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The library has experienced many conversations with colleagues at the college in different departments lately related to the library tools and services it offers. Some of these conversations have included senior administrators, who have at some point directly supervised the library. In order for senior administrators to advocate for the library, librarians must educate them on the tools and services the library offers to its customers. Springshare's LibApps is one such tool that has been integral to library operations. In the few years since the library has subscribed to Springshare's LibApps' suite of tools, Office of Institutional Research & Training (OIRT) has successfully utilized this library-specific tool, which has justified the annual renewal of this software tool by senior administration. For more departments at the college to adopt these tools and integrate them into their day-to-day tasks, librarians must educate customers (student, staff, and faculty) as well as administration about this and other library-specific tools. Since Springshare markets to and for librarians and as more librarians write about how this tool can be used for a variety of different applications, then other departments college-wide will become aware of and then adopt Springshare's LibApps' suite of tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camino, a patron-initiated borrowing system, operates within the SCELC consortium made up of private academic libraries in California. OCLC's WorldCat Navigator Request Engine is the backbone of this service, because it works with all ILS systems and integrates with discovery layers and interlibrary loan. Camino is administrated by a user group which sets policies and procedures and guides implementation for new members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research study is to examine the functionality development of the open source repository system: DSpace. The data on DSpace repositories' implementation practices were collected from the DSpace User Registry during September 2013–March 2014. A total of 545 repositories in the registry indicated specific system function customizations, representing 533 unique institutions from 95 countries worldwide. The findings indicate that U.S.A. and India are the top two countries to have adopted DSpace. The majority of the DSpace digital repositories are created by academic institutions, which indicates a strong representation of academic institutions in the use of DSpace. The major adopted system functions are statistics, Dublin Core Meta Toolkit, Manakin Themes, and language packages. Most DSpace members use the repository system as their institutional and learning resource repositories. The top content types are conference papers, research documents, and learning/teaching materials. The implications of the findings are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the Irish university experience of LibQUAL, drawing from interviews with administrators and library directors in the seven Irish universities together with data from the Irish LibQUAL notebooks generated from 2009 to 2012. Of the seven Irish universities, three find it very useful, run it regularly and have integrated it into their planning activities. Two found LibQUAL to be very useful in an occasional sense and two found LibQUAL to be less useful for their needs. The results from all LibQUAL notebooks indicate common poor perceptions about library buildings among users. However Irish users' expectations of library buildings appear to be higher than elsewhere. The approaches to analysis, interpretation and response to the results varied from library to library. While most institutions reported implementing changes as part of their LibQUAL action plans, attitudes around whether LibQUAL was a catalyst for change in their libraries varied. The majority of those interviewed described themselves as somewhat satisfied, as opposed to very satisfied, with the tool. At a national level, LibQUAL has repositioned the importance of the physical library environment within strategic planning and has placed the customer firmly at the centre of Irish university library development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Questions about the optimal way to present repository content to authors, submitters, and end-users, prompted this study. The authors examined, through an observation and a survey, the institutional repositories of peer institutions in the ARL for good practices related to the presentation and organization of faculty-authored institutional repository content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic libraries serve great numbers of distance learners and must address the unique challenges faced by these students. Technology can bridge the gap in terms of access and use of library resources. Academic librarians working with distance students must examine their student population, determine the needs of their users, and be prepared to adapt technology available to meet those needs. Many academic libraries have adapted Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) ILLiad to allow better support of distance learners. Library models that have used OCLC ILLiad or similar software for distance services are discussed and can be used as a model for change in library distance services programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the challenges and opportunities presented by mobile applications in the context of an academic library collection. This emerging format raises important questions about selection, acquisition, access, instruction, outreach, and evaluation as these practices have been applied to traditional resources. A more nuanced understanding of the content and format of mobile applications informs a collection development strategy for discovering, acquiring, and maintaining these resources. The development of an outreach program that includes liaison activity, instruction, and research consultations is also explored as a way to drive users to these new resources. Using Stony Brook University Libraries as a case study, this paper discusses the potential of mobile applications as academic library resources plus practical ways to promote usage and enhance academic engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective - To assess the impact of community college academic librarians upon student retention and grades through reference desk visits and attendance in library instruction classes. Methods - Student ID data used for this research was collected from students that visited the reference desk to consult about a course-related question or attended a library instruction class for a specific course. After consenting to share their student ID number, the students' IDs were scanned and uploaded to a Blackboard Analytics data warehouse. A Pyramid Analytics reporting tool was used to query and extract student-level retention and grade data based upon whether the student had visited the reference desk or attended a library instruction class. Chi -square and Fisher's exact tests were used to discern any statistical difference in retention rates and grades between students that engaged a librarian through reference or instruction and the general student population. Results - When comparing fall-to-fall retention for all degree-seeking students, students that visited the reference desk or attended a library instruction class had a statistically higher rate ofretention. When comparing fall-to-fall retention within low-retention student cohorts, students that visited the reference desk or attended a library instruction class had higher rates of retention. Rates of retention in 8 of 10 cohorts were statistically higher for library instruction and in 6 of 10 cohorts were statistically higher for reference visits. With respect to course grades, only one of five high enrollment courses showed a higher grade average for students that attended a library instruction class. None of the differences in average grades between students that attended a library instruction class and all students in the five courses were statistically significant. For the impact of a reference visit upon a course grade, all five courses showed a higher average grade average for students that visited the reference desk for a question related to their course than for all students in the course. Four of the five differences were statistically significant. Conclusions - The data collected by systematically tracking students that interact with community college librarians suggests that reference desk visits and attendance of library instruction classes both have a positive statistically significant impact upon student retention. When looking at course grades, the data does not indicate a statistically significant positive or negative impact for library instruction. The impact of visiting the reference desk upon course grades does suggest a strong statistically significant positive correlation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adoption of Web 2.0 tools in academic libraries in India, the barriers and motivating factor to its use is investigated. The study involved an exploratory survey of the contents of the academic library websites in India. The websites of 28 Central Universities, 16 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and 13 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) were identified for the study. A structured questionnaire was mailed to library professionals from selected Universities and Institutes in India. The findings suggest that the library professionals are favourably inclined towards the use of Web 2.0 applications in libraries. The major barriers perceived include accessibility of the internet by users, lack of incentives, institutional support, technical support, training, and resources. Personal interest in using technology, proper training and technical support were found to be the major motivating factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discussed the features, strength and weaknesses of CDS/ ISIS, KOHA, Greenstone and NewGenlib as the four types of OSS which were considered among the best that can handle content and bibliographic data management and are commonly applied in Nigeria especially among institutions of higher learning. The paper identified that Information managers are faced with a lot of challenges principally among which may be their ability to acquire and effectively organize variety of information resources that are generated every day. It pointed out that the idea of Open Access Resources (OAR); Open Access Software (OAS) has become an issue which offers solutions to much of these challenges by providing opportunities to access information resources and library management software free of charge. The feature of OAR was also identified. Features of OSS were highlighted to include; rights to use without discrimination, full rights to create derived works and no traps. The strength of OSS as highlighted by the paper includes; ability to tailor and fit local needs, no restriction on use and low cost. Weaknesses of OSS were addressed in the paper to include, unanticipated efforts, lack of coordination, inadequate technical support and so on.. It was noted by the paper that KOHA is the most widely applied in College Libraries, however, considering the features of NewGenlib, a comparative analysis was made between the two and NewGenlib software was finally recommend for adoption in the College library because it can perform the function of CDS/ISIS, KOHA and Greenstone or even better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this research is to investigate the preparedness of academic libraries in Ghana for the use of social media in reference and user services.Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research approach using interviews was used to solicit the views of Systems/reference librarians from six most highly ranked public and private universities (in Ghana) on their libraries’ preparedness for use of social media to provide reference and user services.Findings The findings of the study indicate that most of the university libraries lacked policy on the use of social media and that though librarians held the perception that social media was useful, they lacked the competence and motivation to use social media to make a remarkable difference in service delivery.Practical implications Academic libraries in Ghana and elsewhere will find the results useful in formulating policies for the use of social media in libraries.Originality/value This qualitative approach to the study of social media deviates from the mostly quantitative studies in the literature and has brought out more revealing findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers the author's insights on the resources and guidance for librarians to develop and adopt responsive design for library web sites. Topics discussed include the LibGuides 2.0. Responsive Web of the Hodges University's Terry P. McMahan Library, the survey on library web sites in Florida, and the significance of mobile design.

The author presents her insights on the importance of collaboration among international academic library sector through the submission of research papers on communication and the librarian. Topics include the significance of diverse multi-communication channels such as websites, blogs and social media networks, the use of digitization to bring collections to global audience, and the role of librarians in helping researchers developed their social media strategies.

The absence of standard library software is one of the main hinderance in the effective automation of libraries of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) of Pakistan. A review of the literature does not provide the actual requirements of the libraries in Pakistan related to library software and highlights the absence of library software selection criteria. This paper explores the opinion of the experts about the current status of library software, problems faced by the libraries and needs relevant to library software in order to suggest a sustainable solution for the automation of the libraries of HEIs of Pakistan. This study was conducted using qualitative approach and three focus groups were conducted in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi. The participants of all three focus groups comprised librarians from HEIs, Library and Information Science (LIS) experts with experience in designing and implementing library software, LIS educators with experience of teaching library automation and computer science professionals having experience with library software. A purposive sampling was made in this regard. A discussion guide was prepared on the basis of literature review and expert opinions. Data were analyzed qualitatively. The analysis of focus groups revealed that there was a shortage of library software and the libraries of HEIs were still in the process of automation. Few libraries were using standard software but most of the libraries had implemented cataloguing module only. The non-availability of standard library software, regional languages, lack of awareness, lack of funds and lack of vision in the top management of HEIs were the common problems causing hinderance in the effective automation of the libraries. The experts suggested formulation of a consortium under the umbrella of HEC that takes the resposibility of development and distribution of the software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An examination of Library and Information Studies literature about scholarly communication reveals that less attention has been paid to the outcomes of reference management instruction in academic libraries than on comparisons and evaluations of reference management software (RMS) and surveys of levels of its use. While there are studies examining the reference management practices of academics and students, the practices of those not using RMS have remained largely unexplored. This article reports on the findings of a small-scale applied research project aimed at understanding the reference management practices of postgraduate students and academics in the Arts Faculty at Monash University. A questionnaire was completed by 81 students and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 students and 13 academics in the Faculty. Analysis shows that the reference management practices detailed in this study are individual and personal, and do not always involve the use of RMS. The reasons for adopting these practices are informed by a wide range of institutional and personal factors. RMS use itself is also varied, with few of the interviewees utilising all the core features of the software. A broader approach to reference management instruction and support would increase the relevance of library instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper describes how Central Washington University Libraries (CWUL) interacted and collaborated with the Orbis Cascade Alliance (OCA) Shared Integrated Library System's (SILS) Implementation Team and Ex Libris to process systems and data migration from Innovative Interfaces Inc.'s Millennium integrated library system to Alma/Primo, Ex Libris' next-generation library management solution and discovery and delivery solution. A chronological review method was used for this case study to provide an overall picture of key migration events, tasks, and implementation efforts, including pre-migration cleanup, migration forms, integration with external systems, testing, cutover, post-migration cleanup, and reporting and fixing outstanding issues. A three-phase migration model was studied, and a questionnaire was designed to collect data from functional leads to determine staff time spent on the migration tasks. Staff time spent on each phase was analyzed and quantitated, with some top essential elements for the success of the migration identified through the case review and data analysis. An analysis of the Ex Libris' Salesforce cases created during the migration and post-migration was conducted to be used for identifying roles of key librarians and staff functional leads during the migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2012, Kent State University Libraries implemented a pilot project for a Demand Driven Acquisitions (DDA) ebook purchasing model that used a combination of the acquisition services provided by the primary book jobber (YBP) and the access services provided by an ebook distributor (eBrary). Using the book jobber mediated DDA model provided the library with selected discovery records that closely matched specifications of the library's print approval plan. New discovery records were added to the catalog each week as new DDA eligible ebooks became available. In this article the author provides an overview of the pilot project with an emphasis on the technical services aspects, implementation, and implications for a sustainable acquisitions model. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This research aimed at investigating the application of strategic management components in libraries of Isfahan University, Isfahan University of Technology, and Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and the research method was descriptive survey study. The population consisted of managers and librarians of academic libraries in Isfahan city(134 persons).To gather the data, a researcher-made questionnaire with 40 questions was used and for the content validity, the face validity and construct validity, the factor analysis of questionnaire using KMO and Bartlett test were estimated 0/89. Using Cronbach's Alpha the reliability of the questionnaire was estimated 0.97. For analyzing the data SPSS software was used.The findings showed the application of components was higher than average except one of the components. The results of t² Hotteling showed that the effects of all components were nott the same, considering the component ofexchange of information was highest and care about the strategic affairs was the lowest. The findings showed that there was significance based on demographic factors, major and type of work. But no significance difference was seen based on demographic factors, university, type of library, and years in service (p<0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the criteria used in the selection of computer hardware and software in six university libraries in Nigeria. Six (6) copies of a questionnaire were sent to selected librarians in Edo and Delta states, Nigeria. All copies of the questionnaire were retrieved. The data collected were analyzed. The findings reveal that the respondents took into consideration such factors as memory, speed, capacity, durability, costs, reliability and standardization, brand and manufacturer, warranty, and scalability of the system before procuring computer hardware. The respondents also take into consideration the reliability and track record of the vendor, service and technical support, previews or sample sections, compatibility with other programs being used, product cost, and data migration before procuring computer software. It is also noteworthy that the respondents have encountered with electricity failure, improper implementation, and difficulties to get qualified personnel to maintain and/or repair computer hardware when it was broken down. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses Internet use by social scientists at the Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) in Multan, Pakistan, with information on Internet facilities provided by the university's libraries. Topics include the primary purpose of Internet use by social science researchers and faculty, challenges in acquiring current information resources to support teaching at academic institutions in Pakistan, and the effect of the Internet on the methods of information retrieval and communication utilized by social scientists at BZU.

The paper has investigated the perceptions, level of awareness, and acceptance of Library 2.0 applications among librarians at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). The paper also identified perceived factors and problems that could influence successful implementation of Library 2.0. The findings showed that there was high awareness among the librarians with Library 2.0 applications. The findings also indicated that there was high level of computer expertise among the respondents in terms of web browsers and search engines, in addition to high level of utilization in some of the Web 2.0 applications. In addition, the study observed high rates of using blogs and Wikipedia among the librarians. Though the librarians hold positive perceptions on library 2.0 applications, and indicated willingness to learn more on the utilization of 2.0 tools, they highlighted several concerns in implementing Library 2.0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An article on the use of the electronic book authority file modification software Primo by the library of the University of Mannheim, Germany is presented. The author examines the difficulties of distributing electronic books due to the differing standards for authority files used by libraries and book publishers. The importance of the normalization of library and E-Book metadata is emphasized, statistics on the E-Book collection of the library of the University of Mannheim are offered, and the utility of an integrated E-Book catalog for students and researchers is described.

This article details the process of upgrading and expanding an existing academic medical library intranet to include a wiki, blog, discussion forum, and photo collection manager. The first version of the library's intranet from early 2002 was powered by ColdFusion software and existed primarily to allow staff members to author and store minutes of library team meetings. Other ColdFusion-based applications and functions were subsequently added, as were various other library documents and procedures. As a follow-up to the library's strategic plan, a library Staff Intranet Team was organized in early 2008 to reorganize the content of the intranet and to identify software tools that would allow greater staff participation in maintaining and updating intranet content. Early steps in the process included brainstorming, a card-sorting exercise, product research, a staff survey, and paper prototyping. The team focused on implementing various open-source, ColdFusion-based tools in order to accommodate existing technology, available budget, and time constraints. Challenges in implementing the tools included bypassing or modifying existing authentication systems and applying modifications that led to loss of native functionality. Despite usability testing and staff training, library staff have not universally welcomed or adopted all the new tools. Notwithstanding these challenges, the renovated staff intranet has shown promise in furthering the goals in the library's strategic plan to improve communication and facilitate collaboration among library staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The explosion of Web 2.0 into libraries has left many smaller academic libraries (and other libraries with limited computing resources or support) to work in the cloud using free Web applications. The use of commercial Web hosting is an innovative approach to the problem of inadequate local resources. While the idea of insourcing IT will seem daunting to some, the process of setting up and administering hosting and applications is remarkably accessible to staff with basic word processing and Web skills. This article demonstrates the degree to which recent advances in commercial Web hosting and open-source applications have reduced the process of administering Web services, once time consuming and technically demanding, to near point-and-click simplicity. This article reports on the Kraemer Family Library's use of commercial Web hosting to develop and host a Web 2.0 staff intranet. The staff of 9.5 full-time equivalent librarians and 21.5 full-time equivalent staff serve 8,000 students and 700 faculty and staff at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. The small number of library faculty and staff provided the opportunity to experiment with Web 2.0 concepts and applications. Since certain IT-supported requirements were lacking, the library looked for no- and low-cost ways to host the intranet outside the university computing environment. After researching the use of free Web applications, the library's planning team decided to build its intranet using open-source applications and commercial Web hosting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using off-the-shelf search technology provides a single point of access into library resources, but we found that such commercial systems are not entirely satisfactory for the academic library setting. In response to this, Oregon State University (OSU) Libraries designed and deployed LibraryFind, a metasearch system. We conducted a usability experiment comparing LibraryFind, the OSU Libraries Web site, and Google Scholar. Each participant used all three search systems in a controlled setting, and we recorded their behavior to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of each search system. In this article, we focus on understanding what factors are important to undergraduates in choosing their primary academic search system for class assignments. Based on a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the results, we found that mimicking commercial Web search engines is an important factor to attract undergradu-ates; however, when undergraduates use these kinds of search engines, they expect similar performance to Web search engines, including factors such as relevance, speed, and the availability of a spell checker. They also expected to be able to find out what kinds of content and materials are available in a system. Participants' prior experience using academic search systems also affected their expectations of a new system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We reviewed projects and outcomes in the implementation and use of free software in the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) libraries. Free software is a growing movement with steadily increasing significance, especially in university environments. The use of standards improves the possibility of integration with other systems and enhances the efficient management of library data. At the moment UPC libraries are developing their institutional repositories, using open source software like DSpace to disseminate the institution's teaching and research activities. The UPC libraries will continue to implement this cost effective software and promote its use among library users and the university community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greenstone Digital Library software is an open source system for building and publishing digital collections on the Internet. Since 2002, the Washington Research Library Consortium has created twenty-two digital collections using the Greenstone software. This case study describes why we chose the software, and how we customized it for our organizational requirements and integrated it into our digital library environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Features several software relevant to academic libraries. Includes National Performance Review; CensusCD.

The University and Regional Library Tirol has implemented the software PRIMO by ExLibris which is using search engine technology as discovery service for its holdings of printed and audiovisual media as well as digital objects. The software also integrates federated search in the licensed databases of the library. The implementation provides easy access for our users and is well accepted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the digital collection application from the Duke University Libraries.

The article offers information on the digital library application from the Digital Library of Georgia.

This article discusses an internet portal called scantoweb for libraries which was introduced by the university library center of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the Hochschulbibliothekszentrum des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen (hbz). The software components of the technical infrastructure allow access to large amounts of digital materials which saves time and money.