How Many Libraries Do We Need?

ABSTRACT

According to the American Library Association, there are 119,000 libraries in the United States. But how many do we need? In this vision session report, Arizona State University Librarian James J. O’Donnell addresses this question through the lenses of discovery tools, usability, and marketing strategy. He also addresses the need for a more global and collaborative approach to collection building in libraries. This deliberately provocative talk provides several different ways to think about the answer to the title question—and several answers.     

Educating Zoo Visitors about Complex Environmental Issues: Should We Do It and How?

Modern zoos are committed to environmental education and thus have a mandate to inform the public about biodiversity and conservation. Historically, zoos have avoided complex topics like biodiversity loss from overpopulation and overconsumption in their educational materials, for fear of being offensive or creating a sense of hopelessness. To measure visitor attitudes towards educating about such topics and to help determine effective presentation techniques, we assessed people's knowledge of and attitudes towards the commercial hunting and consumption of wildlife in West and Central Africa (the bushmeat crisis) and examined how the use of different types of images affected these variables. Zoo visitors were exposed to one of six series of photographs, each accompanied by the same text. Photos in three of the series contained explicit, disturbing images of dead animals. The other three series presented benign images related to the bushmeat crisis (i.e., logging, changes in hunting practices). While 83 percnt of visitors had never heard of the bushmeat trade, 98 percent felt zoos should be educating about the topic. Ninety‐seven percent felt the disturbing images were appropriate for zoo visitors except for children under the age of 12. While people spent significantly more time looking at the disturbing images, this did not lead to increases in knowledge (factual or conservation‐related) on the topic. However, visitors who saw the disturbing images were significantly more likely to report being influenced by the images. While the type of image did not affect the frequency of conservation‐related behaviors, significantly more people engaged in a conservation‐related behavior when an opportunity was provided on‐site rather than off‐site. The results demonstrate that the public believes zoos should educate about bushmeat, and that realistic images influence people's perception of an issue. However, visitors' lack of knowledge gains, even when disturbing images are used, suggests that a static display of text with photographs may not be the most effective method for educating about complex issues like bushmeat. Finally, the results show that zoos should provide on‐site opportunities for people to turn their conservation interests into action.     

The Plugged-in Reference Librarian: Who Do We Think We Are?

In recent years, academic reference librarians often find themselves working in closer proximity to computer workstations, labs, and information commons. They are spending a greater portion of their time assisting library users with the vast array of software and hardware used to access library resources. This study examines whether an increased demand for technological knowledge and proficiency is reflected in job expectations for academic reference librarians. Researchers compared randomly chosen academic reference librarian job advertisements from 1999 to those from 2011, examining both job responsibilities and candidate qualifications. Results were mixed, with some variables gaining prominence but others declining. There was no apparent increase in demand for technological skills and responsibilities overall.     

Do We Really Have an Internet Problem?

Summary

Due to the nature of the Internet, a disconnect exists between observed and actual usage in libraries. A variety of problems may arise surrounding Internet access in academic settings. However, the speed with which transactions occur, the privacy issues involved, and the vast amounts of information and services available make it impossible to assess the extent of any problem. With Internet tracking software, librarians may acquire data that will assist them in tracking problems, and in assessing user Internet behavior. This article reports on a study conducted with LittleBrother software at Northwestern University Main Library's General Information Center.     

Reference Ethics - Do We Need Them?

No abstract available for this article.     

How Do We Learn?: Contributions of Learning Theory to Reference Service and Library Instruction

Summary

This article focuses on some major contributions from learning theory that impact how adults learn. Following an overview of two major learning theories—behavioral and cognitive theories—the authors discuss four factors that affect learning. These are attention, perception, memory, and contiguity and practice. Other topics presented include prior knowledge effect and transfer of knowledge problems. The article closes with five recommendations for incorporating results from learning theory research into reference service and user instruction.     

Why Do We Indulge? Exploring Motivations for Binge Watching

This study explored an expanded definition and motivations for binge-watching behavior. In addition to the number of episodes, the amount of time, frequency, and engagement in binge-watched programs were considered for the binge-watching definition. Study findings revealed that over half of the respondents of this study were light binge viewers. In addition, among a total of seven motivations identified in literature, only the entertainment motivation is a significant predictor of binge watching for those with a low level of binge watching, while both passing time and entertainment were found to be significant predictors for those with a high level of binge watching.     

Electronic Serials Cataloging: Now That We're Here,What Do We Do?

Summary

Many aspects of electronic serials cataloging have not yet developed standard practice, or are still in transition. This article will explore some problematic issues in electronic serials cataloging first by presenting current CONSER policy in these areas and then by examining the practices of three institutions who are cataloging electronic serials. For brevity, the term “electronic serial” will be used to mean “remote access computer file serial” unless the more specific term is needed for clarity. The five topics covered in this discussion are: Access and Location Information, Multiple Versions, Definition of Electronic Serial, Bibliographic Access Points and Display of Computer File Characteristics.     

How Do We React When Our Favorite Characters Are Taken Away? An Examination of a Temporary Parasocial Breakup

This study examined reactions to a temporary parasocial breakup situation during the television writers’ strike of 2007–2008 when many television shows stopped airing new episodes. Past research on parasocial breakups and uses and gratifications theory was used to predict emotional and behavioral reactions. Questionnaire results revealed that participants with stronger parasocial relationships experienced greater distress—even after controlling for the number of favorite programs that went off the air. Moreover, those with greater television affinity reported greater distress when their favorite show was disrupted, although television viewing motives also played a role in this process. Finally, when their favorite shows were no longer airing new episodes, viewers primarily replaced television viewing time with other media exposure rather than increasing nonmedia activities such as social interaction. However, a number of these activities varied by gender.     

How Much Do Librarians Know About Stress Management?

The purpose of this study is to attempt to determine how much librarians know about stress management and how they handle stress. The needs of the individual librarian are highlighted, and stress management training is recommended as a response to these needs. An increasing number of articles is appearing in library literature on the topic of stress/burnout and librarianship. However, only a few are empirically based, and still fewer report efforts made by libraries to address the issue. The survey found that 28 percent of responding librarians know little or nothing about stress management and that 82 percent think it would be beneficial to learn about it. Reinforcing the need to learn about it are the results of the present survey. These indicate that only 11.1 percent of the respondents practice stress management preventively at this time. While 60 percent do not think that stress management is a necessary part of librarianship training, an overwhelming 88.8 percent feel it should be part of one the job in-service training or of staff development programs. Supporting this indication of desire for such training is the finding that the subjects' responses to how they presently react or respond to stress indicate that 72 percent of the behaviors and feelings engaged in or experienced are destructive in nature.     

Why Did We Buy That? New Customers and Changing Directions in Collection Development

This article describes the new role of academic libraries in higher education and shows how it has changed collection development objectives to serve a nontraditional constituency not served in the past. This is illustrated, in part, by Kent State University Library's review and selection of language-learning software, motivated by the university's strategic initiatives for globalization. It demonstrates a new trend to purchase resources that support administrative agendas and non-teaching programs, and the impact this has on how libraries frame collection development policies and allocate dollars for library content. As collection managers are redirecting support to revenue-building objectives, are they compromising support of educational objectives?     

The Changing Cataloging Culture: What Do We Mean When We Talk About Cataloger Values?

ABSTRACT

The Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) Standing Committee on Training was charged with the development of a training model to support the Program, promote the values of timely access and cost-effectiveness in cataloging, and to expand the pool of catalogers who cataloged to mutually accepted standards. This article describes the training philosophy developed by the Standing Committee on Training and adopted by the Program. The training model assumes that it is important to maintain an adequate supply of original cataloging; to accept the concept of a national cataloging standard; to increase acceptance of cataloging copy; to avoid duplicative cataloging; and to increase the timeliness of contribution to national cataloging databases.     

How Much Do We Really know About Equity's Impact on Relational Communication? Issues in Measuring Equity in Communication Research

This study examined the question of whether the short global measure of equity that is typically used in communication research has fidelity to the manner in which equity was originally conceptualized. Participants were 100 pairs of college students in close relationships. They reported equity in their relationships using Hatfield's 1-item measure and also a component measure calculated with Walster et al.'s original formula for computing equity. The two measures correlated only r = .28 (students) and .26 (partners). Correlations between these measures and other relational properties that are theoretically related (e.g., satisfaction, closeness) did not provide definitive support for either measure as being a valid measure of equity. These findings have significant implications for study of equity and relational communication, especially relational maintenance, because they cast question on how valid our measurement of equity has actually been.     

Academic Libraries and Autism Spectrum Disorder: What Do We Know?

This paper examines the rising rates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children in the United States (1 in 59), and explores the role academic libraries can play in helping college students with ASD. A literature review of how different types of libraries (school, public, academic) support students with ASD indicates research in this area in general is lacking. Findings point to lack of adequate training and awareness for librarians and staff, resources, services and spaces are universal challenges. Several initiatives that academic libraries and librarians may consider in helping students with ASD are identified and described.     

We Did LibQUAL+(r)-Now What? Practical Suggestions for Maximizing Your Survey Results

ABSTRACT

The LibQUAL+(r) survey has been completed by numerous users at academic libraries in the U.S. and abroad. While there is often great momentum both internally and externally to participate in the survey, working with survey results can present a challenge for college and undergraduate library staff who may not have the time or the technical know-how to extract meaningful insights from the data. This paper discusses some of the efforts undertaken by previous survey participants, proposes simple steps that participants can take to get the most out of their LibQUAL+(r) survey results, and includes suggestions for additional readings and resources. doi:10.1300/J106v14n03_05