Telephone Calls Received at an Academic Library's Reference Desk: A New Analysis

ABSTRACT

It has been established that much of the assistance provided to library patrons at reference desks does not require the knowledge and expertise of a professional librarian. Is the same thing true of the telephone calls received at reference desks in academic libraries? This article reports the results of one academic librarian's reference desk transaction log analysis which focuses on the categories of assistance provided to patrons who called the library's reference desk.     

Biking to Academic Success: A Study on a Bike Desk Implementation at an Academic Library

Sedentary behavior has increased over the last several decades, and this has led to major life-threatening health issues. Texas A&M University Libraries has introduced an innovative idea in three of their buildings. This case study highlights the implementation of Bike Desks at an academic library while offering strategies for other libraries wishing to replicate this project, and analyzes data from a user survey. The survey explored student experiences, including perceived satisfaction and any perceived gains in study habits while using the Bike Desk.     

Bibilometrics Services and the Academic Library: Meeting the Emerging Needs of the Campus Community

The increasing importance of research assessment is but one factor within the ever-changing scholarly communication landscape that is challenging libraries to develop new services to serve the needs of their academic communities. Institutional budget allocations, grant funding, and faculty tenure and promotion increasingly depend on performance indicators, including bibliometrics such as citation counts, impact factors, the h-index, and other quantitative measurements of research output. With their longstanding expertise in collecting, categorizing, and analyzing data, not to mention their familiarity with scholarly databases and indexes tracking cited references, librarians are well qualified to meet the emerging demand for bibliometrics services.     

The Integration of Libraries and Academic Computing at Columbia: New Opportunities for Internal and External Collaboration

ABSTRACT

Over the past decade, the libraries and academic computing units at Columbia have been brought together to form a new information services organization. This article will trace the history and current state of IT and library relationships at Columbia University. The expanding collaboration among academic computing services, their deeper partnership and integration with library programs, the working relationship with campus administrative computing, and participation in national and international projects will be described and evaluated.     

Determining the Effectiveness of Digital Reference Services in Malaysian Academic Libraries

The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of digital reference services in academic libraries in Malaysia. It focuses on the awareness, usage, users' perception, library's performance, perceived needs, issues, and problems faced by students. The research methodology employed was a case study approach that combined three data collection methods: questionnaires, interviews, and content analysis.     

Meeting Evolving Research and Curriculum Needs: A Survey of Interlibrary Loan and OhioLINK Borrowing at an Academic Law Library

The research goal was to study the law faculty's interlibrary loan and OhioLINK borrowing activity to assess current subject gaps in the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Library's collection. The authors analyzed and collated faculty research interests. The results indicate that additional purchases are required to support international law and health law, two curriculum areas currently under development at Cleveland-Marshall.     

中美高校图书馆网络信息服务的网络调查和实证比较研究

采用网络调查实证研究和文献调研的方法，对中美高校图书馆网络信息服务的现状进行比较分析，以寻求适合我国高校图书馆网络信息服务发展的有效途径，提升网络信息服务品质。     

The Unopened Door: Virtual Reference and the Caribbean Academic Library

The Internet is the research tool of first choice among today's library users. Libraries are responding by introducing a number of Internet-based reference services to meet the needs of these techno-literate users. Focusing on an academic library in the Caribbean, this article discusses the issues that privilege traditional over virtual reference and examines issues such as student information research skills, the physical format of the collection, levels of staffing, and the role of culture.     

Knowledge Maps and the Work of Academic Librarians in an Interdisciplinary Environment

This article describes a method that academic librarians can use to help established scholars and doctoral students become more cognizant of interdisciplinary approaches to their academic fields and areas. This method centers around the creation of knowledge maps: visually oriented aids tracing intellectual connections and linkages between and among various fields and areas that allow students and professors to get a good sense of emerging trends in a given academic specialty. Many professors want librarians to be proactive when it comes to suggesting new perspectives and new ways of seeing their research questions. Knowledge maps can be used by librarians as information-literacy tools in the facilitation of interdisciplinary knowledge among academic researchers. In addition, the creation of knowledge maps by librarians can be seen as a component of the changing nature of reference librarianship—a job that is becoming more intellectualized through one-on-one consultations between students, professors, and librarians.     

网络环境下高校图书馆信息服务新论

网络环境下高校图书馆信息服务的信息源、读者需求、服务手段出现了新的特点，针对这些新特点，本文提出六项应对措施，即加强虚拟馆藏建设；尽快实现馆藏文献的电子化、数字化；重视科研信息资源的深度开发；提高信息服务的质量和水平；强化馆员的素质和读者培训工作。     

基于知识协同的高校图书馆企业信息服务研究——以五邑大学为例

在高校图书馆企业信息服务研究的基础上,结合知识协同的内涵,提出建立基于知识协同的企业信息服务模式,并分析了该模式的特点、优势和过程模型,最后结合五邑大学图书馆的实际情况,探讨利用ScrewTurn Wiki知识协同平台开展企业信息服务。     

区块链技术下高校图书馆精准信息服务路径研究

[目的/意义] 挖掘区块链技术在高校图书馆精准信息服务的应用价值,充分利用该技术提升服务效益,拓宽服务领域。[方法/过程] 分析高校图书馆精准信息服务过程中存在的问题以及引用区块链技术的必要性和可行性,从而得出精准信息服务路径。[结果/结论] 本研究将区块链与高校图书馆精准信息服务相结合：利用区块链具有的去中心化特点,构建图书馆精准服务的区块链联盟体系;利用区块链具有的信息对称特点,融合xAPI技术规范建立基于区块链技术的图书馆信息服务存储平台;利用区块链的可溯源特点,建立图书馆精准信息服务追溯体系;利用区块链密码学算法的数据存储的优势,建立机构知识库数据共享服务。     

The Past,Present, and Possibilities of Commons in the Academic Library

Within the past 10 years, commons have become increasingly prominent in academic libraries. Commons evolved out of the “library as a place” movement and stem from the digital revolution, increased emphasis on collaborative learning, and changing student habits and needs. The three levels of commons are information commons, learning commons, and the emerging virtual commons. Libraries implementing commons must consider the impact on reference services and staffing and be prepared for higher than anticipated use. Libraries should use both quantitative and qualitative assessment methods. Commons can revitalize the library by giving it a key role in reaching university strategic goals.     

Chinese Academic Library Research Evaluation Services

A web content analysis and case study were employed to analyze the research evaluation service practices and activities in 12 Chinese academic libraries – Peking University, Tsinghua University, Beijing Institute of Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Fudan University, Tongji University, Zhejiang University, Wuhan University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, East China Normal University, Shandong Normal University, and Donghua University. Specifically, the following aspects were examined: names of the services, service type, user training, support platforms, staffing, partnerships, marketing, and publicity and the time when the services were developed. The study found that a majority of Chinese academic libraries engaged in a variety of research evaluation service activities from article/journal/author assessments to patent assessments. Most research evaluation services were expanding from basic services such as citation searches, sci-tech novelty searches, and scholarly output statistical analyses to higher level services such as subject evaluations, subject/field trend analyses, and talent evaluations. Consequently, the user training, support platforms, staffing, partnerships, and marketing and publicity related to research evaluation services are increasing. The study also found that research evaluation services in Chinese academic libraries are based mainly on bibliometrics, and many of the services are being gradually automated and service management is being gradually standardized and institutionalized, while service effectiveness is gradually moving towards productization and specialization. However, these services do not yet extend to all aspects of the research impact cycle. Recommendations from the study include: incorporating new metrics and new types of research output into the current research evaluation systems; using unique author identifier profile systems to link research evaluation data systems and constructing a research impact cycle-oriented service system.     

Breaking New Ground: The Case for Seed Libraries in the Academic Library

Seed libraries are a relatively new innovation in the library field, offering seeds, gardening information, and the opportunity for community and ecological engagement to members. While they are increasingly popular in public libraries, they have not yet established a foothold in academic libraries. This paper defines the nature and role of seed libraries, the current state of seed libraries in North American universities, and offers recommendations for the establishment of seed libraries in academic libraries.     

Analyzing Recorded Transactions to Extrapolate the Required Knowledge,Skills, and Abilities of Reference Desk Providers at an Urban,Academic/Public Library

ABSTRACT

Much has been written about the competencies that reference providers must exhibit to be successful at their positions given today's technology-rich, information environment. Many have proclaimed new mandatory technological and attitudinal qualities for librarians, while others have interviewed future, practicing, and hiring librarians for their perspectives on this topic. This study adds to the existing literature by examining a dataset of 9,683 recorded reference transactions collected during the fall 2012 semester in an urban, academic/public library. This dataset provides a very current look at the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities that reference providers need to be successful at this library.     

Academic Self-Efficacy,Information Literacy,and Undergraduate Course-Related Research: Expanding Gross's Imposed Query Model

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the potential relevance of academic self-beliefs to Gross's imposed query model as they apply to undergraduate students, particularly at the IQ2 (transferred) and IQ3 (interpreted) stages. The author argues that, at these two stages, students will decide if they have the skills required to be successful, how much effort they will put into the research process, and if they will seek help from an expert information intermediary. Furthermore, the author proposes an expanded model of the IQ2 (transferred) and IQ3 (interpreted) stages to be tested by future research seeking to understand how undergraduate students navigate the course-related research process.     

Text Messaging in an Academic Library: Integrating SMS into Digital Reference

ABSTRACT

In spring 2005, Sims Memorial Library at Southeastern Louisiana University initiated “Text A Librarian,” a service that enables Southeastern students, faculty, and staff to use the text message feature of their cell phones to send questions to and receive answers from the library. Librarians at Sims use a dedicated text messaging telephone number and “e-mail/SMS” conversion software, provided by Altarama Systems and Services, to send and receive text messages.     

Use of Special Collections as an Opportunity for Outreach in the Academic Library

ABSTRACT

Academic special collections librarians have made great strides in making their collections discoverable and accessible to a wide audience. This article examines use of special collections departments and the many kinds of outreach librarians undertake to increase access to and knowledge of their collections, including creating electronic finding aids, digitizing material, collaborating with faculty, increasing participation in instruction and reference, and using exhibits, social media, and relationships with community partners to further the mission and goals of the library and the college or university. The article uses the University of Illinois at Chicago Special Collections Department as a case study.