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In June, 2001 the CITY2000 Foundation donated 500,000 photographic negatives, over 500 audio- and videotapes, and office archives to the University of Illinois at Chicago. The collection represents an image time capsule of a major American city during the year of the millennium. Every class of individual, event of the year, and neighborhood was explored by 200 professional photographers and brought together in this unique archive. As part of its agreement in accepting the archive, the UIC Library committed to making the collection available at least until the year 3000. This paper discusses the steps UIC is taking to make this possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital collections of full-text e-books are proliferating on the Web and provide a wealth of open content for students. To examine whether academic libraries are providing a digital gateway to these resources, ten e-book titles from open digital collections were searched in the online catalogs and Web pages of ten academic libraries serving distance learners. Only three of the digital collection e-books were available from any of the library catalogs, and none were found on library Web pages. Availability of the ten e-book titles through Google and other digital discovery tools also had a fixed results. Continued projects for improved delivery of open online content are necessary. In order to fulfill their role as digital gateways for their academic communities, libraries must pursue metadata standards to support cross-searching, collaborative projects, and development of e-resource search software, which integrates with the library catalog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mounting digital images of art objects on a Web site is only the first step in providing patron access to such materials. Libraries and museums have a responsibility to provide not only high-quality digital reproductions but also high-quality access from an integrated library catalog with controlled vocabulary and consistent access points. While some digital collections may have excellent internal searchability and require no more than collection level cataloging in a library's OPAC, others may demand cataloging of individual components of the collection. A particular collection's significance, its potential audience, the types of access required, as well as factors such as its size and cohesiveness need to be considered before becoming locked into a specific Web design-especially when it is that of another institution. This paper examines several online library catalogs in which records for art objects as well as historical objects and natural history specimens have been merged, with varying degrees of success, and briefly addresses a modest proposal to catalog ceramic objects at the Ohio State University Libraries. The importance of consistent subject access in a merged catalog, regardless of the thesaurus or thesauri used, is stressed. Library consortia and bibliographic utilities may offer an economically appealing alternative for libraries that cannot design and construct their own digital libraries but these external organizations often have limited capability for—or interest in—modifying the design for a particular library and even less interest in cataloging the collections. Libraries, too, must be faulted for simply listing available electronic resources, either alphabetically or in broad subject categories, on a separate portion of their Web page and failing to provide full catalog records in their catalog. Finally, it is emphasized that the current debate over the viability of MARC 21 versus other metadata standards remains largely irrelevant to the importance of continuing to cultivate a monolithic online catalog, maintaining cataloging standards, and not mindlessly developing what amounts to a separate, rudimentary catalog solely for electronic resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ownership of MARC bibliographic data has been an issue between OCLC and other companies in the marketplace. Two lawsuits are discussed between OCLC and Clarivate and SkyRiver. The "WorldCat Rights and Responsibilities for the OCLC Cooperative" provides a basis for many library contracts and how OCLC lays claim to bibliographic data. The "ICOLC Statement on the Metadata Rights of Libraries" is used as a general framework for discussing issues surrounding who owns MARC records and how they can be used or re-used. Most librarians are interested in free and open use of MARC records whether or not they may have passed through the OCLC system at some point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial literacy (FL) is an important ability needed by any individual to understand, evaluate, and communicate business and financial information. Having accurate financial information increases one's competency to be financial literate. It is regarded as a common and basic life skill that libraries can develop for their users. Using purposive sampling, this study ponders into the status and challenges of eight public city libraries in the Philippines in terms of providing FL education and how they can potentially share a role in developing the economy of a country. Public libraries' readiness to serve their users can be observed in terms of their collection, web presence, services, and programs. The level of financial knowledge and competencies of city librarians were also assessed. A look into the available professional development programs for public librarians in business and finance librarianship was reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the newest statewide, academic library consortia, PALCI launched E-ZBorrow, a virtual union catalog, in 1999. Although only 35% of all eligible libraries participate, they serve 73% of the students, employ 66% of the faculty, and represent 66% of the total volumes among PA academic libraries. This article examines requests and loans during the first three years. Both are positively correlated with the size of the institution. Further examination indicates, however, that the Baccalaureate Colleges generated the most requests per user and had a greater demand placed on their collections. It is shown that the collection strength of all libraries increases with participation in E-ZBorrow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the general consensus that field experience during library school is important for applying theory to practical situations, there is a lack of understanding about what students want from, and the barriers they face to acquire, graduate employment. A survey was sent to ALA accredited Master of Library Science programs in the United States, asking students about their library employment status and to rank factors that influenced their decision to accept their positions. Patterns emerged when results were grouped by various life factors. The results of this study show what students are looking for from employment, which could help employers recruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports the results of a biennial student library use survey distributed in Spring 2021 at a large urban research university. Responses reveal library visits were significantly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Patterns of student needs and the impact of library use on academic achievements were explored, including comparisons to previous biennial survey data. There was a negative correlation with students' GPA and physical library use, and a positive correlation with online library use and GPA. User service librarians, library administrators and academic librarians interested in demonstrating the library value on students' academic success would benefit from this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the development of a comprehensive collections security plan by the Library of Congress in 1997 in the U.S. Use of limited library resources; Provision of a protection program for library collections; Framework of physical security control.

Focuses on the outreach to students taking classes over 80 locations within the State of Maine, as well as students taking classes nationally via the World Wide Web through the University of Maine System Network. Collections and services available through the University of Maine System's digital library and the Off-Campus Library Services Office; Reserve services for students at remote locations.

This article demonstrates how a public research university library responded to user needs following radical service changes during Fall 2020 and assesses whether the library met challenges resulting from COVID-19. The library reduced hours and occupancy and implemented a reservation system and new health safety guidelines with the goal of a safe environment. During Fall 2020, 540 survey respondents reported feeling their health was not at risk, suggesting the goal was accomplished. Additionally, users provided feedback about the altered landscape. This article will benefit administrators and user experience librarians who need to balance user preferences and administrative reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maximizing the current organizational culture and diversity/inclusion practices within CUNY libraries is crucial to retaining highly talented support staff with significant potential for future leadership roles. This research explores equity, diversity, and inclusion within the library profession, with the intention of implementing strategic frameworks to attract, recruit, and retain underrepresented groups within the University. To spotlight areas of upward mobility within CUNY academic libraries, a CUNY-wide Library Workplace Climate survey on the perceptions of diversity, universal inclusion, and career progression was conducted. The scope of the survey study compares the different perspectives of CUNY librarians, full-time library classified paraprofessionals, and part-time classified staff to measure CUNY's commitment to addressing the diversity gap in the library profession. CUNY-wide, 141 library employees participated in a survey study to uncover professional development opportunities in support of career advancement and upward mobility. Nearly 2 in 5 African American/Black library staff-members are paraprofessionals, while 13.5% are faculty. A stark contrast to 3 in 5 or 64% CUNY library faculty, which identified as White/Caucasian. The findings reinforce the need for measures to maximize workplace diversity through support-staff mentoring, guidance, and recruitment. Workplace mentorship and career development—across all levels within CUNY libraries—cultivate skills for a better work environment that can lead to promotion and successful plans for succession. Investing and sustaining structured library professional development opportunities geared toward underrepresented groups—generally in paraprofessional and student-worker roles—will help identify next generation CUNY library leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature lacks empirical evidence supporting the claim that the value of special collections in the academic library has grown significantly. Through a web-based survey the perceptions of librarians and archivists (N = 243) in academic libraries were investigated. The results give insight into what measures of value are perceived as important. Minor differences were found based on institutional size and managerial status. More significant differences were found for gender identity. Findings will allow directors and staff to have more productive conversations about limited resources and staff time, and advance professional discourse about the assessment of value for special collections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Libraries have long been concerned about aging library professionals. Libraries that have not experienced high rates of retirement and turnover may not be prepared to bring on new personnel using a supportive approach. Onboarding librarians and library staff can increase employee retention. This includes strategies for librarians who are coping with managing high turnover, including learning about the organization's recruitment procedures, creating an onboarding plan that includes training and documentation, and taking care of oneself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Libraries and institutions around the world are working with publishers to transform scholarly publishing into an open access ecosystem. To accomplish this goal, publisher contracts are being renegotiated and modified to include transformative elements which will move in this direction. With costs shifting from traditional subscriptions to fees which incorporate Read and Publish cost elements, tools are needed to provide underlying analytics both at the negotiating level but also for the ongoing implementation of new agreements. The ongoing workflow will be more complicated since institutions will need to more closely track authors and their associated article processing charge payments. A variety of open source and commercial tools and services are reviewed which have been developed to move to a new open access publishing environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collections assessment in academic libraries has experienced a shift in recent years from project-based models to continuous models that aim improve the responsivity of library collections to campus needs. This article reports on how one university library used a library committee with representation from across library departments to develop a holistic, on-going Collection Management Cycle. This newly created process evaluates the entire library collection over a five-year period and aligns with library reporting requirements for university program review to minimize additional workload and improve the impact of external reporting activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic libraries' graphic novel and comic book collections hold a wide appeal for both scholarly study and personal reading. Programming around these materials can attract diverse audiences to promote library services and resources in a distinctive way. Wichita State University Libraries hosted their first Halloween ComicFest in 2017 and it has grown into an annual event from the success of this initial endeavor. In this article, the authors discuss the challenges of planning and hosting a comic convention in an academic library as well as the potential benefits such events hold for both libraries and their patrons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A medium-sized academic library system conducted a multi-year (2012–2016), large-scale ethnographic study using a survey, observations, and in-depth interviews. The goal of the project was to better understand how students conduct research and study in the library. The analysis of the large pool of data resulted in various reports of theoretical and practical nature. This article addresses one aspect of the findings: undergraduate and graduate student use of library resources. The findings offer an array of considerations for designing effective library services and provide a more nuanced understanding of how student use the library website, libguides, and library databases as well as print and electronic collections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While many academic libraries have followed the public library lead in developing makerspaces, not all libraries have the money or space to dedicate to such large-scale operations. This case study explores a different approach to engaging users with new technology and investigates how to support their creativity without a costly investment in space and staffing. It demonstrates not only how students can be provided a virtual space to explore technology equipment, but also how their opinions can be leveraged for growing the collection and creating training materials. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Little is known about self-publishing authors and about the concerns of public librarians regarding how best to support library self-publishing initiatives. This article presents and analyzes a survey of authors participating in programming at the Woodneath Library Center/Woodneath Press. It also presents and analyzes the results of a survey of public librarians. Findings suggest that self-publishing authors in this case study would benefit from author services support, and that librarians require targeted training to provide such support. As libraries explore this potential new role, more needs to be done to support author services in public libraries appropriately. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article focuses on the level of international scientific publication by Kazakhstani researchers, and considers the problem of access to international scientific resources in Kazakhstan, a developing country. Key areas of the discussion are Kazakhstan's strategic plans and policies regarding science, roles of international publishers in science, and the relationship between international publishers and the government of Kazakhstan. The article bears the informative meaning and has no research and findings. However, this is a good start point for the author and other Kazakhstani library and information professionals to study the subject more deeply and propose solutions for the good of all. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A well-crafted localized survey is an excellent opportunity to efficiently collect data about library user feelings and experiences on a large scale. 800 undergraduate students and employees of a mid-sized public university responded to an online survey about their feelings on library space, communication, services, and collections. Employing a variety of question types, the authors sought to include measures that would yield both pertinent and meaningful feedback. Results were analyzed and prioritized by significance and librarians culled the results for actionable findings and opportunities for further study or long-term benchmarking. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Library Alliance conducted a study to assess library services in support of faculty research. Funded by an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant, and with support from LYRASIS, the study involved two different assessments. The first assessment was of faculty members and their support needs for research. The second assessment was of librarians to understand current capacity and needs related to support libraries provide to faculty. While the HBCU Library Alliance acknowledges that libraries do not have the capacity to address all the challenges to faculty research, the results from this study can serve as a tool to augment the academic infrastructure to support research. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

‘Disability’; the ‘D’ word generally speaks its own meaning, as anyone who is different from others in terms of physical and mental impairment. There are various types of disabilities; broad categories such as physical and communication disability, mental illness and mental retardation, learning disabilities and so forth. In this article, an attempt has been made to describe the term ‘visual impairment’ which falls under the category of physical and communication disability. The next section of the article presents activities of the National Institute for the Visually Handicapped, Dehradun, India to make the visually impaired self-sufficient and to recognize the role played by the Institute in disseminating information to them. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This column examines the lifecycle of one consortial digital repository service, the Alliance Digital Repository. Though the consortial service provided important infrastructure for members, the nature of digital repository work made it difficult to realize economies of scale. After eight years, members discontinued the shared service and replaced it with single-institution repositories that they could more readily support with the resources available to them. Based on my experiences helping members transition from shared to single-institution repositories, I offer advice for administrators planning or participating in consortial digital repository services. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article explores discarding and collection development in Norwegian public libraries, based on a local discarding initiative in Buskerud County. It demonstrates how a systematic development project can change the library employees’ practices and have an impact locally, regionally and nationally. Using different cases, the article examines how discarding became part of the professional discourse. The change-work had an action-based, innovative and practical approach based on both theory and empirical evidence. The article also indicates that change-work has best effect with a solid grounding in library management and when numerous initiatives are involved. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses the closure of special libraries and what happens to special library resources after the physical space has closed down. Topics discussed include the mergers of libraries once one library has closed, the digitization of library materials, and the importance of information services.

The article discusses services and tools that have been developed to help academic libraries conduct use studies, compare collections, and analyze the needs of students and scholars. Information is provided on monographic analysis services such as Sustainable Collection Services (SCS), OCLC (Online Computer Library Center) Collection Evaluation, and Intota Assessment from ProQuest. Noted resources for serial analysis include the Center for Research Libraries' (CRL) Print Archives Preservation Registry (PAPR).

Much has been written about the competencies that reference providers must exhibit to be successful at their positions given today's technology-rich, information environment. Many have proclaimed new mandatory technological and attitudinal qualities for librarians, while others have interviewed future, practicing, and hiring librarians for their perspectives on this topic. This study adds to the existing literature by examining a dataset of 9,683 recorded reference transactions collected during the fall 2012 semester in an urban, academic/public library. This dataset provides a very current look at the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities that reference providers need to be successful at this library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the past several years, the adoption of social media platforms has increased significantly as academic libraries have emphasized the importance of finding new ways to promote collections and services. Recently, many libraries have embraced Historypin and Pinterest because of their specific focus on images. This article examines the impact of these platforms on digital libraries and explains how each affects the discovery and access of digital collections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ebooks pose many challenges in library collection development, mostly due to the lack of standards and the many different platforms available. These challenges are faced by both public and academic libraries, but the challenges inherent in collecting popular reading ebooks can be different from the challenges that come with collecting scholarly ebooks. This article describes the purpose and processes behind an academic library, University of Wyoming Libraries, providing popular reading ebooks to its faculty and students, and focuses on the experience of being a 3M Cloud Library early adopter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines academic library networking and collaboration through consortia, focusing on issues such electronic resource licensing, electronic books (ebooks), and shared digital repositories. Details are provided on common scholarly ebook licensing models, demand drive acquisitions (DDA), and resource sharing among libraries.

ABSTRACT. In the interest of providing access to and preserving scholarship produced by faculty, students and staff, many universities have developed and implemented institutional repositories. Repositories are often organized into communities that correspond to campus units, including departments, research centers and institutes, and administrative offices. Universities, however, frequently undergo academic restructuring, which can make repository organization out of sync with university organization. This article addresses the impact of academic restructuring on repositories and looks to practices from archival arrangement and description to create repository organizational structures and community descriptions flexible enough to reflect university organization, despite changes arising from academic restructuring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

State, public, academic, and special libraries are conducting and publishing the results of studies aimed at showing the value of their services and resources. Librarians must be prepared and proactive so when asked to justify budget allocations they have the tools to show their library's value and understand the importance of expressing value in terms familiar to the administrators. By identifying stakeholders and obtaining their buy in, librarians can turn data into evidence of the organization's return on investment (ROI) in the library. ROI is a powerful tool to use when establishing credibility, accountability, and evidence demonstrating the library's value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the author reviews the history of reference service from a management perspective. Topics covered include: definitions of reference service; staffing; service models; modes of communication, including remote reference services; collections; education and training; and assessment. The author discusses changes over time and current challenges for reference managers. This article originally published in Journal of Library Administration, Vol. 51, Issue 3, pages 259–278, 2011. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2011.556936. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Special collections play an increasingly important role in university libraries. As library collections move to digital formats and collections are similar from one library to another, special collections are one of the ways in which libraries can build a distinct identity. Because of their unique nature, special collections must be permanently retained because of their artifact value and need specialized storage conditions with appropriate levels of security. Library administrators will increasingly face the need to provide expanded space for special collections as well as improving storage conditions to ensure that unique and valuable materials are preserved for research in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For academic libraries, sustainability may well require a radical recalibration of their historic value proposition. The “Great Recession” has accelerated profound changes in higher education funding and in the perception of higher education as a public good. Can libraries use scarcity to fuel the imagination? Can the singular strengths of libraries boost the ability of higher education to thrive, not merely survive? What can be learned from strategies employed in the Great Depression and other periods of severe constraint? Ultimately, how might libraries increase revenue, engender flexibility, foster collaboration, align activities, reduce costs, strengthen infrastructure, and encourage innovation within the framework of a sustainable academic business plan? This article examines these questions by using the University of Washington's 2Y2D (Two Years to Two Decades) initiative and the UW Libraries companion effort, Building Sustainable Futures, as a case study. 2Y2D provides an inclusive framework for near term action (two years) that will realize an aspirational future in the long-term (two decades). Building Sustainable Futures places a library lens over 2Y2D. The Libraries Research Commons exemplifies the synergistic intersection of the two initiatives and may be instructive for other environments and institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the past ten years the Center for Research Libraries (CRL) has developed new ways to support cooperative development of critical research collections. CRL has expanded its role as a centralized aggregator of tangible collections to facilitate collection development, digitization, and licensing of collections by individual libraries and interest groups. This has required CRL to adopt new funding models, from partnerships and coalitions with key organizations, and use technology to support community engagement. Funding essential to this transition was provided by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, National Science Foundation, and the IMLS. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

As state support dollars shrink at public research institutions, the University of Arizona (UA) Libraries—like others—have had to seek revenue from other sources. Cafés, for-credit courses, grants, and partnerships with athletics departments are just a few of the ways libraries are supplementing their budgets. This article gives an overview of revenue-generation ideas and issues to consider. At the UA Libraries, a student fee has been a significant source of funding and tips are offered here for getting a student fee approved. Finally, since funding shortages are likely to be an ongoing challenge, the importance of training and instruction in fundraising is emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

U.S. academic libraries have substantial resources to commit to advance the research and teaching and learning agendas of their institutions. In the aggregate, academic libraries annually have $2,000,000,000 in purchasing power for materials. However, the disproportionate increases in the costs of scholarly information continue to erode the ability of libraries to meet the information needs of their users. If academic libraries consolidated their purchasing power and pooled their resources, the results for higher education could be transformational. Effectively, a universal digital academic library could be established to serve higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Readily available reference services have been a key component of the University of Michigan Library's (MLibrary) success in supporting and advancing campus research, teaching, and learning. An examination of the evolution of our reference services over the past 10 years suggests strategies and innovative approaches that may well inform future service directions. The purpose of this article is to capture the University of Michigan experience as a way to better understand this evolution and, in doing so, to offer critical concepts to consider when thinking about the development of current and future reference services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the author reviews the history of reference service from a management perspective. Topics covered include: definitions of reference service; staffing; service models; modes of communication, including remote reference services; collections; education and training; and assessment. The author discusses changes over time and current challenges for reference managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To change from collection-centric to user-centered research libraries and to survive in tough economic times, libraries face 2 major challenges: 1st, libraries need to change how they are viewed by their constituencies so they are seen as indispensable; and 2nd, libraries need to help the librarians and staff change their own mental models of their roles to remain relevant in these changing times. Metaphors are one way to help people connect terms in new ways so they develop new images of those terms. For more than 100 years, libraries have used metaphors to seek connections that will help people see libraries as something other than warehouses for books. This article will explore various metaphors being used in the library field and how these metaphors can help libraries introduce change to improve their chances of receiving the support needed to survive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the need for continual organizational change and new thinking about the work that libraries, librarians, and staff must do to remain key players in the academic world of the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Having launched a pilot program of embedding librarians in faculty Blackboard courses, a team of university regional campus librarians reviewed their library services to faculty teaching online, off-campus, and traditional courses, and returned for Round 2. Just as the library services offered in this collaborative effort were taking off, conditions worsened. A storm of staff reductions, budget cuts, and administrative reorganization hit. Despite the climate of uncertainty and challenges, the embedded librarians persevered as they are convinced of the value of collaborating with faculty in Blackboard as active academic research consultants to further students' information literacy skills. Project Information Literacy's findings validate this strategic solution. Consequently, the embedded librarians assessed users and implemented sustaining practices to the program to maximize its impact. Moving in the right direction is essential and doable, no matter the difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though increasing numbers of students spend time studying abroad, there has been little discussion regarding the needs of study-abroad students as a distinct user group. The little research that has been done in this area focuses on support for study-abroad students as information users. This article expands the conversation to consider the librarian's role in supporting study-abroad students as producers of valuable information, particularly as study-abroad programs expand to nontraditional locations and focus on project-based and service-learning activities of direct benefit to their host communities. A model for creating digital libraries that supports the work of study-abroad programs in Monteverde, Costa Rica, is presented. Through multi-institutional collaboration, use of graduate student interns, and digital library technology, information produced by study-abroad programs of relevance to both local communities and future researchers is now accessible. Options for wider future support for study-abroad students as information producers are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is the result of a 2009 survey of student usage of e-books at Royal Roads University (RRU) Library. The authors found that the proportion of students using RRU Library e-books has gone up since a similar 2003 survey, although only just above half of students are using RRU Library e-books. An almost identical number of student respondents (approximately 54%) said “no” to preferring a print version of the book over the e-book version of the book in both the 2003 and 2009 surveys. The majority of students rated the ability to download an e-book to a hand-held device as not important. There has been a notable increase in the use of e-books for course readings from 2003 to 2009. A lack of awareness of RRU Library e-books remains the top reason cited by students for not using them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Learning Commons concept in academia is now fairly mainstream and in the evaluation phase at many institutions. This model is gradually making its way into nonresidential campuses and has proved to be a challenge for 5 regional libraries of a state university who sought to establish user-centered environments on a shoestring budget and tight quarters. These Learning Commons initiatives addressed the needs of urban, suburban, and rural libraries whose student populations ranged from under 300 to nearly 2,000. While there was no single model to address student needs at all campuses, there were commonalities in users' expectations that guided the process and allowed the libraries to seamlessly integrate new services in support of student learning. This case study describes the tools used to gauge the needs of the University of Connecticut's regional campus users to enable the libraries to launch learning commons that reflected the unique needs of nonresidential users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With a shared vision of increasing digital access to and preservation of federal government technical reports, a collaborative team of engineering and government document librarians developed the Technical Report Archive & Image Library for complex collaborations that includes both (1) shared management for physical collection and (2) shared management and production for digital conversion processes. The model described in this article supports achieving a shared vision, regardless of the number of participants, geographic location, or member assets and is accomplished through the recognition and use of community collaboration and through social capital and gift-culture principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The University Libraries' Information Commons opened its doors on January 2, 2002. Its mission is to create an inviting out-of-classroom environment for learning, growth, and enrichment through student-focused research assistance, outreach to all students, and innovative instructional services. This case study details the history of the Information Commons at the University of Arizona, the planning strategy, available services and high-tech equipment, partnerships with other campus units, staffing, lessons learned, challenges, policies, and assessment mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]