LEARNING THE SOCIAL WAY: ENHANCING LEARNING IN A TRADITIONAL SETTING

This article explores the link between pedagogical approaches to learning and the redevelopment of existing spaces. It focuses upon trends in social learning and the need for libraries to respond to these in positive and proactive ways, placing the learner at the centre of developments. Not all universities and their libraries are in a position to extensively renovate or rebuild; the case study here provides an in-depth exploration of a ‘minor’ redevelopment that has had a major impact on learners. It concludes with considerations for the library and information profession in terms of their role in the development and management of learning spaces.     

Connected Learning in the Public Library: An Evaluative Framework for Developing Virtual Learning Spaces for Youth

This article presents an evaluative framework to aid public libraries in achieving a mission of providing informal learning opportunities through virtual spaces. Existing literature on assessments and evaluation is used to build the basic framework; the experiences of 21st Century Learning Labs in Libraries and Museum grant recipients are used to develop evaluative tools and examples for library practitioners to use in planning their own virtual spaces. This article serves as the first evaluative approach to the development of informal virtual learning spaces in public libraries.     

高校图书馆的权利与义务解读--学习《普通高等学校图书馆规程(修订)》

<普通高等学校图书馆规程(修订)>的颁发,从宏观管理的角度适应了新世纪高等教育发展对图书馆的要求.学习新<规程>赋予的高校图书馆的权利与义务,并力图从微观方面加以对照分析,以期在图书馆实际工作中得以切实地执行.     

Technology column: public libraries as civic technology hubs

Civic technology is used to improve how citizens, businesses, and other groups engage and conduct business with governments. Libraries across the United States are uniquely positioned to be key players in the civic technology movement. Libraries offer community spaces where everyone is welcome and where people can come together, learn about new technologies, access information, and solve shared problems. By bringing our unique attributes and resources to bear, libraries can play a part in developing applications and services that power our communities.     

Scenario planning: a tool for academic health sciences libraries

Objective: Review the International Campaign to Revitalise Academic Medicine (ICRAM) Future Scenarios as a potential starting point for developing scenarios to envisage plausible futures for health sciences libraries. Method: At an educational workshop, 15 groups, each composed of four to seven Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL) directors and AAHSL/NLM Fellows, created plausible stories using the five ICRAM scenarios. Results: Participants created 15 plausible stories regarding roles played by health sciences librarians, how libraries are used and their physical properties in response to technology, scholarly communication, learning environments and health care economic changes. Conclusions: Libraries are affected by many forces, including economic pressures, curriculum and changes in technology, health care delivery and scholarly communications business models. The future is likely to contain ICRAM scenario elements, although not all, and each, if they come to pass, will impact health sciences libraries. The AAHSL groups identified common features in their scenarios to learn lessons for now. The hope is that other groups find the scenarios useful in thinking about academic health science library futures.     

ARL Cataloger Librarian Roles and Responsibilities Now and In the Future

This article details the results of a 2011 study of cataloger librarians’ changing roles and responsibilities at academic Association of Research Libraries. The study participants, cataloging department heads, report that cataloger librarian roles are expanding to include cataloging more electronic resources and local hidden collections in addition to print materials. They are also creating non-MARC metadata. The increased usage of vendor products and services is also affecting the roles of cataloger librarians at some institutions. The article explores what skills cataloger librarians will need in the future and how libraries are providing training for that future.     

What Qualifications and Skills are Important for Digital Librarian Positions in Academic Libraries? A Job Advertisement Analysis

As academic library functions and activities continue to evolve, libraries have broadened the traditional library model, which focuses on management of physical resources and activities, to include a digital library model, transforming resources and services into digital formats to support teaching, learning, and research. This transition has affected professionals' roles and activities due to new required skills. This study examines qualifications and skills required of professional positions involved in digital resources, services, and technologies as changing aspects in academic libraries. Data was collected from job advertisements for digital library positions posted in College and Research Libraries News during the nine years from 1999 to 2007. The study verifies shifts in staffing needs and required qualifications with digital focus on collections, services, and technology applications in academic libraries. The results confirm that a digital librarian is an emerging position in academic libraries. LIS educational implications and further investigations to validate the results are suggested.     

北美高校图书馆参与学习分析的实践研究与启示——基于ARL《SPEC Kit 360:学习分析》的思考

近年来,愈来愈多的北美高校图书馆参与学习分析项目或计划。《SPEC Kit 360:学习分析》是美国研究图书馆协会在对其成员馆参与学习分析项目或计划调查的基础上发布的报告,内容涉及成员馆参与学习分析项目或计划涵盖的数据收集、数据存储、数据共享、数据保护、隐私政策、日常程序及培训、参与学习分析合作等方面,分析此报告,能够深入了解北美高校图书馆参与学习分析的现状,对我国高校图书馆参与学习分析实践具有研究价值和借鉴意义。     

Play-and-learn spaces: Leveraging library spaces to promote caregiver and child interaction

Modern libraries are reimagining their spaces as more than repositories for books. The Play-and-Learn Spaces project married developmental science with the changing nature of 21st century libraries. The study asked if it is possible to augment learning in informal spaces using the built environment to encourage discourse and interaction. For this project, the library space was reconstructed such that a corner became a climbing wall on which children could create words by following varied paths up the wall's letter-filled surface. Seating was transformed into large movable “Tangram”-type pieces and a stage, complete with magnetic words, invited children to create stories on the wall and complete story-related activities through socio-dramatic play. Using naturalistic observation, results demonstrated that the use of the Play-and-Learn spaces was associated with increases in the kinds of caregiver and child conversation and interaction known to support language, literacy and STEM skills. These results suggest that libraries can become part of a new learning culture that impacts city residents at the places they naturally go.     

THE NoWAL NETLIBRARY E-BOOK COLLECTION: A CASE STUDY OF A CONSORTIAL AGREEMENT

This paper gives an account of the procurement of a large collection of electronic books by NoWAL, the North West Academic Libraries Consortium.     

SPACES FOR LEARNERS AND LEARNING: EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY-RICH LEARNING SPACES

This article discusses the utility of evaluating technology-rich learning spaces, exploring approaches and tools from a practitioner perspective. It provides a brief introduction to the concept of ‘technology-rich learning spaces’ and explores approaches to evaluation, suggesting a framework with specific case studies to illustrate the varying approaches to evaluating innovative space design in higher education institutions. The role of learners in the evaluation methodology, and the importance of institutional context, will be explored to highlight whether impact can effectively be assessed. The authors conclude that rigorous evaluation studies must be underpinned by sound theoretical frameworks in order to understand the complexities of the student experience in blended learning environments.     

Health information practice: integrating,inspiring and innovating

The 2017 virtual issue of the Health Information and Libraries Journal (HILJ) is published to link to the 12th International Congress on Medical Librarianship and the 2017 EAHIL Workshop taking place in Dublin, Ireland on 12–16 June 2017. The conference title is Diversity in Practice: integrating, inspiring and innovative and it is exploring how health science librarianship, in all its diversity, is integrating, inspiring and innovating practice. These themes have been used to compile this virtual issue, which contains published articles selected from HILJ from the June 2014 issue through to September 2016. The virtual issue mirrors the format of a regular issue of HILJ, namely a review article, six original articles and our three regular features: ‘Dissertations into Practice’, ‘International Perspectives and Initiatives’ and ‘Teaching and Learning in Action’. All articles included in this virtual issue are available free online.     

Health information professionals: delivering core services and value in extraordinary times

The 2020 virtual issue of the Health Information and Libraries Journal (HILJ) is published to link to the CILIP Health Libraries Group Conference which was to take place in Scotland 22–25th July. Whilst the conference was postponed in light of the coronavirus (COVID‐19) pandemic, its themes of (i) Working in Partnership; (ii) Resilience and Well‐being; (iii) Public and Patient involvement; (iv) Quality Impact and Metrics; and (v) Improvement and Innovation have nevertheless provided the basis on which to compile this virtual issue. Overarching these themes is a core value of the HIL profession, to provide relevant, timely and sustainable information services, and the articles selected from HILJ (2018 through to March 2020) contribute to the aim of meeting and going beyond these goals under the conference banner of ‘not your average day in the office’. The virtual issue mirrors the format of a regular issue of HILJ, a review article, four original articles and three from our regular features: ‘Dissertations into Practice’, ‘International Perspectives and Initiatives’ and ‘Teaching and Learning in Action’. The authors come from Canada, China, Croatia, Sweden and the UK. All articles included in this issue are available online.     

Destroy Your Classroom! Re-conceptualizing the Instructor/Student Model in Academic Libraries

ASBTRACT

Pedagogies and technologies evolve, yet academic library learning spaces are unable to keep up with the change. Budgetary and space limitations, traditional teaching practices, and staid attitudes all contribute to tethered spaces hindering active learning. This is a documentation of the authors’ urgent need to break free from tradition while providing students and faculty interactive equipment meeting pedagogical needs in an un-tethered, flexible learning space in three library and non-library spaces at the University of Florida's George A. Smathers Libraries Education and Architecture and Fine Arts Libraries.     

Increasing impact in a time of decreasing budgets

This virtual issue (VI) has been compiled to mark the CILIP Health Libraries Group Conference 2012. In line with the conference theme: ‘Health libraries under the microscope: perfecting your formula’, the VI is a collection of 10 articles and regular features that have been published in Health Information and Libraries Journal in the last 2 years. The VI focuses specifically on the topics of impact, value and cost‐effectiveness. All the articles and regular features contained in this VI are freely available online.     

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.     

Nursing and Allied Health Resources–Patron Driven Acquisition,a Pilot at The University of Alabama Libraries

This article is a report of a session presented by Mangala Krishnamurthy and Connie Stovall (a contributor to the presentation) of the University of Alabama Libraries at the 2015 North American Serials Interest Group conference. A patron-driven acquisition (PDA) pilot project was initiated in fall 2013 at the University of Alabama (UA) Libraries mainly serving the Nursing and Allied Health subject areas. Since the Capstone College of Nursing at UA offers an online Doctor of Nursing Practice program and partners with two other schools in the UA system, UA Libraries collaborated with the other libraries in the University System. The project uses Rittenhouse’s R2 Digital Libraries’ PDA module as the basic platform. The Capstone College of Nursing liaison discussed in detail the selection, management, assessment, promotion, and communication part of the project in addition to second year plans for the project.     

EditorialKeeping information centre stage amid changing scenery

With conference season upon us, consideration is given to the importance of subject‐specific and library association conferences. The biennial Health Libraries Group (HLG) conference meets both these criteria and takes place in Greater Manchester in July. The conference provides an opportunity for peer‐to‐peer learning, identifying new trends and professional rejuvenation. An open invitation is given to attend the Health Information and Libraries Journal‘Writing for Publication’ workshop at the HLG conference. An overview of three bursaries available from the Health Libraries Group and Library and Information Research, both groups of the UK Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) is provided. The bursaries offer opportunities to cover the costs of registration and travel expenses to national and international conference.     

Going digital: Strategies for transitioning a conference to an online format

When the Academic Library Association of Ohio (ALAO), Ohio's chapter of the Association of Academic & Research Libraries (ACRL), began planning for its 2020 conference, the COVID-19 pandemic hadn't yet begun. However, when COVID-19 arrived, the Conference Planning Committee was quickly compelled to make decisions about whether to move the conference online, how to deliver it in an online format, and how to help ALAO members adapt to the change. This article explores how decisions to move a conference online can be made and implemented while meeting the needs of the conference-planning organization and its members.