Search

The researchers surveyed English and Speech & Theater faculty members at Queensborough Community College on their perceptions of and attitudes toward plagiarism. The researchers used the Queensborough Community College Academic Integrity Policy as the basis for their analysis. Based on the responses received, it was determined that 50% of the respondents did not clearly understand the institutional definition of plagiarism or academic integrity and/or did not properly apply the College's guidelines. The researchers determined there was a strong need for faculty development programming on the interpretation, use, and application of the Academic Integrity Policy at this institution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subject specialists create pathfinders, toolkits, and subject guides to help patrons find information. These guides have evolved from colorful paper handouts to detailed, Web-based tools. Web-based subject guides work best when librarians are able to create their own Web content. Many tools, such as blogs, wikis, and content management systems, allow nonprogrammers to update Web content on their own. Software designed specifically for creating subject guides further simplifies the task by making it easy to create and maintain interactive, multimedia pathfinders incorporating Web 2.0 features. Web-based and locally hosted options are available. LibGuides, a Web-based tool, has a strong user base and encourages collaboration among libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the communist history of the Tamiment Library at New York University in New York City. History of the library; Collection of works documenting the history of socialism, communism and anarchism from all theoretical perspectives.

During the summer of 2002, Cornell University Library implemented the Cornell University Library Junior Fellows Program—an initiative aimed at introducing high school students of color to academic libraries and librarianship. The six-week program was developed in response to the need for innovative approaches to the recruitment and retention of people of color to the academic library profession. Additionally, the program sought to support the academic achievement of minority students through involvement in research and technology training opportunities. This paper outlines the program's curriculum, performance out- comes, and challenges, and includes discussion of the need for similar programs or initiatives to be designed and implemented at other libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Binghamton University Libraries implemented an IM reference service using the Trillian client to monitor multiple IM accounts at two distinct reference service points. This paper addresses the process and practical considerations of implementing the service including selection of the appropriate software, creation of IM accounts for each service, development of a staffing schedule, and training of reference staff. Also included is an outline of future plans for improving IM services for students and academic library users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focus of this research study is a web-based reference tracking tool called Gimlet. Surveys were sent to State University of New York at Oswego (SUNY Oswego) librarians and to librarians and staff in the United States and abroad. Results indicated that SUNY Oswego librarians find Gimlet a useful and convenient tool that helps them feel productive while generating informative statistics. Respondents outside SUNY Oswego found Gimlet easy to administer and customize, but required improved functionality to generate reports. The reports are valuable to librarians and administrators for evaluating programs. Although Gimlet is user friendly, a library's needs vary according to customizable options and in the generating of reports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the Soviet Union and its challenge to the West recede, we still have much to learn about the Slavic book trade and about the rise of the great Russian, East European, and Eurasian area studies collections in academic libraries in 20th-century North America. Who were the book dealers behind these collections, which still inform so much discovery and knowledge-making today? What can we learn about these personalities and their work? One such book dealer was George Sabo (1896–1983), who followed two brothers to Pittsburgh in 1913 but made his career in New York after 1920, first with a "steamship agency" for fellow immigrants. As a Carpatho-Rusyn from the Kingdom of Hungary, Sabo took his outlook and cultural capital from an ethno-religious group at the very center of the Slavic world and in remarkable symbiosis with nearly all its peoples, languages, identities, and states. Sabo's native village (Orechová) became part of Czechoslovakia after World War I and his wife's (Haidosh) part of the Soviet Union after World War II. Sabo's Carpatho-Rusyn-ness equipped him well as a Slavic-American book dealer and enterprising New Yorker, and we can illuminate much of his life, family, network, surroundings, and career in the city and beyond from many kinds of sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As e-resources become more ubiquitous, and the technologies available to access them more sophisticated, libraries have greater opportunities to reach out to global users. However, this same distance means that some users never even set foot in a physical library. This case study will describe how one large academic library started a business, economics, and marketing library online instruction pilot for global users in an effort to replicate library instruction offered at the home institution. Librarians assessed global library use and research needs; prepared unique lesson plans for each global site; and created digital learning objects using synchronous and asynchronous methods to establish an instruction strategy for Business and Economics courses. The goal was to test instruction practices and develop an online instruction template that would be replicable and sustainable for library instruction in other subject areas in New York University Libraries and other institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the usability testing of a responsively redesigned library Web site. Responsive design provides a unified user experience regardless of the device used to view a site. The study's aim is twofold: to determine if the responsively designed site and its external online services support users’ information seeking needs, and to discover if there is a singular experience across different devices. A cognitive walkthrough was the main testing instrument used in gathering input. Over two rounds of testing, students of various class years and technological skill from the New York City of Technology (City Tech), CUNY participated in the study. The first round of testing for this usability study on the library Web site was previously documented (Tidal 2015). This article presents the findings and comparisons between the first and second round of usability testing. The study found not only numerous improvements that could enhance the library Web site, but also the lack of a unified experience between tablet, smartphone, and desktop users, despite using a responsive design. Smartphone users were at a disadvantage in utilizing library resources. The study also found there was a significant usability impact in using a mobile-optimized discovery tool among users in comparison to its Web OPAC predecessor. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Like many other libraries, Cornell University Library uses Google Analytics (GA) to track website usage. GA, designed to support Google’s primary revenue stream, advertising, has many strengths, including cost (free). Given our tradition in libraries to protect reader privacy, a compelling argument can be made that Google Analytics is inappropriate for libraries. After a review of alternatives to GA following Edward Snowden's revelations, we selected Piwik (piwik.org) as a replacement for GA. Piwik is a free, open source, and most importantly, supports local data collection. We summarize what some of the library literature says about web analytics tools, explain why we selected Piwik, and describe what is involved when migrating from GA to Piwik. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

How does a smaller, fully online academic library offer a wide and deep collection of academic level e-books to its distance learners in a sustainable and affordable way? The State University of New York (SUNY) Empire State College Online Library, with a staff of four, has used demand-driven e-book acquisitions since September 2013. Despite widespread publisher price increases, this DDA program continues to deliver quality content to users. This presentation will explore the e-book demand-driven acquisition (DDA) model in the context of that implementation. This will include in-depth analysis of usage data and costs, as well as impacts on course development, budget and inter-library loan. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article describes a project documenting and analyzing the electronic resource workflows for the library at Baruch College, CUNY (City University of New York). The presenter discusses her approach, how background research informed the documentation process, and explains the methodology and framework used to analyze the lifecycle of the electronic resources. Multiple interviews conducted with staff, faculty, and stakeholders involved in these workflows offered clarification of the steps involved and afforded the opportunity to delve into lengthier discussions about the process. This presentation highlights some outcomes of the project, focusing on “gaps” in the lifecycle, indications of where the workflow could be streamlined, and examples of beneficial conversations within library departments. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The researchers conducted a task-based usability test of the effectiveness of online research beginning on the library Web site homepage. The participants included five university faculty members, six graduate students, and six undergraduate students. All participants reported feeling satisfied with their overall research experience, though most were unable to effectively complete all the research tasks of the test. The researchers identified weaknesses in the approach and process of many participants, and overall usability issues of the library discovery tool and other library Web site pages and research interfaces. Findings indicate the need to strategically incorporate self-service information literacy and research skills help into the library Web site, and to implement navigation and design changes to the library homepage, discovery tool interface, online catalog, and across all the library's Web services. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article details the evolution of an action research project over the fall of 2011 through the spring of 2014. The project investigates the engagement of social work students at the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College with library resources and services. In addition to a review of the literature and a contextualizing discussion around the status of information literacy instruction in social work, the article describes the development and use of an online assessment tool, the introduction of new information literacy instruction strategies and materials including online research guides, and a discussion of the descriptive and inferential findings generated from 3 years of survey data. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In Spring 2012, instruction librarians collaborated with first year composition (FYC) faculty to study students’ research habits as they related to writing. We collected process narratives from students in the introductory FYC course at the beginning and end of the fall semester, and a group of librarians and FYC faculty coded them together. Although we did not achieve one of our initial research goals, we still gained valuable insight into how our students perceive sources and the research process. We applied what we learned to create new instructional materials and developed a valuable relationship with FYC faculty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The landscapes of libraries’ print collection have changed significantly over the past decades. On an institutional level, libraries need to evaluate available resources, local researchers’ needs, and find the right balance between print and electronic material in order to support parent institutions’ development and growth. On a national level, we have seen different schemes being developed in several countries to support libraries’ activities in a time of change. When more and more libraries are adopting electronic-only policies, what impact does losing print have? This article aims to share United Kingdom (UK) Research Reserve’s experience so far and how the UK Higher Education (HE) sector dealt with challenges and uncertainties through collaboration and partnership. It also explores further opportunities within and beyond the UK borders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the support of the library, the faculty, and the administration, Allegheny College recently adopted the strongest type of Open Access policy, a mandate for all faculty scholarship to be placed in the college’s institutional repository. The library’s Head of Technical Services tells how the policy came to be approved and how it is being implemented by the library. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In 2009, the Technology Development Team at the New York-based Information Delivery Services (IDS) Project created IDS Search, a consortial catalog that promoted the group's collection and interlibrary loan features equally with the local collection and local availability. Because the success of IDS Search relied heavily on users fully understanding the different types of availability, the authors conducted usability studies to investigate how well users could determine how to locate materials and understand the availability of items. Eye-tracking analysis was used to determine how well users understood availability, related text, and meanings of terms. The studies found that users had difficulty navigating the functions of the online public access catalog (OPAC) and could not easily differentiate among items that were immediately available, available in a few days, or available online as a preview. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), located in western New York, strives to deliver the same quality library services to its students and faculty located across the globe as those living in the Rochester area. In addition to an array of distance courses and online programs, RIT also has international campuses located in Kosovo, Croatia, and Dubai. Students at these campuses have access to the wealth of resources maintained by the RIT Library but are often unfamiliar with what is available and how to use those resources. Teaching and supporting students in the use of the available resources is a challenge considering distances and time zones, but also overcoming differences in culture can be an additional contributing factor impeding usage. Utilizing a blend of technology tools to provide real-time instruction; annual in-person librarian visits to the campuses; virtual library office hours; Web-based tutorials; subject and course level library guides; multiple forms of communication; and library integration within courseware; all work together to reduce barriers and strengthen relationships, better serving RIT's international campus populations for students and faculty alike. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes a nearly decade-long partnership between three institutions representing school, public, and academic settings in Westchester County, New York. The program, designed to improve the academic performance of local high school students, is unique due to the extensive contact students have with academic librarians during the school year, including two day-long orientations and individual consultation sessions. Using experiences as partners in this collaborative effort, interviews with six teachers and librarians, and the existing literature, this article identifies best practices and key factors for academic libraries that are considering or currently providing instructional and outreach activities to high schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes a multi-year project in which a small specialized academic library worked to restore and optimize its print serial holdings for preservation and access. After a review of the literature the article focuses on project work flow, preservation, bibliographic control, and the criteria for decision-making processes among the librarians to determine appropriate titles to keep or discard. Provided are data collected on titles, some statistics, and tentative future plans to augment access and digitize holdings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circulation data sets at Columbia University Libraries were organized, analyzed, and visualized by examining types of patrons and their circulation activities. Patrons examined included: Graduate students, Undergraduate students, Officers and Faculty, and Visitors. Circulation activities are defined as: charges, renewals, holds, and recalls. Policy decisions, usage patterns, and learning curves were detected system-wide, and those concerning loan periods and borrowing permissions impacted activity immediately. The data validated common understandings of usage patterns and verified that faculty hold books longest, that overall activity has declined, and that patrons have adapted to online transactions. This article discusses academic years 2003–04 to 2009–10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article summarizes the author's dissertation regarding search strategies of millennial undergraduate students in Web and library online information retrieval systems. Millennials bring a unique set of search characteristics and strategies to their research since they have never known a world without the Web. Through the use of search engines, they have come to expect that searches can be completed using an easy, single search box that produces complete articles on just about any topic. However, the reliability and quality of much of the information on the Web is questionable. Conversely, information that resides in library information retrieval systems is often of high scholarly content, but there is not a single, user-friendly system for millennials to use. A case study investigation was conducted at the State University of New York at Oswego, a public undergraduate university in Central New York. The goal of the study was to identify the search strategies of a sampling of millennial undergraduate students in both Web information retrieval systems and library information retrieval systems in order to expand upon existing theories about millennials and to suggest interface design enhancements, which could make online library information retrieval systems easier for millennials to use. The findings recommend improving database search functionality, such as natural-language searching, spell-checking, and uniform full-text wording and placement. Results also suggested that increasing the availability of full-text articles would contribute to millennials’ use of library information retrieval systems. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

University at Buffalo undergraduate students are required to complete a non-credit-bearing information competency assessment prior to graduation, preferably within their first year of study. Called the Library Skills Workbook, this assessment has evolved from a short, print-based quiz into a sophisticated, multi-module tutorial and assessment on the Blackboard courseware platform (http://www.blackboard.com). The author presents a case study describing the usefulness of a large-scale, online information competency requirement to meet the developing research needs of undergraduate students. The case presented includes specifics of measured information proficiencies, the benefits and challenges of using Blackboard courseware, student learning outcomes, user and faculty feedback, and the introduction of a new, alternate version of the Workbook that is targeted to engineering students. Practical issues regarding the administration, maintenance, and marketing of the requirement are addressed as well. The author details her efforts and those of university administrators to enforce Workbook completion in students' initial year of study, as well as ongoing plans to rename the Workbook to better demonstrate the currency and relevance of its measured competencies. Future projects are also discussed, including the author's collaboration with her colleagues to create additional discipline-specific Workbook versions and, where possible, to integrate those directly into undergraduate coursework and curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Future Voices in Public Services column is a forum for students in graduate library and information science programs to discuss key issues they see in academic library public services, to envision what they feel librarians in public service have to offer to academia, to tell us of their visions for the profession, or to tell us of research that is going on in library schools. We hope to provide fresh perspectives from those entering our field, in both the United States and other countries. Interested faculty of graduate library and information science programs who would like their students' ideas represented in these pages are invited to contact Nancy H. Dewald at nxd7@psu.edu. Sara E. Grozanick is a student in the School of Information and Library Science (SILS) at the Pratt Institute, New York. Recognizing the significance of the Open Access movement to the advancement of scholarship, here she writes a bibliographic essay on research into the citation impact of open access journal articles. The School of Information and Library Science (SILS) at the Pratt Institute located in Manhattan and offering LIS education since 1890, features a curriculum based on Cultural Informatics and World Information, Society & Environments (WISE). The program reflects the arts orientation of Pratt and its alliance with cultural institutions in the city such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Public Library, and the Brooklyn Museum. The nearly 400 students who attend Pratt-SILS onsite have the opportunity to select a master's program resulting in a MS in Library and Information Science or a MSLIS with Library Media Specialist Certification, archives certificate, or dual degree programs resulting in a MSLIS/MS History of Art, a MSLIS/MFA Digital Arts, or a MSLIS/JD with Brooklyn Law School. ***** [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Search engine use is one of the most popular online activities. According to a recent OCLC report, nearly all students start their electronic research using a search engine instead of the library Web site. Instead of viewing search engines as competition, however, librarians at Binghamton University Libraries decided to employ search engine optimization strategies to make their Web site more visible on the search engine result pages. Although search engine optimization is used frequently by commercial Web sites, few libraries have attempted to optimize their own sites. This article describes Binghamton University's experiences in developing and implementing an optimization pilot project. The research presented in this article has importance for libraries who may be considering an optimization project for their own sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lloyd Scaly Library of John Jay College of Criminal Justice started as a small collection of books in the corner of the New York City Police Academy. A little over four decades later, it now contains one of the best collections of criminal justice materials in the world. Despite fiscal setbacks and tough times for the University and the College, the Library staff has managed to build a comprehensive collection, placing great emphasis on the access of those materials by the entire criminal justice community. This article traces the story of the Library from its roots to the present time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an interview with Robert F. McDonald, assistant curator and associate director for Collection Services of the New York University (NYU) School of Medicine Library. McDonald spoke about the NYU School of Medicine's project to catalog the research interests of faculty members. McDonald said that the project was started as an outgrowth of NYU Faculty Council's Academic Affairs Committee. McDonald reported that the project contains academic and demographic information.