Academic Library Web Sites and Distance Education

Abstract

This study focuses on college and university library services provided to distance education students and a content analysis of library Web sites. The Web sites chosen were categorized by the amount of distance education the institution offered to students. Results indicated that the size of the institution had the strongest correlation to library services offered to distance education students (Spearman's rho of .618), not the degree to which distance education is provided (rho of .076). This study suggests that just because an institution offers distance learning courses does not necessarily mean that its library offers a full range of Web services to meet distance learner needs, and it brings into question whether some institutions have been too quick to provide distance education services without properly addressing student library needs.     

Business Library Web Sites Revisited: An Updated Review of the Organization and Content of Academic Business Library Web Sites

This article updates the findings from a study by Hal Kirkwood in 2000 of the organization and content of academic business library Web sites. The authors examined 75 sites, focusing on five general aspects of the sites: organization, terminology, instructional elements, integration of resources across formats, and annotations. Results of the study show that business library Websites have dramatically improved in the 7 years since the original study.     

Services for Graduate Students: A Review of Academic Library Web Sites

A library's Web site is well recognized as the gateway to the library for the vast majority of users. Choosing the most user-friendly Web architecture to reflect the many services libraries offer is a complex process, and librarians are still experimenting to find what works best for their users. As part of a redesign of the Oregon State University Libraries’ Web site, entry points for specific user groups were created. One of these user groups was graduate students. The purpose of this study was to explore the ways other academic libraries design their Web sites for particular user groups, specifically graduate students, in order to determine how the Oregon State University Libraries Web site compared to peer institutions. This study analyzed 112 Association of Research Libraries’ Web sites and 26 Oregon academic libraries’ Web sites to determine the availability of resources and services specifically promoted to graduate students. Since graduate students may view the library Web site through the lens of new student, researcher, or instructor, Web sites were also examined to see if sites were created with any or all of these roles in mind. Nearly a quarter of Association of Research Libraries' Web sites that were examined contained a link on the homepage for graduate students, and another 20 percent provided graduate-student information at a lower level in their site hierarchy. A majority of sites had events, subject guides, or course guides for graduate students. Information for graduate students was typically framed in the context of graduate students as researchers. Ideas and examples are given for ways to improve Web site design to better serve this user group. In order to provide improved services to these students, future studies will explore what graduate students need from academic libraries and the ways these students conduct themselves in their various roles of researchers, instructors, and new students.     

Web2.0在高校图书馆应用案例举要

互联网新技术的推动和原有技术的新应用,互联网已经进入到了Web2.0时代,Web2.0不只是技术或解决方案,更是一套理念体系。我国图书馆界对Web2.0进行了大量的研究与实践。文章在概述Web2.0产生的社会背景与Web2.0为图书馆带来的机遇挑战基础上,举要了部分Web2.0在我国高校图书馆的典型应用案例,最后分别从服务理念、技术等方面分析了Web2.0在我国高校图书馆成功应用的因素。     

Meeting Reference Responsibilities Through Library Web Sites

Summary

Among the many ways the World Wide Web has changed libraries are the additional tools gained by librarians and library users for answering reference questions. In addition to the growing number of licensed resources providing the full text of articles from newspapers, magazines, academic journals, and reference works are the millions of free Web sites offering an incredible variety of information about everything. Locating the most useful of these sites and organizing them into categories on library Web sites can be enormously beneficial both to patrons and libraries. After deciding to make their sites reference portals, librarians must make a number of important decisions.     

Pakistani University Library Web Sites: Features,Contents, and Maintenance Issues

ABSTRACT

This study explores the current status and features of Pakistan's academic library Web sites. A checklist describing features and content was prepared based on a review of the literature related to academic libraries’ Web sites. Then, all 85 library Web sites of Pakistani universities and degree-awarding institutions recognized by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan were surveyed and analyzed using the checklist. Interviews with library professionals were conducted to learn more about the problems and issues with building and maintaining library Web sites. Results indicate that Pakistani academic library Web sites have effective features such as contrasting color schemes, easily readable text, minimal use of horizontal scrolling, and English-language text. Staff information, OPACs, and navigation features are also widely found on the Web sites. Features found less frequently include the use of Web 2.0 technologies, Web site aid tools, information about library buildings, and general library information. By offering information about the status of Pakistani academic library Web sites, the study can serve as a foundation for discussion between libraries and other parts of the university, as well as a benchmark for evaluating the progress of academic library Web sites in Pakistan     

图书馆营销2.0——善加利用Web2.0技术构建图书馆营销新通路

当图书馆被Web2.0技术深深影响,服务方式亦发生变革时,图书馆营销也应顺势而为寻求创新与变革。吸收营销2.0“互动、参与、体验、交流、扩散”的精髓,利用Web2.0技术的优势创造更多的创意营销形式,从而构建图书馆的营销2.0之路。参考文献12。     

Promoting and Teaching Information Literacy on the Internet: Surveying the Web Sites of 264 Academic Libraries in North America

A survey was conducted between July and November 2012 to determine how academic libraries in the United States and Canada marketed and delivered information literacy on the Web. A random sample of 264 institutions was taken from Peterson's Four-Year Colleges 2012, and the authors checked each Web site of the academic libraries of the institutions in the sample for instruction-related activities. Only 65 percent of the libraries in the sample advertised library instruction as a service on the Web, while 64 percent of the libraries boasted research guides and tutorials. Sixteen percent of the libraries provided direct links to ACRL's Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education, and 24 percent made an effort to explain and define the term “information literacy” to their users. The authors hope the findings can help determine how academic libraries are currently using the Internet to increase information literacy on the Web and set a new platform for better strategies for advocating information literacy.     

Web2．0的特性及其对图书馆服务的影响

本文介绍了Web2.0的涵义和特性,图书馆Web2.0的起源和发展及图书馆应用Web2.0技术的必要性.分析了目前图书馆运用Wiki、Blog和RSS来改进用户服务模式的状况.     

Designing Search: Effective Search Interfaces for Academic Library Web Sites

ABSTRACT

Academic libraries customize, support, and provide access to myriad information systems, each with complex graphical user interfaces. The number of possible information entry points on an academic library Web site is both daunting to the end-user and consistently challenging to library Web site designers. Faced with the challenges inherent in designing online search interfaces and the ever-growing amount of resources available online, Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries sought to explore how to build effective search interfaces that, at the same time, support a wide variety of computer users and provide comprehensive access to assorted collections of electronic resources. Over a nine-month period, the libraries designed, implemented, and tracked the usage of two different search interfaces on their home page. Each interface allowed users to choose between four different search targets. In this case study, the authors discuss the complexities of designing search interfaces, outline findings from the nine-month study, evaluate the effectiveness of the two interface designs, and talk about future research in these areas.     

Overhyped Fad or Missed Opportunity? A History of Academic Libraries and the Social Web

The emergence of social media has radically transformed the way we create and consume information. These changes have in turn given rise to new models of librarianship centered on principles of participation, interaction, and collaboration. Over the last decade, academic libraries have eagerly adopted social media as a means of enhancing services and connecting with a new generation of users. But how exactly has this technology changed libraries? In what ways has the social web transformed library services or our relationships with users? This article attempts to assess the impact of social media on academic libraries in the United States through a review of the literature published since 2005. In particular, it looks at how academic libraries have used social media to improve or develop new services. By comparing published case studies with the theoretical literature, this article seeks to separate theory from practice and determine the extent to which the social web has transformed library practice. The author concludes that, despite several noteworthy examples, the majority of social library applications ultimately fail to live up to the transformative potential promised within the literature and that this failure may have more to do with philosophical rather than technical limitations.     

Toward a Usable Academic Library Web Site: A Case Study of Tried and Tested Usability Practices

Usability testing is an important element when designing useful, usable academic library Web sites. Since 2001, members of the Florida International University Libraries Web team have worked toward establishing a process that identifies user needs through usability testing. Starting with the libraries’ first Web site redesign project in 2001, the team has taken an active part in improving Web site user experience. After engaging in multiple redesign efforts, the Web team has developed a process that supports awareness of user experience through continual usability testing and feedback gathering. This article presents strategies and practices to measure Web site user experience, including classic usability testing methods (e.g., card sorting activities, focus groups, and task-based user testing), as well as the team's latest effort to assess Web site analytics and content to identify Web site usage patterns and areas of concern. A history of the Florida International University Libraries’ Web site redesign process is presented to illustrate lessons learned and best practices to facilitate future redesign and testing efforts. Taking a longitudinal look at usability testing at one institution, the study aims to inform the development of an effective strategy for user research and content management.     

Work of the Web Weavers: Web Development in Academic Libraries

Although the library's Web site has become a standard tool for seeking information and conducting research in academic institutions, there are a variety of ways libraries approach the often challenging—and sometimes daunting—process of Web site development and maintenance. Three librarians at Western Michigan University explored issues related to this topic by conducting a Web-based survey, which was sent to two librarians—Web services and reference/public services—at 149 academic institutions. Survey findings are discussed, including references to Web departments and committees, priority setting, Web authoring, soliciting input, outsourcing, content management systems, redesigns, and user involvement. The participants’ insights regarding the greatest challenges and what seems to be working or not working well are also outlined, in addition to the authors’ suggestions for future research in this area.     

When Off-Campus Means Virtual Campus: The Academic Library in Second Life

ABSTRACT

This article discusses how a library's consistent policy of accessibility and foresight positioned itself to serve its students, faculty and staff in the virtual world of Second Life. Always ahead of the technological curve, this library has been the front-runner in providing services to distance learners via text messaging, “chat,” e-mail, and telephone services and via its laptop librarian project across the campus. It now is poised and ready to provide service in Second Life. Collaboration between the library and teaching faculty culminated in the creation, development, and furnishing of a library in Second Life, an environment that gives new meaning to “off-campus” learning. Without marketing, but as a visible presence, the Second Life library was able to attract both off-campus guests and affiliated students and faculty and even participated in campus-wide projects. This experiment has enjoyed the support of both the university and library administration.     

Views and Dreams: A Delphi Investigation into Library 2.0 Applications

The study's purpose was to investigate the views and opinions of librarians about the implementation of Web 2.0 technologies into library operations and services. The Delphi technique was chosen as the method of inquiry in this study, in which a group of panelists graded the desirability and probability of a list of statements. Thirty-nine librarians from United States and Canada participated in the study by answering the questionnaire. The study consisted of two rounds. In the first, participants were asked to grade seventeen statements and answer four open questions posted on a Web site. In the second round, participants were asked to provide an explanation for answers that fell outside of the consensus. The study investigated the panelists’ views on the following issues: (a) the changing nature of libraries and of the information profession, (b) user-generated content at the library, (c) the library's role as a learning center, and (d) adoption of Web 2.0 technologies in libraries. Participants’ answers also revealed issues with the marketing of library services. Findings revealed a big difference between what participants viewed as desirable and what they thought as probable for most issues. Furthermore, participants were skeptical on the ability and willingness of librarians and libraries to make the necessary changes to adapt to the new information reality brought on by Web 2.0 technologies.     

关于我国高校图书馆适应Web2.0环境的障碍分析——基于高校学生的调查访问

针对Web2.0在我国图书馆领域应用不够广泛的问题,笔者对高校学生(分为图书情报专业学生与非图书情报专业学生)进行抽样调查与访问,从理论上分析图书馆总体不适应Web2.0环境的因素,在实际应用中总结用户对Web2.0/图书馆2.0的了解程度、对具体技术使用率低的原因,以及对图书馆运用Web2.0的态度等,进而提出切实可行的对策。     

Web 2.0技术在高校图书馆信息共享空间建设中的应用

概述了高校信息共享空间的理论、实践发展及其虚拟空间建设的现实意义,并列举Blog、Rss、Tag等Web 2.0技术在信息共享空间虚拟层的应用。Web 2.0相关技术与理念的优越性使其对图书馆信息共享空间虚拟层的建设具有重要价值。     

Redesigning Services for the Net-Gen and Beyond: A Holistic Review of Pedagogy,Resource, and Learning Space

Oblinger and Oblinger (2005) described the Net Generation or Net Gen, who have never known life without the Internet. They note the incremental nature of change: “One generation's technology is taken for granted by the next” (p. 2.1). In a world increasingly dominated by technology, the academic library has become a place to learn that is constantly adapting and changing, reflecting “what the student does” (Biggs, 2007 Biggs, J. 2007. Teaching for quality learning at university: what the student does, , 3rd ed, Maidenhead: Open University Press.  [Google Scholar]). Pathfinder funding from the Higher Education Academy has enabled Bournemouth University (BU) to explore the pedagogies of learning in a hybrid environment and consider how Web 2.0 technologies within a virtual learning environment contribute to the acquisition and development of academic literacy skills. Good library design demonstrates agility and adaptability in the use of space (Heppel et al., 2004 Heppel, S., Chapman, C., Millwood, R., Constable, M. and Furness, J. 2004. Building learning futures. A research project at Ultralab within the CABE/RIBA “Building Futures” programme 〈http://rubble.heppell.net/cabe/final_report.pdf〉 (accessed 24 July 2008) [Google Scholar]). Virtual environments enable integration of resources within the unit of study. Subject librarians, academics, and learning technologists are developing new ways of working together to deliver resources. The rate of change is exponential but is full of opportunity (“Libraries Unleashed,” 2008). In 2009 Bournemouth University will open a new library for postgraduate business students without any books, but with each student equipped with an e-book reader. This article will discuss the academic skills and learning spaces students will need to read for a degree in an environment that is predominantly electronic.     

A Comprehensive Analysis of Academic Library Websites: Design,Navigation, Content,Services, and Web 2.0 Tools

This article's purpose is to analyze the current state of library websites in academic institutions in Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) countries, aiming to determine their compliance with standard website practices. Based on the Library Website Evaluation Checklist (L-WEC) developed for this study, a content analysis is performed of 110 academic library websites. This research, being one of the first studies of its kind, should interest information professionals and educators responsible for developing and improving the quality of their websites. With the majority of academic users growing up in the Google generation, it is important to create more millennial-friendly websites that provide quick and easy access to Web-based services and content-rich information.