Editorial

No abstract available for this article.     

FROM THE LITERATURE: Terry Henner,Column Editor

This article explores automated task services, a type of website that allows users to create rules that are triggered by activity on one website and perform a task on another site. The most well-known automated task service is If This Then That (IFTTT), but recently a large number of these services have sprung up. These services can be used to connect websites, apps, business services, and even devices such as phones and home automation equipment. This allows for millions of possible combinations of rules, triggers, and actions. Librarians can put these services to use in many ways, from automating social media postings to remembering to bring their umbrella when rain is in the forecast. A list of popular automated task services is included, as well as a number of ideas for using these services in libraries.     

FROM THE LITERATURE: Terry Henner,Column Editor

ABSTRACT

In spring 2015, a 45-question survey was e-mailed to 585 medical students at the University at Buffalo (UB) in order to gauge their use of library spaces, resources, equipment, and services at UB’s Health Sciences Library and plan for a library space located within a new medical school building. Students’ self-reported use of the library during the academic year is presented along with the features they would like to see in their ideal library space. The responses generated in the survey are a barometer of current use and will be used in the planning process.     

On Being a Virtual World Librarian: Experiences in Offering Live Reference Services in a Virtual World

The reference collection holds an important place within the library. The proper maintenance of this collection through weeding is a critical yet often overlooked aspect of collection management. This article offers a case study describing a reference collection weeding project, including the development of a reference collection policy, a review of standing orders, the goals and outcomes of the review, and a discussion of the benefits of the project.