Format Preferences of Performing Arts Students

This research examines performing art students' preferences for accessing various types of information, factors in their selection process, and their opinions on what the library should purchase. A Performing Arts Library at a large public university created a two-page paper survey, which was completed by 182 students studying music, dance, and/or theater. Results indicated that these students preferred print books and scores, as well as electronic access to journals and audio. There was an approximate split for physical and virtual reference and video materials. The data also suggests that, while students support the trend of more electronic access, they want librarians to continue to acquire a mixture of electronic and traditional resources.     

Perception of task-technology fit of digital library among undergraduates in selected universities in Nigeria

Digital library has the capabilities of storing various electronic information resources which can conveniently be accessed by remote end-users via computer networks and the Internet. In recent times, Universities in Nigeria have embarked on integration of technologies in their operations for improvement, especially with respect to digitisation of academic information resources. However, with the huge investment committed to establishment of digital libraries in Nigerian Universities, less research has been done on their acceptance and usage from the users' perspective, more especially with respect to the fit of digital library with students' tasks. This study, therefore, investigated task-technology fit of digital libraries in three Nigerian Universities and identified factors influencing use of digital library by the students. Survey design guided the study and a questionnaire was used to collect data from 402 students. The study found a high usage of digital library among the students. A moderate positive correlation and significant relationship was found between the independent variables (task characteristics, technology characteristics, attitude, computer self-efficacy and task-technology fit) and use of digital library. The study validates the TTF model which posits that for an information system to be utilised, it must be a good fit for the tasks it supports.     

A Citation Analysis of ETD and Non-ETD Producing Authors

This work takes advantage of the current status of the development of electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) at the University of Louisville to reexamine a previous study that compared ETD and non-ETD producing authors' use of the professional literature. As with the previous study, this effort found no noticeable difference in the two groups of doctoral students' referencing behavior. This review of 100 dissertations and their 13,926 references confirmed the previous work's conclusions that doctoral students' publication format is not reflective of their library research. These findings suggest that librarians need not amend their efforts in response to academia's on-going development of ETDs and that differences between ETD and non-ETD authors are unrelated to their utilization of library resources.     

Stacks,Serials, Search Engines,and Students' Success: First-Year Undergraduate Students' Library Use,Academic Achievement,and Retention

Like other units within colleges and universities, academic libraries are subject to increasing internal and external pressures to demonstrate their contributions to institutional goals related to students' success. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between first-year undergraduate students' use of the academic library, academic achievement, and retention. Results of ordinary least squares regressions predicting first-year students' cumulative grade point averages (GPA) and logistic regressions predicting students' first-year to second-year retention suggest that students who used academic library services and resources at least once during the academic year had higher GPA and retention on average than their peers who did not use library services. The results of two separate regressions predicting students' GPA by 10 different types of library use suggest that four library use areas were consistently and positively associated with students' GPA: database logins, book loans, electronic journal logins, and library workstation logins. The results of two separate logistic regression analyses suggest that logging into databases and using library workstations were actions consistently and positively associated with students' retention. Additional results predicted by students' use of services at least one time and by one-unit increases in the frequency of library area uses are discussed.     

University libraries response to COVID-19 pandemic: A developing country perspective

The purpose of this study was to explore the university libraries' response during the COVID-19 pandemic and determine their working practices, services patterns, strategies applied, and role played. This study is a qualitative exploration by collecting data through in-depth interviews of purposely selected Heads of seven university libraries. The interview recordings were transcribed, translated, and analyzed thematically. The majority of the university libraries were physically closed for patrons in this pandemic but engaged with the users. Libraries revamped their web pages, reassigned resources, and planned robust online offerings. The university portal and other social media tools were less used communication tools during the pandemic. Library staff worked from home and there was a sense of over burden because of 24/7 connectivity and without any formal working policy addressing the new working routines. University librarians felt that digital divide, lack of digital literacy skills, and slow internet speed were the major barriers in their transition from physical to online mode and less use of library's online resources and web portals. Libraries see their individual and collective roles of societal and educational dimensions during these uncertain times. The study also made recommendations for the betterment of libraries' role in such situations.     

Influences on Undergraduate Business Students' Perceptions About the Adequacy of Library Information Resources

This qualitative study was designed to provide insight into the responses of undergraduate business students to a survey item about the adequacy of library resources. Interviews with seven business majors revealed that students were not aware of the information resources available to them and that they found library resources overwhelming and confusing. The findings of this study did not reveal that additional business information resources should be provided to support students, but the study did yield useful information about what influences undergraduate business students' perceptions of and expectations about the information resources provided by the library. The article includes recommendations for increasing students' awareness of specialized business databases and improving students' perception that the content of these databases is useful for their coursework.     

University librarians' perspectives on an importance-performance analysis of authentication system attributes and their attitudes towards authentication log visualization

The means through which the university libraries provide access to electronic resources (e-resources) for their patrons and the way they operate could be enhanced through an authentication system. Such a system can help address the challenges of seamless access to e-resources for patrons, and can also provide information for university librarians to further understand and explore patrons' demands. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perception gap (i.e., importance and satisfaction) of university librarians regarding authentication services, and their attitudes towards the visualization of online libraries' usage logs. Moreover, this study developed a dashboard platform to visualize readers' behavior when using online resources and to understand university librarians' attitudes towards the library statistics dashboard. As a result, it was found that one system quality attribute and two information quality attributes were identified as high priorities for the intervention. University librarians gave positive feedback on the library statistics dashboard that can present visualizations of the authentication logs to further explore patron behavior of using e-resources. This also shows that the results can help identify strategic focus areas to evaluate authentication systems and library statistics dashboard as alternative technologies to assist university librarians in exploring patrons' e-resource usage behaviors.     

How Can the University Library Better Meet the Information Needs of Research Students? Experiences From Ulster University

This article investigates academic library needs of doctoral students. The study identifies PhD students' information literacy training needs and explores current levels of library engagement, barriers to use, and gaps in existing services. First-year PhD students at Ulster University (UU) were surveyed and interviews were undertaken with three students. Findings show that just over half the respondents start their research from the Library's e-journal interface or library databases and these resources are also their main research tools. Minimal use was made of social media or apps. Students' ability to correctly identify different source types within a reference did not match the confidence they expressed in their own abilities, and two thirds were not aware of basic e-book capabilities. However, over 90% of the respondents strongly agreed that the university library service was essential for their research. The article concludes with a number of recommendations on improving library services for PhD students.     

Evaluating a monolingual multinational digital library by using usability: An exploratory approach from a developing country

In this paper the authors present a preliminary discussion on some of the results from a survey aimed to explore, describe and explain some of the usability characteristics in digital libraries evaluation in the Mexican context. The study is framed in the evaluation of a multinational and monolingual digital library: the Miguel de Cervantes Virtual Library, from the University of Alicante in Spain. The evaluators were Mexican “expert” users (i.e. Spanish-speaking professional university librarians specialized in electronic reference services) who were asked to carry on an evaluation instrument based on usability criteria as taken from some models in developed countries. Some questions that might be answered with future research are outlined in this paper.     

Students' Understanding of the Library of Congress Call Number System

Students' ability to effectively understand and use call numbers to locate materials in the library is still an important skill in the digital age. This study explores students' perceptions of Library of Congress call number schemes and identifies the conditions that impede or facilitate students' successful location of desired library materials. Using a multiple case study design, this article describes the perceptions of undergraduate students who attend a 4-year public university in the Midwest. The findings suggest that students demonstrate little facility for locating books easily and independently, misinterpret call numbers in diverse ways, and do not fully understand the library's organization of materials.     

Link It or Lump It

Abstract

Mounting digital images of art objects on a Web site is only the first step in providing patron access to such materials. Libraries and museums have a responsibility to provide not only high-quality digital reproductions but also high-quality access from an integrated library catalog with controlled vocabulary and consistent access points. While some digital collections may have excellent internal searchability and require no more than collection level cataloging in a library's OPAC, others may demand cataloging of individual components of the collection. A particular collection's significance, its potential audience, the types of access required, as well as factors such as its size and cohesiveness need to be considered before becoming locked into a specific Web designespecially when it is that of another institution.

This paper examines several online library catalogs in which records for art objects as well as historical objects and natural history specimens have been merged, with varying degrees of success, and briefly addresses a modest proposal to catalog ceramic objects at the Ohio State University Libraries. The importance of consistent subject access in a merged catalog, regardless of the thesaurus or thesauri used, is stressed. Library consortia and bibliographic utilities may offer an economically appealing alternative for libraries that cannot design and construct their own digital libraries but these external organizations often have limited capability for-or interest in-modifying the design for a particular library and even less interest in cataloging the collections. Libraries, too, must be faulted for simply listing available electronic resources, either alphabetically or in broad subject categories, on a separate portion of their Web page and failing to provide full catalog records in their catalog. Finally, it is emphasized that the current debate over the viability of MARC 21 versus other metadata standards remains largely irrelevant to the importance of continuing to cultivate a monolithic online catalog, maintaining cataloging standards, and not mindlessly developing what amounts to a separate, rudimentary catalog solely for electronic resources.     

Use of evidence by nursing students: An interdisciplinary study

This project, conducted by an interdisciplinary team comprising nursing academics and information professionals, focused on nursing students' access to, and use of, learning resources with respect to an evidence-based practice assignment. From the information professionals' perspective, there was interest in examining the level of use of information, the use of print versus electronic media, students' application of critical and evaluative skills to information sources, and how access to learning resources and libraries is still important. The nursing academics were concerned with exploring the students' perceptions of evidence and what was perceived by them to be “quality evidence.” References used by the students were tabulated and analyzed, and subsequent to this, focus groups were conducted to ascertain the degree of ease with which the students found information and the types of support afforded to them in tracking down information. The results highlight the continuing importance of access to libraries and learning resources and of an equitable level of staff support. They also raise questions that provide a springboard for future research.     

Effectiveness of Virtual Reference Services in Academic Libraries: A Qualitative Study Based on the 5E Learning Model

This study explores library users' perceptions and preferences of virtual reference services (VRS) in an academic library in Hong Kong and examines the impact of VRS on students' learning for the future improvement of the library's services. A qualitative semi-structured interview was conducted with ten students from different faculties of a comprehensive university in Hong Kong. Proceedings of the interviews were recorded using Zoom, transcribed, and analyzed into theme tables according to the 5E learning model. Results indicate that WhatsApp is the most preferred VRS due to its convenience, response immediacy, textual record, and minimal learning efforts. Phone, email, and Zoom are less preferred due to users' perceived embarrassment, formality, and time constraints. The findings demonstrate that VRS is vital in students' different learning stages. It arouses students' interest in learning and information search, allows the exploration of new learning resources, provides a good platform to solve learning problems, and offers efficient and instant help for learning. Unlike previous studies, this study identifies users' perceived impact of VRS on their learning process based on the 5E learning model. It provides important implications and suggestions to improve VRS and staff training to enhance the library's overall reference services.     

Reading Format Attitudes in the Time of COVID

The objective of this paper is to investigate the impact of the COVID-19-related changes to educational delivery on students' academic reading format preferences and behaviors. Pre-pandemic studies showed that students preferred print when needing to engage in academic texts for their coursework, and that under certain circumstances, students learned better when using print texts. During the pandemic however, many institutions implemented a sudden shift to remote learning and electronic readings. We questioned whether students would adjust their learning strategies to accommodate the abrupt change, and whether the increased experience with e-formats would boost their favorable attitudes towards digital reading. This study's data from students at a North American university does not support this hypothesis. While some respondents did report improved attitudes towards e-reading during COVID, most attitudes were less favorable or reflected no change. Nearly half the respondents stated that they highlighted and annotated their readings less than they did before, and over a third said they completed their assigned readings less frequently. Negative feelings may reflect a new trend in attitudes or they may be a temporary outcome of general screen fatigue. The findings reinforce the importance of providing print format options for students during this time.     

Information literacy proficiency: Assessing the gap in high school students' readiness for undergraduate academic work

This study examines how high school students' information literacy (IL) skills prepare them for academic work in the digital age. The project included: (a) an audit of university IL practices; and (b) the administration of the James Madison University (JMU) Information Literacy Test (ILT) to 103 twelfth grade students in Alberta, Canada. Due to the low stakes of the test, there was concern about the reliability of the results. Rapid guessing, response time effort, and motivation filters were applied to confirm the reliability of the results. Results indicate a gap between expectations of high school students and their skills. Using a standardized test, potential incoming undergraduate IL proficiency was identified, including student strengths and weaknesses. The audit identified IL policies and practices at the university, indicating discrepancies in the IL instruction students may receive. Findings indicate that students lack the IL proficiency required to succeed in the post-secondary educational environment, and the libraries are not prepared to effectively address this gap.     

Improving Research and Learning in Higher Education in Portugal: Digital Resources,E-Books,and a Discovery System as Enabling Factors for Students

ABSTRACT

This article describes a library's implementation of digital resources for research, teaching, and learning at a higher education institution in Portugal. A school specializing in education and teacher education established strategic performance areas related to digital resources for the fulfillment of its mission, which included some functions of the academic library. The library implemented a discovery system, and the school invested in a wider range of resources, including e-books, both acquired and institutionally published. The library's training programs were also revised to promote the new system and electronic resources. This case study describes how an academic library in Portugal responded to institutional needs, illustrating how libraries everywhere must connect to the larger vision and demonstrate value through technologies, integrating digital and print resources to provide access built around users' needs.     

Introduction

This introduction highlights the speakers and their topics presented at the Libraries eResource & Emerging Technologies Summit (formerly known as the MidSouth eResource Symposium) held at Mississippi State University (MSU) Libraries on August 3, 2012. The Summit was co-sponsored by EBSCO Information Services, North American Serials Interest Group's Continuing Education Committee, and MSU Libraries. Electronic resources continue to consume library budgets while remaining critical for today's researchers and students. Libraries must demonstrate their value and continually remind their stakeholders of the importance of these electronic resources and just how vital access to this digital information is. This year's Summit presentations focused on the acquisition, access, and management of eResources, and provided attendees with knowledge of new and emerging technologies related to electronic resources and the digital environment.     

The impact of library instruction: do first-year medical students use library resources specifically highlighted during instructional sessions?

Objectives:

The research sought to determine if first-year medical students consulted and cited resources specifically highlighted during library instructional sessions.

Methods:

Students attended a library resources instructional session. Resources that pertained to the students'' assignment were demonstrated and discussed. The students created a report including citations from relevant literature. The citations were analyzed and categorized as: a resource discussed at the instructional session, a resource found on the course LibGuide, a library resource, course material, or some other resource. All citations were subcategorized as print or electronic.

Results:

Three years (2008–2011) of data analyzing 2,983 citations showed that 49.55% of all citations were from resources discussed during library instructional sessions; 21.86% came from resources with links on the course LibGuide; 77.51% were from library resources; and 90.68% came from electronic resources.

Conclusion:

Students cited resources specifically highlighted during library instructional sessions for their assignments. The percentage of all citations coming from resources highlighted during the instructional sessions or found on the course LibGuide indicates that library instruction had an impact on the students'' work.

Highlights

• Review of the literature shows that instruction about library resources accompanied by clear guidelines on scholarly research methods and resources provided by course instructors have the biggest impact on the quality of cited materials in student bibliographies.
• Graduate medical students cited library resources more frequently than nonlibrary resources for their assigned coursework.
• Graduate medical students cited materials and resources specifically highlighted during library instructional sessions for their assigned coursework.

Implications

• Instruction about library resources tailored to medical students'' assignments impacts the resources that the students consult and cite for their assignments.
• Using the information gathered from citation analysis to modify teaching plans can impact the effectiveness of library instructional sessions.