Partnering Through Staff Rotation in a Multi-Branch Academic Library: One Example at the UCSD Libraries

ABSTRACT

The article describes a partnership between two of the libraries at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) through which two staff in one library worked part-time at the other during the summer of 2006 in order to maximize staffing efficiency among the units, as well as to realize professional development-related goals for the staff involved. The author outlines challenges faced by the project's coordinators, outcomes for the two UCSD libraries, and recommendations for other libraries experimenting with similar staff rotation projects.     

E-struction

Summary

During the fall of 1999, the libraries at the University of New Orleans (UNO) and Louisiana State University (LSU) embarked on a collaborative effort to instruct faculty members to access and use electronic library resources. The libraries, both members of the “Louisiana Library Network” and the LSU System, coordinated the instruction program and implemented it at the respective institutions. The program was successful at both universities, receiving positive feedback from the participants. At LSU, the program has expanded to include student and staff participants as well as faculty. Moreover, the program is available for implementation by other libraries through the Internet.     

Taking Control

Abstract

Libraries are at a crossroad. Down one road are the traditions long accepted by libraries as the proper way to run a library. The other way leads the libraries into the challenges and chaos of the Internet. There are innovative attempts to use the potential of the Internet to redirect traditional patterns of access to information and services.     

Twenty Steps to Marketing Your Library Online

ABSTRACT

Libraries are quite practiced at outreach activities in the physical world, but now, just as our services and resources have moved online, so must our outreach efforts. This article provides a list of twenty practical things libraries can do to begin to delve into the world of online outreach. Topics covered include listing your library in Wikipedia, listing library events in local community calendars, listing librarians in expert-finding directories, pushing newsletters out via RSS, being present in online game and other environments, and much more. The requirements for online outreach at libraries will always be evolving, but this starter list will provide a place for all libraries to begin their foray into online outreach and marketing.     

Maximizing Access to Resources: A Distance Learning Librarian Joins Forces with Colleagues at Supporting (Proximal) Libraries

ABSTRACT

Saint Leo University faculty provide instruction at SCE sites located on eight community college campuses and three military bases in the Florida region. This article will examine ways in which the Distance Learning/Reference (DL/Ref) librarian facilitates off-campus student access to both the university library's online and print resources and to library resources at nearby supporting, or “proximal,” libraries for students who are too far from the University Campus to use anything except the Ask-a-Librarian, 1–800 reference, and Interlibrary Loan services. These students must rely on proximal libraries, which include large public library systems, library consortia, community college libraries, and military base libraries, for access to print resources as well as Internet access to the university's online content. Providing library access services for such a large, disparate group requires the additional combined efforts of administrators, other faculty librarians, and supporting libraries.     

Balancing Evolving “Real” and “Virtual” Patron Needs: A Challenge for Access Services in Academic Libraries

ABSTRACT

Academic libraries are at a crossroads, facing increasing competition from other student services within their institutions and from commercial entities that duplicate their services. Examining some broader trends in education leads to suggestions as to how libraries might re-examine legacy services and assumptions and consider new directions. Specifically, the contributions that might be made by areas traditionally considered part of access services are considered. An annotated bibliography is included.     

Proposal for a National Library Plan for Iran

Abstract

This study surveyed Government school libraries in Benue State before the creation of Kogi State from Benue. The study was carried out using 100 non-pretested questionnaire forms of which only 70 were returned with sufficient information for analysis and generalization.

The study focused on how over 60 government school libraries, scattered over a large geographical area with a poor road network and few funds, are centrally administered. Further, the study covered the extent of co-operation between school libraries and their relationship to the central administration at the Ministry of Education and other library authorities elsewhere. The acquisition policy, staffing, processing, distribution and inspection, as well as operational standards are discussed and suggestions for improvement are supplied. Possible areas for further research relating to the study are raised in conclusion.     

The Klaipeda University Library in Lithuania

Summary

The author, Library Director at the University of Klaipeda (Lithuania) and Washington State University Libraries' Library Fellow, writes about her own library in the context of other Lithuanian academic libraries and emerging consortia in Lithuania and the European Community. Both the Consortium of Lithuanian Libraries' project, the Lithuanian Integrated Library Information System (LIBIS), and the European Community's project, the Trans-European Cooperative Scheme for Higher Education (TEMPUS), are specifically noted. The author also offers both her impressions of American academic libraries gathered during her experience as a Library Fellow based at Washington State University Libraries and her hopes for the future of academic libraries in Lithuania.     

The Forecast for Special Libraries

ABSTRACT

Special libraries exist in an ecosystem consisting of the information industry, the library world, their own organizations, and workforce demographics. Librarians need to be aware of the trends shaping all of these facets. This column takes a close look at Outsell's Information Industry Outlook report for 2016 and its implications for special libraries. The outlook for special libraries is neither the previously forecast Baby Boomer retirement crisis nor the dire end of special libraries many feared during the recent recession. Instead, the special library world is transforming, creating both challenges and opportunities for special librarians. Millennials entering both the workforce at large and the library workforce will make their presence known. Savvy information professionals will stay on top of these trends and find their niche, whether in a traditional physical library or in emerging careers outside the library.

Column Editor’s NoteSpecial libraries share concerns with their more general academic, public, and school counterparts, but they also have unique characteristics and concerns which merit separate consideration. Libraries of all types are evolving, and just as special libraries can learn from the general literature on libraries, practitioners in all types of libraries can learn from the experiences and best practices of special libraries. “The Specialist,” appearing in even-numbered issues of this journal, addresses the administrative concerns of special libraries. The column's scope is a broad umbrella of specialized librarianship and includes corporate, non-profit, government, and independent libraries as well as the specialized departments and branches of academic and public libraries. Contributions from practitioners and scholars on any aspect of special libraries are welcome. Interested authors are invited to contact the editor at tmurray@stamps.org for submission guidelines.     

The Personal Touch: A Case for a Small,Independent Library

SUMMARY

Small city libraries often face pressure to join county systems, but the flexibility of being independent permits opportunities for service that bigger entities cannot offer. In addition, the personal touch helps distinguish libraries from other information providers such as book stores or internet services. Programs can be developed and offered on a few days' notice, without a lengthy approval process. Individual attention, such as delivering books to the doorstep of a shut-in patron, is routine. This article makes a case for independent libraries to remain that way.     

“What Is Bought Is Cheaper Than a Gift”: The Hidden Burdens of Gifts-in-Kind and Policies to Help

Abstract

Accepting donations has been a fundamental aspect of librarianship for years. The world’s greatest collections, from Carnegie Libraries to the Library of Congress, have been built by the generosity of others. Yet, in the modern era, gifts-in-kind are offered more democratically and come with mixed quality. This has led to a shift in how libraries look at gifts-in-kind as often more burdensome than genuinely helpful. This is because gifts come with costs to the library that donors fail to consider, and some gifts are offered with ulterior motives. To navigate these burdens and still encourage a generous public, libraries must have a clear written gift policy to ease stresses and anxieties on both the donor and the institution. In the case of academic law libraries, they often don’t share the exact experience of other libraries; however, they face some of the same challenges and require a written gift policy all the same. Examining the gift policies of other law libraries can establish a framework of essential elements when establishing a new gift policy at an institution.     

The Impact of Implementing Electronic Reserves on Staffing and Service

ABSTRACT

Electronic Reserves provides new opportunities for collaboration between libraries, new staffing challenges, and new methods for assessing library services. This article examines the impact on staffing and services of implementing Electronic Reserves in several libraries on the campus of a major midwestern research institution. Results of a staff survey and use studies are incorporated. The benefits and difficulties of centralizing the management and workflow between libraries of Electronic Reserves are analyzed, as well as other related staffing issues such as processing time, space, training, etc.     

Personal librarian programs in medical and academic health sciences libraries: a preliminary study

Objective:This preliminary study examined how personal librarian programs are implemented within medical and academic health sciences libraries. Increasing awareness of these programs and how they are implemented could create a larger and more accessible knowledge base for establishing best practices that similar libraries can look to when creating their own programs.Methods:To characterize existing programs, a twenty-two-item survey was sent to MEDLIB-L, AAHSL-ALL, ARCL-HSIG, and PSS-Lists email listservs in October 2018 to reach a broad audience of medical and academic health sciences librarians. Survey responses were analyzed using Qualtrics and Excel.Results:Of the 2,882 potential email recipients, 49 survey sessions were recorded, and a total of 38 survey sessions were completed (1.3% response rate). Of the 38 completed responses, representatives of 12 libraries (31.5%) reported that a personal librarian program had been implemented at their institution. For implementation, eight libraries involved 1–5 librarians, and four involved 6–10. Librarians were assigned 50–100 (n=6), 101–150 (n=1), or 151 or more (n=1) students each. The identified programs served medical students (n=11), nursing students (n=7), health professions students (n=7), dental students (n=2), and students in other fields (n=4). Services provided and communication methods were also identified.Conclusions:The personal librarian programs identified by the survey were uniquely structured to best meet the needs of their users, though similarities in implementation existed across institutions. Medical and academic health sciences libraries can look to these libraries as practical examples when starting their own personal library programs.     

Dissemination and Discovery of Diverse Data: Do Libraries Promote Their Unique Research Data Collections?

ABSTRACT

Academic libraries acquire and steward numeric datasets as well as large collections of image files, audio archives, digital texts, and other non-numeric resources. This article considers how a sample of libraries in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom present these collections and make them available for discovery. And, importantly, the article examines whether these non-numeric collections are positioned on the library Website as research datasets, rather than as artifacts of limited local and/or historical interest. Findings from this analysis may help collection managers and Web designers as libraries define their role in connecting users to research data.     

Measurement and Assessment of Networked Resources and Services in Academic Libraries

Abstract

The author looks at what has been done at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, to evaluate networked resources and services, and also highlights some of the major publications and projects dealing with assessing these resources and services that are of use to Cal Poly Pomona and should prove to be so to other libraries as well.     

The use of Loansome Doc to meet the needs of unaffiliated health professionals

Objective: This study was undertaken in order to determine how health sciences libraries in a ten-state region are using Loansome Doc, with an emphasis on whether this tool continues to be used to serve unaffiliated health professionals. Methods: Usage data were examined and health sciences libraries were administered a survey to determine how they are using this tool. Results: Loansome Doc usage across libraries is low and declining, and a number of libraries do not serve unaffiliated health professionals with this tool. Conclusions: Use of Loansome Doc is low and declining, in part, due to license restrictions, declining interlibrary loan, and the prevalence of alternatives, such as OCLC's ILLiad, for document delivery to affiliated users.     

Managing Reference Services in the Electronic Age

Summary

Managing reference services is challenged by the influx of electronic resources in libraries. Traditional approaches to reference management lack a conceptual framework of effectiveness and emphasize mostly internal processes, downplaying the turbulent environments libraries face. The competing values approach to effectiveness is presented as a broad-based integration of four existing models of organizational effectiveness, encompassing the contradictory values of an internal and an external focus, a control and a flexibility orientation, and means and ends. Implications of the approach for reference management are discussed, and the movement toward diversified team structures examined as a possible solution to the problems of managing reference in the electronic age. The focus is on academic libraries but may apply to other types of libraries as well.     

Health information programming in public libraries: a content analysis

ABSTRACT

Health information programs, defined as library programs focusing on health-related topics, are an essential way for public libraries to reach out to their user communities, raising awareness of and interest in healthy lifestyle, promoting access to quality health information, and ultimately enhancing health literacy of the citizenry. This study presents a content analysis of the health information programs provided by a large urban public library system in the past year, seeking to strengthen the professional understanding of how public libraries can contribute to health literacy improvement through effective programming, and help other libraries gain insights on health information program planning and implementation.     

A Review of: “Encyclopedia of Infectious Diseases: Modern Methodologies. Tibayrenc,Michel, ed.”

ABSTRACT

Hospital libraries serving military bases offer a different perspective on library services. Two libraries located on islands in the Pacific Ocean provide services to active duty service men and women, including those deployed to other regions of the world. In addition, these hospital libraries serve service members’ families living on the base, and often citizens from the surrounding communities.