Retention Matters: Academic Libraries Leading the Way

Academic libraries have always strived to be purposively involved in the university's mission attainment efforts. Today, the increase of retention levels is paramount, and, in many cases, it is at the center of higher education institution's strategic plans. For Andrews University, for example, the goal is to reach 80% in the next five years. In the United States, student retention efforts become even more critical due, in part, to declining enrollment numbers set off by soaring higher education costs. Academic librarians are aware of the library's role in the university's overall efforts to increase persistence rates and curtail attrition. Through a literature review, this article highlights how academic libraries are participating in this process. This study focuses on how academic libraries can be leaders in their Institutions by adopting a user-centered philosophy and services that will promote life-long learning, enhance students’ academic experience, and promote engagement, leading to retention.     

On the same page: Improving the connection between public services units in academic libraries

Communication quality between public service units in academic libraries can make the difference between mediocre and exceptional service. If units do not communicate well, patrons may receive inaccurate information and experience short-term frustration, leading to long-term damage to the library's reputation. Poor communication creates adverse effects on employees through decreased productivity, negative work culture, and low morale. This article explores the importance of quality communication through a review of the literature and a case study at one academic library. The authors share practical communication improvement strategies for libraries of every size and fiscal ability.     

理解公共文化服务：资金、人才与市场化道路的分歧

围绕公共文化服务建设,相关研究成果数量呈现快速增长趋势。但是关于推进公共文化服务的具体主张,则呈现出外在集中性、一致性与潜在矛盾性并存的格局。因此,在对相关研究成果特别是其主张进行梳理的基础上,揭示当前学界研究的主要观点及其内在的可能分歧或矛盾,对于推进公共文化服务研究及实践有着基础性作用。     

What factors increase Dutch child health care professionals’ adherence to a national guideline on preventing child abuse and neglect?

Guidelines to support health care professionals in early detection of, and responses to, suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (CAN) have become increasingly widely available. Yet little is known about professionals’ adherence to these guidelines or the determinants that affect their uptake. This study used a cross-sectional design to assess the adherence of Dutch Child Health Care (CHC) professionals to seven key activities described in a national guideline on preventing CAN. This study also examined the presence and strengths of determinants of guideline adherence. Online questionnaires were filled in between May and July 2013 by 164 CHC professionals. Adherence was defined as the extent to which professionals performed each of seven key activities when they suspected CAN. Thirty-three determinants were measured in relation to the guideline, the health professional, the organisational context and the socio-political context. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses tested associations between determinants and guideline adherence. Most of the responding CHC professionals were aware of the guideline and its content (83.7%). Self-reported rates of full adherence varied between 19.5% and 42.7%. Stronger habit to use the guideline was the only determinant associated with higher adherence rates in the multivariate analysis. Understanding guideline adherence and associated determinants is essential for developing implementation strategies that can stimulate adherence. Although CHC professionals in this sample were aware of the guideline, they did not always adhere to its key recommended activities. To increase adherence, tailored interventions should primarily focus on enhancing habit strength.     

Mixed Reality Lab at Mississippi State University Libraries

Virtual and Augmented Realities are advancing technologies that are becoming more popular in gaming and programming communities. However, virtual reality has been in development for decades. As libraries are often at the forefront of offering new and advancing technologies to their communities, virtual and augmented reality programs have become new additions to library services. While gaming is the prominent use of these technologies, virtual and augmented reality affords many educational opportunities. Mississippi State University Libraries have recently added a virtual/augmented reality lab as part of its library program.     

Assessing library topics using sentiment analysis in R: a discussion and code sample

Abstract

This article discusses the use of R programing language for executing a sentiment analysis of tweets pertaining to library topics. This discussion is situated within the literature of marketing and management sciences, which is employing methods of machine learning and business intelligence to make informed decision-making, and library administration, which has expressed great interest in social media engagement within its literature but has yet to adopt these types of analysis. Presented in this article is a sample code with instructions on how users may execute it within R to retrieve and analyze tweets relevant to library services. Two examples created using the code (analysis of top librarians’ tweets and analysis of posts about major book publishers) are used to demonstrate the functionality of the code. The code presented in this article may be used by libraries to analyze tweets about their library and library-related topics, which, in turn, may inform management and marketing design.     

Usage Comparison between an English-Language and a French-Language E-Monograph Collection in a Bilingual Canadian University

Abstract

This article reports the results of a quantitative and systematic analysis comparing usage rates between English-language and French-language e-monograph titles at Laurentian University, Canada. Full-text viewings were collected as usage metrics. English-language e-monographs exhibited medium strength linear relationships between collection size and usage. On the other hand, French-language e-monographs exhibited weak linear relationships between collection size and usage. The French-language e-monograph collection experienced a higher rate of full-text use, relative to size. The cost-per-viewing ratio for the English-language e-monograph collection was higher than those that calculated for the French-language collection.     

政府购买教育服务何以可能

我国政府购买教育服务的试行和有效实践,需要在理论上对教育服务何以可"购买"、政府何以要"购买"、政府在何处"购买"以及如何购买等问题进行深入思考,并形成科学的认识与判断,以帮助我们更清晰地认识政府购买教育服务所需的理论环境、政策环境和市场环境,为政府购买教育服务实践提供相应的理论支持与实践指导.