Search

Background - Compared to native English speakers, English Learners (ELs) often face additional barriers to academic success. Though typically competent in social English, Generation 1.5 ELs struggle with academic English at the postsecondary level and are still considered to be in the process of learning English. As colleges become increasingly linguistically diverse, academic librarians must adapt to support the growing numbers of ELs in the campus community. Objective - This paper aims to provide academic librarians with information on the scope of English Learners in K-12 through postsecondary education, academic challenges of Generation 1.5 students at the postsecondary level, and strategies that librarians can employ to support English learners in the contexts of reference and instruction. Methods - The author searched journals in the disciplines of academic libraries, higher education, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), and linguistics. Additional resources searched include education data and statistics, research institute publications, and English as a New Language (ENL) teaching resources. These sources were explored in regard to the topics of EL educational statistics, K-12 ENL programs, ENL pedagogy, ELs in postsecondary education, Generation 1.5 students, ELs' academic challenges and Results - A review of the literature on ELs in academic libraries, particularly Generation 1.5 students, reveals that Generation 1.5 is a population that is in need of support at the postsecondary level. Because Generation 1.5 students often hold strong social English skills, they may enter college without an EL designation or specialized academic support. However, research shows that Generation 1.5 students struggle with college-level academic English, specifically in grammar and vocabulary. These challenges impact students' communicative success both in college classroom and library environments. Conclusion - Academic librarians may adopt pedagogical strategies commonly employed in ENL classrooms to use in reference and instruction environments. Techniques include themes such as awareness of language use and reinforcement of content, and require low-stakes implementation into library practice. Though librarians may be unaware of the language learning needs of their students, such strategies have shown to be useful for all students. Because techniques that are helpful to ELs also typically benefit all students, these strategies are also applicable to native English speakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Libraries and librarians have dealt with patron privacy issues since their inception, often serving as educators and advocates. In today's social media-filled landscape, patron privacy has moved from the safeguarding of traditional library records to the creation, use, and ownership of information maintained in an online world. As the core educators for many aspects of literacy, librarians need to keep pace with the issues their users face daily. This paper centers on privacy literacy as an independent area of instruction for library sessions. It reviews a theoretical framework to support privacy literacy instruction and showcases resources and tools for creating privacy literacy education. Finally, privacy issues in healthcare are used to demonstrate the potential impact of privacy literacy instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we share background and key considerations of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), and propose introducing library and information science (LIS) students to SoTL as a way to acquaint them with the higher education teaching profession. Throughout the article, we employ reflection as the primary consideration and support structure that frames the benefits of SoTL for instructional growth. Four critical stages of SoTL training, first suggested by Gale and Golde (2004), are recommended for LIS students: Exposure, Encounter, Engagement, and Extension. As instruction responsibilities and opportunities continue to expand in academic librarianship, teaching about SoTL using the four stages may prepare LIS students to quickly adjust to their new roles and engage with other teaching faculty. This article fills a gap in the literature on SoTL in LIS instruction curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. A qualitative study is presented of student perceptions/preferences regarding academic readings formats, and perceptions on these issues of teaching staff (teachers, assistants) and academic librarians. Topics were scope, ways and goals of use of these materials, handling, competences for searching, active use and evaluation of e-materials, scope of planned teaching of these competences at faculties. Students, teachers and librarians came from the same faculties and disciplines: Translating, Design, Engineering, Psychology, LIS. Methods. Two methods were used: web survey for students with 25 questions (only the qualitative part -- open-ended answers -- were analysed), and web interview with 9 questions for teaching staff and librarians. Analysis. Content analysis was used to identify main topics in both sets of results, and results were compared to look for similarities, differences, etc. Results. No differences were identified between different disciplines or levels of study, but analysis identified three groups of answers (learning process, organizational aspects, environmental awareness) within three categories: General attitudes and perceptions on e-materials and printed materials; Actions with e-materials and printed materials; Competences of teachers and librarians. Conclusions. Implications are given regarding teaching process at universities, cooperation between libraries, teachers, and management; and librarians' teachers' competences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many academic librarians in the state of New Jersey (NJ) have successfully integrated information literacy (IL) into the curriculum using the ACRL IL Competency Standards for Higher Education (Standards). These Standards formed the underpinnings of IL curriculum mapping and assessment plans, and have been adopted by administrators in higher education institutions across the state. The advent of the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education (Framework) prompted the author to survey IL coordinators to investigate how their institutions are embracing the opportunities presented by the challenge of looking at IL through this new lens. This paper presents a snapshot of NJ librarians' readiness to adopt the Framework: challenges, opportunities, new approaches to IL integration, and gaining buy-in from relevant campus partners. This study is timely because the Standards were rescinded two months following the administration of the survey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. This paper reports the findings of a study of risk management in public libraries. The focus of the research was to determine whether the libraries had a risk management and disaster plan for major disasters. Method. A qualitative study was done to investigate risk management and disaster recovery in public libraries in South Australia. Seven personal interviews were conducted with library managers and librarians at four public libraries. Analysis. The qualitative results emerging from the interviews were analysed through hand coding using grounded theory. Results. Participants confused risk management and disaster recovery with the practice of work (occupational) health and safety. None of the participating libraries have a risk management or disaster plan. Conclusions. The library managers do not rate the risk of disaster as high, believing that their library is located in a low-risk disaster area. They also do not regard any part of their collections to be of great value. Loss of a collection is perceived as an opportunity to refresh that collection. The participants do not consider risk management and disaster recovery as an important part of their business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information and media literacy are essential for today's children and teens as they navigate an increasingly saturated information environment. Educators at all levels must seek to communicate and teach the skills that students need to evaluate, understand, and use information in engaging and innovative ways. This paper highlights such an effort by librarians and staff at Florida Institute of Technology in the planning and implementation of a camp called "What We Know: Understanding Media and Its Influence." The camp was administered by five library staff and attended by ten teens between the ages of 12 and 16. Throughout the camp, staff used campers' feedback and surveys to gauge the impact of the program. Camper age differences proved to be the biggest challenge to camp success. Overall, 78% of attendees reported that camp was more enjoyable than predicted. Qualitative data gathered through discussion and peerto- peer interactions indicated that, in general, camp attendees gained increased awareness of problematic issues in media. Future camps will include a more focused age range and more hands-on activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of the World Wide Web (WWW) has changed the scholarly publishing system. Today, Open Access (OA) scholarly publishing offers free access and wide dissemination for research findings anytime and anywhere as an additional value for scholarly content. Despite the potentials of OA publishing, its adoption and use is still low. This paper determines factors influencing the adoption and use of OA publishing by academic staff in universities in Nigeria using an adapted Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use Technology (UTAUT). The study applies methodological triangulation by combining quantitative and qualitative approaches. The empirical data were collected from 317 academic staff in universities in southwest Nigeria. The questionnaire forms were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM-SPSS) 19.0 version to generate descriptive statistics, Analysis of Variance, and Hierarchical Multiple Regression. Thematically, analysis also applies to the interviews. The results show that awareness, attitude, performance expectancy, Internet self-efficacy, and facilitating conditions significantly influenced the adoption and use of OA publishing. The study also reveals that due to lack of OA policy, most of the respondents did not know about OA. The findings further establish that all predictors and moderating variables jointly contributed 64.4% total variance towards the adoption and use of OA publishing. One of the implications of this study is that there is a need for adequate facilities to support adoption and use of OA publishing. The findings inform the proposed framework for improving and evaluating the adoption and use of OA publishing. The findings also have theoretical, societal, and methodological significance to all stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Job satisfaction of employees plays a crucial role in determining the general productivity of workers in any organization. The general opinion was that job satisfaction and productivity of librarians in public university libraries in Nigeria were low and a cause for concern. This study investigated the relationship between job satisfaction and productivity of librarians in Nigerian public universities. A correlational survey research design was adopted. The study population consisted of 1,254 librarians in public university libraries in Nigeria, from which 923 were selected using simple random sampling. The research instrument used was a self-developed questionnaire. The questionnaire validation was subjected to the scrutiny experts in the areas of the variables studied; it gave a reliability coefficient of 0.78 for Job Satisfaction; and 0.94 for Productivity. A response rate of 67.2% was achieved. Data were analysed using descriptive (percentage, mean, average mean and standard deviation) and inferential (Pearson Product Moment Correlation) statistics. The study revealed a significant relationship between job satisfaction and productivity (r = 0.025, P < 0.05) of librarians in public university libraries in Nigeria. The study concluded that contrary to general belief, job satisfaction and productivity levels of librarians in university libraries were high. It is recommended that university library management should continue to promote values such as improved employee recognition, good leadership style and improved human capital development programmes that would increase job satisfaction and productivity of its workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of the study is to review the literature related to the use of emerging technologies by university libraries. The primary objective of the study was to examine the core literature related to emerging technologies used in the university libraries and to find out the changing role of the university librarians in these technologically equipped modern libraries. The study also focuses on the attitude of library professionals towards this modern environment. The findings of the study are based upon four themes, they are: "status of emerging technologies in the university libraries", "attitude of librarians towards the emerging technologies", "technological compatibility among the professionals of the libraries" and "barriers in the implementation of emerging technologies". Nevertheless, if there have been many researches performed at university libraries on emerging technologies, this study is primarily aimed at improving understanding of these expanding technologies by the library and information sciences profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores cultural tropes portraying librarians as heroes and superheroes. In this work, the writer has drawn on social reproduction feminist theory to explain the appearance of this emerging librarian stereotype, as well as to help readers better understand the role of academic librarians in today's underfunded and pandemic-ravaged neoliberal university. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronic information resources are gaining popularity in place of traditional print resources due to their mobility, flexibility, and rapid access to current information. Libraries, more than ever, are also devoting a significant portion of their funds on online services. The reason for this research was to determine the barriers to academic staff using electronic databases at the Delta State University Library in Abraka. Three (3) research questions were developed to accomplish this purpose. The study employed a survey method and a questionnaire-based survey to gather information from academic staff at Delta State University, Abraka. The study discovered that HINARI, AJOL, EBSCO Host, JSTOR and AGORA were the types of electronic databases used by the academic staff; respondents use the electronic databases for specific purposes such as thesis/dissertation writing; the study also exposed that lack of user education and guidance on use of databases is the major constraint faced by the respondents. Base on the findings, the study recommend among others that there should be training for the academic librarians on how to use the databases to assist users in their search for information, it also should be regularized and more participants be encouraged to attend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the benefits of relational pedagogy in academic library internships. Internships provide a unique opportunity for librarians to create a highly relational learning environment based on developing meaningful connections with students, as well as facilitating student-to-student and student-to-profession connections. These types of learning relationships enable a collaborative, highly personal approach to teaching and learning and impart a deeper sense of meaning to the internship experience. The authors share their experiences incorporating relational pedagogy and an ethic of care into their long-standing internship programs for undergraduate and graduate students at West Chester University. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of globalization, the demand for English academic writing instruction at the higher education level is experiencing exponential growth. Consequently, it is crucial to conduct research that transcends national, cultural, and disciplinary boundaries in order to address this pressing need. However, there is a scarcity of research examining the intricate and diverse nature of English academic writing instruction across a wide array of national, cultural, and disciplinary contexts, highlighting an area that calls for further investigation. In response to this gap, Anne Golden, Lars Anders Kulbrandstad, and Lawrence Jun Zhang have collaborated as editors on a comprehensive volume titled "Crossing Borders, Writing Texts, Being Evaluated: Cultural and Disciplinary Norms in Academic Writing." This collection aims to inform educators and researchers about the challenges encountered in multilingual contexts of academic writing and propose empirically substantiated solutions and coping strategies. This article provides a summary of each chapter of the volume, highlights notable features, and offers constructive criticism by identifying areas for improvement. Overall, the authors' adeptness in unraveling the complexity and diversity of English academic writing instruction permeates the entire book. Their utilization of empirical studies, insightful findings, practical recommendations, and consideration of diverse contexts all enable their contributions to the field of English academic writing instruction. Consequently, this book serves as an indispensable resource for researchers, educators, and graduate students who seek guidance in navigating the intricacies of teaching and learning academic writing in multilingual contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the experiences of two librarians at Montana State University in negotiating, executing, and managing seven transformative, or read & publish, agreements. The authors offer their perspectives of transformative agreements and share the hurdles and wins they have had along the way, to help others decide if these types of agreements make sense to implement at their own libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As information literacy has developed into one of the library profession's most important guiding principles, library instruction programs have increased in complexity and academic librarian job duties have expanded. This paper broadly tracks the evolution of information literacy instruction through an examination of select literature, as well as teaching-related requirements listed in select professional job advertisements published in ten-year increments from 1973-2013. These advertisements reflect the growing diversity of teaching-oriented positions appearing over time and the increasingly specialized nature of the required qualifications for those positions. The advertisements also demonstrate how information literacy continues to provide a conceptual rationale by which academic librarians establish themselves as central to the educational missions of their institutions. In light of this ongoing process of situating librarians within campus communities as experts in pedagogy, the profession must consider not only how we are preparing new librarians for specialized teaching roles but also how we can meet the challenges and capitalize on the opportunities inherent in the adoption of such roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology is a mobile and integral part of many work places, and computers and other information and communication technology have made many users' work life easier, but technology can also contribute to problems in the cognitive work environment and, over time, create technostress. Much previous research on technostress has focused on the use of digital technology and its effects, measured by questionnaires. This paper applies a distributed cognition perspective to human-technology interaction, investigated through Limesurvey to examine technostress, its effects and measures taken to avoid it among librarians at university libraries in Delhi. About 200 library professionals participated in the study. Data was subjected to correlation and regression analysis analysed through Quickcals (Graphpad software. Analysis reveals high that there exists a high level of technostress among the library professionals engaged in Delhi libraries. Moreover, no any effective measures have been undertaken to combat the phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been longstanding debate about whether the level of complexity of questions received at reference desks and via online chat services requires a librarian's expertise. Continued decreases in the number and complexity of reference questions have all but ended the debate; many academic libraries no longer staff service points with professional librarians. However, convenient, proactive online chat services could reverse the trends. This paper provides results of a study of reference question complexity following implementation of a proactive chat service. The study reveals changes in the complexity of chat questions that may have implications for staffing online reference services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to investigate the roles of information professionals in local information departments. These roles were identified by interviewing the members of the Local Information Working Group of the Provincial University Library Network (PULINET) in Thailand. This study applied qualitative research methods, including the 23 interviews of the Local Information Working Group members and a qualitative observation. The need for investigation of the roles as perceived by local information professionals was prompted by the placement of local information departments in the provincial university libraries, which is different from the Western countries where similar work is carried out in public libraries. The activity theory was applied to understand the roles of these professionals as emerging within their community through the division of labor, norms as expressed in responsibilities, and actions as expressed in functions of local information professionals. The study has revealed eight professional roles including manager, curator, service provider, promoter, researcher, collaborator, learner, and educator that overlap with the roles identified in the library research of other countries. The study included a specific group of respondents - the members of a working group of the Thai provincial university library network. This group consists of the representatives of all Thai provincial university libraries and is producing the recommendations and standards for local information work, works with competence development and develops common local information resources. Thus, the results of interviews with its members are both limited to this group, but also can be generalized to a wider professional community of provincial university librarians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author ponders on the lessons that academic museum professionals can learn from the leadership studies created by academic librarians. Topics include leveraging new perspectives and the power of reframing situations to solve problems in new ways, the similarities in organizational structures, digital and physical collection concerns and variety of research approaches employed in academic library leadership studies.

In 2007, the Chinese University of Hong Kong Library kicked off a conference series with the main theme of 'Academic Librarian.' In 2016, the fourth conference of the series entitled Academic Librarian 4: Sustainable Academic Libraries: Now and Beyond was co-organized by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Library and the Chinese University of Hong Kong Library. The Academic Librarian 4 Conference addresses the multi-dimensional issues of sustainability pertaining to academic libraries under four major themes: (1) Sustainable Environment; (2) Sustainable Resources; (3) Sustainable Technologies; and (4) Sustainable Services. Apart from reviewing the key issues concerning the sustainability of academic libraries brought up by the conference papers, the author also highlights the way in which the Academic Librarian 4 Conference made every effort to make this a sustainable library event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bosniaca is the property of National & University Library of Bosnia & Herzegovina and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The objective of this study is to examine the impact of incorporating user experience study methods into library database purchase and renewal. Purdue University Libraries introduced a heuristic evaluation into an existing yearly database review. Commonly used in usability and human factors engineering, heuristic evaluation is an innovative and dynamic method for librarians to evaluate electronic resources and provide expert feedback to database vendors. A form was developed to streamline the process for the librarians involved. In total, eight librarians evaluated 37 databases as a pilot project. This paper describes the outcome of the pilot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A partnership between Ukraine's National University of Kyiv Mohyla-Academy and Emporia State University in the United States enabled the author to visit Ukraine in 2011 to tour libraries and talk with librarians. Ukrainian librarians are embracing intellectual freedom, but the vestiges of the Soviet legacy can still be seen in aspects ranging from closed stacks to the lack of technology in libraries. This paper discusses the author's experiences and observations and how, almost twenty-five years after the country's independence, Ukrainian libraries continue to develop in ways to enhance the lives and support open information for Ukrainians. It also examines why, even in the wake of recent political upheavals when the country is again facing questions and an uncertain future, hope can still be found in a library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors interviewed ten library consortia leaders and studied the communication tools used by a number of consortia. Library consortia employ a broad range of communication tools to share information with their libraries. Different methods are used for different purposes, but a hierarchy of utility emerged from our study. Certain communication vehicles anchored nearly every communication message, some provided secondary support, and others suited highly specialized needs. This paper reviews shared communication methods, highlights communication best practices, and shares unique communication ideas employed by library consortia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable and effective library video game services can be a challenge to develop and maintain. The University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Libraries explored two common services among academic libraries-a game collection and undergraduate gaming events-and decided to host two game nights as a pilot program. The events were poorly attended, and a subsequent analysis of the unsuccessful events led to a different and innovative approach to supporting games-related research and teaching, based primarily on building effective relationships on and off campus rather than holding open undergraduate events and building collections. This paper discusses the early exploration of video game collections and undergraduate events, the challenges encountered, and the resulting outreach strategies, including programs and activities that leverage access to new gaming technologies, partnerships with student groups, and support of interdisciplinary researchers and instructors. The authors conclude that (a) library video game services should be developed in direct coordination with students or the intended audience, (b) the institutional environment has a major impact on the development of gaming services, and (c) game services are most effective when they support networking, game creation, education, and community outreach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses Seventh European Conference on Information Literacy (ECIL) 2021 which took place online from September 20-23, 2021. It mentions focus on the student's perspective on the development of teaching and learning environments; and also mentions educational architecture of great interest for the library community, especially regarding the pandemic-related increase in hybrid teaching.

During the national crisis, caused by a novel pandemic such as COVID-19 virus infections, people need authentic information to face such a virus. Libraries need to come forward in such a situation as primary sources of trustworthy information by providing rapid and easy access to those seeking authentic information sources. In this crisis, giving Remote Access, Virtual Library, eresources, Ask the Librarian reference services to the user in real-time and at scale for a range of scientific-and policy-related responses can be very significant to the academic and research community. The present study has collected data from authentic information sources, mainly Government official portals of Indian states such as the MyGov COVID-19, UTs, and National/International agencies, etc. After analyzing and studying the data, the authentic information sources served to the research community are listed out. This paper also highlights the ratio of COVID-19 publications and highly cited publication of the same, using the Scopus abstracting databases. This study is an original research work focused on the roles and responsibilities and actions taken by the Library and librarians in crisis situations. Hence this study will help Librarians, Information Providers, Practitioners, Policy Makers, Researchers, and development activity in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Writing is storytelling. In this article I share my story on how I began (and continue) to write for academic publication. Hopefully, you, the reader, will get some ideas from my experiences and suggestions and will feel motivated and enthused to write yourself. I have included some writing exercises that those new to writing may find helpful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trust and authority are emerging as key elements of success on social media environment. In spite of a burgeoning field of social media research, the topic on how institutions earn users' trust and establish their social media authority has received very little attention to date. This study describes how academic librarians strategize in creating trust in social media contents and orient their actions towards the goals of achieving social media authority as information experts. The study is guided by the following research question: What are the trust-creating activities that academic librarians do on library's social media to establish social media authority? Data were collected through interviews with 15 librarians from three Nigerian university libraries. Six themes on trust-creating activities emerged from the findings. Three themes are related to trust-creating activities by individual librarians: (a) post credible and useful social media contents; (b) provide relevant and responsive feedback; and (c) have authorized identification or social media icons. Another two themes are associated with trust-creating activities by librarians as a group: (a) collaborate in assessing social contents; (b) be an authority in library and information services. One trust-creating activity taken by the library management emerged i.e. involving the university authority for content. The researchers offer suggestions for librarians to orient their actions towards the goals of achieving social media authority and the distinctions are made in the trust- creating activities between individual, group and organisation. This paper contributes to the under-researched field investigating the actual implementation of social media authority in libraries. The study has shown that social media authority is built on the platter of users' trust. Based on this observation, we believe that successful implementation of social media in the library is associated with not only how proficient librarians are in social media use, but also how they build their social media contents through trust-creating activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic libraries have long recognised the benefits of integrating information literacy into disciplinary curricula. One model that addresses the common problems of sustainability and scalability of such efforts is the train the trainer model, where academic librarians serve as faculty developers. Improving faculty development efforts requires understanding the methods and strategies of librarians engaged in this work. Using an action research methodology, this paper investigated the experiences of librarians and disciplinary instructors participating in a course redesign program at a large, public university in the midwestern United States, in order to identify effective strategies for engaging with disciplinary instructors about information literacy. Findings include focusing on pragmatic, contextual ways in which students will need to use information in the future, providing professional development opportunities for librarians to further develop faculty development skills, and prioritising strong collaborations between librarians and other academic units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School library educators often assign a curation assignment to preservice school librarians in the university classroom. However, these projects emphasize a product created by librarians for teachers and learners, rather than the collaborative and critical process that the National School Library Standards suggest. In this paper, we draw on data from a qualitative inquiry of several courses for preservice school librarians, looking at both curation assignment descriptions and the final products. Through a systematic content analysis of these projects, we have found that these assignments often fall short in asking our learners to critically consider conceptual connections and diverse perspectives. To this end, we identify revisions to these assignments that reframe curation as a collaborative, conceptual, critical endeavor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic librarians deliver information literacy instruction (ILI) to students, engage with a range of stakeholders, and work in a range of learning environments that are continually changing. While past research has focused on the perceptions of librarians regarding their role in ILI, this has not been a significant focus of research in the Australian higher education context. This study set out to explore the perceptions of six practising academic librarians at a regional Australian university, seeking to understand their perceptions of information literacy (IL), their role in ILI and the challenges they face in this role. The participants did not have a consensus on the nature of IL, despite having a clear definition from the institution. Librarians felt they had both an educative and supportive role and that they brought expertise and authority to ILI. Librarians noted that their ILI supported the broader function of the university to meet internal policies and external regulatory requirements. Librarians suggested that an integrated approach to ILI at the institution would improve librarians' agency in supporting students. The analysis of the findings led to the development of a model for the delivery of effective ILI for this institution. The findings of this study contribute to the existing body of IL research by (a) giving voice to the views of academic librarians working in a regional Australian university, and (b) highlighting the challenges that academic librarians face when delivering ILI at their institution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given academia’s frequent use of publication metrics and the inconsistencies in metrics across disciplines, this study examines how various disciplines are treated differently by metric systems. We seek to offer academic librarians, university rank and tenure committees, and other interested individuals guidelines for distinguishing general differences between journal bibliometrics in various disciplines. This study addresses the following questions: How well represented are different disciplines in the indexing of each metrics system (Eigenfactor, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar)? How does each metrics system treat disciplines differently, and how do these differences compare across metrics systems? For university libraries and academic librarians, this study may increase understanding of the comparative value of various metrics, which hopefully will facilitate more informed decisions regarding the purchase of journal subscriptions and the evaluation of journals and metrics systems. This study indicates that different metrics systems prioritize different disciplines, and metrics are not always easily compared across disciplines. Consequently, this study indicates that simple reliance on metrics in publishing or purchasing decisions is often flawed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Having the policies and procedures for individuals to easily move into and out of term-limited, administrative positions supports a holistic view of an academic career path. While this is normative for our academic colleagues, it is less common for academic librarians. Typically, librarians in administrative positions (chief librarians for example) either stay in those roles, seek other similar roles, or retire from those roles. Returning to the ranks is surprisingly rare and not well- enabled through transparent processes. This paper explores the experiences of four chief librarians who returned to the ranks following term appointments. It examines the resultant issues and makes recommendations on how to improve the situation. The conclusions offer advice for universities, libraries, and librarian administrators. This paper is based on a presentation to the annual conference of the Canadian Association of Professional Academic Librarians, Brock University, May 25-26, 2014. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the state of academic librarianship in Japan and the ongoing efforts to improve the low professional status of Japanese academic librarians. The current use of online information literacy tutorials on Japanese academic library websites is examined through a quantitative content analysis of academic library websites in the United States, Canada and Japan. The data gathered indicates a significant gap between the use of online information literacy tutorials in the United States and Canada and their use in Japan. Improved professional development in Web 2.0 tools and technologies for Japanese academic librarians is suggested as a means to achieving both the broad societal goals of information literacy education and the specific goal of improving the professional status of academic librarians in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ryerson is a dynamic university in the heart of Toronto, the largest and most diverse city in Canada. In the last decade the university has undergone rapid expansion from a 9000 student polytechnic to a comprehensive university of almost 30,000 students, offering programs at all levels. The three goals of the University’s 2008 Master Plan are: urban intensification; people first (pedestrianization of the urban environment); and a commitment to design excellence. At the Master Plan announcement Sheldon Levy, Ryerson President, said “With energetic partnerships and great ideas, our aim is to move Ryerson and Toronto forward together”. Numerous inventive partnerships have been formed since then. The first new building since the Master Plan was the Ryerson Image Centre (RIC), which houses a large image bank of 20th century photo-journalism from the Black Star Agency. Next, the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC) rose from Maple Leaf Gardens, an iconic 1930s building famous for ice hockey, Elvis, and the Beatles. In partnership with a national grocery chain the MAC houses new student athletic facilities, an ice arena, and a huge supermarket. Third is the Student Learning Centre (SLC), to be built on Yonge Street, the major spine of Toronto. The current Library is a 1970s brutalist book warehouse. This building is completely inadequate in size, functionality and ambience for our users. The new SLC, designed by Snøhetta (Oslo) and Zeidler (Toronto) satisfies the three tenets of the Master Plan. It will provide a window and gateway to Ryerson. The transparent building will focus on student learning support, individual study and collaborative space. There will be no bookstacks. The two library buildings will be organically connected. Retail stores will occupy the street face at ground level and below, to revitalize the street. Completion is planned for 2015. This paper describes the philosophy, the landscape, the planning, the design, the collaborations, and the challenges of this exciting project. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The findings from a paper-based review of the joint participation of professors and librarians in the development of informational skills of university students are described in this paper. Likewise, the differences regarding how both of them recognize the concept of "informational competencies" are presented. For such research, a comprehensive review of the related literature was carried out and the retrieved documents published in relation to previously established topics, especially in Mexico and Latin America, were analyzed too. The literature highlights the collaboration professor-librarian and its impact in student's learning, nonetheless, one factor stands out in the results of the research, the papers published by faculty members reporting their experiences on the topic are minimum, librarians are the big contributors. This study is framed in a research carried out for obtaining a Ph.D. degree. [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]

This case study documents how a structured group of library staff coordinates external communications and promotions activities at the University of Regina, a mid-sized liberal arts, publicly funded, post-secondary institution in Western Canada. The paper discusses the value of having promotions activities tied to objectives in a library's strategic plan. There is a discussion about promotions strategies undertaken within the library, with other academic and administrative units on campus, and with organizations off campus. Implementing an undergraduate library award has been the most ambitious project and, along with purchasing branded promotions items, has required the most funding. The author illustrates how library staff, having little or no promotions experience but possessing creativity and a desire to inform and collaborate, can run a successful external communications and promotions program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research shows that undergraduate students struggle with the initial stage of the research process, mainly identifying and defining a topic. Little current research addresses how undergraduates engage in this process, including how and where they seek help. The results of focus groups indicate that students have individual and varied methods for topic selection, but that many of them choose topics based on their perception of a few major characteristics, mainly perceived ease, pleasing the instructor/following the assignment, personal relatability and/or interest, and the ability to locate sufficient resources to research a topic. Many students identified their instructor as a person to ask for assistance, but fewer recognized a librarian's role in this process. This article identifies how embedded librarians might better assist students with this difficult piece of the research process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research funding bodies recognize the importance of infrastructure and services to organize and preserve research data, and academic research libraries have been identified as locations in which to base these research data services (RDS). Research data services include data management planning, digital curation (selection, preservation, maintenance, and archiving), and metadata creation and conversion. We report the results of an empirical investigation into the RDS practices of librarians in US and Canadian academic research libraries, establishing a baseline of the engagement of librarians at this early stage of widespread service development. Specifically, this paper examines the opinions of the surveyed librarians regarding their preparedness to provide RDS (background, skills, and education), their attitudes regarding the importance of RDS for their libraries and institutions, and the factors that contribute to or inhibit librarian engagement in RDS. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The paper is jointly written by an academic and librarian and discusses the value and impact of two examples of cross professional collaboration at Sheffield Hallam University. The collaborations addressed information and academic literacy skills development of 640 students across four years and involved a librarian, an academic, an academic skills tutor and an e-learning expert. The paper includes analysis on the value and impact of cross-professional collaborations in developing student information literacy (IL) and academic literacy skills. It concludes with discussion of lessons learned and best practice recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the results of a citation analysis of the scholarly literature of LGBT Studies. EBSCO's LGBT Life database was used to gather a sample of 4,321 citations from core scholarly journals in the field of LGBT Studies, covering the time period 1974 to 2010. The analysis reveals that, although LGBT Studies as an area of scholarship emerged from the gay rights activist movement of the 1960s and 1970s, the field's literature appears to be firmly rooted in the mainstream academic literature rather than in popular publications or community and activist periodicals. However, the field has a very high rate of cross-disciplinary citation and cites particularly heavily from medical journals and books. In addition to illuminating the citation characteristics of LGBT Studies, this paper presents lists of highly cited books and journals that should prove useful for subject librarians supporting LGBT Studies programs. [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]