Assessment Within the Augustana Model of Undergraduate Discipline-Specific Information Literacy Credit Courses

SUMMARY

Augustana (located in Camrose, Alberta, Canada, and formerly known as Augustana University College) is an undergraduate liberal arts and sciences faculty of the University of Alberta with an enrollment of approximately 1,100 students. The fall of 2001 marked the inception of for-credit discipline-specific information literacy (IL) course offerings at Augustana. At that time, Augustana librarians began teaching two IL courses that were required for graduation for students in the relevant degrees (Bachelors of Music, Arts in Music, and Arts in English). Since that time, for-credit discipline-specific IL courses have been added in nineteen disciplines, bringing Augustana's total number of IL courses to twenty-one. This paper will give an overview of the development and implementation of these IL courses and will focus on the assessment practices to date. Specifically, data gathered from pretests and post-tests will be analyzed and results from a separate follow-up survey conducted of current students and graduates will be reviewed. In addition, an in-house Web-based assessment tool will be introduced and discussed.     

Calming the Tempest: The Benefits of Using Prospero for Electronic Document Delivery in a Large Academic Library

Abstract

This article provides a distillation or summary of the copyright, fair use and permissions-seeking information needed by busy library staff that work with electronic reserves. The recommended resources section lists useful books and websites.

This article provides a distillation or summary of the copyright, fair use and permissions-seeking information needed by busy library staff that work with electronic reserves. The recommended resources section lists useful books and websites.     

The disavowal of race in communication theory

ABSTRACT

Here, we consider how graduate education in communication fares when it comes to engaging conceptual and theoretical legacies of racial apartheid and modern European and American imperialism. Treating syllabi as a discourse which powerfully represents the field to future scholars, and graduate classrooms as sites of power, we assess foundational theoretical pedagogy through an examination of syllabi from required doctoral seminars across sixteen highly ranked communication, media studies, and mass communication programs in the US. Finding an ongoing disavowal of critical theories of race and imperialism, but hopeful exceptions, we offer recommendations as part of ongoing projects to decolonize university curriculum.     

The Diffusion of Information Literacy in Academic Business Literature

Abstract

This study analyzes academic business journals in order to assess the diffusion of information literacy (IL) concept within the business discipline. Evidence suggests that while progress has been made in making business faculty aware of information literacy and its potential pedagogical value to them, IL is still in the earliest phases of adoption and has not yet reached that desirable tipping point.     

A Simple and Easy Method for Developing Holding Paths

ABSTRACT

Interlibrary Loan Librarians are very busy, but taking time to develop a Holding Path is time well spent. A good Holding Path will save time, money, and speed up receiving requests. Developing a Holding Path with its Holding Groups is a relatively simple step by step process. One of the most important steps is the initial step of analyzing the library's borrowing activity in order to define the sets of lenders (Holding Groups) and making lists of libraries that fit in each group. Much of this information is available in already compiled lists of free libraries, reciprocal agreements, and low charging libraries that every ILL department uses. It is easy to add, delete, or change any aspect of a Holding Path once it is created.     

Library Instruction for First Year Students Using a CMS Meta-Course: Scalable and Customizable!

ABSTRACT

This case study reports on the process for creating a self-paced non-credit information literacy (IL) course delivered via a university's course management system. The four online modules are designed to contextualize information literacy competencies within the curriculum taught in First Year Seminar (FYS) courses. The meta-course approach changes the model of delivery of instruction for IL from a traditional face-to-face “one-shot” session to a hybrid model, with the responsibility for content delivery shifting from the librarian to the instructor of the FYS course.     

Biology Sites on the World Wide Web

Abstract

Access to biological information on the World Wide Web continues to grow at a rapid pace. Many resources that previously required a trip to the library are now accessible from the desktop PC. Three major categories of biology Web sites are explored: those with citation information, those functioning as clearinghouses or directories to other Web sites, and those that present biological information in innovative ways. The suggested Web sites are some of the best and may serve as models for future Web development. Many useful citation Web sites are fee-based and are likely to continue as such for the near future; MEDLINE and AGRICOLA are important exceptions. Many significant clearinghouse and information Web sites are not fee-based and allow innovative ways of finding and sharing information. The state of research information on the WWW is not developed enough for the researcher to forego using paper sources.     

Integrating information literacy into the education of public health professionals: roles for librarians and the library

Objective: The paper reviews the core competencies for public health professionals presented in the Institute of Medicine''s (IOM''s) report, Who Will Keep the Public Healthy: Educating Public Health Professionals for the 21st Century; describes improving information literacy (IL) as a mechanism for integrating the core competencies in public health education; and showcases IL as an opportunity for solidifying partnerships between academic librarians and public health educators.Methods: The IOM competencies, along with explicit examples of library support from a literature review of current IL trends in the health sciences, are analyzed.Results: Librarians can play a fundamental role in implementing the IOM''s core competencies in shaping public health education for the twenty-first century. A partnership between public health educators and librarians through a transdisciplinary approach is recommended.Conclusions: IL skills and competencies integrated into public health curricula through a collaborative partnership between public health educators and librarians can help integrate the IOM''s core competencies and improve public health education.

Highlights

• Exploring and solidifying transdisciplinary partnerships with public health educators and librarians through curriculum-integrated information literacy (IL) is one avenue to continue successful education of public health professionals.

Implications

• Librarians can be considered public health collaborators essential to the twenty-first century education of health professionals.
• Future research is required to effectively evaluate the best practices of curriculum-integrated IL into public health education.
• Transdisciplinary research is advantageous for achieving the shared goal of educating public health professionals.

     

Going Local

Abstract

The United States federal government provides an increasing amount of state local environmental information via the Internet. This proliferation of information provides libraries of all types and sizes with service opportunities. An informed citizenry can contribute to the debate on environmental policy. The article identifies key sites that can be useful in providing local environmental information.     

Controversial Issues

Abstract

Health professionals and members of the public are often interested in locating exercise information on the World Wide Web (the Web). There is a large amount of information available on the Web; however, the challenge for all people is to identify the high quality information that can be depended upon. Much of the quality exercise information on the Web is hidden within sites of reputable organizations concerned with exercise and health. This article examines several categories of commonly needed exercise related information. For each category, a few high quality sources of exercise information are listed. Combined, these Web sites provide an excellent and extensive body of knowledge for a person who is not experienced with exercise and wants to get started learning, or for a person with a moderate level of experience and knowledge who wants to learn more.     

Mobile Web Site Ease of Use: An Analysis of Orbis Cascade Alliance Member Web Sites

ABSTRACT

This article analyzes 37 Orbis Cascade Alliance members' Web sites to determine ease of use across mobile devices. Based on that analysis and a literature review, guidance is provided on how libraries' mobile Web sites may be improved. Web sites were examined to determine ease of locating frequently accessed resources on mobile devices that were identified in the literature: contact information, hours, databases, library accounts, and search boxes. Scalability of Web sites on mobile devices was also evaluated and was found to be non-existent in nearly a quarter of examined libraries. Areas for consideration and improvement are presented across Orbis Cascade Alliance libraries that can easily be applied globally.     

Meeting Nontraditional Medical Information Needs for the Unique Populations and Geographically Remote Locations of Alaska

ABSTRACT

The types of information required by hospital and clinical staff can be greatly influenced by the geography and culture of the area in which they operate. In some situations, information must be acquired from sources that fall outside the traditional provisions of a medical or reference library. This article provides examples of the unique information needs of clinical staff serving a primarily Native Alaskan and Native American clientele in Alaska. It also presents sources and personnel utilized to meet those information needs outside of traditional reference sources.     

Delphi Method in Web Site Selection: Using the Experts

Summary

The development of Web sites is proceeding at an ever-quickening pace. Adult learners can benefit from the wealth of information accessible in both new sites and changing older sites. However, that excitement is tempered by frustration in following blind leads or encountering questionable quality. One approach is to stay abreast of the latest material by attempting to look at and read every new and modified site. However, time is finite, and many of our students have lives filled with conflicting needs. The Delphi method, a sociological research technique first developed in defense research, is used to elicit expert opinion as a short cut to evaluating Web sites. A specific example with business-related sites is presented as a test case in developing and applying the methodology. The use of Delphi, an oracle-based technique, seems quite appropriate as we assist our adult students to allocate their time wisely.     

Web Mirror Sites

SUMMARY

Libraries can play a key role in ensuring permanent access to primary legal information, both domestic and international. Web mirror sites present a particularly efficient and cost-effective way to collect, disseminate, preserve, and ensure accessibility to information far into the future. Through partnerships with the issuing governments and organizations, databases of official information can be loaded on a local server, updated directly from the issuing site, and captured at regular intervals to get a snapshot of the status of legal instruments as of a certain date. The result is similar to adding the various editions of a print book. The Cornell Law Library has recently made freely available two Web mirror sites for researchers and the public. These are the ILO (International Labour Organization) and the ICJ (International Court of Justice) mirror sites. The Law Library is archiving these sites every six months, thereby providing access to previous versions of a treaty article, or other information that was superseded, or amended. The many additional advantages of creating these partnerships with domestic and international institutions are discussed, as well as the process used to create the mirror sites, and maintaining them. The article ends with a proposal for collaboration among libraries to create the research library of the future. The preservation of digital law is a critical issue because information is disappearing. Libraries have a role to play because it is part of their fundamental mission to preserve information for future researchers.     

Chapter 6. Management of the Interlibrary Loan Department

Abstract

Many new ILL department heads are often new to supervision, and in addition to the challenges of managing a busy ILL service, new managers must also learn how to best supervise their most valuable resource—their staff. Supervising others can be one of the most daunting tasks a librarian has to face. Real-world strategies for hiring, motivating, and evaluating talented staff are discussed, along with practical guidance on budgeting, determining ILL costs, and quantitatively measuring ILL activity.     

A Resource Guide to Tax Law Careers

Abstract

This Guide is designed to assist law students and attorneys in the pursuit of careers in tax law. It is also intended for librarians and career counselors to readily find tax law career information so that they can assist their clients effectively. It includes resources in both print (for example, books and articles) and electronic formats (for example, Web sites). Each item included has a brief annotation so that the user can quickly decide the relevancy and value of that item.     

Cost Effective Legal Research

Abstract

Legal researchers need to be able to efficiently retrieve information in a cost effective manner. To do this, they must be familiar with the various information formats and be able to evaluate these formats. This article reviews the various information formats, discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each format, suggests research strategies, and reviews Internet sites that provide legal information.     

Pakistani University Library Web Sites: Features,Contents, and Maintenance Issues

ABSTRACT

This study explores the current status and features of Pakistan's academic library Web sites. A checklist describing features and content was prepared based on a review of the literature related to academic libraries’ Web sites. Then, all 85 library Web sites of Pakistani universities and degree-awarding institutions recognized by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan were surveyed and analyzed using the checklist. Interviews with library professionals were conducted to learn more about the problems and issues with building and maintaining library Web sites. Results indicate that Pakistani academic library Web sites have effective features such as contrasting color schemes, easily readable text, minimal use of horizontal scrolling, and English-language text. Staff information, OPACs, and navigation features are also widely found on the Web sites. Features found less frequently include the use of Web 2.0 technologies, Web site aid tools, information about library buildings, and general library information. By offering information about the status of Pakistani academic library Web sites, the study can serve as a foundation for discussion between libraries and other parts of the university, as well as a benchmark for evaluating the progress of academic library Web sites in Pakistan     

Revival of the Position Paper: Aligning Curricula and Professional Competencies

Those of us who teach technical and professional writing may read [findings on typical pedagogical effectiveness] and end up feeling that our efforts to simulate workplace writing and to teach workplace genres in our classrooms are at best unreliable and at worst futile. Blakeslee (2001), p. 170.

Courses: Writing for Public Relations, Business Communications; Marketing

Objective: Students will be able to identify audience issues, marshal evidence, garner support, and motivate adoption of a position via visual imagery and persuasive writing