Changes in Public Library Youth Services: A Content Analysis of Youth Services Job Advertisements

ABSTRACT

This article investigates requirements and responsibilities for public library youth services librarians. Position advertisements were published in American Libraries in five-year increments, from 1971 to 2001. Youth services librarian positions were analyzed as to changes in position titles, education requirements, job responsibilities, and personality characteristics. Findings suggest that the number of advertised youth services positions is increasing, and job titles are changing from the specific “children's services” to the more generalized “youth services.” Advertised responsibilities of the youth services librarian have consistently emphasized collection management and administrative duties, and many advertisements place a heavy emphasis on personality traits.     

Big Five Personality Traits and Knowledge Sharing Intentions of Academic Librarians

PurposeKnowledge sharing among individuals is very crucial for greater creativity and enhancing performance in knowledge-based organizations. The present study investigates the association of Big Five personality traits and the knowledge sharing intentions of university librarians in Pakistan.MethodologyBased on quantitative design, this study employs survey research method. The Big Five personality inventory designed by John and Srivastava (1999) was adopted, while measurement items related to knowledge sharing intentions were developed with the help of the existing literature. The population of the study comprised library and information science professionals working in the university libraries of Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK). A census sampling method was used for collecting data and 103 dully filled questionnaires were received.FindingsThe results indicated that agreeableness and openness to experience positively while neuroticism negatively influenced the university librarian’s knowledge sharing intentions. However, conscientiousness and extraversion personality traits were found to be insignificant predictors of the same.OriginalityThis study is first of its nature which highlights the significant personality features contributing towards KS intentions in academic libraries from a developing country’s perspective.     

Jungian/Myers-Briggs Personality Types of Librarians in Films

Summary

The Myers-Briggs personality typology provides a useful tool for characterizing the probable personality types of librarians portrayed in films. In this study, the probable personality types of librarians in 28 films are determined. Then comparisons with the personality types reported in Scherdin (1994) are made. Sex roles and stereotyping are revealed by these comparisons and are discussed.     

A pilot study of the effects of faculty status for medical librarians in the United States

Objectives:Within many institutions, there are debates over whether medical librarians should be classified as faculty or professional staff, a distinction that may have considerable effect on the perception of librarians within their local institutions. This study is a pilot exploration of how faculty status may affect the professional experiences of academic medical librarians within their local institutions.Methods:Surveys were sent to 209 medical librarians listed as having some instructional function at Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accredited medical institutions in the United States. Survey responses were captured using Qualtrics survey tool and analyzed for frequencies and associations using SPSS version 27.Results:Sixty-four medical librarians at academic medical institutions completed the survey developed for this study. Of the respondents, 60.9% indicated that librarians at their institution have faculty status, while 71.9% believe that librarians at their institution should have faculty status. Ninety percent of librarians with faculty status reported that they are expected to generate scholarly materials, compared to 28% of those without faculty status.Conclusions:Many medical libraries offer faculty status to librarians. While many medical librarians are active in instruction, research, and other activities normally associated with faculty status, it is not clear if faculty status impacts how librarians are perceived by other health care workers within their institutions.     

Medical librarians' knowledge and practices in locating clinical trials for systematic reviews

Objective:In regard to locating clinical trials for a systematic review, limited information is available about how librarians locate clinical trials in biomedical databases, including (1) how much information researchers provide librarians to assist with the development of a comprehensive search strategy, (2) which tools librarians turn to for information about study design methodology, and (3) librarians'' confidence levels in their knowledge of study design methodology. A survey was developed to explore these aspects of how a medical librarian locates clinical trials when facilitating systematic reviews for researchers.Methods:In this cross-sectional study, a 21-question survey was sent to medical librarians via several email listservs during April 2020. Respondents were limited to librarians who make the decisions on search terms for systematic reviews.Results:Responses (n=120) indicated that librarians were often asked to search for various types of clinical trials. However, there was not a consistent method for creating search strategies that locate diverse types of clinical trials. Multiple methods were used for search strategy development, with hedges being the most popular method. In general, these librarians considered themselves to be confident in locating trials. Different resources were used to inform study types, including textbooks, articles, library guides and websites.Discussion:Medical librarians indicated that while they felt confident in their searching skills, they did not have a definitive source of information about the various types of clinical trials, and their responses demonstrated a clear need and desire for more information on study design methodology.     

Collaborative Leadership

Abstract

In 1991, Joseph C. Rost published Leadership for the 21st Century (Praeger) in which he presented a definition of leadership that focused on the influence relationship among leaders and followers rather than on the traits of the leader or the functions of leadership. Rost's model is useful for academic reference leaders who usually head a group of professionals who are involved in a variety of responsibilities that require them to be leaders. This article applies Rost's theories to academic reference leadership and explores a model that will provide for better job satisfaction for librarians and improved services to library users.     

In the Eye of the Beholder

Summary

As with beauty and other concepts, librarians have been viewed in many subjective ways. On the other hand, some attempts have also been made to obtain more objective views of librarians. This paper provides a summary of these views, or images, that extend back to the early 18th century. It presents the many traits that comprise these images, the sources or origins of the images, the various groups that hold the images, and ends with a reason why current images are indefinite and “blurry.”     

A Product of Social Interaction: Tag-Team Reference and Workplace Relationships

SUMMARY

Interacting socially with colleagues creates close workplace relationships. These relationships translate into a dynamic, synergistic environment at the reference desk, also known as tag-team reference. When two people work well together, they can bounce ideas off of one another and serve the users most efficiently. Reference librarians all have strengths and weaknesses and those who work closely together can rely on each other without worrying about the stigma of reference desk boundaries. While traditional training and advice literature do not stress the importance of workplace relationships, there are ways that librarians and libraries can successfully promote social interaction and nurture a collaborative, collegial environment.     

Master Reference Librarians for a New Age

Summary

In 1990 the authors conducted interviews with “Master” reference librarians in an effort to determine if these librarians shared traits which could be used to predict success in the field of reference Hbrarianship. From these interviews a list of eight shared characteristics was developed. In the six intervening years, reference collections and reference work have changed greatly and the authors began to wonder if the list of characteristics remained valid in the electronic reference world. Interviews with “New Age Masters” were used to determine which characteristics were still valid and to identify any new traits needed to succeed. The librarians were also asked to speculate on the future of reference Hbrarianship.     

Leadership or Management

Abstract

This paper considers leadership and management issues affecting libraries in general. Specific attention is devoted to academic libraries and their reference departments. It focuses on the dynamics of leadership and management of academic library reference services and what is expected of the reference department head of the 21st century. It explores the changing roles of reference librarians and those of their leaders or department heads. It examines the leadership skills, traits, and competencies and attributes expected of the department head of reference in the new millennium. The paper also examines the paradox of leadership and management and draws distinction between the two terms. It finally looks into whether it is appropriate to have a manager from outside the library profession to be the head of an academic library reference department.     

More than Collection Development: Using Local Citation Analysis to Begin a Career in Business Librarianship

Abstract

This study shares the results of a citation analysis performed on the publications of the faculty of the College of Business at a large public university in the southern United States for the years 2014–2018. The study examined articles produced by the faculty over the last five years, as well as their cited references and citing articles, in an attempt to establish a list of core journals for business and uncover potential gaps in coverage. Implications for collection development are addressed, as are the benefits for early-career librarians or those unfamiliar with the publishing behaviors of a newly assigned subject discipline.     

You can't Get There from Here,or How Do I Become a Slavic Studies Librarian?

ABSTRACT

New librarians looking to enter the field of Slavic librarianship soon discover there is no clear template for how to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful in this field. This article attempts first to define those skills and knowledge, and then to map out the opportunities for acquiring them in North American institutions. Toward this goal, it summarizes and analyzes the results from a survey of the educational and experiential background and current responsibilities of 128 working Slavic librarians. It then details the North American academic institutions offering specialized training or degree programs for Slavic librarians and those institutions where the component parts are all available to be assembled by the proactive student.     

A Profession Without Limits: The Changing Role of Reference Librarians

ABSTRACT

Reference librarians, specifically those working in academic health sciences environments, have expanded their roles and taken on new and unique responsibilities. While librarians at The George Washington University’s Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library continue to provide traditional reference services, they have gone beyond their comfort zone in many cases to become involved in activities that are outside of the librarian’s established role. This article describes the current roles of Himmelfarb’s reference librarians, as well as the way these librarians prepared for these roles and addressed the associated challenges.     

A Study of Changes in the Library and Information Science Curriculum with Evaluation of Its Practicality

PurposeThis study analyzed the process of changes in Korean Library and Information Science curriculum and evaluated the courses currently available by using a perception survey of librarians in the field. It also explored a possible demand for new courses, while suggesting compulsory, core, and optional courses for Bachelor's degree curriculum in Library and Information Science worldwide including Korea and the US.Design/Methodology/ApproachThis study progressed through a total of 5 steps as follows: investigating the background of why current courses of Library and Information Science were offered (interview), finding out the current courses in Library and Information Science (homepage search and phone interview), finding out which courses students have actually completed among those available (literature and resource research), evaluating the practicality of the available courses by librarians in the field (survey), and exploring the demand for new courses (survey). In addition, this study analyzed the process of change in the courses offered by investigating the curriculum over the last 20 years.FindingsFirst and foremost, it was found that the decision of which course will be offered is strongly influenced by faculty. Second, in the analysis of the process of opening up new courses, it was revealed that the number of courses is growing and the courses are becoming more diversified and more specific. Third, the survey results of the completion of curriculum for the last three years in 10 universities demonstrate that only 50% of the available courses are being completed. Fourth, in the survey of which courses the librarians in the field think are necessary among the 90 courses suggested, 21 courses scored more than 4 points in a 5-point Likert scale regarding the demand for new courses. Fifth, the new courses which scored high levels of demand points were: Practice in Organizing and Managing Web Resources, Library Planning, Marketing, and Assessment, Understanding Information Technology for Managing Digital Collections, and Information and Communication in a Digital Age. Sixth, this study shows that there is a high level of agreement between courses completed by students and those which gained high levels of demand points in the practicality evaluation.Limitations/ImplicationsAs this study was performed in Korea where the Bachelor's degree course is fundamental, it will contribute valuable information to countries where universities have recently opened or are trying to open programs for Bachelor's degrees in Library and Information Science such as the US, or to curriculum study in countries such as China and Japan which have educational environments similar to Korea. However, similar studies need to be performed in different countries.Originality/ValueThis study has great significance as it has analyzed not only the curriculum of the last 20 years but also discovered how many of the newly created courses have actually been completed by students and the opinions of librarians in the field on these courses; there has not been such an encompassing study as this either inside or outside of Korea.     

Perceptions of Transformational Leadership in Academic Libraries

ABSTRACT

Transformational leadership is highly correlated with effective organizations and successful change, yet few studies of this leadership style exist in the library literature. This study examined perceptions of transformational traits in academic library leaders. The study asked academic librarians at 4 year institutions to rate their library's leadership using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. While the librarians perceived their library leaders to be more transformational than transactional, the mean score for transformational leadership was middling, as were the scores for each of the transformational components. This could indicate a lack of change readiness in these libraries.     

Isn't Being a Librarian Enough?

ABSTRACT

The issue of college and university librarians teaching credit-bearing courses is studied by describing its historical background and providing an overview of the literature. The debate is framed by summarizing the fundamental issue: the degree to which academic librarians benefit when they assume classroom-teaching roles. The roles of academic librarians as teachers and faculty are analyzed in the context of classroom teaching. While academic libraries and their librarians do benefit from expanded teaching roles, there are some qualifying factors.     

From the Other Side of the River

Summary

Loyal to long-held convictions of what undergraduates need intellectually, academic librarians ignore the critical signs that they may be failing students and faculty. Unless librarians are willing to question assumptions about how students think, what they value, and how external incentives shape their behavior in the information environment, they will find themselves increasingly at the margins of students' academic life. If there are important questions that beg for answers before librarians can redefine the teaching role of libraries, librarians have probably never been in a stronger position as a profession to engage in the research necessary for meaningful solutions.     

Participating in Communities of Practice

ABSTRACT

Hospital librarians understand they need to move outside the four walls of the physical library and provide information support for clinicians in various settings. Librarians round with patient care teams as clinical librarians. They sit on quality improvement and patient safety committees in order to provide information to those groups. Many are members of their organization's Institutional Review Board. Some of these activities are done for a specific purpose and are short-lived. Other activities become institutionalized as the value of the librarian's contribution is recognized. This article will describe examples in which hospital librarians are part of multidisciplinary teams created to improve patient care in their hospital.     

Problem or Challenge?

Summary

Every day at reference desks, public service points, and in library instruction, librarians assist people who are apprehensive about technology. There are assumptions in academe, held by librarians, faculty and administration, regarding students' technology savvy. Many of these assumptions are unfounded and incorrect. Librarians are challenged to serve those individuals technology has left behind with the same respect as those technologically up-to-speed. This paper is a discussion about technology anxiety, technophobe myths, and a theory of technophobic learning.     

Build It So They Will Come

Summary

As librarians become more familiar with the World Wide Web and its potential as a resource tool, it is increasingly important that they are able provide Web access suited to their and their users' needs. This workshop provided general guidelines as well as guidelines geared to technical services departments for the design, creation and maintenance of Web-pages.