25th Annual
American Library Association Annual Conference
2007 Poster Session Application
Information
2006
Poster Session Committee:
Karen Lawson, Chair, Iowa State University Library (klawson at iastate.edu)
Jody Condit Fagan, Review Panel Chair, James Madison University, (faganjc at
jmu.edu)
Charlotte Dugan, Southwest Missouri State University Library (cad315f at
smsu.edu)
Candace Benefiel, Texas A&M University (cbenefie at lib-gw.tamu.edu)
Reviewers:
|
Julie Banks |
Southeast Missouri State
University |
|
Jeff Barber |
Regina Public Library,
Saskatchewan, Canada |
|
Paul Bracke |
University of Arizona |
|
Ginny Cunningham |
University of South Florida |
|
LaDonne Delgado |
Mississippi State University |
|
Christina Desai |
Southern Illinois University
Carbondale |
|
Mollie Dinwiddie |
Central
Missouri State University |
|
Charlotte Dugan |
Missouri State University |
|
Joni Herbst |
University of Oregon |
|
Steven Johns |
Iowa State University |
|
Martin Kesselman |
Rutgers University |
|
Joanne King |
Queens Library |
|
Karen Lawson |
Iowa State University |
|
Deborah Lee |
Mississippi State University |
|
Necia Parker-Gibson |
University of Arkansas |
|
Carl Pracht |
Southeast Missouri State
University |
|
June Schmidt |
Mississippi State University |
|
Earl Shumaker |
Northern Illinois University |
|
Lisa Speer |
Southeast Missouri State
University |
|
Julie Tharp |
Arizona State University |
2006 International
Poster Session Committee:
Sarah Beasley, Chair, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
(beasleys at carnegielibrary.org)
Reviewers:
|
|
|
|
Michael Carpenter |
|
|
Patrick P. McGuire |
|
|
Maureen Morris |
|
|
Richard E. Sapon-White |
|
|
Natalia Taylor |
|
Floor Managers:
|
Julie Banks |
|
|
Sarah Beasley |
Carnegie Library of |
|
Paul Bracke |
University of Arizona |
|
Jody Condit Fagan |
|
|
Steven Johns |
|
|
Barbara Lewis |
|
Laura Gallegos (lgallegos at ala.org) and Delin Guerra (dguerra at ala.org)
2007
Poster Session Application Information
Applications for presenting poster sessions at the 2007
American Library Association Annual Conference in
http://www.lib.iastate.edu/ala/
Applications will be accepted between
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, Review Panel Chair, at 540-568-4265 (telephone) for instructions on how to apply.
Applicants will be notified by
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.
SESSION I: THE COLLECTORS: POSTERS ON ACQUISITIONS,
CATALOGING AND CLASSIFICATION, COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT, HISTORY,
SERIALS, AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
SESSION II: THE EDUCATORS: POSTERS ON DISTANCE LEARNING, CONTINUING
EDUCATION, LIBRARY EDUCATION, LITERACY, AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
SESSION III: GLOBAL
SOLUTIONS. INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS IN LIBRARIES
SESSION IV: OUTREACH:
POSTERS ON INTERLIBRARY COOPERATION, LIBRARY SERVICES TO SPECIAL GROUPS,
AND REFERENCE AND INFORMATION SERVICES
SESSION V: CONNECTIONS:
POSTERS ON COOPERATION WITH NON-LIBRARY INSTITUTIONS AND AGENCIES,
INTER-LIBRARY LOAN, LIBRARY USE INSTRUCTION, AND PUBLIC AWARENESS
SESSION VI: INFRASTRUCTURE: POSTERS ON BUILDINGS AND
EQUIPMENT, MANAGEMENT, AND TECHNOLOGY
SESSION I: THE COLLECTORS: POSTERS ON ACQUISITIONS,
CATALOGING AND CLASSIFICATION, COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT, HISTORY,
SERIALS, AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
I - 1 Saving our Planet and
Teaching Reading - Are These Goals Incompatible?
Judith Lechner, Auburn University, AL (lechnjv at auburn.edu)
Concern about the future of our planet has grown over the last thirty years,
and most states have some environmental standards built into their social
studies and science curricula. There is also a large body of high quality books
for children that could be used to support environmental education.
Unfortunately, in spite of the standards, many school systems have interpreted
the requirements of the federally funded Reading First program in such a way
that they have eliminated science and social studies from the primary school
curriculum in order to allow for mandated reading time in the classroom. Yet,
as librarians, we know that one can have one’s cake and eat it. That is, one
can have great reading education without short-changing content area learning.
The focus in this study is the way environmental themes have been developed in
recent (last 15 years) award-winning and recommended children’s books that can
be readily used in reading education in the primary grades. Content analysis
will be displayed through statistical tables with closer text analysis of
selected books, which will be displayed along with book jackets or other
visuals.
I - 2 Government Goldmine:
American Indian Materials in Government Documents
Colleen Major, University of Montana, Missoula, MT (colleen.major at
umontana.edu)
Jennie Burroughs, University of Montana, Missoula, MT (jennie.burroughs at
umontana.edu)
The United States Government has a long history of publishing primary and
secondary source material on American Indians. The involvement is so intrinsic
that content on American Indians is produced by nearly every agency in the
government and is spread throughout many government documents collections. The
poster session will provide an overview of the locations of American Indian
materials within the world of government information. Presenters will provide
tips for locating key sources, identify notable publication series, and
highlight tools for locating relevant materials. The poster session will offer
an opportunity to present a visual representation of the varied agency
involvement in producing government materials on American Indians. Presenters
will display sample resources and create a topical pathfinder for the session.
Attendees will depart with increased knowledge of key resources in a popular
area of research and a better understanding of the structure of government
information.
I - 3 Finding the
"Fourth Estate": New Ways of Facilitating Historical Research
Patrick Reakes, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (pjr at uflib.ufl.edu)
Marilyn Ochoa, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (mochoa at uflib.ufl.edu)
As a result of advancements in technology, traditional methods of historical
research are beginning to intersect with new methods of information delivery.
In the past, researchers have had to navigate through resources that are often
difficult to locate and access. Effective alternatives, however, are now being
developed. Digitization and electronic delivery methods are now supplementing
or replacing familiar ways of researching history utilized in the past, such as
costly visits to distant libraries and archives, or hours spent scanning
through microforms. The historical record of the press, or “fourth estate,” in
I - 4 Blockbuster in the
Academic Library: U of R’s
Nora Dimmock, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY (ndimmock at
library.rochester.edu)
The Multimedia Center at the University of Rochester’s Rush Rhees Library
established a student DVD collection for leisure viewing. Because the college
is largely residential, the students wanted a place on campus like Blockbuster,
where they could borrow a few titles at a time to watch in their dorm rooms. At
this time, the Multimedia Center collection was primarily curricular with a
heavy emphasis on documentaries; all of the video and DVD collections were
shelved in closed stacks. The library agreed to work with students to establish
the collection and provide support services: acquisitions, cataloging, and
circulation. We completely revamped our ideas of access and user needs. As a
result we made changes to our catalog records, processing, shelving and
circulation procedures. We even revamped our online access so that our users
could search by format, genre, director or language. We now have a browsable
collection of over 2000 DVDs that have circulated more than 116,000 times! We
receive $3000/year for new DVDs from both the graduate and undergraduate
student councils. The success of our partnership with students will be
demonstrated in the poster session by photographs, circulation statistics, web
server statistics, survey results and text.
I - 5 International
Students’ Perceptions of Library Services
Lisa Vardaman, Troy University, Troy, AL (lisavardaman at troy.edu)
Christopher Shaffer, Troy University, Troy, AL (shafferc at troy.edu)
Laura Slavin, Troy University, Troy, AL (lslavin at troy.edu)
University library services today are faced with the ever-increasing challenge
of offering quality library services to international students who are from all
corners of the world. Libraries are not just information centers for
international students, but also communication centers and social hubs that
allow for interaction with other students. We propose to survey a random
sampling of international students at Troy University in an effort to learn
what they believe the library is doing well and also what could be improved in
order to serve them better. Approximately 10% of Troy’s campus is made up of
international students, making it especially important that this diverse group
receive the quality services they need. Additionally, university libraries
throughout America have increasing numbers of international students on their
campuses, making this topic relevant to most academic libraries in America. We
will present the survey results through both charts and graphs at the poster
session.
I - 6 Tough Times, Tough
Decisions: Streamlining, Studying and Experimenting to Save $ and Better Serve
Customers
Robyn Huff-Eibl, University of Arizona Library, Tucson, AZ (huffr at
u.library.arizona.edu)
Wendy Begay, University of Arizona Library (begayw at u.library.arizona.edu)
Toni Anaya, University of Arizona Library (anayat at u.library.arizona.edu)
In the past several years circulation and shelving statistics as well as the
usage of print reserves have declined. At the University of Arizona we have
been working to move from a traditional mediated service environment towards
increased user self-sufficiency, where the basic circulation transactions
become unmediated. Like many libraries we have increased our use of self
check-out machines, but unlike many academic libraries, we have begun to use
check-in machines and have implemented open holds, reserves and media. A
strategic project team collected data on our information and referral services
and the cost of providing reference. As a result of the data gathered and the
innovative work by circulation staff, new service and staffing models were
implemented that reduced both the number of service points and reliance on
professional librarians. Circulation staff have been repositioned from
traditional circulation work to focus their time on providing information and
referral. This has allowed our professional librarians to move off these desks
and devote more of their time towards faculty liaison, information literacy and
grant writing activities. Learn how we consolidated services into a single
desk, the challenges we faced and competencies required to create a new future
for your circulation staff.
I - 7 Using Out-of-Print
Book Dealers in the WorldCat Resource Sharing Lending String
Kristine Shrauger, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL (kshrauge at
mail.ucf.edu)
Improving the interlibrary loan and document delivery services at the
University of Central Florida has been part of the department’s vision over the
past couple of years. When a press release on the Alibris website (http://www.alibris.com/librarians/ill_program.cfm?S=L)
dated January 17, 2005, read that “Alibris (ALBRS) and the Online Computer
Library Center (OCLC) announced today that Alibris has made access to their
entire inventory of 50 million new, used, and hard-to-find books available for
purchase through the OCLC WorldCat Resource Sharing service,” the department
could not help but look at it for a possible new way to improve service. The
University of Central Florida’s Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery Services
(ILL/DDS) looked at several ways that ALBRS could be incorporated into the
lending string. The criterion was loose and dependent upon several factors:
status of patron, collection management, and availability within the state of
Florida. Over several months, the ILL/DDS placed Alibris into the lending
string over 200 times. The results showed several factors: the price was right,
the turnaround time was good, and it showed that the ILL/DDS department needed
to revisit the criteria in which to put ALBRS in the lending string and look at
ways to expand the criteria.
I - 8 Making the Right
Choice: Value vs. Convenience
Adriana Popescu, Princeton University Library, Princeton, NJ (popescua at
princeton.edu)
Patricia Gaspari-Bridges, Princeton University Library (pattygb at
princeton.edu)
Julie Arnheim, Princeton University Library (jarnheim at princeton.edu)
Princeton University Library has subscribed to a number of eBook collections
since 2001 and based on the usage reports, it was concluded that users
responded favorably to all them: Knovel, Books24x7, Ebrary and Safari Tech.
After 4 years of eBook services however, it was felt that a more in-depth
analysis should be conducted in order to assess the true value that these
collections brought to the library’s collections and services. In 2005, a small working group consisting of members
serving on the library Digital Resources Advisory Group was assigned with the
task to evaluate the usage level of the eBook collections, to assess the
qualitative characteristics of the collections in terms of currency and content
relevancy, ease of maintenance and integration with the existing library
systems and services, and to determine how cost effective is for the library to
subscribe to these services. Based on the comparative cost analysis performed,
and the qualitative assessment, a set of standard indicators was developed to
use for selection of eBook services that would address the needs of users at
Princeton University. The indicators proved to be a valuable tool for
assessment and are currently used in the decision making process for selection
of eBook services.
I - 9 Organize it! Let ERMS
Work For You!
Kristine Condic, Oakland University, Rochester, MI (salomon at oakland.edu)
Selecting and integrating an electronic resource management product can be as
painless as… cleaning 10 years of grime from an old set of silver candlesticks:
difficult at times but well worth the effort. All of those handwritten notes on
slips of paper tucked away in filing cabinets and desk drawers finally have a
home in ERMS – the electronic resource management product from Serials
Solution. Librarians at Oakland University, a medium-sized university in
Michigan, evaluated link resolver products during Fall 2005 and found that some
vendors bundled link resolvers with resource management products. The end
result was too attractive to slip by, but now, what to do with the resource
management product? Follow us through the trail of webinars, meetings, and
demonstrations that have led to the successful implementation of ERMS. Now,
details regarding interlibrary loan, database licensing, and product renewal
are all located in one centralized area, and better yet, this information is
accessible by all. A little bit of planning and patience has made this a
worthwhile venture.
I - 10 The Incredibly
Shrinking Print Ready Reference Collection: What's Left on Your Shelves?
Colleen Seale, University of Florida, George A. Smathers Libraries,
Gainesville, FL (cwseale at uflib.ufl.edu)
The decrease in in-person reference questions at the reference desk is now a
well documented phenomenon among all types of libraries. However, the even
greater decline in fact-based, ready-reference questions received at the
reference desk makes them seem as rare as gold coins these days. With the
increasing use of Google and the steady growth of factual information available
on the Web, our users can often answer most of these ready reference questions
themselves. Reference librarians are also providing reference service in a
variety of non-traditional ways (from mobile, roving reference to email to chat
or IM), many of which are offered away from the traditional desk and the print
ready reference collection. Some libraries are doing away with a traditional desk:
are print ready reference collections also becoming a thing of the past or
being significantly reduced? The purpose of this poster session is to report on
the current status of print ready reference collections in libraries. Through
an analysis of survey data, the poster will graphically present: which print
ready reference titles are being replaced with electronic titles; which are
being transferred to the reference stacks; and which titles now make up the
core ready reference collection.
I - 11 Lessons from
Hurricane Katrina: Recovering a Research Collection
Jamie Ellis, Harrison County Library System, Biloxi, MS (j.ellis at
harrison.lib.ms.us)
Jane Shambra, Harrison County Library System, Biloxi, MS (j.shambra at
harrison.lib.ms.us)
"Lessons from Hurricane Katrina: Recovering a Research Collection"
will encourage visitors to anticipate the problems that arise in the wake of a
disaster and provide methods that promote preparing for such an event. The
staff of the Murella H. Powell Local History & Genealogy Collection, Biloxi
Public Library, Harrison County Library System of Biloxi, Mississippi will
expound upon the approaches used in recovery from the damage inflicted on the
collections by Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005. Following this event, our
staff acquired new tools and techniques in the process of rebuilding the
collection, and we want to share this information with the library community
because of the inevitability of unexpected disasters. Included in our session
will be the following: a diagram indicating the height of the storm surge in
our department (three to four feet of water); the equipment recommended for
disaster clean up (e.g., N95 respirators, gloves, flashlights); and photographs
of the damage and recovery. In the effort to further educate participants in
how disasters can affect any library, we will provide a list of contacts for
disaster services and links to further information on the topic.
I - 12 Evaluating Digital
Asset Management Systems : A Team Approach
Janet Addison, Purdue University Libraries, West Lafayette, IN (jaddison at
purdue.edu)
Choosing a digital asset management system for a library should involve the
input of several professionals and is ultimately a team effort. It is important
to make sure professionals from differing departments have a place in the
planning and decision-making process, such as: 1) the Catalog Librarian; 2) the
Archives/Special Collections Librarian; 3) the Digital Initiatives Librarian;
and 4) the Information Technology professional. Developing criteria for
assessing digital asset management systems on the market can be challenging as
a team, especially if you are also learning as you go. This presentation offers
some possible criteria categories for these digital asset management systems,
such as metadata handling, security features, and image handling. The
presentation suggests a rating process for the various assessment categories.
Make it a positive team effort by stressing open, positive, and continuing
communication. The current digital asset management systems on the market are
contrasted with repository software, stressing the importance of understanding
the strengths and purposes of the software, as well as understanding the
library’s planned projects and strategic plan. Poster text/graphics include
criteria categories; assessment rating process; communication among team
members. Handout materials reiterate the criteria categories.
I - 13 The Digital
Accounting Collection: Creating a New Collection with a New Tool
Kevin Herrera, University of Mississippi Libraries, University, MS (kherrera at
olemiss.edu)
Upon receiving the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
library collection, the University of Mississippi Libraries wanted to present
portions of this material as a digital library collection. With limited
personnel and digitization experience, we needed a solution that was easy to
learn and support. In addition to providing author, title, and subject
searches, we also wanted to search the full-text content of digitized
documents. Ideally, this system should be separate from our main library
catalog, but it should also integrate easily with it. A development partnership
with our automation vendor (Innovative Interfaces, Inc.) led to an easy-to-use
tool for creating Dublin Core records. In addition to digitizing almost twenty
years of the Accounting Historians Journal, we also worked with pamphlets and
exposure drafts drawn from the collection. Database records are displayed in
Dublin Core with attached, text-searchable PDF files. The poster session will
highlight our workflows, metadata creation, and the freely available public
search interface. Graphics will include images of the staff and public
interfaces. If an internet connection is available, the session can also
include live demonstrations of both the metadata tool and the publicly
searchable database.
I - 14 West Virginia History
Online: Undertaking Big Digital Projects on Little Budgets
John Cuthbert, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, WV (jcuthber at
wvu.edu)
In January 2005, the West Virginia University Libraries Special Collections
embarked on an ambitious project to digitize a collection of approximately
25,000 historical photographs for both access and preservation purposes. The
project includes the creation of detailed Dublin Core based metadata records
for each photo. This project is being conducted without external funding
employing mostly student labor. The results have transcended our hopes in terms
of the speed of progress, quality of the results and popularity with which our
new photo website (which currently offers nearly 10,000 photos) has been
received by the public. This poster session will include information about
planning a large digital project, the development of preservation and metadata
formats and standards, hardware and software and staffing requirements.
Included in the display will be computing equipment enabling visitors to
actually surf the West Virginia History OnView website.
I - 15 Promoting
International Children’s Literature
Susan Stan, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI (stan1sm at
cmich.edu)
Doris Gebel, Northport-East Northport Public Library, Northport, NY (dgebel at
suffolk.lib.ny.us)
The purpose of this poster session is to create awareness of international
children’s books (books available in the United States from other countries)
and to disseminate resources for finding these books. One focus of this poster
session is the newly launched award list, USBBY-CBC Outstanding International
Books, a project of the United States Board on Books for Young People and the
Children’s Book Council. The bibliography is intended to highlight excellence
in books originally published outside of the United States. Posters will feature
information about the 42 books chosen for 2006, which range in grade and
interest level from K to12. Additionally, this session will provide information
about the bibliographies recently prepared by the ALSC International Relations
Committee, entitled “Growing Up around the World: Books as Passports,” which to
date include Australia and New Zealand, the Americas, Africa, and Europe. Other
resources include the International Youth Library’s White Ravens list; the IBBY
Honor books; and the USBBY bibliographies.
I - 16 Comparison of Use and
Usability of Digital Library Management Systems: dSpace, Fedora, and Greenstone
Mark Sullivan, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (MarSull at
uflib.ufl.edu)
Marilyn Ochoa, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (mnochoa at ufl.edu)
An increasing number of institutions are turning to freeware to support their
digital collections. Several options emerged within the last five years and
have successfully competed against the larger commercial digital library
management systems (DLMS). Greenstone, Fedora, and dSpace are the three most
popular freeware systems being employed today. These allow institutions to
bring collections online without the inhibitive costs associated with systems
like ContentDM and DigiTool. This poster session will compare the features in
each of the freeware systems. We will examine some of the basic usability
issues of each interface, such as navigation, searching, and results, as well
as more advanced options from full text searching to support for the Open
Archives Initiative (OAI). Additionally, we will be comparing the number of
institutions using these newer systems. We will begin by examining member
institutions of the Association of Research Libraries. Each institution’s
online digital collection will be reviewed to determine which DLMS has been
implemented.
I - 17 First-Time
Publishing: Negotiating the Perils and Pitfalls
Denise Goetting, Edith Garland Dupre Library, University of Louisiana at
Lafayette, Lafayette, LA (goetting at louisiana.edu)
Susan Richard, Edith Garland Dupre Library, (smr at louisiana.edu)
Sheryl Curry, Edith Garland Dupre Library, (sherry at louisiana.edu)
Betsy Miguez, Edith Garland Dupre Library, (bbmiguez at gmail.com)
The four librarians who compiled Newbery and Caldecott Awards: A Subject Index
(Linworth, 2003) share the problems and lessons learned while producing their
first reference book. The presentation focuses on two areas: working
relationships among the authors and communication difficulties between the
authors and the editors. Perils include selecting research partners, dividing
the responsibilities, and dealing with the decisions of producing the book.
Pitfalls involve finding a publisher, signing a contract, clarifying publishing
terminology, and working out misunderstandings. The poster session includes
regalia such as the completed book, correspondence, contract, corrected proofs,
and other items that illustrate perils and pitfalls encountered in publishing.
The presentation addresses the problems first-time authors face. It explains
the procedure involved in creating a book-length manuscript, what to expect
from co-authors and editors, and specific steps for bringing the manuscript to
fruition. The perils and pitfalls depicted in this poster session go beyond the
scope of information that the authors found while researching the publication
process. The goal of the presentation is to make the publishing journey a
smooth one for aspiring authors.
I - 18 Creating the Blended
Family: Merging Reference and Circulation
Rachael Naismith, Springfield College, Springfield, MA (Rachael52 at yahoo.com)
In terms of efficiency, customer service and staff collegiality, a one-stop
Information Desk can be a better choice than separate Circulation and Reference
Desks. Uniting public services staff can alleviate many problems. Staffs in
academic libraries are often stretched thin by expanding duties. Many student
employees are needed to staff both desks during operating hours. Often duties
among Circulation and Reference staff are blurred or duplicative. Patrons are
often shuffled from one desk to another, causing frustration. For these and
other reasons, Babson Library at Springfield College made the radical decision
to merge the Circulation and Reference Departments. Librarians and
paralibrarians operate from a single service point, the Information Desk.
Improvements included raised morale, professional development through
crosstraining, a reduced student workforce, and positive feedback from patrons.
Staff, especially paralibrarians, view their work as more challenging,
meaningful and rewarding. The poster session will demonstrate the challenges --
and success -- of this change by displaying colorful photographs, handouts, and
measurable outcomes.
I - 19 Don't Shelve the
Questions! Defining Good Customer Service for Student Shelvers
Luke Vilelle, Virginia Tech University Libraries, Blacksburg, VA (lvilelle at
vt.edu)
Christopher Peters, Virginia Tech University Libraries, Blacksburg, VA (cpeters
at vt.edu)
The shelving unit of a large academic library constitutes a large percentage of
the workforce, and the student shelvers are among the most visible library
staff members. We knew that shelvers received a significant number of questions
from customers of Virginia Tech University Libraries, but we did not know the
types of questions they received and how they handled the questions. No study
could be found that addressed these concerns. For two months during the 2005
spring semester and one month in fall 2005, we had shelvers record each
question received, the location and time, their answer, sources used to answer
the question, and any referral. The data revealed that shelvers received a wide
variety of questions, and they provided different levels of help. To help the
shelvers provide better, more consistent service, we are holding a set of
workshops for shelvers that will focus on issues identified in the survey.
Following the workshops in March, we will have another month of data
collection, to measure whether our intervention proved successful. We will
display the data in a graphical format that enables visitors to quickly
understand our findings, and provide a handout that reflects on key points.
I - 20 How Do Scholars Work?
Aligning the Library of the Future with Humanities and Social Science Research
Practices
Katherine McCready, University of Minnesota Libraries, Minneapolis, MN
(mccre008 at umn.edu)
The University of Minnesota Libraries and College of Liberal Arts, with the
support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, are working to assess the full
range of research needs and practices of Humanities and Social Sciences faculty
and graduate students. Our goal has been to better understand how scholars do
their research: What materials do they use, collect, and preserve; what
services and tools are useful or lacking; what kind of technological
development is necessary; and where does the need for expertise lie? The data
collected from interviews with faculty members, graduate student focus groups,
and a survey of over 1,100 researchers allows us to identify gaps in the
research process and to develop new tools and services for successful research.
We will present this data and discuss emerging trends in Humanities and Social
Sciences research methods. We will also present prototypes of new online tools
and courses that fill the gaps in: interdisciplinary research materials and
methods, collaborative research, archive usage in graduate student research and
management of personal collections of research materials.
SESSION
II: THE EDUCATORS: POSTERS ON DISTANCE LEARNING, CONTINUING
EDUCATION, LIBRARY EDUCATION, LITERACY, AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
II - 1 Making the Connection: Distant
Students and Library Instruction
Samantha Hines, University of Montana-Missoula,
MT (samantha.hines at umontana.edu)
Distance education is a rapidly growing sector of higher education. In 2001,
the National Center for Education Statistics reported that 56% of all Title IV-eligible,
degree-granting institutions were offering distance education courses, an
amount that had nearly doubled in the three years since the previous survey.
With this dramatic growth in numbers, libraries and librarians who wish to
follow ACRL’s Guidelines for Distance Learning Library Services need to
consider what services these students may not be receiving in comparison with
traditional, on-campus students. Distance education students at the University
of Montana-Missoula were missing out on a resource that 9000
on-campus students receive annually: library research instruction. In order to
correct this deficit and connect distant students to the wealth of academic
resources available online at the Mansfield Library, we developed an
information literacy program for students at a distance. The first part of this
program was offering a one-credit, online course. This poster session will
outline our program; discuss the development of the course; analyze the results
of pre- and post-tests and other data from students taking the course, and
propose further avenues to explore in providing equal library instruction
opportunities for all students.
II - 2 Data Librarianship, The Continuing LIS
Education
Tiffani Conner, University of Connecticut, Storrs-Mansfield, CT (tiffani.conner
at uconn.edu)
Jennifer Darragh, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
(darragh at pop.psu.edu)
Paula Lackie, Carleton College, Northfield, MN (plackie at carleton.edu)
What does it mean to be a librarian in the digital age? Changes in information
media, content, and mode-of-access have affected all aspects of librarianship
within all types of libraries. As a result of these changes, new skills and
specializations for the library profession are needed. One of these new
specializations is the data librarian. The duties are familiar – including
collection development, management, reference, cataloguing, and marketing, but
there is a lot more to it – much of which is not covered in library school
curricula. In this poster session we take the reader through the definition of
“data librarianship”, showcase the typical and atypical aspects of this
specialization, and why it is a desirable career track. We investigate the joys
of data librarianship from different angles, including: scenarios for working
with varied user populations (students, faculty, professional researchers, and
the general public); how your library degree and undergraduate and/or graduate
degree can benefit your career as a data librarian; how to design a data
service from scratch and use it to market your library, and; the on-the-job
training and resulting insider secrets you learn by being a data libr