Building a Virtual Reference Shelf

While many libraries have access to an extensive amount of quality virtual reference titles through platforms such as Gale Virtual Reference, individual titles are often invisible to users. At the University of Montevallo, building a Virtual Reference Shelf (VRS) allowed us to make e-reference titles more accessible for patrons. We constructed our VRS using LibGuides and our existing collections of virtual reference books. This article will discuss various aspects of creating and using the VRS, including designing, marketing, information literacy instruction, assessment, and future directions. The information is based on a presentation at the Mississippi State University eResources & Emerging Technologies Summit on August 2, 2013.     

The Florida State Libraries Resource Sharing Initiative: Did the Predictions Pan Out?

This article revisits discussion from “The Florida State Libraries Resource Sharing Initiative: Unity Among a Disparate Group” (Schmidt & Smith, 2012) on the implementation of a new resource sharing program within the Florida State University Libraries called UBorrow. The program and its effects are assessed after 2 years with comparison to the project launch's original predictions.     

Starting From Ground Zero: Establishing a Collection for a New Doctoral Program

This article reports a librarian's collection development efforts to support her institution's first independent doctoral degree (Ed.D., Educational Leadership) via a citation analysis comparing information usage by education doctorate dissertation authors from six peer institutions nationally. This analysis is part of a long-term examination of library collection use among California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) doctoral students. Key findings include the relative young age among the information resources in educational leadership, which resource formats were cited, what serial titles were cited the most, and where they are available electronically. The ultimate aim is the creation of an essential collection in the subject discipline.     

Deep in the Weeds: Faculty Participation in a Large Scale Deselection Project

In 2014, the Pollak Library at California State University, Fullerton embarked on a project to simultaneously address an outdated collection and to provide more student oriented collaborative space by creating a large-scale deselection plan. The interim University Librarian believed it prudent to offer campus faculty the ability to provide input on the deselection plan and an online application was created to allow faculty to request retention of titles selected for weeding. Feedback from an initial weeding pilot program was instructive and the tool was updated for the following deselection rounds to compel faculty to justify reasons for retaining titles and deter arbitrary requests for retention. While ultimately successful in deselecting 95,074 titles, future weeding projects will focus on the most invested partners, rather than the entire campus community. This article describes Pollak Library’s weeding project and analyzes the results of three years of faculty feedback.     

It's a Wrap (Part 1)

Abstract

Due to cuts in the binding budget, librarians in the science libraries at Washington State University were forced to consider alternative ways to preserve journals. We considered a number of important variables to select journals that would no longer be bound in the traditional manner, and selected shrinkwrapping as a preservation method for those titles.     

Inside the front door: Tailoring a leisure reading collection to attract an academic population

While some academics still maintain that an academic library is no place for leisure reading, many are in favor of maintaining at least a small distinct collection of such books. Strategically located and attractively displayed, current popular titles have the potential to generate traffic to the library and improve circulation statistics. Having taken the leap at Florida Gulf Coast University Library, a close statistical analysis of this new collection’s circulation over time has revealed not only that we all use it, but also that there are diverse but consistent patterns and preferences at play. Could the collection’s circulation rate be increased by tailoring it to an academic population? This study was designed to find out.     

Making the Common Uncommon?

Abstract

Many libraries have entered into cooperative or consor-tial agreements to reap the cost benefits of electronic purchases, to share a library system vendor, or to divide collection-building responsibilities. However, among such cooperating libraries the formal coordination of approval plan profiles has seldom been attempted. Many questions need to be answered before a group of libraries could enter into a cooperative approval plan. Would the political and administrative costs of designing and maintaining a cooperative profile be sufficiently offset by a broadened overall collection among cooperating libraries? To what degree do libraries acting independently achieve the same approval plan results that a formal coordination of profiles would generate?

The Triangle Research Libraries Network (Duke University, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) is comprised of four geographically-close institutions that have been building cooperative collections for more than 50 years. Some of their agreements have been quite formal and others have been quite informal.

This study looks at the degree of approval plan overlap among TRLN libraries; at circulation data for these overlapping titles; and at lists of titles not acquired within the consortium. The results may inform the question of whether separate, uncoordinated approval plans already meet the need of the TRLN consortium, or if consortial approval plan cooperation might benefit the group.

An examination of monographs in four selected Library of Congress classes supplied to the TRLN libraries by Yankee Book Peddler over a six month period in 1997 provided data to examine issues surrounding a consortial approval plan. The degree of overlap among the four institutions was defined, and circulation statistics showed whether books acquired by multiple libraries had a high level of use. A list of YBP titles not acquired by any of the libraries during the same timeperiod wasalso analyzed, to examine whether formal cooperation might have usefully broadenedtheoverallcollection.     

Author's Comments on “College Librarians and the University-Library Syndrome”

Abstract

Adding contents notes to a bibliographic record enhances the accessibility of the record beyond the usual title, author, and subject headings. Does increased accessibility necessarily mean increased circulation? This article summarizes the results of a 22-month study at Stetson University in Florida, a small liberal arts university. The study tracked circulation statistics for over 2,500 titles enhanced by the addition of contents notes in their catalog records. Contents notes were added locally through the OCLC Bibliographic Notification Service and were added manually upon a librarian's recommendation. The results include the number of titles which saw increased circulation, and the amount of staff time taken and costs incurred to add contents notes.     

Cooperative Remote Storage: Challenges for Resource Sharing

Cooperative storage involves two or more libraries sharing space within a facility. Kansas State University leases space at the Library Annex, a remote storage facility owned and operated by the University of Kansas. Various challenges are involved in maintaining access to remotely stored materials for resource sharing and document delivery purposes. The authors, staff members of the Interlibrary Services Unit at Kansas State University, discuss variables affecting access to remote materials and share their experience working within a cooperative storage model.     

The Hoosier Schoolmaster of the Air

Early educational broadcast pioneers impacted their listeners and viewers in profound ways. Dr. Clarence M. Morgan went from amateur ham radio operation to permanent status as the Hoosier Schoolmaster of the Air. Morgan involved his students in the creation of the Radio/Television program at Indiana State University (ISU), implemented Entertainment-Education programming for all ages, researched audience reaction and media effects, and assisted his son with doing the same at Murray State University (MSU) and the University of Central Florida (UCF). Morgan broadcast thousands of live radio and television programs, yet his name and voice were never heard on the air.     

Small Scale: Using a Regional Pilot Project to Explore the Potential of Shared Print

The long-standing cooperative culture within the research library community should serve as a useful foundation for building regional cooperative agreements to support repositories of print journal backfiles. Serious storage constraints facing Iowa State University, the University of Iowa, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison mandated an effort to tackle this problem in a deliberative and coordinated way. An inter-institutional Task Force was formed to design and implement a process with a selected group of titles as a pilot project. The immediate goal was to liberate shelf space with an eye toward the future development of a consortial collection management plan for the storage of print journals among the three institutions.     

Which worked better for Mississippi State: standing orders or an approval plan?

When Mississippi State University Libraries established a university press approval plan, the Collection Development Department was asked to decide whether to cancel existing standing orders with seven university presses or block these presses from the approval plan. Books were received through both avenues for eight months so that cost, timeliness of delivery, and receipt of titles most appropriate for the Libraries’ needs could be compared. Findings showed a 4.72% cost savings with the approval plan, but 82% of the titles were received earlier through the standing orders. Of books received through the standing orders, 29% were not received through the approval plan, with more than half not matching departmental profiles. Return privileges with the approval plan meant unsuitable titles could be returned, a significant advantage not possible with the standing orders. As a result of the study, the libraries chose to cancel the standing orders and receive books selectively through a university press approval plan.     

Which worked better for Mississippi State: standing orders or an approval plan?

When Mississippi State University Libraries established a university press approval plan, the Collection Development Department was asked to decide whether to cancel existing standing orders with seven university presses or block these presses from the approval plan. Books were received through both avenues for eight months so that cost, timeliness of delivery, and receipt of titles most appropriate for the Libraries’ needs could be compared. Findings showed a 4.72% cost savings with the approval plan, but 82% of the titles were received earlier through the standing orders. Of books received through the standing orders, 29% were not received through the approval plan, with more than half not matching departmental profiles. Return privileges with the approval plan meant unsuitable titles could be returned, a significant advantage not possible with the standing orders. As a result of the study, the libraries chose to cancel the standing orders and receive books selectively through a university press approval plan.     

哈佛大学的图书馆系统及馆藏管理

描述哈佛大学图书馆系统和馆藏管理的特点。哈佛大学图书馆通过开发不同类型的联合目录，有效管理和利用馆藏资源，并用一个现代化的共享式密集书库来解决馆藏空间不足的问题。另外，哈佛大学图书馆还采取分别协调、集中引进的方法对数字化资源进行管理。     

Evolution of a veterinary medical library.

Planning a new library and developing a book and journal collection for the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University are described. The Veterinary Medical Library is a self-contained unit (6,800 square feet) for print material within the Veterinary Medical Building. Seating for 140 patrons is available. The collection is designed to provide basic materials for teaching and research in veterinary and comparative medicine. Indexing and abstracting tools permit access to local, state, and national resources as well. At present the collection totals over 17,000 volumes and over 500 serial titles. A working collection of 25,000 volumes will be maintained in the Veterinary Medical Library, and the University Library will continue to function as the principal backup source.     

Toward a Usable Academic Library Web Site: A Case Study of Tried and Tested Usability Practices

Usability testing is an important element when designing useful, usable academic library Web sites. Since 2001, members of the Florida International University Libraries Web team have worked toward establishing a process that identifies user needs through usability testing. Starting with the libraries’ first Web site redesign project in 2001, the team has taken an active part in improving Web site user experience. After engaging in multiple redesign efforts, the Web team has developed a process that supports awareness of user experience through continual usability testing and feedback gathering. This article presents strategies and practices to measure Web site user experience, including classic usability testing methods (e.g., card sorting activities, focus groups, and task-based user testing), as well as the team's latest effort to assess Web site analytics and content to identify Web site usage patterns and areas of concern. A history of the Florida International University Libraries’ Web site redesign process is presented to illustrate lessons learned and best practices to facilitate future redesign and testing efforts. Taking a longitudinal look at usability testing at one institution, the study aims to inform the development of an effective strategy for user research and content management.     

Testing for Markov-Chain Properties in the Circulation of Humanities Monographs

The data for the study are based on the circulation history of the unique copy of selected humanities monograph titles obtained from The Ohio State University. Tests of the time independence of the circulation data revealed a time dependence in 13 of the 14 data sets. Tests of the Markovity of the circulation data where second order Markovity is assumed and first order Markovity is tested revealed 11 of the 14 data groups to be without Markovity. It appears from this study that direct tests of the Markovity of library circulation data should be conducted before models based on the assumption of Markovity are used.