% of the titles were regarded as either Very Important or Important by at least 77% of the librarians; and 93% had mean ratings between the cquivalent of Very Important and Important. Write-in responses confirmed the numerical ratings.     

Connecting adjuncts to the library: Hosting online sessions to increase awareness of OER,E-books,and other library resources

In Fall 2021, librarians at Florida Gulf Coast University partnered with the campus faculty development center to host a one-hour online instructional session for adjunct instructors to increase their awareness of e-books, OER, and other library resources, for the purpose of reducing textbook costs for students as well as enhancing course content. In order to host a session that was tailored to the attendees' knowledge threshold and interests, the librarians asked session attendees to complete a questionnaire before and after the session. The results of the pre-session and post-session questionnaire indicate that adjuncts are eager to connect with the library and have a high interest in accessing a variety of resources, including OER. Although the main objective of the study was to promote adoption of OER and zero-cost textbooks, the authors encourage other librarians to promote OER adoption holistically and within the context of all of the library's resources and services. This approach is especially critical for adjuncts, who are still on a “learning curve” and are unaware of all the services and resources the library has to offer.     

Planning for a library system: Connecticut Regional Medical Program

A formal medical library system is developing nationally to improve library service, but not all users or even all librarians are alert to the need. The main stimulus seems to come from federal money and from leaders at the top, rather than from the small local library and its user, yet progress depends on participation at all levels. Planning for a state-wide medical library system as part of the Connecticut Regional Medical Program began with a survey of the state's medical library resources, which led to a grant request for operating funds to strengthen reference and inter-library loan service in Connecticut and to begin a training and consultation program for medical librarians in the state. These activities are intended to expand and intensify in Connecticut those back-up services provided for all of New England by the New England regional medical library service at the Countway Library in Boston and also are related to the other Regional Medical Program activities planned for Connecticut.     

Get to Know Your Librarian: How a Simple Orientation Program Helped Alleviate Library Anxiety

Library orientations do their part to familiarize students with information literacy, and how the library fits within university life. But what if an orientation could give a student a strong introduction to their academic librarians? Research in academic libraries has noted that library anxiety remains a continual problem among current students. Valparaiso University librarians created the Get to Know Your Librarian program, which sought to make librarians accessible. Using humor and casualness, incoming students were “introduced” to librarians through a series of fun facts. This simple program was successful in helping alleviate incoming students’ library anxiety before their first semester.     

Faculty and Instructor Perceptions of Open Educational Resources in Engineering

As open education initiatives aiming to lower the cost of course materials appeared at two universities, librarians became involved in identifying open educational resources (OERs) for university courses. However, when considering a number of subject areas—particularly in colleges focused on upper-division instruction—librarians encountered problems related to the availability of resources and materials selection processes. For this project, librarians selected one prominent subject area at their respective institutions—engineering—and worked to identify best practices for introducing OERs into courses. They surveyed engineering faculty and instructors to better understand their perceptions and needs related to OERs and, based on this work, they suggest best practices for liaison librarians in specialized fields who wish to incorporate OERs into their outreach work with a focus on upper-division courses.     

A university library management model for students’ learning support

Abstract

This research was aimed at developing a university library management model that would support students’ learning. The research was conducted in three phases: 1) an investigation into the requirements of a university library service of instructors; 2) an investigation into the attitudes of librarians, libraries’ administrators, and university’s administrators toward the roles of library and policy concepts relating to university library management that promote students’ learning; and 3) the development of a university library management model for students’ learning support. A mixed research method was applied comprising qualitative and quantitative approaches. Data was collected using in-depth interviews and questionnaires. The findings have led to a proposal of a university library management model that supports student learning, which is comprised of five components: 1) management policy and system; 2) learning resources; 3) learning support services; 4) learning environments; and 5) the competency and roles of information professionals. It can be stated that studies into Thai university library implementation, strategic plans, and self-assessment reports under the quality assurance system showed that even though libraries have updated resources and services following changing situations in policies, technologies, and users’ needs, there is no clear indicator that Thai university libraries have any strategy for acquiring roles to support students’ learning with practical outcomes. Through reliable research work, this study into a model for university library management would result in a means of developing university libraries that truly supports university student learning based on information from instructors, library administrators, and librarians.     

Promotion and Knowledge of Online Patent Literature Search to Enhance Scientific Output in Tanzania: Case of Two Universities in Zanzibar

Abstract

This study examines the promotion and knowledge of online patent literature search among students, librarians, and instructors to enhance university scientific output in Zanzibar. The study was guided by four key questions: What is the level of awareness of students, instructors and library staff about patent documents as source of information? To what extent do students and instructors access online patent databases? What is the library experience in training students about online patent literature searching?, and what are the challenges facing library and instructors in promoting patent literature search? The study used survey approach whereby questionnaire and interview were used to collect data. The recent literatures regarding online patent literature searching were also critically reviewed. A survey was conducted at two Universities in Zanzibar namely the State University of Zanzibar and Zanzibar University, whereby 20 library staff, 10 instructors and 140 undergraduate students from the School of Computing and the Faculty of Engineering were involved in this study. The findings show that more than three quarters of respondents were either partially aware or not aware at all about the existence of free online patent databases. Likewise, the majority of students had no enough skills of patent literature searching. However, usually the library organizes training on general online literature searching skills but patent literature searching was not effectively taught and a big challenge observed in this study regarding promotion of patent literature searching is inadequate patent searching skills among library and instructors. Based on the findings, the study proposed several recommendations to rectify the existing problem.     

Delivering and Assessing Music Reference Services

The nature of music collections and their use means that patrons have always required specialized guidance from librarians to access what they need. Currently, library patrons' expectations are growing as collections and their delivery modes evolve. Music reference services must adapt to effectively address these needs. This article examines the challenges to delivering effective music reference service, the basics of reference assessment, and how assessment models such LibQual+, the Wisconsin-Ohio Reference Evaluation Program, and the Reference Effort Assessment Data Scale can help librarians build patron-centered music reference services.     

义务馆员教育培训的探讨

教育培训是成功实行义务馆员制度的必要条件之一。图书馆应该通过教育培训使义务馆员具备执行任务所必备的知识与技巧,从而激发义务馆员的潜能,提升其服务水平与服务质量,使义务馆员的行为标准化,同时图书馆应通过培训课程的评估总结经验,使今后的教育培训做得更好。     

WorldCat Local and Information Literacy Instruction: An Exploration of Emerging Teaching Practice

Since the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) unveiled its WorldCat Local library catalog discovery layer in 2008, library instructors have debated how to incorporate this tool into their teaching. WorldCat Local's faceted searching brings both educational benefits and unexpected challenges to the classroom. Instructors frequently hold formal and informal discussions on such topics as which search features are most effective during teaching and which patron groups benefit most from this tool. The authors of this article surveyed instruction librarians at U.S. academic libraries that are using WorldCat Local in order to gather and organize this feedback. This article presents the findings of this survey.     

Encouraging Engagement with Students and Integrating Librarians into the Curriculum through a Personal Librarian Program

Five years ago, the Harriet F. Ginsburg Health Sciences Library created a Personal Librarian Program (PLP) to encourage librarian engagement with first- and second-year medical students and to promote awareness of library resources and services. Prior to the creation of the PLP, the library struggled with finding ways to connect with its medical students, especially because the library is 98% digital. The PLP was created to give students an individualized library experience and an easier way to interact with librarians. As a result, opportunities for librarian-student engagement increased, and Personal Librarian groups facilitated the integration of librarians into two first- and second-year medical school courses.     

Librarians,Faculty, and the Writing Center Partnering to Build an Interdisciplinary Course: A Case Study at the University of Houston,USA

This article covers how an interdisciplinary course was developed using the expertise and resources of a history professor, the history and psychology subject librarians, and the university's writing center. The course, supported by a grant, was aimed at helping students improve their research, information literacy, and writing skills across disciplines. The article discusses the involvement of the partners from the initial planning stages to its conclusion, focusing especially on how the librarians created a library session, course-specific guide, annotated bibliography assignment and grading rubric, and how these were used as opportunities to interact with the students throughout the course. Also covered are research and writing challenges, especially for English-language learner students, and how they were addressed by all the partners. It also discusses how the librarians used this experience to seek out opportunities to create similar collaborations with other instructors, and to strengthen ties with support services on campus.     

The Disaster Information Specialist: An Emerging Role for Health Librarians

ABSTRACT

This article describes the emergence of disaster information (DI) specialists, with particular focus on their presence in health libraries. Although literature on the subject of disasters and libraries is dominated by accounts of librarians preserving collections and ensuring continuity of library operations following a flood, fire, or other disaster event, the work of DI specialists extends beyond these traditional roles. DI specialists conduct outreach in the community, providing information services to emergency managers and other disaster workers. This article recounts a history of disaster information service in which public librarians served communities during disaster recovery periods, and health librarians became involved in organizational disaster planning activities. DI products from the National Library of Medicine are introduced in addition to federal funding opportunities for DI outreach projects. The development of the Medical Library Association's Disaster Information Specialization Program is presented, and the article shares recommendations for library administrators to encourage DI training for librarians and support the development of outreach services to disaster workers.     

Should I Stay or Should I Go? A Survey of Career Path Movement Within Academic,Public and Special Librarianship

Just as there are many types of library environments, the librarians working within those spaces represent a variety of experiences, job skills, and perspectives. Librarians develop these qualities through library curricula and on-the-job experience. While some librarians spend their careers in one type of library, others may travel between library environments and gain a wider range of experiences and skills. Decisions to transition between library types may be triggered by personal and professional motivators. Results of this survey confirm some librarians are actively and successfully transitioning between library environments as an alternative career path.     

读者与馆员的角色、义务及相互关系

从读者与馆员,服务与被服务的角度阐述两者的角色定位与义务及相互之间的关系,两者之间既相互制约,又相辅相成,构成一个统一体。图书馆员与读者相互依托,才能支撑起一个和谐的图书馆,馆员对读者及图书馆领导对馆员需倾注丰富的情感管理及良好的情绪互动才能使图书馆工作有声有色、顺利开展。     

Promoting Library Visibility Through Creative Programing

Abstract

Digital libraries and their librarians face a challenge to remain visible to users since almost all their resources can be accessed without having to visit the library space. Libraries with a primarily electronic collection can promote their visibility through creative programing that draws people into the library space or provides opportunities for users to engage with librarians. A new, primarily digital academic health sciences library shares its experiences with developing creative user events and programs to promote the library’s visibility.