Across the Hill: The congressional research service and providing research for congress—A retrospective on origins

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) of today is a 1970 extension of the Legislative Reference Service, which was initially established through the appropriations process in 1914 and statutorily given permanent, institutional status in 1946. Throughout their existence, these entities have been, in varying degrees, part of the Library of Congress, which, itself, dates to the arrival of the federal government in the new capital in 1800. Provided here is a retrospective on these organizations—their origins, structural development, changing missions, and, in the case of the CRS, its current operational status.     

Across the hill: The congressional research service and providing research for congress — Considering the future

Chartered in 1970, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) has served the Members, committees, and staff of Congress for four decades. The transition from the predecessor Legislative Reference Service (LRS) did not occur without some difficulties, and management of the organization and its personnel are still evolving and, in some regards, unsettled. Considered here are some matters, other than basic organization and mundane administration, which may pose challenges for CRS in the near future.     

Research Collaborations Between Public and Academic Libraries

Web-scale discovery systems are gaining momentum among academic libraries as libraries seek a means to provide their users with a one-stop searching experience. Illinois State University's Milner Library found itself in the unique position of having access to two distinct discovery products, EBSCO Discovery Service and Serials Solutions’ Summon. Two researchers at Milner conducted a usability study for the former product in 2010, and now two other researchers, including one involved with the EBSCO Discovery Service study, have conducted the same study on the latter product. The goals of the study were twofold: first, to identify user behavior while using discovery systems’ search features and to see whether using these features would improve the user's searching experience, and second, to compare user experiences with EBSCO Discovery Service and Summon at Illinois State University. The similarities and differences in user expectations, use, manipulation, and satisfaction with both discovery tools are explored in this article, with the ancillary hope that libraries investigating discovery tools might be able to make a more thoroughly informed choice in acquiring their own Web-scale discovery system.     

Congressional Research Service Products: Purpose and Legislative Histories

Congressional Research Service (CRS) products, such as CRS Reports and Issue Briefs, are valuable reference tools that can assist reference professionals in providing service to a wide range of patrons and should not be overlooked. This article briefly explains how legislative reference bureaus came into existence and details the early legislative history of the formation of CRS, the federal legislative reference service. This article also explains what products CRS creates and for what purpose. Finally, this article provides a brief legislative history of modern congressional efforts to publicly disseminate CRS products, which includes summaries of public discourse on the subject.     

The Relationship Between Service Learning and Research

In Fall 2006, a faculty member in George Washington University's University Writing 20 (UW20) program began incorporating service learning into her theme-based first-year writing course. Along with her librarian partner, they linked two research assignments to the service work of the students. An end-of-semester survey was administrated over three semesters with one question asking if the student's research process was affected by their service experience. In reviewing and analyzing student comments, four themes emerged: increased motivation, use of numerical data and primary sources, increased knowledge in approaching and limiting topics, and the potential for bias.     

The paradox and promise of small group research

This study examined the experiential attitude function--an attitude based on past experience(s)-and tested whether a message targeted at this function would elicit attitude change. Each of 139 undergraduates was assigned randomly to one of four conditions in which a fictitious Executive Committee for Academic Integrity (ECAI) report, written for a university president, supplied strong or weak arguments. Furthermore, these messages either argued that tenure should be abolished (anti-tenure) or that tenure should continue (pro-tenure). Results indicated that, although the functional target of the message was not related to posttest attitudes, conformity to message recommendations was contingent upon the discrepancy between the respondent's initial attitude and the position advocated in the message. Interestingly, the mean attitude change in every experimental condition was negative, indicating that regardless of the position advocated in the message, respondents' attitudes became increasingly antitenure.     

Can your public library improve your health and well‐being? An investigation of East Sussex Library and Information Service

This article is only the second in the Dissertations into Practice series to highlight the role of public libraries in health information. It is the result of an investigation into the provision of health information in East Sussex Library and Information Service, which formed the basis of Anneliese Ingham's dissertation for her MA in Information Studies at the University of Brighton. At the time Anneliese was doing her research, the service was experimenting with different ways of providing healthcare information at one of its main libraries, and they were interested in the impact of this. The provision of health information to the public is one of my own research interests, and I was Anneliese's dissertation supervisor. I thought she produced a very good piece of work, and the results she highlights in this article are applicable to all public library authorities. Anneliese graduated with an MA in 2012 and worked for East Sussex Library and Information Service, which she joined whilst she was still studying. AM     

Materiality and immateriality in Lucio Fontana's environments: From documentary research to the reproduction of lost artworks

In recent years, many international initiatives have sparked a debate on guidelines and criteria for documenting existing installations and environments. Nevertheless, a comparison between those environments, and lost or reproduced ones, still needs to be closely considered. This becomes even more interesting in the case of works that were made by artists no longer alive. Starting from the study on Italian artist Lucio Fontana's historical environments, we show how a historically accurate reconstruction, based on the analysis of various sources (original documents, letters, articles, interviews and videos, as well as critical essays) can be considered as a conservation strategy for works that were originally created as ‘ephemeral’, but later became fundamental within art history. The data and metadata can be used as a second step for the reconstruction of the environments, creating ‘replicas’ that closely mimic the artist's intent and that can then be documented and properly preserved. On one hand, the outcomes of the research presented is that of understanding to what extent it is possible to achieve a fair rendition of Fontana's environments and thus foster their proper appreciation. On a second and more practical level, we will present a study of the first exhibition centered on the reproduction of the artist's environments, which will be held in HangarBicocca, Milan, Italy, in 2017. A scientific and philological approach will allow us to fully respect the original artworks and the context in which they were produced. The reconstruction will also be the occasion to collect data regarding the materials that Fontana used extensively, and to gather information about the companies that produced them, as well as about the past and present quality of such materials, and the possibility of reproducing them today. This approach seeks to investigate the interplay between theory and reconstruction materiality through the double lens of historical research, on one hand, and contemporary conservation and museology debates on the other.     

Fusing research into practice: The role of research methods education

A survey was conducted among library and information science (LIS) practitioners to examine the effect of the research methods course on LIS practitioners' work. Findings suggest the research methods course is a valuable component of the master's in library and information science (MLIS) program. Taking the research methods course increases LIS practitioners' research interest and assists them by helping them critically evaluate published literature and apply it at work, provide better assistance to library patrons, produce valid and reliable data to facilitate decision making, identify problems at work and design and implement studies to solve them, and write grants and for publication. Suggestions are made to improve the research methods curriculum and enhance the educational experience for LIS practitioners.     

The Research Lifecycle as a Strategic Roadmap

ABSTRACT

What is the role and purpose of the academic library in the 21st century? Increasingly, this question is being asked on campuses around the country. The thesis of this article is that academic libraries will continue to play a vital role on campus, provided they align their services to the research and discovery missions of their respective institutions. If this is true, a clear definition of the research lifecycle now becomes a strategy roadmap, allowing academic libraries to see the bigger picture as well as the sweep of research services they might offer. The case for crafting the library's strategic plan around the research lifecycle is presented in four parts in this article. In part one, a review of the literature is presented, specifically that having to do with the continuing imperative of academic libraries to practice strategic alignment. An exploration of the increasing importance of the research experience in higher education is then presented in part two, followed by a detailed look at the research lifecycle. And finally, an overview of strategic opportunities and partners is presented in a final section.     

Engaging in research: challenges and opportunities for health library and information professionals

This year's virtual issue (the 6th in the series) has been published to coincide with the European Association for Health Information and Libraries’ (EAHIL) 2015 workshop (10–12 June, Edinburgh): Research‐Minded: Understanding, Supporting, Conducting Research. This event is being run in collaboration with the International Conference of Animal Health Information Specialists and the International Clinical Librarian Conference. Although research has always been a central part of any librarian's role, until recently health librarians and library users and funding bodies assumed that librarians were ‘midwives’ – there to assist students, clinicians, academics and managers set up and carry out their research. The notion of the librarian as a professional with a research agenda, who understands research methods, submits research grants, and publishes, is a relatively new perspective. If librarians are to take an evidence‐based approach to their profession they need to acquire research skills. This is the rationale for the 2015 EAHIL workshop. To support the workshop, this virtual issue contains six original articles published in Health Information and Libraries Journal over the last 2 years that demonstrate the range of research activities carried out by health librarians, as well as a review article and articles from each of the three feature columns. All articles included in this virtual issue are available free online.     

The Pedagogical Value of an Integrated Approach to Legal Research Instruction: Overcoming Student Resistance to the Use of Print Sources and Striking a Balance That Instills an Appreciation of the Strengths and Weaknesses of Both Print and Online Sources

The ABA Legal Technology Survey Reports from 2006 to 2012 reported that, on average, 51% of attorneys “regularly” used print materials. Given the propensity of law students to default to online research, this article describes the results of a three-year longitudinal study of an integrated approach to teaching first-year legal research. This approach required students conduct legal research tasks both online and in print sources, and to evaluate their experience. The objective of this approach was to transform the legal research experience from a “treasure hunt” into a much higher level of engagement based on Benjamin Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning.     

The University of Texas at Arlington's Virtual Reference Service

Abstract

The University of Texas at Arlington's Library began using an online chat reference in 2002. The service, called Collaborative Digital Reference Service, later became “Ask a Librarian.” Slightly over one year later, the library joined the University of Texas System's “Ask a Librarian” service. Both services are powered by software suite called QuestionPoint. In May 2003 and May 2004, the library's reference staff shared their views towards this new reference tool by completing a questionnaire. Statistics and staff members' responses are analyzed in this study.     

Research Guides in a Public Policy Environment

This paper describes how the Congressional Research Service modified the pathfinder form for use in a congressional public policy environment. The development and evolution of the CRS Research Guide format is discussed as are format and topic selection considerations. Future developments, which include on-line guides that will have direct links to the Library of Congress SCORPIO system, are outlined.     

Librarians as Mentors in an Undergraduate Research Program

Projects in undergraduate research programs differ from assignments in courses in that they are independent of an institution's curriculum, and faculty mentoring plays a more important role. These programs can be fertile ground for librarians interested in participating. Whether such librarians would make good mentors for undergraduate researchers depends largely on their experience and education. Texas Tech University has two of these programs, but library support for them has been sporadic. The time is overdue for librarians involved in campus outreach and instruction to examine how they can best support Texas Tech's undergraduate research activities, and, in particular, whether they are adequately prepared to provide effective mentoring to undergraduate research students. This article reports on such an examination.     

From Horse-Drawn Wagon to Hot Rod: The University of California's Digital Image Service Experience

SUMMARY

This article proposes that a viable approach archivists might consider to meet increasing demands for access to digital images with functional presentation tools is to develop a reciprocal partnership with a digital library. The University of California's experience with the federation of licensed and UC-owned digital image collections is summarized to illuminate core issues related to collection development, system functionality, and patron usability. The resulting UC Image Service is then examined against a backdrop of comparable digital imaging projects with reflections on strategies and intersections. The range of business models and approaches to digital image collection access and developing image management and presentation tools highlight the unprecedented opportunities digital technology provides for moving archives towards an integrated environment through collaborative action.     

自然博物馆科研基地建设的思考 ——以重庆自然博物馆为例

自然类博物馆在全国定级博物馆中占比仅为2.2%,其中拥有科研基地的博物馆就更少。对已有自然博物馆科研基地调研表明,尚未做到相对独立的科研实体,必须紧紧依靠博物馆业务部门。因此,自然博物馆科研基地建设尚无成功案例可循,需要探索出适宜的建设发展道路。本文通过对重庆自然博物馆科研基地建设过程中遇到的问题进行深入思考,提出相应的对策,尝试为此类科研基地建设提供相应策略。     

CrossRef and the research experience

CrossRef is an independent membership association for building collaborative publishing technologies. Its mission is to provide services that enable the scholar to reach source material easily; it focuses on methods that are best achieved through collective agreement among publishers. The CrossRef network now covers millions of journal articles and other content items from hundreds of publishers. This article looks at CrossRef's significance for the online research experience, four years after the launch of the CrossRef initiative.     

Promise Fulfilled? An EBSCO Discovery Service Usability Study

Discovery tools are the next phase of library search systems. Illinois State University's Milner Library implemented EBSCO Discovery Service in August 2010. The authors conducted usability studies on the system in the fall of 2010. The aims of the study were twofold: first, to determine how Milner users set about using the system in order to better inform customization choices, which in turn would create better search experiences, and second, to find out whether discovery tools fix the problems of federated search. With federated search technology, users often felt frustrated by the search experience. Some reasons for the frustration included a desire for better ways to determine the relevancy of search results and for more information about the material included in the records. The authors determined that while many federated search problems were solved, some issues persisted. Overall, the move to EBSCO Discovery Service at Milner Library has been a positive experience for its users.