A Special Relationship? A Comparison of Consumer Book Buying Habits and Trends in the United States and Great Britain

BML monitors consumer book purchases in Britain via its Books & Consumers survey. RR Bowker tracks US consumer book purchases via its PubTrack Consumer survey. This report compares the results of the two surveys. In 2008, the US consumer market was around ten times the size of its UK equivalent, but a higher proportion of British than US consumers bought books. Book buyers in each country were similar in terms of gender and age, but slightly more ‘up market’ in the US than Britain. Adult fiction and hardbacks accounted for a higher proportion of book purchases in the US than in Britain, but with variations in the mix of genres bought. Chain bookshops remained the largest channel for book purchases in Britain, despite losing share in recent years. The internet overtook the chains in the US in 2008, with Britain around 3 years behind in terms of internet share.     

A post-American world? Assessing the cognitive and attitudinal impacts of challenges to American exceptionalism

A number of voices have emerged in U.S. political discourse questioning the legitimacy of American exceptionalism, suggesting we are in a “post-American world.” Our research examines the effects that political messages that explicitly challenge American exceptionalism can have on U.S. public opinion. Drawing upon social identity theory, we find that explicit challenges to American exceptionalism significantly impact Americans’ views toward their own nation, their willingness to denigrate foreign publics, and their broader foreign policy preferences.     

A Decade of Coverage (1990–2000): The Mainstream Library Press and Its Coverage of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union and Its Successor States

ABSTRACT

This study examines the coverage of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union and its successor states by U.S. journals indexed in Library Literature between 1990 and 2000. Seventy-one journals were evaluated according to subject content, geographical coverage, document type, and year of article publication. The study found that the majority of articles focused on domestic and foreign library activities. Coverage peaked between the years 1990 and 1994, with a steady decline after that. The study reports on differences in coverage by peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed journals over this decade.     

Are fame and fortune the kiss of death?

Trade and scholarly publishers often urge academic authors to reach out to an audience beyond their peers. One obstacle to expanding the audience for new scholarship is the widespread belief that it requires "pandering to the lowest common denominator," or "dumbing down," and that the scholar turned "popularizer" will be shunned by the academy. Where did this academic myth come from? Is there any truth behind it? What can an editor say to the academic author who fears that publishing success will spell the end of academic respectability?     

Social Gerontology—Integrative and Territorial Aspects: A Citation Analysis of Subject Scatter and Database Coverage

To determine the mix of resources used in social gerontology research, a citation analysis was conducted. A representative sample of citations was selected from three prominent gerontology journals and information was added to determine subject scatter and database coverage for the cited materials. Results indicate that a significant portion of gerontology research, even from a social science perspective, relies roughly equally on medical resources as it does social science resources. Furthermore, there is a small but defined core of literature constituting scholarly “territory” unique to gerontology. Analysis of database indexing indicated that broad, interdisciplinary databases provide more comprehensive coverage of the cited materials than do subject-specific databases.     

Are we “out of the box” yet? A case study and critique of managerial metaphors of change

A cultural‐critical approach is used to explore dominant and alternative ideologies of change reflected in the metaphors of a retail‐based management staff. The case study reveals the managers as change agents were well versed in the corporate call to “get out of the box, “yet reflected a less transformational vision of change in their own discourse. Traveling metaphors used by the store‐level managers indicated a process orientation to change, but one that severely limited discussion about other possible routes toward the desired end. Suppressed alternative metaphors speaking to the personal losses and frustrations associated with change are exposed and validated in this analysis. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

Are Social Media Ubiquitous in Academic Libraries? A Longitudinal Study of Adoption and Usage Patterns

A debate has emerged in library literature concerning the advantages and disadvantages of adopting social media applications in academic libraries. This research examines the ubiquity of social media through a longitudinal study of the adoption rates and usage patterns of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr at academic libraries in the Canadian province of Ontario from April 2010 to April 2012. The findings from this study indicate that large discrepancies exist in adoption rates across libraries, with two-thirds of Ontario academic libraries maintaining at least one social media application during the period of examination. Unexpectedly, Twitter and Facebook were equally popular social media tools during the study period. Despite its low adoption rate and usage, YouTube was by far the most effective means of reaching patrons. We conclude by examining the implications of engaging with patrons via social media in ways that are effective, engaging, and meaningful.     

A Survey of Cataloging Education: Are Library Schools Listening?

ABSTRACT

In recent years a number of surveys of cataloging education have been conducted, and each of those surveys has suggested changes in library education. This survey reviews the current state of cataloging education by evaluating courses taught by 47 ALA accredited programs and compares the results to previous studies. This study examined the types of cataloging courses offered in LIS programs to determine if the type of course taught has changed over time. Additionally, this study examined course offering frequencies to determine if LIS programs are making the kind of courses needed to train cataloging librarians available to their students. It is concluded that although LIS programs are continuing to offer and require introductory courses in cataloging and bibliographic control, they are relying more heavily on these introductory courses to provide the bulk of cataloging education.     

Are Librarians Equipped to Teach International Students? A Survey of Current Practices and Recommendations for Training

Past studies of international students and academic libraries have often focused on students' own characteristics and experiences. Using an online survey, this study instead investigated librarians' teaching skills for serving this population. The analysis reveals that participants perceived an importance in developing skills specifically for international students. They tried to accommodate students' unique needs and optimize teaching approaches using their own experience working with the students. Although they reported having obtained knowledge of students' backgrounds as well as communication and teaching techniques, they showed strong interest in having further training opportunities to improve their teaching. The survey results thus give insight into recommendations for the provision of training to improve teaching in the context of serving international students.     

Intergroup,Interpersonal, and Intercultural Nature of Patient–Provider Communication: A Comparison of IMG and USMG Physicians

Using communication accommodation theory as a framework, this study explores and compares communication patterns of international medical graduate (IMG) physicians and United States medical graduate (USMG) physicians in intergroup, interpersonal, and intercultural context. Given that every fourth doctor practicing medicine in the U.S. is an internationally trained physician (AMA-IMG, 2010) an examination of the influence on patient-provider communication involving IMG physician and comparison with USMG physician is warranted. In a national survey of IMG and USMG physicians, the participants self-reported their perceptions of communication behaviors they used during a medical interaction. Although no difference was found between IMG and USMG physicians use of communication accommodation strategies during medical interaction, IMG physicians reported practicing significantly more relational communication than their U.S. counterparts. USMG physicians reported greater difficulty in communication owing to differences in culture than IMG physicians. Implication of findings for patient-centered communication, patient-physician relationship, and communication skills training is discussed.     

Mortal or Moodle? A Comparison of In-person vs. Online Information Literacy Instruction

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of online and in-person instructional methods for teaching research skills, as well as to determine student preferences for each method. Undergraduate students received librarian-led research skills instruction either through an online course management system or in person at the library. Students were surveyed about their experience and format preference, and their grades on a subsequent literature review assignment were collected. The online group’s scores were significantly (p?=?0.002) higher, and a majority of eligible participants stated a preference for the online format. Many of the students in both groups reported increased skills and confidence in conducting speech-language-hearing science research following the library instruction. The results of this study support the possibility that online instruction may be more effective than in-person for improving performance on a literature review assignment and is preferred by on-campus students for learning information literacy skills.     

The Media Audience: A Brief Biography—Stages of Growth or Paradigm Change?

The concept of audience was widely adapted from its earlier origins in public spectacles and performance to apply to the new circumstances of mass media reception in the early 20th century, and especially to the public for film and broadcasting. It could even be applied more generally to include print media. The then novel usage of the term was a component in the larger paradigm of mass communications that in turn rested on certain preconceptions about its ‘mass’ character. These preconceptions have been challenged by subsequent research and theory. More recently, however, the ongoing transformation of the means of communication may have rendered the whole mass communication paradigm itself obsolescent, and with it the concept of a mass audience. In this article it is argued that paradigmatic change in ideas about the audience may be less due to a shift in technology than to the more fundamental theoretical changes of the intervening period.     

The “Big Deal”: A Survey of How Libraries Are Responding and What the Alternatives Are

The library's mission is to support the information and educational needs of its users. E-journal “Big Deals” offer libraries one method of maximizing the resources available to their users, but, with libraries now experiencing flat or decreasing budgets, these Big Deals present budgetary difficulties for libraries. They also remove collection development decisions from the control of the libraries themselves. Some libraries have canceled their Big Deals, resulting in problems. This article presents the results of an online survey of libraries regarding these bundled journal packages.     

Privacy Please? A Comparison Between Self-Checkout and Book Checkout Desk Circulation Rates for LGBT and Other Books

ABSTRACT

Improving library technologies allow patrons greater autonomy. One such technology, self-checkout kiosks, puts patrons in virtual control over their circulation experience. Whereas previously patrons had to approach circulation staff to check out, now this can be done privately. The impact self-checkout has on the circulation of potentially embarrassing or controversial materials is unknown. In this study, select lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) and non-LGBT materials at Central Michigan University's Park Library were anonymously tracked for one academic year to determine if they circulated via self-check or the traditional circulation desk. LGBT materials circulated twenty percent more via self-check, indicating that patrons appreciated the machines' privacy.