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The University Library at California State University, Stanislaus is not only undergoing a library building renovation, but a website redesign as well. The library conducted a user-centered usability study to collect data in order to best lead the library website "renovation." A prototype was created to assess an audience-based navigation design, homepage content framework, and heading terminology. The usability study consisted of 38 student participants. It was determined that a topicbased navigation design will be implemented instead of an audience-based navigation, a search-all search box will be integrated, and the headings and menu links will be modified to avoid ambiguous library terminology. Further research on different navigation and content designs, and usability design approaches, will be explored for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pandemic affected all aspects of daily life, including how library reference services are provided. This case study reviews and analyzes the sudden changes in the training and responsibilities of student research consultants (SRCs) who had to switch from in-person to online reference services. The university library at Cal State LA uses a peer-research model with SRCs providing the first tier of reference interactions. In this study, we examined the number and the duration of reference transactions, the READ Scale distribution, usage of reference services, and the ratings of the reference service during the pre-COVID and COVID periods. In fall 2020, study results showed an overall decline of reference interactions with changes in duration, READ Scale distribution, and researcher type. We hope other libraries can learn from our experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was conducted to analyze the usage of 12 public libraries in Long Beach city, California, USA. The paper analyzed the awareness of public library services during the covid-19 Pandemic in main and its neighborhood libraries. The methodology adopted for the study was the survey method in which questionnaires and interviews were used as Data collection Techniques. A total of 36 respondents participated in the study. It was concluded that all the patrons are aware of the public libraries' alternative services; they utilize them effectively. Show that the maximum users of long beach public library are highly satisfied with the various services offered to them 29(80.56%) during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Public library are considered to be the most essential since they improve the literacy rate. It was evaluated through user perspective result-based because they are the ultimate users of the public library services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health sciences libraries offer core resources and services to expand the knowledge and efficiencies of their communities. Increasingly with the growth of big data, open data, and electronic health records, clinical and translational researchers must be more fluent in finding, manipulating, managing, visualizing, and sharing data. To meet such needs, libraries are increasingly creating roles to educate and collaborate on topics related to health informatics and health data. This column provides examples of the work of the health library informaticist at the Blaisdell Medical Library, University of California, Davis, and how the role facilitates health professions students, faculty and staff to access, manage, and use data assets and software tools for working with data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on several articles published in different periodicals related to medicine. Topics in the articles include hospital library-sponsored health information fairs for awareness of library services; professional development; and essentials of workshop development related to logistics, advertising, and assessment.

Background: Hospital libraries must often demonstrate value to users who are not aware of their services. Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG) Library aimed to increase patient and staff awareness using innovative outreach methods through our involvement in a Summerfest health fair and a National Medical Librarians Month event. Case Presentation: At 2 hospital events, ZSFG Library staff and volunteers used a game show--style approach involving active learning to teach attendees about library resources and services. Across events, there were 300 attendees and 167 in-depth discussions of library resources with the librarian, including 54 demonstrations. After implementing these new outreach efforts, the number of attendees increased by over 240% and meaningful interactions increased by 1,300% from the previous year's event. Our value analysis indicates an overall positive effect with 14 minutes of total library staff time spent per meaningful interaction. Conclusions: The use of a spinnable wheel for asking participants library-related questions and a television monitor to demonstrate library resources greatly increased the number of attendees and fostered new staff connections, resulting in several in-service trainings and search requests. Future recommendations for outreach events include enlisting the help of volunteers to record attendance data, creating materials in multiple languages, and integrating library involvement into existing hospital events. These recommendations may decrease the amount of library staff time spent in return for each meaningful interaction, creating increased value for less time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant number of distance students report they “stray” from their home universities by using local libraries, despite the fact that distance education librarians work hard to provide customized resources and services tailored to their programs and needs. Are public libraries and special libraries able to meet the research needs of distance learners, or are these students being underserved? This article explores why distance students may choose non-academic libraries over academic libraries, and the impact of this use—on local libraries serving unaffiliated distance learners, and on academic libraries with potentially underutilized distance library services. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Hospital libraries need ways to demonstrate their value to the parent organization or risk shrinking budgets, loss of physical space, reduced staff, and even closing. The hospital librarians at Kaiser Permanente developed a post-query patron survey to assess how the librarians’ work directly supported the organization’s mission and goals. Through this survey, the librarians gathered quantitative and qualitative evidence of the librarians’ role in helping clinicians and leaders make important decisions. This article discusses the survey process and implementation, highlights survey results, and examines some of the positive impact the project has generated. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Question: How can a library-based bioinformatics support program be implemented and expanded to continuously support the growing and changing needs of the research community? Setting: A program at a health sciences library serving a large academic medical center with a strong research focus is described. Methods: The bioinformatics service program was established at the Norris Medical Library in 2005. As part of program development, the library assessed users' bioinformatics needs, acquired additional funds, established and expanded service offerings, and explored additional roles in promoting on- campus collaboration. Results: Personnel and software have increased along with the number of registered software users and use of the provided services. Conclusion: With strategic efforts and persistent advocacy within the broader university environment, library-based bioinformatics service programs can become a key part of an institution's comprehensive solution to researchers' ever-increasing bioinformatics needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many of our reference interactions are face-to-face at a desk or in our offices. Unfortunately, not all of our students are on campus. Whether a non-traditional student or a traditional undergraduate, more of our patrons are attending online classes or attending satellite campuses with no librarians on site. It's difficult to reach these students, but it's even more difficult to reach them when libraries are facing tremendous financial hardships and have limited their technology budgets. Fortunately technological advances such as programs that offer free virtual “face-to-face” time with our patrons are becoming more available. Programs such as Skype, Jing, Moodle and Spark offer librarians and patrons the freedom to interact with each other at low or no costs. Sadly many librarians are either uncomfortable with the new technology or don't feel the quality of service is as good as high-priced tools. This paper will share the basic set-up of various free or low cost online programs, outline the benefits and drawbacks of some of those programs, and provide effective interaction techniques to use with distance learners to help make the reference interview and information literacy sessions a more positive and comfortable experience for librarians and students. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

As the academic library landscape evolves to meet new challenges, many libraries are rethinking their public services models. In 2009, the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) Library began contemplating major changes to public services as a part of planning for a new service desk in a renovated library. With a history of embracing change, Access Services was a model for examining other services within the library. This article, authored by the then two Heads of Access Services at UCSC, provides a practical examination of the collaborative process implemented for rethinking public services and integrating service desks, as well as the benefits and challenges uncovered during the process. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Archived job advertisements from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) LIBJOBS mailing list (1996–2010) were examined using content analysis. Findings suggest that distance learning (DL) skillsets as job qualifications emerged in the late 1990's and continue to be relevant today. Jobs with DL responsibilities are most prevalent in public services followed by administration. Positions focused on DL also emerged in the late 1990's though it is unclear whether demand for these positions continues to be as strong. “Distance Leaning Librarian” and “Distance Education Librarian” are the two most common job titles for librarians focused on DL responsibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose - This paper seeks to feature an interview with Brad Eden, Associate University Librarian for Technical Services and Scholarly Communication at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Eden discusses the University of California Libraries' Next Generation Technical Services initiative. Design/methodology/approach - The paper notes changes necessary to transform technical services for the new digital realm. Findings - The task force chaired by Eden recommends several changes to traditional processes, three of which are central to achieving transformative change. Originality/value - The paper offers readers insights into the means by which a large consortium under severe financial constraints is attempting to achieve cost-savings and value-added services through system-wised collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patron use of the Internet may appear to overwhelm the public library's traditional role. This is often the case at the Colonial Heights Branch of the Sacramento Public Library. Fortunately the services which are required to support Internet use complement those required to assist patrons with the print and media collections. This essay recounts the important, primarily personal ways in which a branch library in a low socio-economic neighborhood reinforces its traditional informational and instructional role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes a partnership between two of the libraries at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) through which two staff in one library worked part-time at the other during the summer of 2006 in order to maximize staffing efficiency among the units, as well as to realize professional development-related goals for the staff involved. The author outlines challenges faced by the project's coordinators, outcomes for the two UCSD libraries, and recommendations for other libraries experimenting with similar staff rotation projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the Stanford University Libraries, Palo Alto, California. Stanford's collection is especially strong in material from and about Russia. Material in Russian comprises slightly over 60% of the combined vernacular library collections on campus. Material from and about Poland is second, at approximately 15% of the total vernacular collection. Considerably smaller are collections in Serbian/Croatian/Bosnian, Czech, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Romanian, Slovak, and other languages. Particularly worthy of mention within the Russian collection is the Russian literature area, which supports doctoral students in the Slavic Department and includes a number of special collections. When funds permit, contemporary literary works-even small collections of poetry-published in provincial cities are collected. The Russian collection also supports doctoral students in history, sociology, cultural and social anthropology, and communications. Almost all Russian émigré publications are available on campus. There has also been considerable effort to collect books and journals on Russian art and music.

The article presents information on the Margaret Herrick Library, the library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences in Beverly Hills, California. Named after its first librarian and executive director Margaret Herrick, the library is said to be considered one of the most preeminent cinematic research facilities worldwide. It is open to the public and anyone can use the library's collection files except those in the Special Collections section, which are reserved for use by bona fide researchers. A description of the author's visit to the library is included.