Assessment of Electronic Reserves Services at the University of Colorado,Boulder

Abstract

Assessment is an important part of any library service, including electronic reserves. This paper describes the assessment of electronic reserves services by means of a survey instrument administered at the University of Colorado, Boulder during the fall semester, 2003. As the University Libraries had moved from a predominately paper reserves environment to an almost completely electronic reserves environment at the beginning of that same semester, the survey offered a unique opportunity to compare student attitudes towards the two formats. We addressed planning for the survey, administering the survey, evaluation of the collected data, and reporting the results to teaching faculty.     

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.”     

Sources of Compensation Surveys

Abstract

This article discusses availability and sources of compensation surveys and affords information that may help researchers to pursue them. A number of bibliographic and other tools complementary to compensation surveys are introduced and critiqued.     

Using Syllabi to Determine the Core Journal and Monographic Literature in Doctoral Finance Programs

Using course syllabi from 66 active Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business–accredited doctoral programs, the investigators determined a core journal and monographic collection in doctoral finance programs. The results are compared to previous studies, such as that of Corrado and Ferris (1997), and implications for collection development and liaison librarians are considered.     

Taking the Mountain to Mohammed: The Effect of Librarian Visits to Faculty Members on Their use of the Library

Much has been written on liaison programs and faculty perceptions thereof, but little has been written on the effectiveness of specific liaison activities. This article contains the results of a survey that asked faculty to indicate whether meeting individually with a librarian changed their use of library services and resources. Although it was sent to only a small number of faculty (30), 40% of those who were contacted responded to the survey. Of those who responded, 92% indicated that meeting with a librarian had increased their use of at least one library resource or service.     

Best Practice in Disability Provision in Higher Education Libraries in England Specializing in Art,Media, and Design

Academic library provision for students with disabilities has become an important issue in the UK as a result of legislation enacted in recent decades. Successive studies have investigated current practice in relation to legislation such as the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (SENDA), but none has specifically surveyed disability provision in higher education libraries supporting Art, Media, and Design (AMD) students, a group generally thought to include higher prevalence of disabilities, particularly dyslexia. The current study reviewed related literature to gain understanding of the area and inform the design of research instruments. Structured observations and semi-structured interviews were conducted to identify best practices and key challenges in disability support at a purposive sample of eight libraries in England serving AMD students. All the institutions had specialist disability provision and many demonstrated innovative best practice. Participants confirmed high levels of disability among the target population, but did not make specific provision for AMD students, though measures linked with dyslexia support were prominent. The results mostly supported findings from the literature and were used to develop recommendations of best practice that should be of value to schools and further education colleges, in addition to higher education institutions. Supplemental materials are available for this article.     

Red,White, and Blues

Abstract

Over the last decade, an increasing number of academic institutions have built satellite campuses and developed online courses to meet the needs of distance learners. As these academic institutions have expanded, demand for library service has increased significantly. In an attempt to expand its course offerings to distance learners, Regent University began offering online courses during the early 1990s, and it also developed a new satellite campus. As the Regent University Library has explored new and varied ways to serve students on the new satellite campus and other distance learners, the implementation of services has been challenging, but rewarding, for the library staff.     

Distance Education Support in University Libraries

Abstract

This article describes the current distance education environment for university libraries and the distance education library services for faculty and students. The authors surveyed selected Association of Research Libraries (ARL) members to determine current services and the changes in distance education library services since the 1996 ARL SPEC Kit Survey. The 2003 survey included the library services listing from the “Guidelines for Distance Learning Library Services: A Draft Revision,” prepared by the Distance Learning Section of the Association of College and Research Libraries, ALA.     

Services for Graduate Students: A Review of Academic Library Web Sites

A library's Web site is well recognized as the gateway to the library for the vast majority of users. Choosing the most user-friendly Web architecture to reflect the many services libraries offer is a complex process, and librarians are still experimenting to find what works best for their users. As part of a redesign of the Oregon State University Libraries’ Web site, entry points for specific user groups were created. One of these user groups was graduate students. The purpose of this study was to explore the ways other academic libraries design their Web sites for particular user groups, specifically graduate students, in order to determine how the Oregon State University Libraries Web site compared to peer institutions. This study analyzed 112 Association of Research Libraries’ Web sites and 26 Oregon academic libraries’ Web sites to determine the availability of resources and services specifically promoted to graduate students. Since graduate students may view the library Web site through the lens of new student, researcher, or instructor, Web sites were also examined to see if sites were created with any or all of these roles in mind. Nearly a quarter of Association of Research Libraries' Web sites that were examined contained a link on the homepage for graduate students, and another 20 percent provided graduate-student information at a lower level in their site hierarchy. A majority of sites had events, subject guides, or course guides for graduate students. Information for graduate students was typically framed in the context of graduate students as researchers. Ideas and examples are given for ways to improve Web site design to better serve this user group. In order to provide improved services to these students, future studies will explore what graduate students need from academic libraries and the ways these students conduct themselves in their various roles of researchers, instructors, and new students.     

Assessing the Effectiveness of Online Library Instruction with Finance Students

ABSTRACT

Many academic librarians use online information literacy tutorials as an alternative or a supplement to in-class library instruction. Tutorials created with streaming media software such as Camtasia Studio have become increasingly popular. Librarians at a mid-sized Midwestern university have created several such tutorials demonstrating various library resources. The value of streaming-media tutorials is supported by key learning theories such as cognitive load theory, dual coding theory, and multimedia learning theory. However, studies measuring the impact of online tutorials on student learning of information-literacy skills have shown mixed results. The authors tested the effectiveness of an online information literacy tutorial on a group of undergraduate business students. About 140 students in three undergraduate finance classes rated a Value Line online tutorial. Students were also invited to complete a follow-up survey online with Blackboard. This survey measured student knowledge retention of Value Line and interest in online tutorials. The results showed that while students viewed the tutorial positively, they preferred face-to-face instruction from a librarian. Also, while most students could locate the proper links in Value Line, only 30 percent were able to successfully look up a company. Indicators point to a future for online instruction coexisting with, yet not replacing, traditional classroom library instruction.