American Library Association Annual Conference
Chicago, IL
July 2009
2009
Poster Session Committee:
Jody
Condit Fagan, Chair, James Madison University
faganjc at jmu.edu
Candace Benefiel, Review Panel Chair, Texas A&M
University
cbenefie at lib-gw.tamu.edu
Charlotte Dugan, Abstracts Editor, Missouri State University Library CharlotteDugan at MissouriState.edu
Reviewers:
Julie Banks, Southeast Missouri State University
Jeff Barber, Regina Public Library
Nan Butkovich, Penn State University
Christina Desai, University of New Mexico
Mollie Dinwiddie, University of Central Missouri
Stephanie Graves, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Stefanie Hunker, Bowling Green State University
Andrea Imre, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Steven Johns, Des Moines Area Community College
Wendi Arant Kaspar, Texas A&M University
Deborah O. Lee, Mississippi State University
Barbara Lewis, University of South Florida
Meris Mandernach, James Madison University
Michelle Minerd, Kent District Library
Sarah McHone Chase, Northern Illinois University
Pixey Mosley, Texas A&M University
Necia T. Parker-Gibson, University of Arkansas
Susan Wells Parham, Georgia Institute of Technology
Carl Pracht, Southeast Missouri State University
Arlene Salazar, Texas State University
Jodi Shepherd, Ferris State University
Melissa Van Vuuren, James Madison University
Luke Vilelle, Hollins College
Michael C. Witt, Purdue University
Floor Managers:
Anjana Bhatt, Florida Gulf Coast University
Howard Carter, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Yu-Hui Chen, University at Albany, SUNY
Kristen Costello, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Cory Grimmicnk, Hillsdale Community Library
Michelle Minerd, Hillsdale Community Library
Sarah McHone Chase, Northern Illinois University
Michael C. Witt, Purdue University
Delin Guerra, Anne Weglewski, and Karee Williams
Editorial Assistant:
Elizabeth Kline, James Madison University
2010 Annual Poster
Session Application Information
2010 Annual
Conference, Washington, DC: June 26-28, 2010
Applications for presenting poster sessions at the 2010 American Library Association Annual Conference in Chicago, IL, will be accepted via the World Wide Web at:
http://www.lib.jmu.edu/org/ala/
Applications will be accepted between October 1, 2009 and January 1, 2010
An application form, guidelines for applying, helpful hints, and photos of sample poster sessions can be found at the website. If you don't have access to the World Wide Web or to email, please contact Jody Condit Fagan, Chair, at 540-568-4265 (telephone) for instructions on how to apply.
Applicants will be notified by March 1, 2010 whether their poster sessions have been accepted for presentation at the conference. Poster sessions will be presented on June 26, 27, and 28 at the conference.
History:
Poster sessions were introduced to the American Library Association at its
1982 Annual Conference in
Poster sessions may present any of the following:
Ø a report of a research study
Ø an analysis of a practical problem-solving effort
Ø a description of an innovative library program
Poster sessions cover a broad range of subjects grouped according to such areas as management, collection development, technology, reference, and library services to special groups.
Poster session participants place materials such as pictures, data, graphs, diagrams and narrative text on bulletin boards. During their assigned time periods, participants informally discuss their presentations with conference attendees. Participants are selected through a double-blind peer review process.
Session I: The Collectors:
Posters on Acquisitions, Cataloging and Classification, Collection Development
and Management, History, Serials, and Special Collections
Saturday, July 11, 2009,
11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Session II: The Educators:
Posters on Distance Learning, Continuing Education, Library Education,
Literacy, and Research Methodology
Saturday, July 11, 2009,
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Session III: Global
Solutions, International Projects in Libraries
Sunday, July 12, 2009, 11:00
am - 12:30 pm
Session IV: Outreach:
Posters on Interlibrary Cooperation, Library Services to Special Groups, and
Reference and Information Services
Sunday, July 12, 2009, 1:00
pm - 2:30 pm
Monday, July 13, 2009, 11:00 am -
12:30 pm
Session VI: Infrastructure: Posters on Buildings and Equipment,
Management, and Technology
Monday, July
13, 2009, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Session
I: The Collectors: Posters on Acquisitions, Cataloging and Classification,
Collection Development and Management, History, Serials, and Special Collections
Saturday,
July 11, 2009, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
I -
1 Do Chemists Use Old Literature? Comparison of
Age Distribution of References Cited in CIC Chemistry Faculty Publications:
1954-2004
Nancy J. Butkovich, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
(njb2 at psulias.psu.edu)
I - 2 Library
Science Education and the Metadata Librarian
Michael Bolam, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA (mrbst20 at pitt.edu)
I -
3 Avoiding Duplicate Name Authority Records in a
Retrospective Cataloging Project
Lucas Mak, Michigan State University Libraries, East Lansing, MI (makw at mail.lib.msu.edu)
I -
4 Identifying Works Using Legacy Data: FRBRization
Approaches, Issues, and Challenges
Athena Salaba (asalaba at kent.edu), and Yin Zhang (yzhang4 at kent.edu), Kent
State University, Kent, OH
I -
5 Subjecting the Catalog to Tags: LibraryThing for
Libraries Usage at CSUN
Danielle Skaggs (danielle.skaggs at csun.edu), and Jennie Quiñónez-Skinner
(jquinonez at csun.edu), California State University, Northridge, Northridge,
CA
I -
6 Cleaning Cottages and Castles: Weeding
Year-round
Dana Peterman (dpeterma at uci.edu), and Christina Woo (cjwoo at uci.edu),
University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA
I - 7 Issuing
an A.P.B. for Oral Histories: Developing a Survey Model for Other Libraries
Juliana Nykolaiszyn (juliana.nykolaiszyn at okstate.edu), and Tanya Finchum
(tanya.finchum at okstate.edu), Oklahoma State University Library, Stillwater,
OK
In 2007, librarians at Oklahoma State
University received an Amigos Library Services fellowship to assist in
surveying the status and condition of oral history collections throughout
Oklahoma. In spite of the existence of oral history recordings dating back to
as early as the 1920s, no known effort has been made until now to
develop a master list of these recordings in Oklahoma. Lacking such a list,
oral history practitioners are unsure if they are duplicating previous or
ongoing efforts; and scholars may miss highly relevant primary research
material. In addition to identifying oral history collections held in cultural
repositories, the survey effort also strived to gather data on preservation,
access, technical concerns, and training needs from various organizations,
collecting over 120 responses to date. This presentation will provide insights
into the survey results, including challenges faced by all when it comes to
preserving and making oral histories accessible. Graphically, the poster will
include a map of responding institutions, tips and strategies for success,
along with sample survey materials, and a concise methodological summary. It is
the researchers' hope that this project will assist other libraries in
surveying oral history collections on a statewide or regional level.
I - 8 Trashy
Tags: A Study of Problematic Tags in LibraryThing
Marliese Thomas (mst0001 at auburn.edu), Dana Caudle (caudlda at auburn.edu),
and Cecilia Schmitz (schmice at auburn.edu), Auburn University Libraries,
Auburn University, AL
I - 9 To
Build or to Buy: The Tale of the Library à la Carte Open Source Project.
Margaret Mellinger (margaret.mellinger at oregonstate.edu), Jane Nichols
(jane.nichols at oregonstate.edu), and Kim Griggs (kim.griggs at oregonstate.edu),
Oregon State University Libraries, Corvallis, OR
I -
10 Man-WHAT?: The What, Why, How, When and Where
of Building a Great Manga Collection at Your Library!
Rachel Kitzmann (kitzmann at lapl.org), Erika Caswell (ecaswell at lapl.org),
Los Angeles Public Library, Los Angeles, CA and Candice Mack (cmack at lapl.org),
Los Angeles Public Library, Tarzana, CA
I -
11 Scanning Service Takes the Anxiety Out of
Microform Collections
Brenda Reeb, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY (brenda.reeb at rochester.edu)
Maura Proctor, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY (mproctor at syr.edu)
Users need easy access to library resources,
something that is impossible with a reel of microfilm. Patrons typically cringe
when they encounter microfiche or film and must learn to use microform
equipment before they can view the material. And yet microform collections
contain incredibly rich content. A scanning service implemented by the
Newspaper and Microform Center at the University of Rochester's River Campus
Libraries eliminates patron anxiety with the microform format by providing easy
document delivery of microform materials. Patrons request the service through
the catalog record. Within 24 hours a library staff member scans the item and
deposits a .pdf file in a digital drop box for patron pick-up. Visitors to this
poster session will learn how the scan service works and learn how the service
is marketed. Pictures of web submission forms and the text of email alert
messages that are integral to the scan service will be displayed on the poster.
Marketing activities, patron privacy, and copyright issues will be covered as
bullet points on the poster. Usage data since 2006 will be included, as well as
assessment survey data from the 2008-2009 academic year.
I -
12 Acquiring from Secondary/Used Sources: Money
Saver or Time Sink?
John Ballestro (jballest at lib.siu.edu), and Julie Mosbo (jmosbo at lib.siu.edu),
Morris Library - Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL
I -
13 Looking for Genres on the Web: Content Analysis
of American Author Websites
Timothy Hackman (thackman at umd.edu), and Karen Patterson (kpatter at umd.edu),
University of Maryland, College Park, MD
I -
14 Analysis of BioOne Journal Collections: Their
Quality, Indexing Coverage and Scholarly Content
Lutishoor Salisbury, Univerisity of Arkansas, Fayetteville, (lsalisbu at uark.edu)
Carolyn Mills, University of Connecticut, (Carolyn.Mills at uconn.edu)
I - 15 From
Workflow to Information Flow: Collaborating for Effective Collection
Development
Julie Gilbert (jgilber2 at gustavus.edu), and Anna Hulseberg (ahulsebe at gustavus.edu),
Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, MN
Collection development decision-making
requires accurate and clearly-presented information about a library's holdings.
How can collection management and electronic resources specialists
best collaborate to support a collection development program that encompasses
books and serials in a variety of formats, especially when those formats are
evolving continuously? How can they support decision-making that involves
faculty members who may be unfamiliar with library terminology, tools, and
concerns such as access and licensing? What opportunities does a collegial
management model offer for library staff to collaborate on collection development
workflow analysis across the boundaries of traditional roles? With these
questions in mind, librarians at Gustavus Adolphus College facilitated parallel
workflow analyses of collection development and electronic resources management
tasks and applied recommendations to a book weeding project and a serials
review for a specific discipline. These efforts, conducted as a pilot program
for future workflow analyses, emphasize generating information and forging new
collaborative relationships to support collection development decisions. This
poster session tracks the projects, provides assessment data, and presents
outcomes such as new policies, procedures, and tools for providing information
to inform collection development decisions. The session also highlights new
opportunities for collaboration among collection management and electronic
resources staff.
I - 16 Taking
Stock of Special Collections in Public Libraries
Alison Leonhardt, (alison.leonhardt at gmail.com)
Gwen Glazer, Syracuse University, Ithaca, NY (gglazer at gmail.com)
James O'Connor, (jsoconno at syr.edu)
Laura Deal, (deal.laura at gmail.com)
Christina Spallone, (ckspallo at syr.edu)
In a treacherous economic climate, funding shortfalls threaten the very
existence of public libraries. Finding creative ways to raise money has become
a matter of survival. Special collections become an obvious target -- but not
necessarily the right one. This poster analyzes the pros and cons of public
libraries selling off their special collections. Benefits of deaccessioning
include increased funds; better preservation of rare materials; more space and
money for other library services and materials; a cohesive collection; and a
clear focus of the educational mission of public libraries. Keeping special
collections, however, ensures that materials remain accessible to a local
community; encourages additional donations; shows respect for donors' gifts;
and reinforces a contract with the public to keep materials in perpetuity.
Although there is not a wealth of scholarly research on this topic, the fate of
special collections is a real-life conundrum for public libraries around the
country. This poster uses a stock-market metaphor to investigate this
"practical problem-solving effort," with a line representing pros and cons as
peaks and valleys. Case studies, graphs and primary-source material will be on
display, as well as take-away pamphlets providing more in-depth information.
I -
17 Walking the Walk: A Path to Support Open Access
Publishing
Donna Braquet (dbraquet at utk.edu), and Linda Phillips (dbraquet at utk.edu),
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
I - 19 Built
to Scale: Designing an Efficient and Highly-Automated Digitization Workflow
Aaron Brenner, University Library System, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh,
PA (abrenner at pitt.edu)
The Digital Research Library at the University of Pittsburgh has spent several
years developing an in-house digitization workflow system that can handle a
large volume of material, track items and users, automate many aspects of
production, and generate reports and statistics. As a result, we estimate that
our capacity for building digital library collections in-house has grown nearly
ten-fold without significant increases in staff and equipment. This poster will
present an outline of the overall workflow design, examples of the system's
user interface and reports, and visualizations of production statistics.
I - 20 Deal
or No Deal? A Method to Appraise Big Deals
Deborah Blecic (dblecic at uic.edu), Sara Blaszczak (thorburn at uic.edu),
Joan Fiscella, (jbf at uic.edu), and Stephen Wiberley (wiberley at uic.edu),
University of Illinois at Chicago Richard J. Daley Library, Chicago, IL
Big deals-multi-year contracts to purchase access to an online aggregation of
large numbers of a publisher's journals-have provided participating libraries
unprecedented access to journals. Anecdotal evidence indicates that publishers
have set price increases for these packages at rates that exceed the CPI and
most library acquisitions budget increases. Such a model demands evaluation,
especially in the current economic environment. A review of the literature
finds important assessments of big deals but no publication that outlines a
method to help determine whether to renew a big deal or subscribe to individual
journals from a publisher. This poster will outline such a method. The method begins
with three years of COUNTER journal reports of the number of Successful Full
Text Article Retrievals (SFTARS) for each title and the list price for the
electronic-only version of the journal. The method also considers the number of
years available for each title, availability of titles from other platforms,
subject, backfile purchases, archival rights, and the cost per SFTAR for the
aggregate deal. The poster presents these factors, with examples from analysis
of four big deals, to provide step-by-step guidance for libraries that seek to
evaluate their own big deals.
Session II: The Educators: Posters on Distance
Learning, Continuing Education, Library Education, Literacy, and Research
Methodology
Saturday,
July 11, 2009, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
II - 1 Waves
of Change: Redefining Library Services with the TIDES Program
Christine Hennessey (hennessece at sfasu.edu),
and Susan Clarke (sclarke at sfasu.edu), Ralph W. Steen Library, Stephen F.
Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX
II - 2 How
Much Can One-Session Library Instruction Improve Information Literacy Skills
for Students? - An Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes
Ma Lei Hsieh, Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ (mhsieh at rider.edu)
II -
3 Faculty Assessment of Library Instruction: Are
Your Instruction Programs Really Enhancing Student Scholarship?
Leanne Hillery, Regent University Library, Virginia Beach, VA (lhillery at regent.edu)
How would faculty at your institution assess your library instruction programs?
This poster session highlights and synthesizes the results of an evaluative
study, the Library Educational Enhancement Survey, conducted in fall 2007 by
the Regent University Library. The purpose of this study was to assess Regent
University faculty perceptions, awareness, and usage of the library instruction
programs offered by the library. Specifically, this study sought to determine
to what degree instruction sessions enhanced student learning and improved the
quality of their individual research. The results of the study answered
important questions regarding the perceived quality of instruction sessions and
ways in which the university library could increase faculty awareness and use
of course-based instruction services. The study also led to several changes in
the way the university library communicates with faculty and markets its
programs to the entire campus community. Attendees of this presentation will
learn about methods of data compilation and interpretation, methods of
assessing program effectiveness, and techniques for marketing programs for
course-based instruction to university faculty.
II -
4 Information Literacy Insider: Assessing Information-seeking
Strategies with a Contest Created for Students, by Students
Carrie Donovan, Indiana University Libraries, Bloomington, IN (cdonovan at indiana.edu),
Virginia Vought, Indiana University Libraries, (v.vought at gmail.com), and
Daniel Poynter, Digital Literacy Contest, (Daniel.Poynter at gnic.org)
II - 5 Comparison
of Required Introductory Cataloging Courses, 2008 Update
Jodi Spillane, University of South Carolina Libraries, Columbia, SC (jls at sc.edu)
Concerns about the declining number of required introductory cataloging courses
led to a study in 1998, in which data collected from library school bulletins
were compared to data gathered in a similar 1986 study. Results indicate that
the number of required introductory cataloging courses has dropped. The purpose
of this poster session is to update that 1999 study titled "Comparison of
Required Introductory Cataloging Courses, 1986 to 1998" for Library Resources
& Technical Services (v. 43, no. 4, 1999). It has been ten years of changes
in technology and theory. This study investigates whether there has been another
change in the number of required cataloging courses.
II -
6 Catching Up to Google Scholar: The Retrieval
Power of Academic Search Premier and Google Scholar
Ingrid Hsieh-Yee, School of Library & Information Science, Catholic
University of America, Washington, DC (hsiehyee at cua.edu)
John Coogan, University of Maryland University College, Adelphi, MD (jcoogan at
umuc.edu)
The study analyzes the retrieval power of Google Scholar (GS) and Academic
Search Premier (ASP) in terms of relevance, currency, full text availability,
overlap of results, and unique items retrieved. Findings are also compared with
benchmark data collected in 2006 to assess how the two systems have evolved as
major search tools for scholarly materials. As an in-depth analysis of GS and
ASP the study closely examines their search results. Four topics in science and
technology are searched in GS and ASP in both basic and advanced search modes.
Top 10 results from each system are compared in terms of the number of relevant
items retrieved, the number of full text articles available (via free Web or
subscribed databases through OpenURL), age of retrieved items,
search result overlap and uniqueness. Because EBSCO has improved its search
engine and unveiled a new interface with more functionalities in summer 2008
and Google Scholar has expanded its scope and improved its search engine, the
findings are contrasted with our 2006 findings. The poster will highlight
findings with graphs and charts and recommend search and information service strategies
to librarians and publishers.
II - 7 An
Endangered Species: The Science/Engineering Librarian
Nedelina Tchangalova, University of Maryland, College Park, MD (nedelina at umd.edu)
Library information school (LIS) students without science background often
express fears and concerns to pursue a career in engineering librarianship. A
successful transition from graduate student to practicing engineering librarian
requires a complex combination of knowledge and skills. Faculty status with the
requirement for tenure is a fact of life for engineering librarians. Most
librarians have not received extensive training in research methodology and
they have usually limited access to research funds. The support and assistance
of colleagues is critical and the establishment of support groups for various
research needs can provide a mechanism for discussing common concerns. The
author will suggest strategies to encourage library students to pursue careers
and leadership positions in engineering libraries and information science
fields. In addition, this poster will highlight issues new engineering
librarians encounter in the workplace, and the recruitment and retention of
engineering librarians.
II - 8 Egypt
Camp: A University Expedition for Middle School Students
Jenny Presnell, Miami University, Oxford, OH (presnejl at muohio.edu)
Explore the experiences of 6th and 7th graders as they discover not only new
information literacy skills, but also what college life is like. Partnering to
create a living learning experience, university librarians and middle school
faculty teach information literacy skills through a residential four-day visit
to campus. Using the Ancient Egypt unit, students begin learning about the
lives of Egyptians in their school classroom. Coming to the university
environment, they continue their learning process by being taught information
literacy skills in the university libraries in several libraries through
exploring web search and evaluation techniques, evaluating articles and using
materials in other specialized libraries on campus. These sessions are combined
with visits and lectures from faculty in Museum Studies/Anthropology, Ancient
History, and Music. In their spare time, these middle school students
experience college student life through visiting the campus recreation center,
restaurants in town, and a movie. Through Egypt Camp, student's lives are
saturated with learning opportunities, making this a model for life-long,
information literate learning.
II -
9 Inspiring Writers with Swag: A Journey through
Wayne State University Libraries' Chapbook Information Literacy Initiative, a
K-20 Literacy Collaboration via Poetry and Art
Lothar Spang (ab1116 at wayne.edu), Heather Harrison (bb7485 at wayne.edu), and
Alice Cruz (dy1063 at wayne.edu), Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
Wayne State University Libraries and its Detroit area K-12 school participants
collaborate on the Chapbook Information Literacy Initiative, a poetry project
that involves working with K-12 students, the majority of whom are minorities,
in the interest of increasing literacy skills and strengthening ties between
WSU and area schools. The Chapbook Project is based on the historic tradition
of chapbooks-informal self-published books of poetry and stories that, beginning
in the 16th century, were sold on the street in chapter form by the author, or
"chapter." The project's purpose is to provide students with an opportunity to
develop their creative writing, visual literacy, and technology skills in the
production of their own chapbooks, and in doing so promote an
appreciation for literacy and art that may profoundly affect the student's
educational career. Print and digital versions of the chapbooks are produced,
making the students published authors. The aim of the program stresses
information literacy and fosters educational success for youth throughout the
community. Providing children access to the tools needed to express themselves
results in increased self-esteem and self-confidence so that students can make
better education and life choices that might propel them to consider higher
education as a real possibility.
II - 10 WISE
Pedagogy on Demand: Free Training for LIS Online Instructors
Anne McKinney, WISE, University of Illinois GSLIS, Champaign, IL (amckinn at illinois.edu)
Introduction to Online Pedagogy is a free resource for Library and Information
Science (LIS) educators, students, and professionals who want to learn
effective practices for online teaching. Sponsored by the Web-based Information
Science Education (WISE) Consortium and the University of Illinois, this
resource is an open-access training website for anyone, anytime to learn as a
beginner or as a seasoned instructor looking for new ideas in online
instruction. Viewers can interact with other learners/instructors via linked
forums for pedagogical discussion, training activities, and continuing
education in new developments for distance learning. Since 2007 WISE Pedagogy
has hosted eight sessions of a short Moodle workshop on the topic with a total
of 137 participants. For each session, more individuals have expressed an
interest in taking this workshop than could be accommodated in enrollment. The
on-demand website was launched in January 2009 as an effort to meet the demand
for pedagogical training. By July there should be more data to evaluate its
effectiveness in serving the LIS community. The poster will have screen shots
from the website and forums, evaluative graphs, and other visuals related to
WISE Pedagogy to attract interest. http://www.wisepedagogy.org/index.shtml
II -
11 Faculty Scholarship Database: Ingenuity through
Collaboration
Michelle Oleson (mloleson at salisbury.edu), Krista Montgomery Knapp (kmknapp
at salisbury.edu), and Mandy Hackley, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD
(mlhackley at salisbury.edu)
This poster session will describe the newly revamped Faculty Scholarship
Database project at Salisbury University. The database is an attempt to capture
the complete published, presented, or performed works of all past and current
faculty members and will be operational by April 2009. Faculty members submit
and edit their own entries with quality control performed by reference
librarians in conjunction with the University Web Master. Whenever possible,
stable links to articles, e-books, illustrations, or online videos are
included. This database project has been an immensely collaborative effort
between the librarians who initiated the project and maintain the database, IT,
administration, and past and current faculty. The database serves as a tribute
to both the quantity and quality of scholarship produced by SU faculty. The
poster will demonstrate how the final product came together with many hands and
highlight the effectiveness of the different search and updating features.
II -
12 Getting To Know Users: Defining University
Library Constituencies for Research
Jimmie Lundgren, University of Florida, Gainsville, FL (jimlund at uflib.ufl.edu)
It is widely understood in academic libraries that
various members of the university community have different needs that are met
by the libraries. Generalizations often voiced are that (1) scientists use
journal articles heavily and seldom require books; (2) freshmen students need a
place to study and occasionally journal articles when writing term papers; (3)
literature professors use many books, etc. As a cataloger it seems most of the
books I see being processed are acquired to serve the needs of faculty and
advanced students. Differences in patron needs are reflected in numbers of
books purchased for humanities and social sciences as compared with chemistry
or engineering. How true are our assumptions? Won't understanding each
distinctive constituency better enable the libraries to meet their needs? Users
can be quantified by fields of study and levels from freshman to research
professor. Library materials and services most valuable to each group can be
examined. Distinctive styles of usage and requirements of tools such as the
library catalog can also be associated with each group. The first step towards
comparing user groups is to define them. This poster will graphically show
aspects of major user groups at the University of Florida.
II - 13 If
You Post It, Will They Come? Effective Advertising for Librarian Jobs
Kathryn Kjaer, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA (kkjaer at uci.edu)
Academic libraries face many challenges in developing an excellent workforce
for the 21st century. One of these challenges occurs at the outset of the
librarian recruitment process: how to effectively advertise job opportunities
to attract the most highly qualified candidates. The University of California,
Irvine (UCI) Libraries has developed a list of over 25 publications, websites,
and email listservs where we regularly advertise librarian positions. Our goals
are to a) reach national and international audiences, b) attract a diverse
applicant pool including candidates from underrepresented groups, c) be noticed
by qualified job seekers in our geographic region, d) target communities where
specialized skills are most likely to be found, and, e) limit advertising
expenses. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of our advertising plan, we
developed an online survey and asked all those who applied for librarian
positions at the UCI Libraries between October 2007 and January 2009 to
indicate where they saw our job advertised and to name any other sources they
consult for librarian job openings. This poster describes the advertising
sources we have used, explains the applicant survey, analyzes the results of
the survey, and suggests how the data may influence our recruitments in the
future.
II -
14 Ethnic Minority Librarian Recruitment: 2
Programs with 1 Goal!
Gerald Holmes (gerald_holmes at uncg.edu), Jason Alston (jkalsto3 at uncg.edu),
Sha Li Zhang (slzhang at uncg.edu), and Julie Hersberger (jahersbe at uncg.edu),
University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC
This poster session will present two means of recruiting and preparing ethnic
minority librarians for work in academic libraries. The Academic and Cultural
Enrichment (ACE) Scholars Program was created through a grant funded from the
IMLS Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program. The project was funded with
$862,000 in June 2008 with collaboration between the University Libraries, the
Department of Library and Information Studies (LIS), and nine participating
academic libraries in North Carolina. The program will recruit and prepare
twelve ethnic minority librarians through a two-year MLS degree program at
UNCG. The two-year, Post MLS Diversity Residency program was created with the
financial support of the University Libraries. During the first year, the
Resident will work in three functional areas and in the second year will choose
one service area upon which to focus. This program required collaboration among
the Libraries', the LIS Department, and the Office of Multicultural Affairs.
Each program was created to increase the number of ethnic minority librarians
in the profession. Recruiting and retaining ethnic minority librarians for
future positions in academic libraries is both critical and challenging in
today's environment. The two programs will provide models for other libraries
in recruiting ethnic minority librarians.
II - 15 Why Present a Poster at the ALA Annual Conference: An Analysis of What Motivates Participants
Julie Banks (jbanks at semo.edu) and
Carl Pracht (cpracht at semo.edu), Southeast Missouri State University
Poster sessions have been a highlight of ALA annual conferences since 1982 when they were first inaugurated. ALA's poster session website states, "They are an effective forum for the exchange of information and a means to communicate ideas, research and programs." This suggests that academic librarians can count their participation in poster presentations toward advancement, tenure, and promotion. In order to verify this, the investigators drew a random sample of academic librarians who had presented at the last four annual conferences, developed a survey that was pilot tested, and sent the survey over the Internet using U-Test. The sixty-four percent return rate clearly indicated the importance of poster sessions in achieving tenure and promotion. For example, 54.84% of the librarians reported that poster sessions helped them in securing tenure, while 66.14% stated that the poster sessions helped in gaining promotion. Other questions included how often the presenter had participated in poster sessions, the area of the library where the presenter worked, whether a journal editor had contacted the participant about writing an article, and whether the poster presentation had actually led to a publication.
II - 16 A Matrix from a Matriarch
Kelly Behle, County of Los Angeles Public Library, Castaic Library, Castaic, CA
(kbehle at library.lacounty.gov)
A foray into the work of Frances Clarke Sayers (1897-1989), a librarian who
demanded much from children's literature, raised questions such as "How would
she evaluate the books available today?" and, "Would her exacting criteria be
relevant today?" Sayers' career spanned most of the history of children's
librarianship in this country, and her work influenced the profession. For
example, she wrote a report that led to the launch of the children's literature
collection in the Library of Congress, and she served on Caldecott and Newbery
committees. Hundreds of primary source documents from Sayers' personal papers
and published works, as well as the works of contemporaries whom she stated had
influenced her thinking were investigated. Two principle ideals, a scored list
of forty-five criteria, and an evaluative matrix emerged from analysis of the
materials. At age 67, Sayers wrote, "Children have a right to experience the
contemporary. The old truths are restated in terms of each generation."
Sayers-a librarian who pled for children's books of future generations that
would offer something vital in their time-left directives that bear examination
today.
II - 17 The
Researcher's Journey: Scholarly Navigation of an Academic Library Website
Steve McCann (steve.mccann at umontana.edu), Kate Zoellner (kate.zoellner at umontana.edu),
Tammy Ravas (tammy.ravas at umontana.edu), Sue Samson (sue.samson at umontana.edu),
and Kim Granath (kim.granath at umontana.edu), The University of Montana
Mansfield Library, Missoula, MT
One of the most difficult problems facing academic librarians is knowing how
scholars approach the library web site when they have a research question: what
navigation paths do they take, what resources do they consult; and where are
they at in terms of their research? The answers to these questions have the
potential to guide the development of a successful library website design. The
University of Montana Mansfield Library conducted a usability study analyzing
the research process of both undergraduates and graduate students. The goals of
the project were to determine how the library web site fits into the University
scholar's research process and to what extent does the library's newly
redesigned website fulfill that research need. The study analyzes the use of
the website by library researchers to identify any obstacles that might need
change and guides future directions as the website continues to grow and
improve. This session presents findings to the study in both a poster and in
handouts. The findings will be relevant for academic libraries specifically,
and for anyone who manages a library website. The study will help to guide the
University of Montana Mansfield Library website as it continues to grow and
improve.
II - 18 Do
They Really Know? Collaborating with Faculty on Information Literacy
Assessment.
Arianne Hartsell-Gundy (hartsea at muohio.edu), Katie Gibson (gibsonke at muohio.edu),
Masha Misco (stepanm at muohio.edu), and Eric Resnis (resnisew at muohio.edu),
Miami University, Oxford, OH
This poster will recount the experiences of Miami University¹s (Oxford, OH) Faculty Learning Community for Improving Student Research Literacy, a group of professors and librarians who work together on incorporating information literacy into the curriculum. Faculty members wondered early on how students in their classes conceive of their own information literacy skills. These conversations led to the creation of a survey for students to self-assess the information literacy skills that faculty perceived important, including: 1) How and where students are searching for information; 2) Student preparation to perform information research, and its applicability outside the library; 3) Location(s) where students perform information research; 4) Differences in information literacy skill perceptions between class level and experience with paper writing. Approximately 400 students were reached with the survey instrument. Results of the survey were matched to professor definitions of information literacy and a common list of desired information literacy skills created by professors at the beginning of the academic year. Study results allowed community members to see where perceptions among professors, librarians, and students were similar, and where they differed greatly. The results led to rich and stimulating conversations about how students perceive information literacy.
II -
19 Preventing Plagiarism: Keepin' It Real
Alice Perez (ajperez at ucsd.edu), Alanna Aiko Moore (aamoore at ucsd.edu),
Gayatri Singh (gasingh at ucsd.edu),
Marlo Young, University of California San Diego, SSH Library, La Jolla, CA
(m2young at ucsd.edu), and Dominique Turnbow, University of California San
Diego, Biomedical Library, La Jolla, CA (dturnbow at ucsd.edu)
II - 20 Lean
and Mean: Presenting LibQUAL+T Results to Library Users
Mary Ranadive (mranadive at towson.edu), and MacDonald Patricia (pmacdonald at towson.edu),
Towson University, Towson, MD
The Albert S. Cook Library of Towson University was one of 213 libraries
internationally to participate in the 2008 survey of LibQUAL+T. For the past
nine years this survey has been used in over a thousand libraries to measure
user perceptions of service quality. While keen to use the measures from the
LibQUAL+T survey, the Cook Library wanted to present the data so that it could
be easily interpreted by library constituents. By utilizing NVivo (software for
qualitative research) Cook librarians were able to track patterns and distill
results more fully from the rich set of data received through the open comment
field on the survey. The poster will also illustrate how library staff used a
satisfaction ranking score to simplify the LibQUAL+T measures and help
determine which services were most important to users. Graphs, charts and word
clouds will visually support and highlight the library's methodology and
results.
Session
III: Global Solutions, International Projects in Libraries
Sunday,
July 12, 2009, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
III -
1 Globalization and Diversity in Children's
Literature: Experiencing the World at Your Library!
Camille McCutcheon, USC Upstate, Spartanburg, SC (cmccutcheon at uscupstate.edu)
Librarians who work with juvenile collections are familiar with the multicultural and international awards that the American Library Association sponsors. Yet, there are others such as the Children's Africana Book Awards, the Sydney Taylor Book Award, or the Aesop Prize that also promote multiculturalism. Although these awards raise awareness and many peoples and cultures on earth, there are other diverse points of view to consider. Aside from the ALA-sponsored Schneider Family Book Award winners which portray the disability experience, what additional resources could librarians consult to find quality juvenile books on topics such as children or adolescents who have serious medical illnesses or anger management issues? What award lists or web sites could be used to find titles on living in foster care, dealing with bullies, or promoting respect for the earth and all living creatures? This poster session will highlight resources including web sites, book awards, and publishers that librarians can consult to build solid collections that foster both multicultural and diverse perspectives.
III -
2 Building Better Reference Skills Together:
Library Staff Training in the United Arab Emirates
Jennifer Snoek-Brown (jsnoekbrown at gmail.com), and Bridie Farah (bridie.farah
at zu.ac.ae), Zayed University, Abu Dhabi,
As budgets tighten and staff numbers shrink, more users are asking, "Where is
the librarian when I need help?" More academic librarians are taking advantage
of opportunities for outreach and enrichment outside the library walls; while
this expands the traditional definition of libraries to more communities of
users, a perception may result that less trained, experienced staff are
available on the "front lines" of reference. Therefore, librarians at Zayed
University have become creative regarding the training of reference
staff--involving deeper, more meaningful training not only to prepare staff to
present that essential, positive first impression, but also for staff to become
more confident in the development of personal and professional skills that
translate beyond the library walls, as well. Librarians worked together to
create and implement a comprehensive, in-depth, and interactive library staff
training program. This program includes theoretical and practical applications
of reference skills, ranging from reference interviews to information literacy.
This poster documents the process of that collaborative program, highlighting
its curriculum, benefits, and assessment, as well as its challenges and
triumphs.
III - 3 GIVES
- Gateway to a World of Information
Lynne Rudasill (rudasill at illinois.edu), Helen Sullivan (hfsulliv at illinois.edu),
Kit Condill (condill at illinois.edu), and Joseph Lenkart (lenkart at illinois.edu),
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
III -
4 Degrees of Change: Is There Room for the Foreign
LIS Degree in Today's Academic Library?
Amber Burtis (aburtis at lib.siu.edu), Megan Lotts (mlotts at lib.siu.edu), and
Melissa Hubbard (mhubbard at lib.siu.edu), Southern Illinois University at
Carbondale, IL
III -
5 Libraries and Museums: Snapshots of Special
Collections in Trinidad and Tobago
Kumaree Ramtahal, The University of the West Indies, Main Library, St.
Augustine, Trinidad (Kumaree.Ramtahal at sta.uwi.edu)
Sunita Gobin, University of Trinidad and Tobago, O'Meara Campus - Library
Learning Centre, Arima, Trinidad and Tobago (sunita.gobin at utt.edu.tt)
Special collections usually form part of the acquisition process of libraries,
archives and museums since they provide significant historical, cultural and
research value. Some of these collections also demonstrate the rich diversity
of a particular country or region. This poster presentation takes you on a
journey that highlights some of the unique resources that reside in the Special
Collections of two libraries and one museum in Trinidad and Tobago, a
twin-island Republic of the Caribbean region. These collections are located at
the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Library-an academic library,
the National Library and Information Systems Authority (NALIS)-a national
library and the Caribbean Indo Museum-a specialized museum. This poster will
provide insights into the scope of selected collections and also focus on
issues such as accessibility, preservation and digitization of these collections.
III -
6 Volunteer Tourism: How Study Abroad and Service
Learning Programs Transfer Skills and Help Sustain Grassroots Lending Libraries
in Central America
Jane Mirandette, Hester J Hodgdon Libraries for All Program, Loveland, CO
(janem101 at aol.com)
Hannah Miller, Hester J Hodgdon Libraries For All Program, Washington, DC
(hannah.miller27 at gmail.com)
III -
7 "We're Going Home": The Lost Boys of Sudan and
the Panyijiar County Library Project
Bethmarie B. Gooding, Rasmussen College, Fargo, ND (bethmarie.gooding at rasmussen.edu)
III -
8 Users' Satisfactions via deliverEdocs and ILL
from Texas to Qatar
Suzanne Gyeszly, Texas A&M University at Qatar, Doha, Qatar
(suzanne.gyeszly at qatar.tamu.edu)
Texas A&M University at Qatar Library, Doha (TAMUQ) is a branch campus of
Texas A&M University Libraries (TAMUL) in College Station. Despite the two
campuses and libraries are almost 8,000 miles and 9 time zones away, faculty,
students, and researchers at Qatar campus are extremely satisfied with the
prompt, accurate, and flawless deliverEdocs and Interlibrary Loan services
provided by TAMU Libraries. TAMUQL has limited numbers of books, journals
available for the users compared to TAMUL which has 4 million volumes of
collections. In addition users of both campuses have access to a large number
of E books and journals. TAMUQ users can fill out the online deliverEdocs forms
on their laptops or remote locations then send the requests direct to main
campus. TAMUL personnel will deliver online the needed articles or book
chapters direct to the requester within 24-48 hours and books via Fed Express
which takes 3-5 working days. Those materials which are unavailable at TAMUL
will be fulfilled by Interlibrary Loan services and their time tables and
policies will apply to all users. The project will summarize the past five
years of deliverEdocs and ILL services and their users' satisfactions.
III -
9 Academic Libraries Outreach to Libraries in
Developing Countries
Raik Zaghloul, University of Arizona Library, Tucson, AZ (raik at email.arizona.edu)
Doris Lessing remarked in her Noble Lecture, on a Zimbabwean library, "There
are no books of the kind the pupils would like to read, but only tomes from
American universities, hard even to lift, rejects from white libraries, or
novels with titles like Weekend in Paris and Felicity Finds Love." This poster
session will map trends and patterns of academic libraries outreach efforts
over the last ten years using meta-analysis. The analysis will cover outreach
efforts ranging from the subject of Lessing's comment, to more effective
outreach such as institutional repositories and librarian training. Of special
interest are the issues of sustainability of the outreach efforts and their
long-term contribution to equity of access on a global scale.
III - 10 A
Healthy Dose of Competition Sparks Innovation and Community Building: The
Global Libraries Romania Community Participation Contest
Meaghan O'Connor (moconnor at irex.org), and Katie Sheketoff (ksheketoff at irex.org),
International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX), Washington, DC
III -
12 Library Anxiety in Chilean English Education
Students
Rachel Slough, Indiana University Bloomington, Charleston, IL (rslough at indiana.edu)
Library anxiety, that is, fear of library resources, services, facilities or
staff that interferes with the ability to research, is a concern for librarians
that wish to make their resources and services easily accessible to their
users. As the number of international and non-native English speaking library
patrons continues to increase, there is a particular need to understand library
anxiety at an international level and explore ways to meet the specific needs
of these users. This study examines library anxiety in English education students
at the Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, in Concepción, Chile
and is one of the first studies on library anxiety to be performed in Latin
America. Using a modified version of Bostick's Library Anxiety Scale, an
analysis is provided of the level and sources of library anxiety in Chilean
undergraduates. Data is graphically presented in light of a similar study with
Israeli education undergraduates. The results offer suggestions for sensitively
meeting needs of international patrons while acknowledging library anxiety.
III -
13 Casting a Net from Nebraska to Nicaragua:
Extending Library Outreach and Service to Our Sibling Institution at the
Universidad Nacional de Autónoma de Nicaragua, León
Marvel Maring, Criss Library, The University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE
(mmaring at unomaha.edu)
III -
14 "Morals Presented by Literature, Moods
Reflected by Calligraphy" Calligraphy Exhibition
Liang Ching Ju, MingDao University in Taiwan, ChangHua, Taiwan (adamia at mdu.edu.tw)
Calligraphy has been an art for a long time in Chinese history. From the oracle
during Shang and Zhou dynasties, the ancient style of calligraphy and small
style in Chin dynasty, the running script and cursive style in Han dynasty, as
well as the regular script in Tang dynasty, the calligraphy styles have changed
with the course of history and symbolize the social cultures and cultural
thinking of each period. To implement the concept of humanities school, MingDao
University (MDU) in Taiwan established the Department of Chinese Literature
(including the graduate program) and the Institute of Chinese Studies, taking
calligraphy and seal cutting as developmental characteristics. MDU has
collected over 3,000 books about calligraphy and have nearly 500 modern famous
expert authentic works. MDU has also established "Lunghuo Gallery," a
"Professional Calligraphy Classroom" which provides a place for teachers and
students to do research and hold exhibitions. "Calligraphy Club" and "Seal
Cutting Club" are also for students to improve their knowledge and skills. The
theme of this exhibition focuses on MDU library's precious collection of
calligraphy books, copybooks, rubbings from stone, and calligraphy and
paintings. An "Online Literature and Art Museum" will be built to promote
liberal arts education by the Internet. MDU is heading for the goal of being
the "Asian Center for Calligraphy Resource."
III - 15 From
PDCA to KPI: Service Quality Improvement Mechanism of the ITRI Library
Jan-Yun Wang (myl3988 at gmail.com), Mei-Yu Liang (myl3988 at gmail.com), and
Mei-Lien Chu (MYL at itri.org.tw), Industrial Technology Research Institute,
Chutung, Taiwan
The Industrial Technology Research Institute of Taiwan library has established
key performance indicators (KPI) to enhance operation performance and
consolidate the process of quality management. Having implemented this
procedure for two years, starting in May 2006, each indicator improved from 2%
to 62.5%, satisfaction levels for library services increased, and morale was
raised in both employees and the employer by having a clear and common goal to
work with. This mechanism, using KPI as process improvement metrics to check
the service quality periodically, was the first of its kind adopted by a
library in Taiwan. Its success attracted inquiries from other libraries
regarding how to apply KPI and how to quantify performance. In addition to illustrating
the success of the seven indicators through charts, it is also presented as a
PDCA cycle chart for the success rate of electronic resources connections,
which explains how to set a goal, keep records, analyze problems, follow up on
them, find solutions and make improvements to ultimately achieve the target
goal.
III - 16 Land of the Dragon and Home of the
Beaver: Oregon's International Relations Round Table and the Horner Exchange
Program with China
Richard Sapon-White, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
(richard.sapon-white at oregonstate.edu)
The International Relations Round Table of the Oregon Library Association
(IRRT) has administered the Horner Exchange Program for the Oregon State
Library (OSL) since 2006. With funding from OSL, IRRT selects Oregon librarians
to send to Oregon's sister province of Fujian for three weeks every third year.
It also hosts four Chinese librarians who visit that same exchange year and
showcases for them public, academic and special libraries around the state,
providing a glimpse of American library culture. The exchange program is a
major undertaking for the round table, whose small core of active members
selects and prepares candidates for sending to China as well as arranging the
travel itineraries of our Chinese visitors. The program has undergone many
changes over the twelve years of its existence, with improvements planned for
the upcoming exchange in 2010. Continuing challenges include fundraising to
replace the drawdown of the original endowment for the program; finding
translators for the visiting Chinese librarians and a translator-librarian to
travel with the Oregon librarians to China; and providing a meaningful
experience of Oregon libraries in the short time that our Chinese visitors are
with us.
III -
17 Cross-Cultural Perspectives of
User-Satisfaction with Academic Libraries within a Developing Country.
Patience L. Simmonds, The Pennsylvania State University, Erie, PA (pls7 at psu)
Academic libraries in developing countries face challenges that are somehow
different from those faced by similar libraries in developed countries. In an
age of over abundance of information and extensive resources available to
academic institutions in more developed countries, have you ever wondered what
the users in academic libraries in developing countries think about their
libraries? This poster session evolved out of a sabbatical research taken in
November 2007- April 2008 to explore the cross-cultural perspectives of user
satisfaction within two academic libraries at the University of Ghana, Legon,
and Central University College in Ghana. The research comprised surveys
distributed to students from the two universities, focus group sessions, and
discussions with librarians and interviews with administrators who have direct
influence on the libraries. The poster session will highlight the findings of
this research show how the users view the services provided by their library
and what constitutes satisfaction/ dissatisfaction, and what they expect from
their library and their librarians from the surveys and the focus group
sessions. It will also present views for the librarians and the administrators.
III -
18 National Taiwan University Medical Library
Launches a New Reading Paradise.
Peng Kao, National Taiwan University Medical Library, Taipei, Taiwan (peng at ntu.edu.tw)
An ideal library in the current digital era should be a wonderful place where
people can gain knowledge, exchange ideas, and reduce stress. According to the
research report of Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries, nowadays
the library is expected to fulfill four prominent needs from the users, and
they are 1.More collaborative spaces that support group learning and problem
solving. 2. Better noise control to shelter quiet, contemplative spaces from
the talkative groups commonly found in libraries today. 3. Attractive,
convenient and functional public space. 4. Visible, expert and
customer-oriented staff that can assist users when they are having trouble with
technology or retrieving information. To meet the users' needs, NTU Medical
Library had the New Reading Paradise planned and designed. Its former Reference
Room on the third floor has been renovated into a New Reading Paradise. The
area is equipped with abundant reference resources, and comfortable discussion
rooms, and new reading tables and chairs that are designed to comply with human
body engineering. Better yet, elements of a Zen Garden are included as part of
the decor, such as cherry trees, swings, rocking-chairs, and elegant gardening,
that is full of Zen ideas. Within such beautiful surroundings, users can easily
gain thorough relaxation, and also be inspired on learning as well as
innovative ideas.
III -
19 User-centric Design for Digital Library of the
Caribbean
Marilyn Ochoa (mochoa at uflib.ufl.edu), and Mark Sullivan (Mark.V.Sullivan at gmail.com),
University of Florida Libraries, Gainesville, FL
The poster describes the technological approach used by the Digital Library of
the Caribbean (dLOC) project to build an international collaborative library
across many separate institutions with varying degrees of expertise,
technological abilities, and motivations. A joint project of the University of
Florida, University of Virgin Islands and Florida International University in
partnership with institutions in the Caribbean and circum-Caribbean, dLOC
allows users to browse materials or search the text through multilingual
interfaces. Each partner generates the images and associated metadata and then
submits this information to a central server. This pattern has proven effective
in a region where constant internet access is often lacking. This poster will
illustrate the emphasis on partner needs, such as institutional branding, and
provide examples of the recurring, iterative usability process to develop a
successful project web interface. This will provide a model and specific tools
for other collaborative digital libraries.
III -
20 Smart Investing Yields Big Dividends
Claudia Ruediger (cruediger at semo.edu), Jill Young (jpyoung at semo.edu), and
Charles McAllister (cdmcallister at semo.edu), Southeast Missouri State
University, Cape Girardeau, MO
When information literacy librarians at Southeast Missouri State University
looked to expand their efforts they turned to the Harrison College of Business.
This high profile college within the University had already demonstrated an
interest in information literacy and assessment, using the ETS iSkills and
other college-based assessments, and seemed a likely partner. Librarians
regularly teach information literacy classes in a variety of fields and
disciplines. However, working to integrate information literacy within a
multi-department college is a different beast-so to speak. The effort, began in
fall 2007, entails ten core courses with information literacy competencies and
corresponding student learning activities sequenced throughout the ten course
sequence. Teaching materials and preliminary assessment of impact will be
presented. Attendees will also learn key ingredients and techniques to begin
and sustain a large scale curriculum-integrated information literacy project.
Session
IV: Outreach: Posters on Interlibrary Cooperation, Library Services to Special
Groups, and Reference and Information Services
Sunday,
July 12, 2009, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
IV -
1 Causing a Hubbub: Hosting a Freshmen Orientation
Extravaganza at the Library
Alice Wasielewski, Eastern Kentucky University Libraries, Richmond, KY
(alice.wasielewski at eku.edu)
Stacey Greenwell, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington, KY (stacey at uky.edu)
To introduce students to the library and the new Information Commons in a
lighthearted way that makes students eager to return, the University of
Kentucky Libraries has begun an annual tradition of hosting a huge event during
freshman orientation. The Hubbub, first held in 2007 at the Hub at WT's
Information Commons, requires months of planning and preparation, but results
in an event that brings hundreds of students to the library. The poster will
describe the planning process in detail, from brainstorming ideas to estimating
numbers of pizzas to cleanup. The poster will feature colorful photos of
students participating in various Hubbub activities. Some of the activities
that will be highlighted include: video games, Pop A Shot basketball, palm
reading, prize drawings, dancing, balloon animals, board games, and a "photo
booth" created in-house. Also included will be tips and traps for other
librarians thinking about hosting their own Hubbub in these tight budget times.
Note: A similar presentation has been accepted for the Kentucky Library
Association's Academic Section Spring Conference mini-sessions, and an article
has also been submitted to College and Research Libraries' C&RL News.
IV -
3 Student Affairs Connection: Marketing Libraries
through Co-Curricular Activities
Kathryn Crowe, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC
(kmcrowe at uncg.edu)
Librarians at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro University
Libraries developed the "Student Affairs Connection" program in order to market
the Libraries to students in co-curricular settings and to collaborate more
closely with the Student Affairs Division. The program also provides the
opportunity to seek student input on Libraries' services and resources and
communicate directly with them in a variety of ways. The program has multiple
facets: a liaison program where librarians are assigned to specific student
organizations and services such as Student Government and Residence Life; a
Student Libraries Advisory Council (SLAC) representing diverse groups of
students that meets with librarians several times a year; staffing a Libraries'
table and providing information and giveaways at activities fairs; and
sponsoring special events such as Game Night each semester. Goals for the
program are formed at the beginning of the academic year and progress is
evaluated at the end of the year. This poster session will provide pictures and
information on how the program was developed, successfully implemented as an
important outreach and marketing program and assessed.
IV -
4 Reference Tools in Second Life
Florence Tang, Swilley Library, Mercer University Atlanta, Atlanta, GA (tang_fy
at mercer.edu)
Ready reference books, brochures and online databases are among the many tools
that reference librarians stationed at real-world library Public Services Desks use
to answer local patrons' questions. Librarians stationed at the Alliance
Virtual Library (AVL) Public Services Desk in Second Life (SL) use some of the same
tools including wikis, bookmarks of Web pages and Google searches to help their
patrons but they have additional resources to help them answer questions from
avatar residents. SL reference librarians also employ radars, real-time
language translators and an immediate, discreet view of their patrons' online
profile information. At the real-world Public Services Desk, these tools are not yet
available. This poster session will display the SL librarian's reference
resources; describe what they do and how they aid providing reference services
in SL. Although many of these tools do not yet exist in real life, they may
have implications for the bricks-and-mortar Public Services Desk of the future.
IV -
5 Bridging the Gap: Combining the Resources of a
Public Library & High School to Reach Out to Teen Moms
Peggy Gallagher, St. John's University, Hauppauge, NY (peggy.gallagher07 at stjohns.edu)
Lindsay Klemas, St. John's University, Astoria, NY (lindsay.klem at gmail.com)
This poster highlights the innovative outreach program developed in service to
teen mothers and their children through a creative public library-high school
partnership. A 2005 study by the New York City (NYC) Department of Health
indicated that the number of teenage pregnancies in the city was almost twenty
percent higher than the national average. The NYC Department of Education
instituted the Living for the Young Family through Education (LYFE) program.
The goal is to foster the mother-child relationship by giving parenting
students the opportunity to continue their education by enrolling their
children in an onsite childcare program. Long Island City (LIC) High School is
one location offering the program. Despite the close proximity of the school to
the LIC Branch of the Queens Public Library (just a few blocks), a cooperative
relationship has not existed. This poster highlights the project underway to
promote early-childhood literacy and a support system for teen mothers and
their children by creating the partnership. The project establishes a broad spectrum
of activities and resources including handouts, a blog, web pages, programming,
and more. The evaluation process includes participant and staff focus groups
and observations conducted by St. John's graduate students who are recipients
of grant funding.
IV - 6 We the
People: Library Leadership in Constitution Day Celebrations
Sara Baron, Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA (sbaron at regent.edu)
Did you know that there is a law requiring the celebration of Constitution Day
for educational institutions receiving federal aid? For the last four years,
the Regent University Library has been a leader in planning this event for our
campus. An amendment to the 2004 Omnibus Spending Bill created a law
establishing September 17th as Constitution Day and Public Law 108-447, Sec.
111 (b) states: "Each educational institution that receives Federal funds for a
fiscal year shall hold an educational program on the United States Constitution
on September 17 of such year for the students served by the educational institution."
Collaborating with academic programs and student services in the development of
diverse and informative panel presentations on Constitutional issues has
positioned the library squarely at the heart of academic and community life.
This session will explore the legal requirements for Constitution Day
celebrations, collaborative planning and cost sharing, and marketing examples
including photographs and videos from the events. The ever-improving
presentations, panelists, attendance and annual surveys demonstrate the benefit
of this event to the campus and the positive impact on the Library's image. A
common response following the last event was "Wow! How are you going to top
this!?"
IV -
7 Educate Einsteins without Evaporating Your
Budget: A Cost-Effective Guide to Integrating Science into Your Library
Alaina Cauchie, St. John's University, New York, NY (alaina.cauchie08 at stjohns.edu)
Kelly Sanders, St. John's University; New York City Board of Education, New
York, NY (kelly.sanders08 at stjohns.edu)
This poster provides librarians with creative and budget-friendly tips on how
to partner with science establishments in their communities as well as how to
stimulate children's interest in learning by incorporating science workshops
into their library programming. The poster will highlight our personal
experience partnering with the New York Hall of Science and local zoological
organizations. The information focuses on enriching elementary school students
(ages 3 - 12) and the included literature and resources are appropriate for
both public and school libraries. The poster will be complemented with an
online wiki for further information about relevant internet websites,
literature resources, possible opportunities for science partners in your local
community, books, and more. The internet websites will be organized for
teachers and students to access the relevant web materials in an easy manner.
We will create two separate wikis - one to be accessed by students and the
other for educators. The student page will have links separated by grade level
to differentiate instruction. These links will be interactive activities to
engage students in science material. In addition to the compilation of
resources, we will include sample lesson plans for teachers to integrate
science into their libraries. These standards-based lesson plans will be a
product of our coordination with the local organizations.
IV - 8 From
the Consortium to the Public Services Desk: Keeping CHAT and Improving Reference at
the MSU Libraries
Amanda Clay Powers (apowers at library.msstate.edu), Li Zhang (lzhang at library.msstate.edu),
David Nolen (dnolen at library.msstate.edu), Gail Peyton (gpeyton at library.msstate.edu),
and Julie Xu (jxu at library.msstate.edu), Mississippi State University
Libraries, MS State, MS
This poster session will present the challenges and effective approaches to the
transition from consortium to local chat reference service at the Mississippi
State University (MSU) Libraries. MSU was a member of the Association of
Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL) Virtual chat Consortium, providing
cooperative Web-based reference service to patrons of eight Universities in the
Southeast. After the consortium dissolved in June 2008, the MSU Libraries
decided to continue the Virtual Reference program on their own, given the
significant growth in the number of chat questions between FY 2006/2007 and FY
2007/2008 from MSU. Lacking the staffing to continue providing a comparable
chat service schedule, the Libraries decided to combine the virtual and "in
real life" Public Services Desks to shift from providing eight hours of chat in the
ASERL Consortium, to providing 59 hours of local chat. Issues faced in the
transitional period included changes to staffing, training, marketing choices,
as well as the changing relationship with patrons at the physical reference
desk. Statistics have continued to increase, and new ways of providing
reference have emerged. The poster session will conclude with suggestions for
similar transitions, methods of taking full advantage of a chat reference
product, and considerations regarding future enhancement.
IV - 9 The
Academic Library as a Civic Commons
Theresa Mudrock (mudrock at u.washington.edu), Angela Lee (leea at u.washington.edu),
John Vallier (vallier at u.washington.edu), Jessica Albano (jalbano at u.washington.edu),
Jill McKinstry (jillmck at u.washington.edu),
Anne-Marie Davey (adavey at u.washington.edu), and Emily Keller (emkeller at u.washington.edu),
University of Washington, Seattle, WA
More and more academic libraries are attempting to remake their libraries into
central hubs of campus activity, i.e., community centers as well as research
centers, becoming what Kranich (2001) calls a "civic commons." Like public
libraries, academic libraries can serve as civic agents that engage the public
in civic discourse by connecting people with information, helping constituents
learn about complex issues, and providing a public space for deliberative
democracy (Willingham 2008). The 2008 Presidential Election presented a unique opportunity
to put that role into practice. The University of Washington Libraries
initiated a campaign to engage college youth in the voting and election process
called UW Vote! The program included voter registration drives at branch units,
public viewing of debates and election returns at a large central venue,
creation of voter information pages and links to social network sites,
partnerships with campus student groups, and a media blitz of campus. The
overall program as an outreach effort was highly successful with increased
visibility and recognition of the libraries.
IV - 10 If
You Feed the Parents, the Students Will Come: Freshman Parents' Library Program
to Promote Student Information Seeking Behavior
Marcia Boosinger, Auburn University Libraries, Auburn University, AL (boosiml
at auburn.edu)
College students today stay in constant communication with their parents by
cell phone, text and email. One 2006 survey indicated that 74% of students
contacted their parents two or three times a week, while 34% did so daily.
Students share a variety of their academic experiences with their parents and
often report contacting them for research advice and help. Given this trend,
libraries need to make use of parental involvement to influence student
information seeking behavior. Held during summer freshmen orientation sessions,
"Snacks in the Stacks" reaches over 1000 Auburn University parents each year,
who in turn provide encouragement to their students to get acquainted with
library services and resources early in the college experience. In evaluations
parents routinely give "Snacks" sessions some of the highest ratings of the
parent program. While evidence of the effect on student library use is
anecdotal, students at the Public Services Desk, in chat or email refer to the fact
that they had first contacted their parents for research help and were directed
to contact the library. This poster session will include a program slideshow,
"Snacks" information packet, library newsletters, audience questions, contact
cards, development letters, outreach event announcements and sample chat
transcripts.
IV -
11 Comparing Apples to Oranges? Community College
and University Cooperation in Virtual Reference
Sara Memmott, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI (smemmott at emich.edu)
Mary Kickham-Samy, Macomb Community College, Warren, MI (kickham-samym at macomb.edu);
Sandra C. McCarthy, Washtenaw Community College, Ann Arbor, MI (mccarthy at wccnet.edu);
and Christine Tobias (tobiasc at msu.edu)
and Arlene Weismantel, Michigan State University Libraries, East Lansing, MI
(weisman1 at mail.lib.msu.edu)
IV -
12 Leaving the Library: Holding Office Hours in
Your Liaison Department
Renee Tanner (rtanner at montana.edu), and Connie Strittmatter (connie7 at montana.edu),
Montana State University, Bozeman, MT
Holding office hours in your liaison department is a great way to extend the
library's services and establish a presence in the university community.
However, just showing up is not enough. While word of mouth is the best
advertisement, active networking with students and faculty is needed to make
this endeavor work. Two librarians from Montana State University began holding
office hours in their respective liaison departments in spring 2009. The
documentation of reference transactions is providing the hard data about how
their efforts are received, however the less tangible evidence of its success
is seen when contacts are made. The building of relationships may in fact be
the most valuable outcome of off-site office hours. These connections further
enhance awareness of library resources and librarians no longer have to "hard
sell" their services, rather the departments become advocates for the library.
This is apparent when faculty members readily send out emails to the listserv
or place fliers in their high traffic areas to highlight library services and
resources. This poster will discuss the promotional efforts, reference
transactions and the intangible benefits of holding office hours outside the
library building.
IV -
13 READY, SET, READ!
Sue Walton (Sue.Walton at rhpl.org), and Cate Fleming (Cate.Fleming at rhpl.org),
Rochester Hills Public Library, Rochester, MI
IV -
14 Publish, Don't Perish: Creating a Scholarly
Publishing Series for Faculty Outreach
Lisa Nickel (lisa.nickel at uncc.edu), and Betty Ladner (bhladner at uncc.edu),
University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
Increasingly, academic libraries are looking for ways to stay relevant to
faculty as more library services become available online and faculty visit the
library less. Scholarly publishing issues and new publishing paradigms are hot
topics, yet librarians have noticed a distinct gap in knowledge of these issues
among academic faculty. Librarians are a natural fit to facilitate discussion
of these topics and provide continuing education. Based on a previous
successful event, the J. Murrey Atkins Library at the University of North
Carolina at Charlotte created a scholarly publishing series for faculty.
Outreach events so far have included: a panel discussion with publishers
providing information on impact factors, journal citation reports, and tips on
how to get published and a half-day symposium featuring an editor from the
Public Library of Science who discussed open access publishing, a
librarian/lawyer covering how faculty can retain their copyrights, and a
vice-chancellor for research speaking on ethics in scholarly publishing. We
will share some unique features of these events, including filming and
subsequent streaming of content for future educational opportunities. The
poster session will include charts detailing the evaluations, a laptop with
streaming video, and handouts for other librarians planning similar events.
IV - 15 It IS
More than Just Cheating: Demonstrating the Importance of Academic Integrity to
First Year Students.
Eric Resnis (resnisew at muohio.edu), Rob Withers (witherre at muohio.edu), and
Kwabena Sekyere (sekyerk at muohio.edu), Miami University, Oxford, OH
While development of online instruction resolves some logistical issues
surrounding classroom space and meeting times, it raises other issues: What
kinds of information content will be included? What media will be used to
communicate it? How will layout,
graphics, and navigation help to attract and retain interest? How will student
work be assessed? How will the performance of the online tutorial be assessed?
While many guidelines and standards developed by and for web developers seek to
answer such questions, development of an effective tutorial depends on its
reception by faculty, and particularly students. Do student outcomes vary based
on the amount of text and multimedia used to deliver information? This poster
will recount the experiences of a team charged with responding to academic
integrity infractions at other institutions by creating online instructional
effort that targets first year students and plays by their rules in
communicating information about academic integrity and research competencies,
providing a case study in the development, refinement, and implementation, and
continual improvement of online instruction for entering students, discussing
the technical and political challenges encountered.
IV - 16 "Dear
Sir, I Have Been Looking for...": Analyzing Virtual Reference Correspondence
Kevin Ford (kford at colum.edu), April Levy (alevy at colum.edu), and Dana
Muvceski (muvcesk1 at illinois.edu), Graduate Student, GSLIS, University of
Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL
What can be learned by analyzing the questions, answers, times, and other data
from archived email reference correspondence? The Columbia College Chicago
Library, which relies on the well-known and popular virtual reference software,
Docutek VRLplus from SirsiDynix, examined 24 months of email reference
questions by aggregating, reorganizing, classifying, and applying metadata to
the reference correspondence in order to identify commonalities among patron
requests over time. Results of the analysis suggested ways to improve reference
services and the content and organization of the library's website. This
presentation will describe the methodology employed for this project, including
workflow diagrams and visualizations of the results. Librarians in reference
and technology support roles will acquire an understanding of how they might
initiate an examination of the data from their own virtual email reference
transactions.
IV - 17 It's
Just Rocket Science: Academic Libraries as Faculty Outreach Partners
Melanie Sellar, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA (melanie.sellar at
gmail.com)
Now more than ever before, the nation's scientists are engaging in outreach
activities focused on the K-12 pipeline in order to ensure that students
continue to enter college-level science disciplines and that schools graduate a
citizenry appreciative of the sciences. Increased participation in these types
of activities can be attributed in large part to funding agencies such as the
National Science Foundation (NSF), which now require their scientists to
develop both a research program and a "broader impacts" program. These broader
impact requirements present new opportunities for librarians to support faculty
research and to further integrate their library into the teaching and learning
mission of their institution. This poster session will highlight one academic
library's successful partnerships with science faculty on their NSF-funded K-12
education programs. Presenters will provide advice and best practices for
reaching out to faculty, translating research, and creating these types of
programs. The presentation includes videos and photographs of actual programs,
video highlights of a faculty informational meeting, a sample NSF education
program proposal, sample program curriculum, and feedback from participating
students, teachers, and faculty. Come learn how libraries can play an active
role in faculty research and in enhancing public understanding of science!
IV - 18 Let's
Do It Again: Librarian/Faculty Collaboration: Lessons and Outcomes
Regina Beard, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS (rmbeard at ksu.edu)
Academic librarians are expected to reach out to faculty to promote library
services, to update and notify of changes in the library and to be the
library's representative to our respective departments. But less often does
faculty think of librarians for projects or collaborations that may only be
tangentially related to the library. One prime opportunity for
librarian/faculty collaboration is K-State's Tilford Incentive Grants. The program's
purpose is to "encourage the infusion and assessment of the Tilford
multicultural competencies with the educational experiences of our students"
and include a component that encourages collaboration with the relevant subject
librarian, in part, to ensure that the resources are in place to carry out the
Tilford Group's competency objectives. This poster presentation addresses one
such collaboration between a journalism faculty and the department's subject
librarian. The poster session will outline the proposal preparation,
submission, outcomes and discuss the lessons learned.
IV -
19 Library and Information Center Accessibility:
The Differently-able Patron's Perspective
Clayton Copeland, University of South Carolina, School of Library and Information
Science, Columbia, SC (clayton.copeland at gmail.com)
The 1980's "Decade of the Disabled" stimulated increased awareness regarding
rights of differently-able people for better access to education, employment,
and information (United Nations, 1982). As "great equalizers of knowledge,"
(Epp, 2006) libraries were among organizations striving to become accessible,
enabling environments for the differently-able. While "diversity" remains a
critical focus for libraries, many remain inaccessible for the differently-able
(Murray, 2000, 2001; Wojahn, 2006). Few recent research studies have
investigated how accessibility might be improved. Fewer still investigated
accessibility from the differently-able patron's perspective. The purpose of
this exploratory study was to investigate services & accessibility in
public, school, and academic libraries from the differently-able person's
perspective. Given the intention of studying differently-able individuals who
have had frequent experiences with each of the three library types, a snowball
sample was employed to identify study participants. In-depth interviews were
conducted with each of the participants. Narrative analysis was then employed
to understand the "lived experiences" of differently-able patrons in libraries.
Specifically, the study investigated the impact of social constructivism and
technological advances upon library accessibility / inaccessibility. Visual
graphics and photographs illuminate library accessibility / inaccessibility
from the differently-able patron's perspective. Through participants' voices,
the study suggests how to improve accessibility.
IV - 20 Who's
In, Who's Out? What's Hot, What's Not? Life in a Teen Girls Book Club
Frances Yates, Miami University, Liberty, IN (yatesf at muohio.edu)
Session
V: Connections: Posters on Cooperation with Non-Library Institutions and
Agencies, Interlibrary Loan, Library Use Instruction, and Public Awareness
Monday,
July 13, 2009, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
V -
1 Exploring the Virtual Library: Undergrad Learning
Using Facebook and Wikis
Marilyn Ochoa (mnochoa at ufl.edu), and Matthew Loving (matlovi at uflib.ufl.edu),
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
A for-credit undergraduate honors course focused on library research has been
taught for over a decade at the University of Florida. As expected, the
curriculum and format for delivery has been overhauled several times due to
changes in the information environment. In this current environment of Web 2.0
technologies, the librarian faculty for this research course surmised that
using a medium students are comfortable with could engage them more effectively
than simple websites and email. Because college students have a myriad of
reasons for visiting online social-networking sites, faculty decided to use
Facebook as the primary course website for the class and incorporated the use
of wikis for class assignments. The functionality offered by these technologies
allowed both asynchronous and collaborative learning. This poster describes the
implementation of Facebook and wikis for course management and delivery. The
poster also includes feedback and analysis of web 2.0 functionality, ease of
use, impact on class participation and collaboration, privacy and other
important issues.
V -
2 Overcoming Distance: Using Elluminate for
Synchronous Library Instruction
Marilyn Ochoa (mnochoa at ufl.edu), and Mary Edwards (meedwards at ufl.edu),
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Reaching distance learners is a challenge currently being addressed within
academe. Online learning can be done in multiple ways depending on the
technologies available. At the University of Florida, a cohort of College of
Education doctoral students takes class in an asynchronous online environment.
This colloquium offers students a primer to the profession and the nature of
doctoral study in education as well as essential skills including library
research. A Moodle course management system integrated with Elluminate Live!®
V9 is already being used for the professor's office hours by chatting individually
or as part of a group. Although most library sessions conducted are held in
person, the doctoral course situation enabled the use of Elluminate to reach
these students. This poster will describe the class preparation and logistical
issues that were surmounted. This includes specific uses of the tools built in
to Elluminate. Future considerations and an analysis of using this delivery
method for the session will provided by the library faculty providing the
lesson as well as a doctoral student in the class who is also a librarian.
V - 3 Library
2.0. - How Does Your (Book) Garden Grow? Increasing Circulation at Academic
Libraries through In-Library Book Displays Promoted via LibraryThing Michelle
Maloney, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA (maloney.mm at gmail.com)
Like many academic libraries, the University of the Pacific's Main Library has
seen its book circulation statistics steadily decrease over recent years. To
address this, the library implemented thematic book displays that, whenever
possible, highlighted curricular and co-curricular programming on campus. Books
were chosen for content, as well as for compelling, eye-catching cover art. To
promote the displays, the library used LibraryThing, a book-driven, virtual
"social space" where people (or institutions) can add books, book-tags, and
other information to their own virtual collections. LibraryThing beautifully
displays book covers, includes descriptions, reviews and recommendations for
further reading, and generally provides patrons with a means of easily browsing
thematically-grouped collections in an innovative and stimulating 2.0
environment. An assessment of the project revealed the value of thematic book
displays that have both physical and virtual components. Books featured in this
way circulated at a rate of 20% - 37%. This is particularly compelling when
compared to the library's last four years of book circulation statistics:
-7.2%, -12.7%, -9.8%, -12%. By partnering with various campus units, in
particular the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the library was able to elevate
its general visibility on campus as well as promote diversity and inclusion at
Pacific.
V - 4 Library
Secrets! Marketing Library Services with Social Software Tools
Jennifer Kelley, College of DuPage Library, Glen Ellyn, IL (kelleyj at cod.edu)
Library Secrets! is a tips and tricks project designed to alert library patrons
to the many library services and opportunities that they might not know about.
All the information about these services is available somewhere, but it's
usually embedded in thickly worded database instructions, dull small type on
the policies page or hidden in dusty manuals. Library Secrets! aims to bring
these "I didn't know you could do that in the Library!" items to users'
attention one at a time and in an easy to "get" way. Library Secrets!
incorporates social software applications to create a collaborative venue for
discussing library research, sharing tips and bragging about successes. Part of
the challenge on the library's end is predicting how and if our users will take
to these new technologies. As a result, a great part of the program itself is
marketing: using both traditional and "2.0" venues to pique patrons' interest
and whip up enthusiasm for Library Secrets! This poster session will present
background research that went into developing the program, the various
technologies that are being used and plenty of the Library Secrets! program's
eye-grabbing marketing materials. (I have presented on this topic at LOEX of
the West, but with a focus on Information Literacy rather than marketing; I
have submitted a similar poster proposal to ACRL, but again with a focus on IL
rather than marketing)
V - 5 Using Technology to Improve Interlibrary Loan Service at the University of Southern Indiana
Kathy Karn-Carmichael, David L. Rice Library, University of Southern Indiana, Evansville, IN (
kjcarmicha at usi.edu)
The David L. Rice Library at University of Southern Indiana (USI) has provided interlibrary loan materials to its users for many years. Initially, the time that it took to receive materials rivaled the Pony Express, if they arrived at all, which resulted limited usage by patrons. Over the years various forms technology have been added which has improved the level of service at USI. By using OCLC Resource Sharing and Policies Directory, ILLiad, Odyssey, electronic article delivery, Open URL linking, limited document delivery service, and library OPACs; technology has not only increased the number of requests, it has reduced turn-around time, increased the department’s productivity, and expanded the number of institutions which are available to interlibrary loan. This exhibit will highlight the various forms of technology, how it has improved the level of service, how it has significantly increased the volume of requests and the lessons we have learned. Future plans include expanding Document Delivery and Direct Request with Academic Libraries of Indiana (ALI).
V -
6 Reaching Students Outside of Traditional Library
Instruction: Creating Online Tutorials to Reach a New Generation of Information
Users
Curt Friehs, Kansas City, Kansas Public Library, Kansas City, KS (cfriehs at kckpl.lib.ks.us)
Cindy Craig, Wichita State University Libraries, Wichita, KS (cindy.craig at wichita.edu)
Online tutorials are a great learning tool, but what are the best practices for
creating them from the student's point of view? Business students enrolled in
finance classes at a medium sized mid-western university were offered the
opportunity to rate online tutorial preferences and were also quizzed to
measure learning outcomes. This study created as many questions as it raised.
Would students learn more if the information was presented in a different
format? Do learning styles vary across student majors? With this in mind, three
distinct tutorial sessions were developed for biology students. One was
interactive. Another was not participatory. The third session consisted of
traditional face-to-face library instruction. Students were given an assignment
as well as a survey to measure tutorial satisfaction. Survey results were
tabulated for over 500 students in biology classes. The results indicate
distinct learning needs and formulate the basis of our recommendations for
creating effective online learning tools. Everything from determining optimal
length for online tutorials to locating the best software will be covered.
Using charts, statistics, and visuals, this is the voice of real students
expressing their information literacy needs.
V - 7 From
Annotated Bibliographies to Zines: Faculty-Librarian Collaboration on
Alternatives to the Research Paper
Sylvia Andrychuk (andrychs at queensu.ca), and Elizabeth Gibson (gibsone at queensu.ca),
Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
In this Web 2.0 world, faculty are rethinking their traditional research paper
assignments. Humanities and social sciences librarians at Queen's University
Library are increasingly being called upon by faculty seeking alternatives to the
traditional research paper assignment, and instructional support for their
students on how to do research. Examples of credible term paper alternatives
are plentiful on the Web. Queen's librarians will contribute to this dialogue
by presenting four successful alternative assignments-an annotated
bibliography, a poster presentation, a Wikipedia entry, and a zine-recently
used in the Departments of Film and Media Studies, Sociology, and Women's
Studies. It will reveal that while students are still required to embark on the
research process, these alternative assignments are more appealing to today's
students. Evaluation and assessment by faculty confirms the success of these
assignments; students are more engaged and intended learning outcomes and
information literacy competencies are being achieved.
V - 8 Making
a Handout into a Helping Hand: Creating Useful Materials in the Right Format
for Library Users.
Denyse Sturges, Chester Fritz Library University of North Dakota, Grand Forks,
ND (denysesturges at mail.und.edu)
Static print handouts/guides to library resources are not sexy but they are
still useful to a percentage of our library on-site users. Librarians feel
comfortable creating them. Can the old-timer handouts be reworked into
something useful in the Web 2.0 world? This poster session shows the results of
exploring how to adapt the print handouts for online distribution and when it's
best to throw them out and do something entirely new. Various software,
including LibGuides and open source equivalents are tested for their ease of
use (both to the content creator as well as to the user) compared to the
current static print format; evaluative results will be shown. A homegrown
template will be tested and evaluated as well; formative and summative results
will be shown. The poster will include graphics and samples of a current
handout as it is reformatted to fit new software applications. Viewers will be
able to view the handouts in various formats, discern changes and decide for
themselves what will work in their library environment.
V -
10 Welcome to Our Libratory: Promoting Scientific
Literacy in the 21st Century
Victoria Ross, St. John's University, Yonkers, NY (victoria.ross08 at stjohns.edu)
Katja Rossi, St. John's University, Astoria, NY (katja.rossi08 at stjohns.edu)
Advancements in science and technology have been growing rapidly during the
last decade. However, compared to language arts and social studies, science
still receives relatively low priority in schools. The time has come for
scientific literacy to be encouraged in today's youth. What better way to do
this than with hands-on activities, which arouse children's curiosity and lead
them to further investigate the world around them. According to the National
Science Education Standards, informal science education complements,
supplements, and enhances the curriculum. This can be accomplished in the
library by using a variety of resources. This poster will demonstrate how
school media centers can help students develop the scientific literacy they
need to be informed, productive citizens. Through a grant-funded initiative
partnering St. John's University's graduate program with the New York Hall of
Science, students preparing to become school library media specialists have
developed science story times for preschool/primary grades and science-literacy
workshops for middle grades. Story sessions have been delivered using fiction
and nonfiction, and workshops have been implemented in school settings; a
project-based wiki is available. Evaluation is based on observations and focus
groups with children and teachers. Handouts will include model lesson plans and
reading lists.
V - 11 Web 2.0
in Information Literacy Online Tutorials
Margot Hanson, University of Hawaii - West Oahu, Pearl City, HI (mdhanson at hawaii.edu)
Diane Nahl, University of Hawaii Library and Information Science Program,
Honolulu, HI (nahl at hawaii.edu)
Do you have an online tutorial that needs a little 2.0 face-lift? The Learning
Information Literacy Online (LILO) tutorial at the University of Hawaii teaches
fundamental information literacy concepts and reinforces the skills students
need to produce college level research papers and presentations. LILO addresses
instructors' needs to better understand information literacy within the context
of their discipline and how information literacy can be integrated into
assignments, courses and academic programs. LILO's site interactivity and Web
2.0 tools enable users to create personalized research journals based on their
research topics which can be updated, revised, and sent to the librarian or
instructor for review and comment. Additionally, student data can be assessed
for information literacy competence and the achievement of course and program
learning outcomes. This project is an ongoing effort which incorporates new
ideas and suggestions on a continual basis, keeping it fresh and interesting
for the Millennial students using it. This presentation will focus on the
design and implementation issues of Web 2.0 technologies in interactive
information literacy Web tutorials, and how student data is assessed using ACRL
Information Literacy standards. Visit: http://www.hawaii.edu/lilo/
V - 12 The
Assignment Research Calculator: Designing, Developing, and Managing Your Own
Customized Project
Jane Magee (jmagee at csufresno.edu), Monica Fusich (monicaf at csufresno.edu),
California State University, Fresno, Fresno, CA and Elisabeth Thomas
(Elisabeth.Thomas at sjsu.edu), San José State University, San José, CA
Librarians at the Henry Madden Library have created the Assignment Research
Calculator (ARC), based on a popular open-source tool and customized to reflect
resources and services at CSU, Fresno. The ARC builds on widely- accepted
information literacy standards for higher education to help students manage
time, navigate through a research project and gain a better understanding of
the library's role in information literacy. Come learn how to develop a
customized version of the ARC for your library. Discover how to apply concepts
illustrated in this presentation to your own ARC. Explore ways in which the
library can promote information literacy competencies by helping students
navigate through the steps of a research paper. Learn how to experiment with
various emerging technologies and applications to enhance communication and
share ideas.
V - 13 Voices
in the Library: Introducing Public Performance in an Academic Library
Connie Strittmatter (connie.strittmatter at montana.edu), and Rene Tanner
(connie.strittmatter at montana.edu), Montana State University, Bozeman, MT
V -
14 Ethnographer for an Hour: Replacing the
Traditional Library Tour with Student-centered Exploration
Nancy Noe, Auburn University, Auburn, AL (noenanc at auburn.edu)
Tired of leading disinterested students around your library via a traditional
tour? Allow students to self-direct their own tours by asking them to become
'Ethnographers for an Hour.' Students wander, observe and speak with library
inhabitants, and then share their findings with each other. Learn how this type
of student-centered tour works, view examples of students' field notes, and
examine data from a two-year study of this activity.
V -
15 Library Blogging at the Time of Need: The
Creation of a Class Specific Library Resources Blog with Entries That Coincide
with Topics as They Are Discussed in Class
Carissa Tomlinson, Towson University, Towson, MD (ctomlinson at towson.edu)
V - 16 The
Library's Role in Showcasing Faculty Scholarship and Artistic Work
Wes Wilson (wwwilson at depauw.edu), Ruth Szpunar (ruthszpunar at depauw.edu),
Tiffany Hebb (thebb at depauw.edu), Rick Provine (provine at depauw.edu), and
Kathryn C. Millis (millisk at depauw.edu), DePauw University Libraries,
Greencastle, IN
V - 17 A
Royal Flush without a Poker Face: Reaching First Year Students through
Instruction and Innovation
Maryke Barber (mbarber at hollins.edu),
Beth Larkee (blarkee at hollins.edu),
and Luke Vilelle, (lvilelle at hollins.edu),
Hollins University, Roanoke, VA
Bigger is not always better. The staff of the Wyndham Robertson Library at
Hollins University are using their small size as an advantage in the First Year
Seminar program. Innovative sessions such as the Poker Run Orientation have
resulted in the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) awarding the
library the 2009 Excellence in Academic Libraries Award (College category).
Instruction sessions at Hollins are not a "one size fits all" solution, but
instead are tailored to the course, with some classes meeting with the
librarian as many as three times for a customized session. Many instructors opt
to use the bibliography assignment designed by the librarians. It measures both
what the student is finding and how she is searching. The bibliography then is
graded by the librarians and returned to the student. Some courses are using
the assignment twice, at the beginning and end of the semester to help the
librarians evaluate the improvement of information literacy. This poker-themed
poster demonstrates the variety of programming and instructional approaches and
will share the successes and challenges of working individually with first year
students.
V - 18 Getting Out of the Comfort Zone - Teaching
a Class on Banned Books
Tiffany Hebb, DePauw University, Greencastle, IN (thebb at depauw.edu)
While many librarians teach courses on information literacy or research skills
at their institutions, teaching in other subject areas is less common. Many
librarians find their instruction and reference consultations to be rewarding,
but want the chance to interact in a more meaningful way with students, and
forge longer-term relationships. This poster session will look at the process
that a librarian went through in creating a course proposal and subsequently
teaching a class on banned books, a subject that was close enough to familiar
library roots, but very different from the normal library instruction. The
course was a first year seminar, which meant additional responsibilities. First
year seminar faculty serve as their students' academic advisor until they declare
majors, thus providing additional insight into student work patterns, their
academic anxieties, and the university's curriculum. The poster will detail the
author's experiences teaching a discussion and literature-based class with
sometimes controversial topics, advising first year students, all while
juggling regular library responsibilities.
V -
19 Reading Them Their (Copy)rights: Integrating
Intellectual Property Awareness in the Humanities through Library Instruction
Patrick Tomlin, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA (tomlin
at vt.edu)
V - 20 Face
Out - Marketing Your Collection on the Cheap!
Catherine Ingram, Elmhurst Public Library, Elmhurst, IL (catherine.ingram at elmhurst.org)
Interested in promoting your collection but don't have thousands to spend on
the project? See how the Elmhurst Public Library (IL) turned traditional
shelving into attractive displays without consultants or expensive new
fixtures. These ideas can help you make your collection more accessible to your
patrons. Take away real, practical ideas you can use in your library as well as
recommended products and best practice ideas. Before and after photos of our
$1,000 project can be found here:
http://www.elmhurstlibrary.net/Adults/browsingarea.php
Session
VI: Infrastructure: Posters on Buildings and Equipment, Management, and
Technology
Monday,
July 13, 2009,, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
VI - 1 Who's
on Next? Early-Career Librarian Participation in Professional Associations
Angela Bardeen, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
(bardeen at email.unc.edu)
Gene Springs, Golden Gate University, San Francisco, CA (gsprings at ggu.edu)
Stefanie Warlick, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA (warlicse at jmu.edu)
The graying of the library profession has been a concern for library
organizations and professional associations for some time now. As librarians of
the post-World War II Baby Boom generation retire and disengage from
professional association leadership positions, new opportunities arise for
early-career librarians to gain valuable professional development experience as
leaders in the field. The American Library Association (ALA) and its various
divisions have several formal mentoring programs, one of which is the popular
Emerging Leaders program, where early-career librarians are given the
opportunity to work closely with current ALA leaders on pertinent
association-related issues. While these programs exist as options, not all
librarians new to the profession choose or are able to participate in them. Are
early-career librarians getting involved in professional associations? The
purpose of this national survey study is to determine the experience of
early-career librarians, defined as having five years or less of post-MLS
professional work experience, with professional associations. Specifically, are
they attending conferences and meetings, serving on professional committees,
participating in formal mentoring programs, and finding the kinds of
opportunities they expect as they dive into their careers? If not, which
factors discourage early-career librarians from pursuing participation in
professional activities?
VI -
2 Web-based Citation Management Software and the
Impact of Metadata Quality on User-driven Metadata Reuses
Yuji Tosaka, The College of New Jersey, Ewing, NJ (tosaka at tcnj.edu)
The rapid growth of the electronic information environment has generated new
issues and challenges with respect to metadata quality. Traditionally, metadata
were used primarily for resource discovery and retrieval in self-contained
information silos. In recent years, however, metadata are increasingly
distributed and shared in a networked information environment, and metadata
interoperability across different information systems is now gaining its
importance even in supporting a variety of end-user services. Such metadata
interoperability and reuse would be critically hindered without high-quality
metadata based on accurate, complete, and consistent resource description. One
of the notable cases of such user-centered metadata services is Web-based
bibliography management software for gathering, maintaining, and formatting
citations for research and publications. This study will take both quantitative
and qualitative approaches to examine how metadata quality problems manifest
themselves, especially in the author, publisher, place of publication, and
journal title elements and how they affect metadata extraction and conversion
via Web-based citation management tool.
VI -
3 Keeping People at the Center of the Public
Library: Analysis of Disruptive Technology in the Library and Suggestions for
Creating a People-Centered Environment
Lisa Chow (lchow23 at yahoo.com), and Sandra Sajonas (ssajonas at gmail.com),
Pratt Institute School of Information and Library Science, New York, NY
Does technology make the library more efficient and at what cost? Is the
"modern" library patron-centered? Within the public library realm, technology
is closely linked to innovation. When libraries implement new technology, it is
sometimes to the detriment of public service, specifically the human
interactions that make up our day. This poster session will highlight
user-centered research methodology and tools used to depict the results and
recommendations based on a usability study of a new service interface model
which consists of self-checkout machines, material return drop boxes and a
cashless system at the branch. We will also be sharing our hybrid service model
that combines technology with traditional and emerging library models.
VI - 6 The
Economic Crunch: How the ARL Libraries Are Responding to this Challenge?
Zhonghong Wang, Long Island University, Brooklyn, NY (iwang at liu.edu)
As the Wall Street financial crisis worsens and corporations announce record-breaking
layoffs, universities and colleges are facing mounting pressures to cut costs.
Libraries across the country, academic, public, and special, are facing the
trickle-down effect. Members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL),
representing principle research libraries (mostly academic) in North America,
are experiencing the impact of the economic crunch. The author conducted an
online survey of directors and deans of all 123 ARL libraries in an effort to
collect data regarding its impact on their libraries. This poster will
demonstrate survey results featuring challenges facing these ARL libraries,
including data on budgetary cuts, vacant and frozen job lines, and affected
programs and services. This study will present a snapshot of what these ARL
libraries are experiencing in an unprecedented recession. This presentation
will also provide timely input from these ARL administrators regarding their
insights into the challenges they face with the current economic crisis, the
measures these libraries are taking, and their plans for the future.
VI -
7 Download Here, Download There.A Downloadable
Kiosk in the Library
Margaret Peebles, Gail Borden Public Library, Elgin, IL (mpeebles at gailborden.info)
"It's so easy!" and "I didn't know you could do that!" are just a few responses
to the Download Kiosk installed in June 2008, at the Gail Borden Public
library. A dedicated Overdrive Download Station offers users the exciting
opportunity to quickly access digital audiobooks and download them onto their
digital media player from within the comfort of the library. Follow a six-month
snapshot of this project from its installation to user training sessions. See
the promotional materials used which ultimately resulted in a total increase of
eAudiobook downloads by almost 20 percent! Much was learned about the best
practices in offering a download kiosk to the public. Photographs showing the
different permeations of this machine-once with very little to identify this
station from the rest of the public access computers-toward more thoroughly
envisioning this machine as a separate kiosk and creating a download experience
around it. Marketing materials for our downloadables were not only available at
the station but also in an online newsletter. Besides having promotional
materials on hand, a laptop and MP3 player will be available to answer specific
questions about usability and enhance the poster display.
VI - 8 We Are
Family: Integrating Student Assistants into the Life of the Library
Luke Vilelle, Hollins University, Roanoke, VA (lvilelle at hollins.edu)
Student assistants in academic libraries make up a substantial portion of the
workforce and are often the face of the library. The Wyndham Robertson Library
(WRL) at Hollins University, which employs about thirty student assistants, has
taken steps to integrate them into the life of the library. WRL goes beyond
simple job training, by helping the students to understand the broader context
in which they work and to make them feel at home in the library. Traditions
have included "Student Thank You Bags," stuffed with goodies and distributed to
the assistants prior to exams, and student/staff teams in a campus Olympiad
competition. This year, the WRL staff went a step further. To increase
recognition, the author quizzed the full-time staff on the names/faces of the
student assistants. The WRL staff also created a series of six January
workshops, in which the student attendees (ten, on average) gained a broad
taste of library activities through sessions such as "What the heck is library
school?" and "A book's journey to the shelves." This poster session will
illustrate these activities through photos, text and handouts; share the
students' evaluations of the workshops; and discuss future plans for student
assistants.
VI -
9 "Search OSU and Beyond.": The Impact of WorldCat
Local at the Ohio State University
Moriana Garcia, Kent State University, Kent, OH (mgarcia4 at kent.edu)
Morag Boyd, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH (boyd.402 at osu.edu)
Lynda Hartel, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH (lynda.hartel at osumc.edu)
Rebekah Kilzer, Drexel University, (kilzer.2 at osu.edu)
Jennifer Kuehn, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH (kuehn.1 at osu.edu)
In 2008, the Ohio State University (OSU) Libraries participated in a beta
project testing WorldCat Local as the new interface for the OSU catalog. The
new interface gave users access to worldwide collections through WorldCat
records. For the first implementation, the catalog search box on the library
home page was substituted with a new box linked to WorldCat Local. Usage
statistics analysis on circulation and interlibrary loan numbers was performed
to disclose the impact of the new interface on users' behavior. Requests to ILL
increased sharply in relation to the previous year and the number of requests
that cited WorldCat as the source soared during the first months. The sudden
increase in management costs and workload prompted a strategic change. A new
layout with two search boxes was implemented; the first box linked to the old
catalog, while the second below now linked to WorldCat Local. The number of
requests started to decrease immediately, almost returning to pre-WorldCat
Local levels for some variables. This suggests that the placement of WorldCat
Local in a second position strongly influenced OSU users' preferences.
VI - 10 Go
Mobile: Top 5 Mobile Services for Libraries
Lisa Carlucci Thomas, Yale University Library, New Haven, CT (lisa.thomas at yale.edu)
Joe Murphy, Yale Science Libraries, New Haven, CT (joseph.murphy at yale.edu)
Today's patrons expect information in the palm of their hand. Using cell phones
as their primary interface, patrons expect libraries to seamlessly meet their
information needs on the go. This poster introduces and describes the leading
methods innovative libraries will use to deliver services through mobile
devices. Text Message Reference: Answer reference questions sent by patrons on
their cell phones by SMS. Electronic Collections: Promote and enhance access to
online library collections via mobile devices, and consider best practices for
developing new digital projects with mobile interfaces. Access Services:
Provide interactive account information and support access services functions
for patrons anywhere, anytime, on their cell phones. Online Social Networks:
Provide services and resources to build community and develop a sustainable
home for your library on popular mobile social networking sites such as
Facebook and Twitter. Mobile Applications: Create software that serves as a
customizable mobile interface to the library for patrons to download and access
on their iPhones and other smart phones. Together, these top five methods
promote the relevance of traditional services in the modern environment and
advance the ability of librarians to think forwardly about new mobile services.
"Think Forward, Think Mobile."
VI -
11 Mobilizing to Support Mobile Users
Diane Hudson (dhudson at siue.edu), Juliet Kerico (jkerico at siue.edu), and Beth
Rasch (erasch at siue.edu), Southern Illinois University Edwardsville,
Edwardsville, IL
According to a 2007 survey by the Pew Internet Project, over 30 percent of
respondents aged 18-29 have accessed the Internet using a cell phone or PDA and
14 percent reported doing so on a typical day. Another survey by the CTIA, a
wireless industry group, revealed similar results: one in three teens is
browsing the web on their phone. What are academic libraries doing to prepare
to serve these users and their preference for accessing information via mobile
technology? This poster will detail a planning process for deciding how best to
serve or even if to serve these users. What questions need to be answered? What
products and/or services should we be providing? What does mobile-friendly
content look like? What mobile services make sense for a library to implement?
How should we be providing access to existing content? What are other academic
libraries doing? The poster will include results of a literature review, handouts,
and examples of mobile friendly content for attendees to try out on their own
cell phones.
VI -
12 Playing with Fire: Engaging Community Partners
in Library Disaster Planning
Amy Ward, Gettysburg College Musselman Library, Gettysburg, PA (award at gettysburg.edu)
Mary Evangeliste, Gettysburg College Musselman Library, Gettysburg, PA
(mevangel at gettysburg.edu)
In the last ten years many libraries have weathered the storm of natural
disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, wind storms, and blizzards.
These situations demand a library disaster plan that enables you to respond
immediately and with precision. However, planning for the unexpected does not
have to be dour. Gettysburg College Musselman Library has found that planning
for a disaster can be fun and bring a community together by creating both a
strong internal understanding and fostering external relationships. Our
internal training program involves all personnel and goes well beyond the
passive lecture. Instead, they are interactive and productive. Each session is
geared to raise awareness to all staff about their personal responsibility in
addition to creating tools that strengthen the existing disaster program. Just
as important, we have created vibrant relationships with campus Public Safety,
Gettysburg Borough emergency service providers and other cultural institutions
in our region. These collaborations have resulted in many positive and
unexpected outcomes including the funding for a badly needed fire suppression
system. Beyond this essential improvement, we are thrilled that our emergency
services colleagues have become vocal advocates for the library and recognize
the value Musselman Library offers its community.
VI - 13 Focus
Group or Policy Maker: A Review of Library Advisory Groups from Past to Present
Mila Su, SUNY Plattsburgh, Plattsburgh, NY (sumc at plattsburgh.edu)
Library advisory groups play a variety of roles in academia. Recent trends
indicate an increase in their use as academic libraries as they reach out to
constituents. Library advisory boards can function as focus groups or sounding
boards for the provost and the library dean or may formally approve policies
and procedures. Advisory groups have been seamlessly integrated into the
academic setting. Some are formal senate committees or are appointed by the
provost, while others are controlled by the library administration and may be
formally charged by the Dean or run as an informal group. More recently student
centered groups have been increasing in number. Library advisory boards whether
formal or informal can be effective sounding boards to work out various issues
or concerns of numerous library issues. Their role in facilitating policies is
often positive. Samples of situations and scenarios where library advisory
boards have been used effectively will be displayed along with examples of
different types of library advisory boards. A bibliography will be provided.
VI - 14 A
"SWAT Team" Approach to User Studies
Tina Smith, University of Virginia, Palmyra, VA (tls9n at virginia.edu)
Erin Mayhood, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA (elm8s at virginia.edu)
The University of Virginia has implemented a new "SWAT team" approach to user
studies, in which a pair of consultants from the library staff-one user requirements
specialist and one usability specialist-intervenes at the early stages of
project development. This pairing allows for a more holistic approach to user
assessment at the library by using a variety of methods including focus groups,
usability testing, card sorting, guided interviews and surveys. This model has
been adopted in two of our recent major projects: the Clemons Laptop Pilot
Project, which seeks to encourage and enable personal laptop usage while
reducing the number of desktop computers, and the Blacklight library catalog
interface project. Together these projects show how different approaches to
user studies can be integrated effectively to improve both physical and virtual
library spaces. The poster will include raw data, reports, photographs, and a
computer demonstration of a new catalog interface developed using this method.
VI -
15 Chatting Via Qwidget: Does the Interface Make a Difference
Ken Furuta,
University of California, Riverside (
kfuruta at ucr.edu
),
Cynthia Johnson,
University of California, Irvine
(
cynthiaj at uci.edu
), Penny Coppernoll-Blach,
University of California, San Diego
(
pblach at ucsd.edu
), and Sara Davidson, University of California, Merced (
sdavidson2 at ucmerced.edu)
VI -
16 Espresso on a Black Coffee Budget: The
Restructuring of the University of Arizona Libraries
Ricardo Andrade (andrader at u.library.arizona.edu), Raik Zaghloul, (zaghloulr
at u.library.arizona.edu), and Maliaca Oxnam (oxnamm at u.library.arizona.edu),
University of Arizona Library, Tucson, AZ
Many public universities are facing shrinking budgets and the need to do more
with less in these uncertain economic times. From spring 2008 through spring
2009, The University of Arizona Libraries, in response to local economic and
environmental pressures focused on developing and bringing forward a new
team-based structure for the Library. Based on customer needs and the harsh
realities of reduced staffing and reduced budgets, a new team-based model
emerged with the most dramatic change being the formation of a new Research
Support Services Team (RSS), who serves the faculty, staff, graduate, and
upper-level undergraduate students at the University. This poster will focus on
summarizing the objectives for, and development of the RSS Team to meet its
customer needs. This poster will also briefly touch on the environment of the
University of Arizona Libraries including the budget situation, the staffing
issues, and recent developments on the University of Arizona campus. Through
summary of the team-based process utilized to develop the infrastructure for
the RSS Team, including the timeline for development, personnel allocation, and
description of the lessons learned, poster viewers will be able to make note of
processes or elements that they can apply to their own environments and
situations.
VI -
18 Dispelling the Myth of the Virtual Librarian
Flash Bang
Emily Blankenship (efblankenship at suddenlink.net), and Yolanda Hollingsworth
(hollingsworthy at ecu.edu), East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
During the summer of 2008, library faculty members at East Carolina University
surveyed members of the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA)
and members of the Second Life Librarians group to confirm or dispel commitment
assumptions concerning virtual world librarians. Survey data confirmed virtual
world librarians are passionate about their commitments to virtual world skills
development; virtual world library development; virtual library maintenance;
and virtual library outreach to the extent that most virtual librarians spend
many hours completing virtual library work at home and/or are not compensated
by their libraries for their virtual library work. Specific issues shared by
respondents included need for ample computing support to perform virtual
library work, need for acknowledgement of the potential of virtual library use
by library administration, unblocking of virtual world software by library
administration, and positive response to requests for allotted time for initial
virtual world skill learning curves. By using survey data, librarians may prove
to library administration the achievability of virtual library services and
subsequently create dynamic virtual libraries for users. This colorful,
interactive, and engaging poster session looks at the survey results and brings
to light many ideas for future development and support of virtual world
librarians and libraries.
VI - 19 The
Efficacy of a Statewide Leadership Program: A Study of SSLLI
Jason Martin, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL (mjmartin at mail.ucf.edu)
David Woolard, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL
(david.woolard at erau.edu)
The Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute (SSLLI), now in its 5th year,
molds academic, public, school, and special librarians from the state of
Florida into dynamic, innovative leaders. This poster session will present the
findings of a survey of the graduates of the past four SSLLI classes. A "before
and after picture" of the SSLLI graduates will be presented to see how the
institute has aided them in their careers and whether it was effective in
helping them to achieve a leadership position in the library field. This poster
session will also discuss the experiences of the graduates and highlight the
positives of the institute as well as make suggestions for improvements. This
poster session is valuable for anyone interested in starting or improving a
statewide library leadership program.
VI - 20 A
Holistic Approach to Defining Web Usability
Yu-Hui Chen (ychen at uamail.albany.edu), Carol Anne Germain (cg219 at albany.edu),
and
Abebe Rorissa (arorissa at albany.edu), University at Albany, SUNY, Albany, NY
One of the difficulties for library professionals with establishing Web
usability policies/standards/guidelines (PSGs) for implementing a usable and
intuitive Web environment is due to lack of a consistent and accepted
definition of the concept. The researchers took the first step to address this
problem by comparing the various formal definitions published in the literature
and definitions provided by library professionals who are dealing with these
relevant issues on a regular basis. Data from the latter group is based on
responses to a questionnaire distributed to the academic members of the
Association of Research Libraries. The researchers examined the similarities
and differences between the two sets of definitions and initial results show
discrepancies in their focus. Formal definitions emphasize learnability,
effectiveness, and user-related attributes as the top three elements whereas
library professionals place learnability as their top focus, user
characteristics as the second, and effectiveness the third. One goal, after a
careful consideration of the definitions, is to suggest a possible holistic and
universally accepted working definition of Web usability. A series of graphs and tables will illustrate
the research outcome in this poster presentation.