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Considering the importance of subject retrieval for scientific visibility, and the need to guide authors in self-archiving their papers in institutional repositories of university libraries, this study observed the patterns and strategies used by authors while indexing for keyword assignment. The study examined four categories of analysis: criteria for keyword assignment; use of controlled vocabulary for keyword assignment; understanding of the importance of keywords; and ordering criteria and function of assigned keywords. The study found that, while assigning keywords, authors: consider fundamental concepts for representing significant content of the text; act as domain expert indexers; and are unaware that keyword assignment is an indexing process that requires controlled vocabularies. The research suggests that institutional repositories implement a hybrid information representation and retrieval system to allow for both the representation of more specific subjects of knowledge domains, as well as controlled vocabulary indexing terms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the results of a pilot project conducted Spring 2021 in which Milner Library licensed seventy-five assigned texts to fifty-two courses at Illinois State University. The authors used the pilot as a springboard to explore faculty perspectives on textbook selection, textbook affordability, and the role of the academic library in addressing the rising cost of textbooks. The results highlight the strong and often deeply personal beliefs faculty hold about textbook selection and textbook affordability, reveal several obstacles to achieving affordable access to course readings, and demonstrate the willingness of some faculty to partner with librarians and other institutional stakeholders to explore more affordable access to assigned resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to explore the realization of users ‘ information rights (IRs) in the smart service of university libraries. Based on the LibQUAL model, principal component analysis (PCA) is used to measure the quality of smart services in university libraries. The contribution weight of various services to the realization of IRs is calculated by analytic hierarchy process (AHP), then the degree of IR realization is obtained. Users have the highest right to express information, the lowest right to equality, and other rights tend to be moderate. Suggestions to improve the realization of IRs are put forward at the end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic libraries have conducted studies on the importance of the library research consultation (LRC) regarding student learning and the impact on academic success. While there is a robust literature examining library anxiety, no study has been designed to measure the impact of the library research consultation on stress. Researchers at a mid-sized midwestern Carnegie Research 2 institution analyzed 108 surveys administered before and after the consultation. Findings confirm the LRC improves perceived stress levels at the project and overall level. The overall stress change and project stress levels were lower during the COVID phase of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This survey investigates artificial intelligence (AI) literacy among academic library employees, predominantly in the United States, with a total of 760 respondents. The findings reveal a modest self-rated understanding of AI concepts, limited hands-on experience with AI tools, and notable gaps in discussing ethical implications and collaborating on AI projects. Despite recognizing the benefits, readiness for implementation appears low among participants. Respondents emphasize the need for comprehensive training and the establishment of ethical guidelines. The study proposes a framework defining core components of AI literacy tailored for libraries. The results offer insights to guide professional development and policy formulation as libraries increasingly integrate AI into their services and operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Map librarianship, in the past incorporating duties involving acquisition, cataloging, or curation of physical map and atlas collections, has evolved into a profession often requiring knowledge of geographic information systems (GIS) software and data. This study examines descriptions for map and geospatial academic library positions from 2015 to 2020 with a goal of observing trends in requirements and specific duties for these roles. Institutions are recruiting individuals with strong backgrounds in geospatial technologies for some positions. However, a Master of Library and Information Science degree is still preferred for new hires in this field. Graduate library and information science programs can support future academic librarians by incorporating coursework related to geospatial data and traditional map resources into their curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, the financial crisis has led to reduced government funding for academic libraries in Greece. Now more than ever, it is imperative for library managers to improve their knowledge and understanding of cost behavior, in order to effectively deliver high quality services at decreasing costs. To do so, they need to apply clearly-defined costing methods, such as Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing (TDABC), that allow them to identify the various costs involved in the library processes. In our study, we applied the TDABC method at the medium-sized library of the University of Macedonia (UoM), in Thessaloniki, Greece, to evaluate the costs of the Inter-library Loans (ILL) services. Since the library managers did not adopt a cost allocation method, the cost estimation of the UoM ILL services was rather simplistic and rudimentary. Our research provides empirical evidence of the advantages of TDABC in an academic library setting. Namely, the TDABC method can help library administrators decide how to successfully allocate the available resources and improve the efficiency of the library processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying ADA accessibility at library websites of top universities selected from the U.S. News and World Report, the authors used WAVE and AChecker to assess data in compliance with WCAG 2.0 standards. Almost 8 out of 10 public university academic libraries reported accessibility errors as one of the major findings. Low color contrast was becoming a more commonly occurring accessibility issue, making it difficult for people with vision impairments to perceive the color of the image. The outcomes of the study suggest that academic libraries around the world should continue improving their website accessibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the story of six books looted by Nazis from the Jewish Religious Community Library in Prague (JRCLP) that were discovered recently in the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Library. No scholarly literature describing similar experiences of North American academic libraries was found, nor were any professional guidelines for repatriating library materials. We describe our repatriation process, explore the historical contexts of the Nazi confiscation of millions of books and describe the Allies’ post-war restitution efforts. As the digitization of academic library holdings worldwide progresses, the probability of uncovering more material of questionable provenance increases. This case study can open a dialog on the issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community colleges educate an estimated two-fifths of United States college students. Yet community college librarians do not disseminate enough research to enable their colleagues and their libraries to reach their potential. Little is known about what types of supportive measures might increase productivity. The authors collected quantitative and qualitative survey data, finding that a slight majority of participants conduct research, but less than one third of those who research share their findings. Key challenges include lack of time, lack of funding, and lack of confidence. A new baseline understanding will provide a foundation for initiatives to support increased representation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students preparing for careers in the sciences benefit from learning to communicate scientific information. Poster competitions give students the ability to practice written and oral communications skills. Over the last five years the Harold B. Lee Library has hosted a life sciences undergraduate poster competition. Here we share our experience hosting a traditional in-person competition and a virtual competition adapted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We also discuss survey feedback we received from participating students. Our program illustrates how academic libraries can foster the development of scientific communication skills and promote information literacy through a student research poster competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The University Libraries at Virginia Tech established an Open Access Subvention Fund (OASF) in August 2012. Although it began as a two-year pilot project, the Fund has continued to the present. Anyone at Virginia Tech is eligible to apply for funding to offset the cost of an article processing charge to publish in an open access journal. To learn more about user perceptions of the OASF and open access in general, we surveyed everyone who had requested support. The survey, conducted during the fall of 2019, provided a means to gauge the needs of our users, seek feedback on the request and award process, and gather input on the fund guidelines. In this article, we review our findings in the hope that the lessons learned will be useful to other libraries in assessing similar open access subvention funds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2020, UNLV Special Collections and Archives conducted an internal audit of collections, strategic plans, and programming in order to assess how well it is meeting strategic goals of being more inclusive and increasing diversity and representation. In a data-driven institution, how can assessment be used to advocate for resources focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion? In conducting this analysis, UNLV hoped to answer the following query: how is progress measured if the goal is to preserve stories outside the traditional narrative (white, male, cisgender, heteronormative, etc.)? This article discusses strategies for assessing diversity in special collections and archives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines how academic libraries in the UK responded to the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 open access policy. Thirteen information professionals at twelve institutions across the UK took part in semi-structured interviews. Findings from the interviews reveal how libraries created and deployed new infrastructures, workflows, and staffing as well as the methods through which universities communicated the policy's requirements. The study describes respondents' experiences of the changes brought about by REF 2021 as well as their thoughts on how the REF 2021 open access policy will affect future REF assessments. Results provide insight for libraries responding to US initiatives such as the August 2022 White House Office of Science and Technology Policy memo directing the open publishing of federally funded research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic libraries are increasingly asked to articulate connections between the work of library staff and student success. This article discusses how a team of librarians participating in CARLI Counts, an immersive professional development program funded by a Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Grant through the Institute of Museum and Library Services, responded to the lack of research investigating the indirect impact of the work of technical services staff on student learning. An anonymous online survey distributed to library staff of the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI) member institutions explored the perceived value of enhanced cataloging in supporting student research. Survey results point to opportunities for communication and collaboration among technical services and public services librarians to improve understanding of enhanced catalog functionality and user needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the role academic libraries can play in narrowing the retention gap between the number of women graduating with a degree in architecture and the number of women currently in the architecture profession. Recommendations to libraries are made based on the existing literature and survey data. The findings of this study aim to propose solutions in the form of services and resources that libraries may provide to best support female architecture students. The findings shed light on four areas: 1. The importance of increasing students’ access to role models and mentors; 2. The need to bring more awareness to available academic tools; 3. The urge to diversify the material taught in the curriculum; 4. The value of sponsoring and hosting diversity-related events and programs. The proposed efforts will further empower women in architecture schools and can also benefit the broader community of minority groups by serving as a resource of recommendations for supporting the underrepresented communities in a profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature concerning experiential learning in academic libraries generally pertains to opportunities for student workers and library and information science students, along with case studies of experiential learning integration into the classroom. This article details the successful partnership between an academic library and university art program, demonstrating the library’s progression from provider of traditional resources and space for displaying student artwork to experiential learning environment for project-based learning opportunities requiring total student involvement from conception to completion. These experiences provide for unique learning opportunities, beautification of the library, and expansion of the library’s identity on campus as a learning space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eight years of data from Grand Valley State University Libraries show a positive correlation between in-class library instruction and student reenrollment the following fall semester. Using consistent statistical methods over time, controlling for confounding factors, and using a large population (N>16,000 annually) and strict protocols that restrict library employees from having access to individual student data, researchers have developed a replicable, secure process for exploring the relationship between library engagement and student success that prioritizes data security and subject anonymity alongside scalability. Results have informed modifications to the Libraries' instruction program and have raised interesting additional questions about the impact of having classroom faculty who actively engage their students with the academic library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over thirty years after such systems were first developed, the Integrated Library System underlies most operations of an academic library. Yet in the literature, its day-today maintenance is often reduced to a list of tasks. Through interviews with sixteen system maintainers, this study attempts to develop an experiential understanding of its maintenance. Findings suggest that most maintainers find such work meaningful but face barriers when colleagues and administrators don't understand what they do well enough to support it. This article proposes steps toward building a workplace where core maintenance tasks are recognized and supported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The one-shot instruction session is a dominant mode of teaching in academic libraries. While many conference presentations and articles about methods have been shared, there is little consensus about whether a single library session promotes student learning about information literacy topics. This meta-analysis gathers studies that employ quantitative measures of student learning in an attempt to determine if the one-shot is an effective modality for learning. Results indicate the need for a more critical look at the grouping of "one-shot" as a methodology and the need for further robust research on acquisition of student learning outcomes in the one-shot context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research study investigates the behaviors, knowledge, and skills necessary for academic library outreach work. Through a review of published literature, job advertisements, and a survey of library practitioners conducted in the fall of 2020, the authors define and prioritize 18 competencies for outreach. Hiring managers, LIS instructors, and practitioners can use the results of this study to structure and lay out the essential areas of outreach work in academic libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This multimethod study investigates differences in question complexity and type between live chat, email, and texting by comparing findings from user interviews and virtual reference transcripts, with the goal of better understanding how different delivery methods can meet user needs in the context of an academic library. Findings reveal dissonance between perceptions and use of chat and email. Interviews suggest users consider chat to be for basic queries whereas transcripts coded using the READ Scale, a well-known reference assessment tool, show question complexity to be highest in chat. Our analysis also found statistically significant differences in the presence of reference interviews and instruction for chat, email, and texting. Rebranding chat more explicitly for intermediate and advanced queries may succeed in attracting users who consider chat only for basic queries, thus narrowing the gap between user perceptions and actual use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research data services are increasingly offered by academic libraries. As a result, librarians may need to upskill to provide data services and build capacity. This study measures the current level of data services skills of academic librarians and explores preferred methods of continuing education. An online survey was circulated asking respondents to self-assess data skills in four categories. The results capture a baseline of self-assessed data skills and show statistical significance between the percentage of time a librarian provides data services and higher levels of technical skill sets. The findings support the hiring of data librarians in academic libraries offering data services and providing training for librarians who provide any level of data services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Native Americans are underrepresented in higher education; and, while considerable research examines Native student persistence, the role of academic libraries in their experiences has received little attention. This study proposes to investigate Native American undergraduate students' library experiences, needs, and perceptions. Qualitative interviews explored Native student perspectives on library services, space, and culture. Findings suggest that core library services are important to Native students, that visible representation of Native Americans contributes to a sense of belonging, and that Native student identity has varied significance for library use. This study has implications for librarians seeking to improve services for Native students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Open and Equitable Scholarly Communications, ACRL calls for more diverse and inclusive collection development (CD) by academic libraries and archives. Meanwhile, higher education is increasingly committing to community-engaged scholarship. This study investigated the extent to which academic libraries and archives are collecting, curating, and/or preserving knowledge produced by their local public communities. Researchers administered an electronic survey to relevant listservs and conducted follow-up interviews to develop a case study of one library's efforts. Ninety of the initial 118 survey respondents (76%) indicated that their academic library intentionally collects, curates, and/or preserves materials created or owned by the local public community, with a majority working with minority or underrepresented populations in their communities. Respondents also reported working with unpublished archival material more than twice as often as nonarchival/circulating material, reflecting academia's movement toward greater inclusion of traditionally excluded voices in the scholarly record. Additional research is needed for a host of issues raised by this work, in particular the relationship between university-community collection development and student learning. Library leaders can promote university-community engagement and knowledge diversity by incorporating local community knowledge into their collection development commitments and practices and tying this work to the parent institution's strategic plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beginning with a discussion of how collections diversity has been conceptualized and assessed within the literature, we then analyze four areas in which professional practices and modes of thinking create barriers to collecting materials from historically marginalized voices. Specifically, we discuss how metadata practices can obscure these materials from acquisitions workflows and user discovery, how relying on use statistics can reinforce existing inequalities. Finally, we discuss how understaffing in key areas and budgetary constraints impede libraries from recognizing and addressing the full scope of the problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recently completed study at the University of Calgary has had broad professional impact and generated increased attention to the role of academic libraries in campus research. This multiyear, evidence-based study was conceived in recognition that the role libraries have traditionally played in research is of decreasing relevance. With support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, this study employs intensive partnership among library staff, scholars, and research administrators to identify the transformational changes necessary for repositioning libraries in the research enterprise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As more campus locations establish intentional informal learning spaces, what, if anything, is the unique value of these spaces within the physical academic library? Using mixed methods, this study examines the relationship between students' use, satisfaction, and productivity needs at five discrete locations at a large public university. Findings from unobtrusive observations, student surveys, and semistructured focus groups reveal an interconnected ecosystem of campus informal learning spaces in which the academic library is prominently situated, providing guidance for those making decisions around the availability and design of library learning spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic libraries continue to face challenges communicating their value. One dimension of this challenge is in demonstrating how information literacy relates to important measures of student learning, like course grades and motivation. This study documents the development and exploratory pilot testing of the Informed Learning scale--which is intended to produce data for institutional reporting purposes at scale in alignment with contemporary IL theory, specifically Informed Learning. Preliminary findings include small correlations between the Informed Learning scale and course grades and moderate correlations between the scale and student perceptions of their learning climate and self-determined motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Libraries expend considerable time and effort in providing instructional resources to help students learn the "mechanics" of citation and referencing. However, there are few studies that examine the efficacy of these resources. Using focus group methodology, the authors explored student and faculty perspectives about citation practices through their use of the library's online referencing guide. It was found that faculty struggled to instill "real world" meaning for students around academic integrity practices, while students reported feeling confused and somewhat intimidated about the scholarly writing process. Findings reveal the importance of situating referencing within a positive, holistic approach to academic integrity that emphasizes critical thinking and student autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patrons' information consumption behaviors of print materials are influenced by their content and tangible characteristics. This quantitative study incorporates several content-based factors widely adopted in collection management practices as well as two physical dimension-related factors, including book size and number of pages, and applies a series of regression analyses to evaluate the relative impact of these factors on patrons' checkout versus in-library use decisions. The results suggest that shelf time and book size exhibit consistent and significant impact on patrons' use of print materials. These findings can shed further light on collection management practices and policies in academic libraries striving to provide patrons more usercentered collections and space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]