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In recent years, many libraries have experimented with the idea of creating makerspaces in their facilities. Library makerspaces provide patrons with opportunities to experiment not only with different technologies, but [...]

It is essential that librarians providing financial literacy programming understand how their programming ties in with the available personal finance literature. Consequently, this article intends to explore the interplay between the differing audiences, content and goals addressed by the popular personal finance genre and financial literacy library programming respectively. The author will explore how library programming and the most popular financial literacy resources compare and contrast, and address how overlap, and the surprising degree of separation between these mediums, will impact the financial literacy education accessible to various demographic groups and the role library programming may play in the movement to come., In the United States, financial literacy is a term used almost ubiquitously in a negative context: for instance, in discussing that among young Americans with a college education only 49 [...]

Dave Tyckoson, and Nicolette Warisse Sosulski met because Sara Kelly Johns, a mutual friend, told them 'you have to meet each other! I don't know that I know anybody else [...]

Our global economy has become so complex that the gap between what people know about economics and personal finance, and what they need to know, is widening every day. --Council [...]

Web-scale discovery is a vexing issue for contemporary libraries. Everybody is doing it differently and no one seems satisfied. For all the various conference presentations and journal articles, it can still be difficult to find takeaways that will suit your own library Jeremy Darrington's column is unique in that it not only catalogs Princeton's unique experiences and offers broadly applicable advice on implementing a discovery layer. Whether your library has already chosen a product or is still debating whether any of them are worth it, I hope this piece assists you in managing change.--Editor, Over the last few years, changing user expectations and new technologies have led libraries to rethink their approach to helping users more easily discover the breadth of print and electronic [...]

As noted in this column in RUSQ 48(2) ('Building on a Firm Foundation: Readers' Advisory Over the Next Twenty Five Years'), one of the challenges facing readers' advisors in the [...]

No matter how you define it, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a hot topic. From community investing to business ethics to environmental sustainability and beyond, proponents of CSR view the [...]

Through a review of the literature, the author sought to identify what assessment planning practices exist in libraries, how the assessment planning process works in libraries, and what components constitute a library assessment plan. The findings suggest that, while libraries determine and report a great many aspects of organizational performance, general assessment planning (which encompasses total organizational impact and value) is not frequently used or integrated into the library's comprehensive strategic planning process, and it does not always effectively cover the scope of the assessment activities and information needed by organizational leaders and administrators to develop effective strategic plans and decisions. This lack of integration creates disconnects between the library's ability to determine and report organizational value and the library's need to provide accountability evidence to stakeholders and use the performance measurement results effectively in executing strategic planning and decision making. Using the findings of the review, the author proposes an alternative set of assessment planning components and focus areas. KEYWORDS administrators, assessment, organizational performance, planning, stakeholders, strategic planning, value DOI: 10.1080/01930826.2010.489007

Cloud computing and Web collaboration are shaping 21st-century libraries. These 2 developments seem to be behind the newest developments in library services and are driving library automation. The 2 are impacting library work by providing the library administrator with opportunities, especially for greater synergies among various individuals over dispersed locations. While the literature indicates ambivalence about these twin developments among library and information professionals, the administrators of distance library services have no choice but to engage in the use of cloud computing technologies and Web collaboration in order to remain relevant to users. Unfortunately, in doing this, distance services librarians will need to trade off ownership and control, trusting outsiders, while teaching users to be critical of the information gathered from collaborative sources. KEYWORDS collaboration, cloud, distance library services, Web DOI: 10.1080/01930826.2010.488995

Reaching and teaching users in the diffuse, multigadget, online/mobile world is a significant challenge facing libraries. This article discusses bow the ANimated Tutorial Sharing Project (ANTS) production model provides libraries with a sustainable approach to building large numbers of multimedia learning objects that are useful beyond one library. It will also discuss bow ANTS file conversion and syndication efforts mean that these learning objects (1) can be made highly visible to users accessing content via a computer or smart phone and (2) enable libraries to establish a meaningful electronic presence for the purpose of providing point-of-need information literacy. KEYWORDS collaboration, contributor incentives, flash tutorials, information literacy, library visibility, mobile devices, open educational resources, virtual teamwork DOI: 10.1080/01930826.2010.488961

Microblogs are ubiquitous participant Web technologies that enable users to share information, interact with content, and generate resources. Librarians can use these applications for library services, instructional activities, and event promotion. For librarians and patrons, these technologies can be combined with other social media to develop personal learning networks (PLNs) for teaching, learning, and research. As PLN tools, microblogs can provide librarians with many opportunities to build cohorts of professional support and gain access to materials not readily accessible in traditional formats. This article provides an overview of issues to consider when using microblogs as library tools. KEYWORDS microblogs, participant Web, social media DOI: 10.1080/01930826.2010.488951

In today's climate of accountability in higher education, most colleges and universities--and therefore academic libraries--consider student learning the cornerstone of their missions. Reference service is one area in which libraries [...]

The new, social Web is fun and easy to use. The same cannot usually be said of library Web sites and digital resources. Libraries would benefit from incorporating aspects of the Read/Write Web into their services. This article examines how libraries currently erect barriers to service and provides an example of bow these barriers could be eliminated by the creation of a social library research environment. KEYWORDS Usability, Web 2.0, databases

The automated library system (ALS) has undergone significant changes since its inception in the 1970s. It is no longer simply a database to house and retrieve a library's holdings. It has become an integrated library system (ILS) comprised of robust clusters of systems involving every process and module related to libraries. The Internet, open source, the increase in electronic resources, and the rising expectations of library users are changing the nature of the ILS. Library vendors are at times struggling to keep up with the demand for new services while providing support for existing services. This article details the evolving role of the ILS and discusses where it could and should be headed. KEYWORDS Integrated library system (ILS), library automation

A study was conducted to demonstrate the use of artificial neural network (ANN) and data-mining (DM) technologies as a good approach for satisfying the requirements of library users. Findings indicate that the adaptive resonance theory and Apriori mining techniques can be used to improve the accuracy of the recommendations for reading materials in libraries.

The 'wow!' of the Web often conceals its defects. Librarians, who should know better, are just as guilty as all other Web users, fooled by the ormolu that is the Web. The defects of the Web are legion, and the longer it remains, the more familiar we become with its weaknesses as a primary research tool. Herewith are reasons why the Internet cannot (and should not) replace a real library, and why librarians, and anyone else who knows the difference between a fact and factoid, should care. KEYWORDS. Internet, web, Google, information literacy, information, libraries and the web

Librarians, as the scientific community's purchasing agent, seem to be in a no-win situation: they do not entirely trust their providers and their customers want more for less; they are caught between the cultures of commerce and science. The historical traditions of these cultures are explored at length. The differing opinions on the 'Big Deal' demonstrate the problem but we are now seeing signs of cultural emergence. There are also signs of a rapprochement, and this can be furthered by taking a fresh look at concepts of 'value' and 'cost.' Librarians and publishers can work together for a common cause using new technology and new commercial models to help advance science. KEYWORDS. Business ethics, impact factor, open access, peer review, pricing, publishing

The relationship between OCLC Online Computer Library Center and its member institutions worldwide is formalized in the Members Council. This body, representing OCLC's constituent networks and service centers, has a key role in helping the OCLC Board of Trustees and management determine the future direction of the cooperative. Its core responsibilities include electing six trustees to the fifteen-member Board, and approving or rejecting changes to OCLC's Articles of Incorporation and Code of Regulations, the corporation's founding documents. The Members Council also represents the interests of libraries to OCLC. While the Board, Council, and management do not agree on all issues, their relationships are characterized by extensive interaction and mutual respect. KEYWORDS. OCLC, Members Council, libraries, membership, networks, governance, strategy

When an information provider works with multiple vendors, the library/vendor/producer relations can be complex, as the American Psychological Association (APA) has discovered. APA's philosophy of 'we want to be where our customers want to find us' appears to serve both customers and the association well, but putting this philosophy into practice requires careful attention. The benefits and complications related to delivering a provider's products on multiple platforms are reviewed, using the APA experiences as a model. APA seeks librarian counsel and subsequently puts the advice into practice. KEYWORDS. Electronic products, psychological information, vendor relations, databases, journals, books, PsycINFO, librarian feedback, advisory boards, database licensing

Increase in library use due to computer-based services and growing popularity of e-books are discussed.

The role of library in a wired society is discussed. It is suggested that there should be change and development in services offered by libraries.

The development of a new method of providing instruction involves many different issues. This paper examines a pilot project in which videoconferencing was used to provide library instruction to students at remote campuses. The librarians initiating this new service confronted the issues of training, adaptation of instruction techniques to the new formal, and collaboration with faculty and administrative staff. They also dealt with administrative issues such as scheduling classes and facilities and staff scheduling. This paper examines how this cross-departmental project developed and was supported, how the initial training was conducted, and how existing class outlines were adapted. Also discussed are the lessons learned from the initial sessions. Varied administrative and collaborative challenges face the library, faculty, and departmental administrators as this project moves from pilot project status into a regular and required part of the curriculum. KEYWORDS. Technology, library instruction, distance learners

Beginning in the 1990s, various academic units within our health sciences institution moved aggressively toward providing courses and programs via distance education. Without a centralized campus distance education office, distance library services from our campus evolved sporadically in response to individual needs. In 2001, the library hired its first distance services librarian, whose primary responsibility was to develop a written distance library services plan. In accordance with the ACRL Guidelines for Distance Learning Library Services, the library determined that the formulation of an effective plan required a formal needs assessment of the faculty providing distance education. In this paper, we will discuss the process for developing this needs assessment, based on focus groups and a written survey instrument. We will also address some of the challenges we faced with this approach. Preliminary data identified copyright clearance and lack of awareness regarding library services as the major barriers to distance faculty seeking course support from the library. KEYWORDS. Distance education, library services, assessment, faculty

This presentation reports the results of a project to extend the services and resources of Brigham Young University's Harold B. Lee Library to distance education students located in many areas of the world. Focusing on students enrolled in university-level English courses, the project team created a one-stop, integrated Web portal of library services and resources in Independent Study courses. This Library portal includes links to subscription databases, interlibrary loan, and personal reference services such as Ask a Librarian Live. The project team promoted faculty members' use of library research in the assignments for their Independent Study English courses. Finally, to ascertain the success of the project and make recommendations for further implementation and improvement, the project team tracked the students' use of library resources for their English courses and evaluated their experience with the portal. The ALA SIRSI's Leader in Library Technology Grant provided funding for the project. KEYWORDS. Library services, distance learners, evaluation, library resources

Course management software (CMS) or courseware products. such as Promethus, FirstClass, Blackboard, and WebCT, do not include the library as an essential, curricular component in their design. Consequently, the task falls to librarians to creatively partner with faculty to input library resources into courseware to support students effectively in their research endeavors. Distance learning students, who are off campus, will benefit as they are physically removed from the Library. Distance learners (DLs) can be intimidated by library Web sites and find it difficult and time consuming to navigate. Since the entire course content is in the course management product, the primary source for class information, it makes good sense to include library resources and services in the appropriate areas, such as the syllabus, assignments, projects, etc. including research resources within courseware enables students to gel started on their own in navigating the Library and can provide direct contact information to appropriate library staff for further and deeper resource assistance. KEYWORDS. Distance learners, technology, library resources, Internet

The student with learning disabilities faces various challenges in an academic environment. As more students with learning disabilities enter post-secondary institutions, this poses a variety of considerations both for the student and for the librarian. The technology offers tremendous opportunities for disabled persons, and it stands to reason that more learning disabled persons may pursue distance education as a viable alternative to higher education. To date, there is very little literature examining the learning disabled student in a distance learning environment. This paper explores the implications for the distance librarian serving the needs of the distant student with learning disabilities by discussing the literature related to the learning disabled student in an academic environment, the profile of learning disabled students, challenges, models for success, and adaptive technology. The paper also makes reference to the standards, professional principles, and legislation that inform and guide the practices integrated into distance library service. KEYWORDS. Library services, distance learners, technology, disabled students

Libraries looking to realize the full value of their electronic resource purchases have the opportunity to link directly to content within aggregated databases. An examination of direct linking tools provided by four major aggregators show a varied landscape of features and capabilities. Despite differences from tree platform to another, direct linking has become an important feature for database subscribers and is becoming a more straightforward process. In light of advances in direct linking technology, libraries should compare the costs and benefits of direct linking in comparison to traditional e-reserve methods based on securing permissions and scanning hard copy. KEYWORDS. Reserves, technology, distance learners

Research libraries increasingly seek user-centered customizable library portals. Portal software allows seamless access and delivery of library electronic resources through either proprietary or open source portal solutions. This article examines the implementation of the MyLibrary open source portal software application at the Auburn University Libraries. It addresses the history of the open source movement and its place in library culture, particularly within research libraries. The Auburn University Libraries' experience provides a case study for portal evaluation, selection, and implementation. The article also discusses the future implications of such systems. KEYWORDS. Open source software, MyLibrary, portals, electronic resources

Commentaries and expressions of concern over the direction, future, and ultimate survival of librarianship parallel the development and widespread acceptance of an impressive array of information technologies. From desktops to [...]

This paper addresses the growing controversy of companies competing with libraries to offer online information to faculty and college students. The paper explores the impact of such actions, and suggests ways to use such services to extend the library's online collections and services policy in a collaborative approach.

This paper is based upon an interactive workshop presented at the Tenth Off-Campus Library Services Conference. The purpose of the workshop was to show that adult, distance learners often require personalized assistance. The workshop relied upon a literature review to make observations.

Economic issues concerning new information delivery technologies are discussed.

Issues concerning the development of a resource program designed for use in American university and research libraries are discussed.

The authors describe the library budgeting process and techniques for communicating to relevant persons the suggested allocation of resources. Budgeting for services and programs is the focus of the discussion.

Libraries can learn important lessons from Web-based companies in managing successful operations in the information service sector. While libraries do not compete directly against Web-based firms in their Internet presence, the former offer basically the same type of services to Internet users. In providing these services, Web-based companies present users with six virtues, namely comprehensiveness, discovery, value, independence, supplemental services and security.