Electronic media

RADIO'S NICHE MARKETING REVOLUTION: FUTURESELL by Godfrey W. and Ashley Page Herweg (Boston: Focal Press, 1997‐$37.95, paper, ISBN 0–240–80202–0, 274 pp., figures, bibliography, notes, index)

THE RECORDING INDUSTRY by Geoffrey P. Hull (Boston: Allyn & Bacon “Series in Mass Communication,”; 1998‐$24.00, ISBN 0–205–19689–6, 304 pp., Internet sources list, notes, bibliography, glossary, index)

THE CABLE AND SATELLITE TELEVISION INDUSTRIES by Patrick R. Parsons and Robert M. Frieden (Boston: Allyn & Bacon “Series in Mass Communication,”; 1998‐$24.00, paper, ISBN 0–205–20013–3, 370 pp., diagrams, tables, bibliography, index)

THE BROADCAST TELEVISION INDUSTRY by James R. Walker & Douglas A. Ferguson, with contributions by John F. Long and Kevin Sauter (Boston: Allyn & Bacon “Series in Mass Communication,”; 1998‐$24.00, paper, ISBN 0–205–18950–4, 228 pp., figures, glossary, bibliography, index)

“DENY ALL KNOWLEDGE:” READING THE X FILES edited by David Lavery, Angela Hague, and Maria Cartwright (Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press “Television Series,”; 1996‐$45.00/16.95, ISBN 0–8156–2717–3 hard, 0–8156–0407–6 paper, 233 pp., notes, appendix, works cited, index)

MINORITY COMMERCIAL BROADCAST OWNERSHIP IN THE UNITED STATES by NTIA's Minority Telecommunications Development Program (Washington: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1997‐price not given, paper, no ISBN provided, 50 pp., tables)

THE BROADCASTER'S GUIDE TO RDS by Scott Wright (Boston: Focal Press, 1997‐$36.95, paper, ISBN 0–240–80278–0, 203 pp., figures, glossary, bibliography, index)     

Merging Catalogs: Creating a Shared Bibliographic Environment for the State University Libraries of Florida

The eleven state universities of Florida have long shared an integrated library system architecture, but maintained separate databases. In 2009 the deans and directors of the eleven state university libraries tasked the three largest libraries to investigate the feasibility of combining all catalogs into a single bibliographic entity. With the help of a central automation group, the three successfully negotiated the fine line between sharing data and retaining the unique work created by each of the three libraries. The groundwork laid in this initiative should prove valuable to other libraries seeking to centralize functions and pool resources.     

Name Authority Work in Public Libraries

Random samples of U.S. public libraries were surveyed in summer 2010 to ascertain their name authority cataloging practices. Comparisons of authority work processes and types of authority work done were made among public libraries of different sizes. Results were compared to previous studies of public and academic libraries.     

How Does a Pre-Assessment of Off-Campus Students’ Information Literacy Affect the Effectiveness of Library Instruction?

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the impact that pre-tests have on the effectiveness of library instruction when students are given feedback on their pre-test performance. Librarians and academic faculty partnered to measure library instruction outcomes in two Master's degree classes. The Research Readiness Self-Assessment (RRSA) was used as a pre-test (before instruction) and a post-test (after instruction) in Class 1 and as a post-test only in Class 2. Students who completed both tests performed significantly better on a post-test, earning higher scores on obtaining information and overall information literacy. They reported greater library/research experience and less reliance on browsing. Compared to students who did not take a pre-test, students who received pre-test-based feedback had higher scores on library/research experience and lower scores on reliance on browsing. To enhance the effectiveness of library instruction, students can be given pre-test-based feedback that compares their actual and perceived literacy and encourages the use of library databases.     

Embedding General Education Competencies into an Online Information Literacy Course

ABSTRACT

Assessing core competencies for students who are enrolled in purely online programs poses a challenge to colleges and universities. Our institution has chosen an existing online information literacy course to incorporate and assess general education competencies for an overseas cohort of transfer students. This article presents a brief overview of the course and describes the way in which the course was redesigned to embed and assess the five general education competencies (critical thinking, information literacy, critical reading, quantitative reasoning, and writing).     

Undercounting File Downloads from Institutional Repositories

ABSTRACT

A primary impact metric for institutional repositories (IR) is the number of file downloads, which are commonly measured through third-party Web analytics software. Google Analytics, a free service used by most academic libraries, relies on HTML page tagging to log visitor activity on Google's servers. However, Web aggregators such as Google Scholar link directly to high value content (usually PDF files), bypassing the HTML page and failing to register these direct access events. This article presents evidence of a study of four institutions demonstrating that the majority of IR activity is not counted by page tagging Web analytics software, and proposes a practical solution for significantly improving the reporting relevancy and accuracy of IR performance metrics using Google Analytics.     

Dismantling the Reference Collection

In 2008, the University of Louisville’s (UofL) Ekstrom Library printed reference collection numbered almost 30,000 volumes. Copious collecting and sparse weeding built up the collection during the era before the Internet. There had been considerable reluctance to address its more outdated sections due to competing priorities and inertia. A change of leadership as well as the recognition of changing use patterns had lessened the need for such a large collection. In 2011, three librarians began a title-by-title review process that resulted in an 86% reduction of the reference collection by 2014. This article describes that process, summarizes the results, and discusses the benefits and disadvantages of this approach.     

Toward a dynamic generic framework of apologia: A case study of Dow chemical,Vietnam, and the napalm controversy

This study argues that the genre of apologia has distinct situational, substantive, and stylistic factors that are dynamically related. A dynamic theoretical framework using these three factors is proposed and used to analyze the protracted apologia of the Dow Chemical Company from 1966‐1969 in response to charges by antiwar protesters of immorality for producing napalm. Dow's rhetorical choices become much clearer when seen through the clear, serious, unprecedented, and diffuse accusatory climate that precipitated the adoption of a self actualized motive and an argumentative battle on the grounds of jurisdiction. Special constraints that corporate apologists may face as nonpersons are advanced to complete the configuration of this dynamic generic framework.     

Creating Access to Oral Histories in Academic Libraries

Oral histories, a common form of documenting the past, are found in the collections of many academic libraries. As evidenced by a study of Georgia academic libraries conducted in 2007, no standard procedure exists to coordinate access to these materials. Establishing policies and procedures for collecting, acquiring, managing, and providing access to oral histories can greatly enhance their value and usability. Drawing on examples from the program instituted at Columbus State University (CSU), this article outlines a practical strategy that academic libraries, particularly small or medium-sized libraries, can follow as a guideline to ensure that oral histories are made available to the public. This article also raises awareness of the problems inherent in managing access to oral histories and presents some solutions to these problems in an effort to increase standardization among libraries.     

Creating a HIP in the library: A high-impact practice case study

Abstract

High-impact practices (HIPs) have been adopted on college campuses to enhance student learning. The academic library provides services and space contributing to learning at its institution. Librarians conduct space research to learn how the library building can better serve its users. Library space assessment is one way for librarians to engage with faculty and students to create an HIP in the library. This article is a case study of a collaboration between a librarian and a sociology professor to design an observational study. It demonstrates how librarians can contribute to HIPs at their institution by involving students in meaningful research.