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Due to the proliferation of information available online and through academic libraries, students are increasingly reading from the screen. Academic documents can be long and complex, requiring sustained concentration to read deeply. This paper reviews current literature on the advantages and disadvantages of electronic and paper media for academic reading. Theoretical and empirical research into screen reading in academic institutions falls broadly into the following categories; reading and comprehension theory, the effect of a document’s platform, design and tools on reading, and screen versus paper research studies. These categories inform and provide the structure for this review. This paper concludes by considering how academic librarians can manage their collections and deliver library services in response to recent screen reading research. This overview of the literature on reading theory, the platforms and tools integral to reading electronic documents, and screen versus paper reading research, will enable academic librarians to make more informed collection management and library service decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Brisbane University Libraries Office of Cooperation (BULOC) was formed by University Librarians in Queensland in 1991. With the addition of more members in 1993, the organisation expanded and was renamed the Queensland University Libraries Office of Cooperation (QULOC). In 2016, BULOC/QULOC celebrates its 25th Anniversary and this paper provides a history of the achievements and collaborative work of the organisation over the past 25 years. The paper highlights the activities and projects undertaken and events held that illustrate the defining collaborative nature and ultimately, the impact of the organisation. It also describes the inception, structure and operations of QULOC and the strategies used for enabling collaboration to occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will explore some of the views that were expressed during the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) workshop held in cooperation with the UK's Digital Curation Centre (DCC) in March 2014. The event provided an ideal opportunity to assess librarians' views on the changing research data management landscape and to consider how these changes might affect the role of academic librarians in South Africa. The paper compares these views with experiences garnered through the DCC's work to support universities in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A survey of New Zealand academic subject/reference librarians was conducted in mid- 2011 to identify the most highly valued knowledge, skills and competencies of reference librarians working in libraries in the tertiary sector. The project was part of an international collaborative project involving 13 countries. The results from New Zealand show that serving academic library customers requires not only traditional 'reference' skills, but also skills in customer service, technology support, and training. Good communication skills were also rated highly by respondents, and the high value placed on adaptability/flexibility shows that most respondents expect their roles to continue to change in the next decade. Software troubleshooting skills were also considered important. The results also suggest that traditional paper-based reference sources are expected to become much less important than online ones. There is also a shift towards using social media to interact with customers, and a focus on building sustainable relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two factors identified as contributing to the lack of communication between researchers and practitioners, terminology and relevance, are the focus of this paper. A questionnaire distributed to senior staff in academic libraries asked participants to assess abstracts from articles in top ranked LIS journals. Results indicated a relatively high level of understanding of the articles, indicating that terminology was not a problem, and two thirds of the articles were rated as relevant to the profession. This result suggests that there is less of a gap in understanding between researchers and professionals than has been perceived. Involvement of practitioners in joint projects may be more feasible than was previously thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information literacy has been a subject of interest for academic librarians for nearly thirty years, however special librarians have written comparatively little on the topic of information literacy in the workplace. It is an important issue as it provides an opportunity for special librarians to enhance their role in their organisation. This paper discusses the need for training in information literacy in the workplace and highlights the latest research and studies being undertaken in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a review of the literature around the library and information science (LIS) blogosphere, focusing on academic librarian bloggers who maintain their own blog outside of their library workplace. The differences between library and librarian blogs are defined, followed by a brief snapshot of the history, evolution and current landscape of the LIS blogosphere. The review aims to understand what challenges these librarian bloggers face in contentious areas of their blogging practice. Key challenges that emerged were self-presentation and identity, ethical issues, readership and privacy. Through a discussion of these key challenges, issues around anonymity, disclosure, accountability to the profession, the interactivity of blogs and self-censorship come into play. The blurred lines between the personal, public, private and professional in the world of blogs are observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2012, the National Year of Reading (NYR), was celebrated in libraries, schools and community centres throughout Australia. At the University of Adelaide, we celebrated our academic culture of literary teaching and research with a range of programmes and initiatives based in the humanities faculty. The Barr Smith Library played an integral part in supporting the University's literary culture with our collections, services and expertise. This paper describes my role as an embedded librarian in the humanities, and the different areas of professional practice that I employed for NYR in 2012: collection development and promotion; teaching; collaboration with academic colleagues; the use of new educational technologies and social media. It provides an insight into some of the current trends and future opportunities that are shaping the role of the subject librarian in academic libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the importance of information literacy has gained increased recognition, so too have academic library professionals intensified their efforts to champion, activate, and advance these capabilities in others. To date, however, little attention has focused on advancing these essential competencies amongst practitioner advocates. This paper helps redress the paucity of professional literature on the topic of workplace information literacy among library professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a response from the author to his own article "The Proper Status and Functions of Librarians in Academic Institution" from the 1984 volume 33, number 4 issue of "The Australian Library Journal." In this article, he discusses the increased number of students in Australian universities as well as the rise of online information impacting academic libraries. According to the article, this has led to increased acquisition costs for materials and a focus on developing online searching skills, therefore changing responsibilities for academic librarians.

This is a personal reflection of a new librarian from Sydney, Australia. It is a reflection on her previous lives before her LIS education, and her preparedness upon entering the workforce. The author relates how she learned and developed in the first two years of her library employment, and how she found herself working in an academic library in Hong Kong. The author also shares the results of a brief survey of new librarians working in academic libraries in Hong Kong regarding their experiences of LIS education and first years in the profession. The article concludes with some recommendations for other new librarians entering the workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discovery systems are now increasingly the dominant technology through which clients discover and access the information resources held by academic and research libraries. However, as yet, little work has been done to explore the use and impact of discovery systems on user behaviour. This article examines transactional logs from the Ex Libris Primo installation of Curtin University Library sampled between 2013 and 2015, together with the results of a user survey conducted in 2014, to investigate actual patterns of use and perceptions of value in the available discovery system functionality. The evidence collected supports the original contention of discovery system designers that the single-search box approach adopted by Google and other internet search engines is an appropriate form for library catalogue design. On the other hand, discovery system users clearly value functionality corresponding to traditional library tasks over attempts to locate the catalogue in the conceptual framework of social media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a reprint of the article "The Proper Status and Functions of Librarians in Academic Institutions" by Geoffrey Allen from the 1984 volume 33, number four issue of "The Australian Library Journal." The article discusses the perception of academic and professional librarianship and looks at the role of librarians and their job responsibilities, such as book selection, organizing materials, and library management. Also discussed is the comparable work loads of teachers and librarians, despite conflicting perceptions of both positions.

From the information literacy educator's perspective, librarians have the potential to play important roles in strengthening information literacy elements within curricula learning scaffolds. While there needs to be an increased awareness amongst academics about the forms of assistance teaching librarians can provide teachers as integrated curriculum support resources, there is also a need for information literacy librarians to engage in reflective practice in order to break down the self-perceptions and taken-for-granted attitudes that can represent barriers to professional growth and development. In this article, I present a personal case study of one information literacy librarian's experience of coming to accept the role of educator in a tertiary education context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an overview of a research project that was designed as a way to understand the role of Australian academic librarians in internationalising library, university, and higher education practice. In an attempt to discover what it is that librarians actually do, a survey of university librarians was undertaken to find how they develop international experience and perspective, and what it is that they describe as effective institutional practice. The article discusses the findings of the survey and some of the strategies and programs that engage librarians in the internationalisation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to review and analyse historical research related to changes brought on by globalisation in Australian academic libraries. Using relevant literature, this study examines the role of academic librarians in internationalising their own experiences and perspectives for the purpose of improving library, instructional and service activities. In some cases, this has in turn led to increase participation by librarians in institutional leadership such as planning and implementing international education in their own institutions, as well as increased participation organisations and partnership. This article is part one of a larger study; part two will examine results from a survey of current practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the author's experiences with librarian Allan Horton. Appointment of Horton as university librarian at the University of New South Wales in 1965; Appointment of the author as university librarian at the University of Queensland; Rivalry between Gordon Richardson, librarian at the Public Library of New South Wales, and Harold White who had the title of national librarian and control of the upstart new institution of that name.

Presents information about university librarian Allan Horton. Appointment of Horton as university librarian at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, New South Wales; Contributions of Horton to the Library Association of Australia; Opportunity to promote the role of libraries in education.

Vendors' usage statistics for e-resources can be a valuable tool for informing collection management decisions; accordingly, this study looked at their usefulness to New Zealand academic librarians for collection management decision-making. Data were gathered from vendors on usage statistics supplied to the University of Otago for databases and e-journals. Then librarians at academic libraries in New Zealand were surveyed to elicit how useful they found vendors' usage statistics. The study found that New Zealand academic libraries utilized vendors' usage statistics for informing collection management decisions. However there was no significant correlation between the vendors' usage statistics currently provided and those desired by academic librarians. In contrast to previous work, this study found that the usage statistics desired by libraries at different academic libraries varied, and that customizable usage statistics would be valuable. In concurrence with previous studies it was also found that the lack of standardization in vendors' usage statistics limited their usefulness and was a key concern for many academic librarians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]