Rare Polonica in The New York Public Library: Books of the Fifteenth–Eighteenth Centuries: Introduction

The New York Public Library (NYPL) holds one of North America's largest and oldest collections of books pertaining to the Slavic, Baltic, East European and Eurasian languages and peoples. The present catalog describes 514 volumes dating from the fifteenth through eighteenth centuries held by the NYPL. The following categories of material are included: books printed in the Polish‐Lithuanian Commonwealth; books printed outside of the homelands by Polish printers; titles by ethnic Polish authors, regardless of place of imprint or language of publication; works by foreign authors printed in the Polish language, or on subjects connected with Poland and/or the Rzeczpospolita. The catalog includes incunabula and 62 works of the sixteenth century.     

Pop-Up Library at the University of Birmingham: Extending the Reach of an Academic Library by Taking “The Library” to the Students

ABSTRACT

Aligning with student engagement and promotional strategies, a Pop-Up Library project was initiated at the University of Birmingham. This involved setting up temporary, staffed stalls in different locations across campus in order to informally communicate with students and effectively take “the Library” to them. This article discusses the planning and implementation of the Pop-Up Library, including the rationale for the initiative. Details are given of the stalls themselves, the wide range of staff involved, the many locations trialed, the promotional materials used, and the ways in which the venture was advertised and subsequently evaluated. Results of a questionnaire used on the stalls are presented. Conclusions are drawn as to the effectiveness of the Pop-Up Library as a communication tool, with particular emphasis on breaking down barriers between students and library staff, and proactively raising students' awareness of the many ways Library Services can enhance their learning.     

Why Change to the Chinese Classification Scheme? A Case Study in an Academic Library

This article provides a background for the change of the classification system for Chinese language materials at an academic library. It describes how the decision was made; how choices on partial reclassification or total reclassification were made; and how matters such as project planning, implementation, and vision for the future are being handled. It is hoped that the authors’ experience can offer tips for other libraries contemplating reclassification projects. By making use of the Chinese Library Classification (CLC) numbers from various sources in Mainland China, the authors envisage increased cataloging efficiency and cost saving in the long run.     

The Public Library and the Problem of Hospital Libraries for Patients–The Case of Israel

ABSTRACT

Providing information to the health consumer is one of the main tasks of our modern information society. This information falls into two categories: medical information, and supportive information such as literature and poetry. This article discusses the problematic situation of libraries and of information for patients in Israeli hospitals, and raises the question of the public library being a possible solution to help people in need get the information they are entitled to. The conclusions are based on a survey conducted in 1994. The results are rather disappointing: only 26.3% of the hospitals have library services for patients; most of them are managed by volunteers who have no training in professional librarianship. Also, in terms of book acquisition policy, library activities, and criteria for lending books, most of the results indicate that much needs to be done to improve the situation and help the health consumer receive information and support through the library. As it is clear that the situation in hospitals is not going to change in the near future, it is suggested that the public library serve as a helping resource outside the hospital and by that action it would not only contribute to society but expand its functions and strengthen its position in the community.     

Ubiquitous Computing in the Library:Indiana State University Library''''s Experience

1 Introduction New technologies and other developments haye changedthe information seeking behaviors of the academic communityand the general public.Nowhere is this more evident than inthe exponential growth of the World Wide Web and cellularphone usage.Responding to these user needs and newtechnologies,libraries are moving from being InformationWarehouses to becoming Information Portals.Full-text     

Features of Islamic Children’s Books in English: A Case Study of Books Published in Malaysia

The purpose of this study is to investigate the elements of Islamic children’s books that are written in English by focusing on books that are available in the Malaysian market and published in Malaysia. This study applies the content analysis method, by examining the selected books of their subject matter as well as the language. The results of the study reveal that Islamic books written for children in English are distinctive in terms of the content and language features.     

The Future of the Library: What Is a Public Library For?

The author suggests that libraries have been transformed a third time. Originally, libraries were the only place that valuable, handwritten, rare books could be found. As mass production kicked in post-Gutenberg, the library became an efficient way for the community to access knowledge. Today, though, in a post-paper world, the library must adopt a new role, a place where the community finds ideas, inspiration and others on a similar journey. The librarian is no longer a guardian of valuable books, but a curator of curiosity, passion and interest.     

Navigating OER: The Library’s Role in Bringing OER to Campus

In 2014, three librarians at the University of San Diego came together to explore open educational resources (OER). Coming from both technical services and digital collections, we were well-versed in the economic challenges facing today’s libraries. In order to formulate the approach that would work best for our campus, we first had to educate ourselves on the past, present, and possible future of the Open Access movement. While traditionally Open Access has focused on serials, OER offer the opportunity to expand its benefits to other formats. This article examines opportunities and tensions surrounding OER, as well as highlighting major players on the OER landscape. Our efforts began with a focus group for faculty to assess their own knowledge of and opinions on OER. After establishing a stipend budget, we sent out a call for proposals to faculty who were interested in participating in the Copley OER Initiative.     

Current Status of University Library Websites Construction in China ---Based on the Investigation of University Student Users＇ Evaluation

以一次全国性问卷调查为基础,从网站设计、网站内容、网站功能三个角度对高校学生用户使用本校图书馆网站的现状及满意度评价进行调查分析,并在此基础上从网站营销、文辞运用、导引设计、数据库建设、检索技能培训、在线咨询、馆藏书目查询系统宣传等方面提出完善我国高校图书馆网站建设的建议。     

The Development of Library and Information Profession in the Chinese Academy of Sciences

1　Introduction　　Overthepast45years(1950～1995),undertheleadershipoftheChineseAcademyofSciences(CAS),andinacommoneffortofthestaffmembers,thelibraryandinformationsystemofCAShasbecomeasys-temwithmulti-disciplines,multi-levelsandmulti-functions.Thesystemi…     

How Do I Get a Campus ID? The Other Role of the Academic Library in Student Retention and Success

Academic libraries have long gathered data at the reference desk to facilitate informed development of services and collections, and have long known that regardless of whether questions are related to doing research, the library is a safe place a student may go to find answers. This article highlights the role of the library and information commons service desks as valuable windows into the student experience. The authors suggest that librarians share with campus stakeholders information about students’ non-research-related questions to aid in the development of programs and services designed to help students adjust to campus life and, ultimately, succeed.     

Finno‐Ugric‐Language Books and Periodicals in the “Soviet Literature in Minor Languages” Collection of the Slavic and Baltic Division of The New York Public Library

The New York Public Library's collection of rare Finno‐Ugric books and periodicals from the Russian Federation date to the early1920s. The unique holdings include materials in the Mari, Komi and Udmurt languages, Estonian, Finnish, and several Finno‐Ugric dialects. These materials are of particular value to linguists, who wish to trace the process of Sovietization on the minority languages of Russia's autonomous regions.     

Textbook Affordability: Is There a Role for the Library?

Try searching the library catalog, as many students do each semester for the latest version of the textbook being used in a class at many universities and you will likely come up empty-handed. Many academic libraries—due to high prices, frequently issued new editions, and a tendency to go missing from the collection—have justifiably chosen to play only a marginal role in the provision of textbooks on campus. However, the dynamics of the textbook market are changing rapidly and this presentation explored the question: Should libraries reconsider the roles they play in the provision of course materials on campus? This session focused on the issue of affordability in the context of the rapid evolution and increased availability of e-textbooks (electronic versions of textbooks). Topics covered included: an overview of the e-textbook market, purchasing options and outlets for e-textbooks, new business models for institutional access to e-textbooks, potential savings from e-textbook adoptions, information on negotiating with publishers and platform providers, and why the library is well-positioned to play a prominent role in the provision of e-textbooks.     

The Educational Strategy of Library and Information Science in China in the 21st Century

The author states that the requirements for the professional personnel of library and information science in the future information society are to have wide knowledge and to be versatile. The knowledge required may include the knowledge of administration, documentary information, technical method and research method, etc.“Versatile”here means the ability of self-teaching, practical operation, social investigation,administration and organization, creation and scientific research. Finally, by analysis of the existing situation of library and information science education in China, and the needs of the Chinese economic vitalization in the 21st century, the author proposes to take a lot of measures at present for the improvement of thee ducation.     

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.