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Since the 1970s, advocates of neoliberalism have influenced American higher education to adopt a business model focused on quantifiable metrics. Market-driven solutions have become the new "common sense." Yet these forces are largely invisible to academic librarians. Although some scholarship exists on the effect of neoliberal policies on libraries, little focuses on academic reference services. This exploratory content analysis examines discourse in reference-related articles in Journal of Academic Librarianship from the 1970s to the present, studying the incidence and continued use of neoliberal terms and concepts by authors in the field of library and information studies. Findings reveal that the discourse of neoliberalism is apparent in articles from JAL during the period studied. While there was no remarkable climb in usage for any one term, the later articles were significantly more likely to contain multiple terms—"bundles"—from the neoliberal vocabulary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective - The objective of the study is to increase the knowledge about what questions students ask at the library desk and what the purpose is of their use of the desk. Our focus has been on the physical meetings with the students. The aim is to contribute to the discussion on the future development of the library service desk. Methods - We recorded questions asked at the desks to explore how students use the library service desks. The recording, where library staff sorted questions into predefined categories, took place over four weeks between the years 2017-2018. Results - Our recording showed that 63% of the questions asked at the library service desks were about loan services, document delivery, and access to physical and electronic collections. Practical things such as opening hours, lost and found items, and the location of the group study rooms, accounted for 16% of questions. Questions about information technology (IT) made up 8% of questions. Finally, the results showed that 8% of the questions from the four weeks of counting were counselling and guidance questions, and 2% were about literature lists, reference management, and reference management tools. We found more questions about counselling and guidance in the spring weeks and more practical questions in the fall. We did not find any clear connection between the number of questions and the size of the branch libraries. Conclusion - By conducting this study, we have learned more about why students use the library desk. Our study shows that students come to the library desk to ask about a lot more than just borrowing staples. The results from the study will inform the development of the library desk service going forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective - The objective of this review was to examine research instrument characteristics, and to examine the validity and reliability of research instruments developed by practicing librarians, which measure the construct of patron satisfaction with academic library reference services. The authors were also interested in the extent to which instruments could be reused. Methods - Authors searched three major library and information science databases: Library and Information Science Technology Abstracts (LISTA); Library Science Database (LD); and Library Literature & Information Science Index. Other databases searched were Current Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL); Education Resources Information Center (ERIC); Google Scholar; PubMed; and Web of Science. The authors identified studies of patron satisfaction with academic library reference services in which the researcher(s) developed an instrument to study the satisfaction construct. In this rapid-review study, the studies were from 2015 and 2016 only. All retrieved studies were examined for evidence of validity and reliability as primary indicators of instrument quality, and data was extracted for country of study, research design, mode of reference service, data collection method, types of questions, number of items related to satisfaction, and content of items representing the satisfaction construct. Instrument reusability was also determined. Results - At the end of the screening stage of the review, a total of 29 instruments were examined. Nearly all studies were quantitative or mixed quantitative/qualitative in design. Twenty-six (90%) of the studies employed surveys alone to gather data. Twelve publications (41%) included a discussion of any type of validity; five (17%) included discussion of any type of reliability. Three articles (10%) demonstrated more than one type of validity evidence. Nine articles (31%) included the instrument in full in an appendix, and eight instruments (28%) were not appended but were described adequately so as to be reusable. Conclusions - This review identified a range of quality in librarians' research instruments for evaluating satisfaction with reference services. We encourage librarians to perform similar reviews to locate the highest-quality instrument on which to model their own, thereby increasing the rigor of Library and Information Science (LIS) research in general. This study shows that even a two-year rapid review is sufficient to locate a large quantity of research instruments to assist librarians in developing instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes quantitative adequacy gap scores and coded qualitative comments from LibQual surveys at the University of Mississippi from 2001 to 2010, looking for relationships between library policy changes and LibQual results and any other trends that emerged. Analysis found no relationship between changes in policy and survey results but did identify a number of trends across the survey period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This project investigated how academic users search for information on their real-life research tasks. This article presents the findings of the first of two studies. The study data were collected in the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane, Australia. Eleven PhD students' searching behaviors on personal research topics were observed as they interacted with information retrieval (IR) systems. The analysis of search logs uncovered the characteristics of research tasks and the corresponding search strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper applied Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) to Quality Function Deployment (QFD) to identify service improvement techniques for an academic library. First, reader needs and their importance, and satisfaction degrees were examined via questionnaires. Second, the service improvement techniques for satisfying the reader needs were developed by interviewing experts. Following, a relation matrix was constructed by GRA. The empirical study specifies top 5 reader needs and service improvement techniques respectively, and some practical suggestions are raised for academic libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professors contribute to Institutional Repositories (IRs) to make their materials widely accessible in keeping with the benefits of Open Access. However, universities' commitment to IRs depends on building trust with faculty and solving copyright concerns. Digital preservation and copyright management in IRs should be strengthened to increase faculty participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic libraries have seen a dramatic decline in face-to-face traditional reference desk interactions over the past decade. Due to new initiatives at the University of New Mexico, reference services are flourishing even though traditional desk reference interactions are declining. Incorporating more engaged librarians within the academic and surrounding communities has expanded reference services and created new opportunities for librarians to consult with users in multiple settings. The establishment of a virtual service desk has increased the accessibility and visibility of the library to 'meet users where they are' in an electronic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is an update to a previous article on embedded office hours at the University of Calgary. It examines the nature of embedded librarianship at the University of Calgary and how it has changed from embedded reference to embedded librarianship over the past 6 years. There have been 3 main approaches to achieving embedded librarianship: office hours, long service, and purpose-built branch or special libraries. This article reviews the current literature on embedded librarianship and in that context describes, compares, and discusses the 3 approaches at the University of Calgary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Now that reference research is almost exclusively an online endeavor, the traditional model of reference service-a static walk-up service point-no longer applies. Today librarians engage users at point of need, embedding research help in the context of the online research environment, while at the same time respecting the users' preference for a transparent and unmediated experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study focuses on reference services in the main library at Oberlin College. It traces the development of the current service model, which has evolved as the Reference & Instruction Department has anticipated, managed, and responded to changes related to increased teaching and instruction activities, shifting reference usage patterns, and changes in student research behaviors. Emphasis is placed on a popular and highly personalized research appointment service; a robust program of course-related library instruction; reliance on students to help staff the reference desk and make effective referrals; developing and maintaining strong relationships with teaching faculty; and creating welcoming spaces conducive to research, studying, socializing, and interacting with library staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Readily available reference services have been a key component of the University of Michigan Library's (MLibrary) success in supporting and advancing campus research, teaching, and learning. An examination of the evolution of our reference services over the past 10 years suggests strategies and innovative approaches that may well inform future service directions. The purpose of this article is to capture the University of Michigan experience as a way to better understand this evolution and, in doing so, to offer critical concepts to consider when thinking about the development of current and future reference services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of the access provided to Management Information System (MIS) data to subject librarians in the library of University College Dublin (UCD) during a print resource cancellation project. Challenges the library faced during the cancellation of resources are identified, such as managing the perception of library services, promoting alternative resources with existing materials, and the identification of the types of information to provide users.

The article discusses a follow-up study to a 2006 study of organizational arrangements of information resources in top-rated academic business library web sites, and offers an evaluation of those organizational arrangements. The study looks at the uses of academic business library web sites and their purpose as a gateway to library collections, how information is presented, access points available, and measures the benefits of the online collection organization by documenting how quickly information can be accessed. The article reports that alphabetical listing of databases is the most common method of web site organization, but academic business libraries have increased user-oriented features such as frequently asked questions (FAQ).

This study documents the number and types of referrals to librarians by a paraprofessional staff member at an academic reference desk. Results indicate that over two semesters, only 7.4% of the reference desk transactions required referral to a librarian. From the results of this and other studies, the authors explore the expanded use of trained paraprofessionals at the reference desk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spring 2009, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library conducted a significant new survey of distance learners enrolled in off-campus or online graduate programs. Exploring distance learners' perceptions about and use of library services, the survey of 146 students reveals opportunities to better meet the research needs of distance learners whose graduate work may demand extensive use of library resources. The survey affords insights into distance learners' communication preferences, and their particular research needs. Findings from this survey have informed one academic library's strategy to begin addressing important questions in library instruction for distance learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the purpose of designing a training program for a new team serving at a technology service point, the author analyzed the transactions log using a new, multi-faceted, taxonomy. The resulting list of competencies and the methodology would be useful for managers of information or learning commons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Google Scholar has multiple uses as a reference tool of last resort, including citation completion, an alternative when catalogs are down, and interdisciplinary metasearching and database suggestion. During the reference desk transaction, users can be taught effective Google Scholar search techniques such as advanced search functionality and the nuances of results" groupings. In addition, reference desk interactions with Google Scholar give insight for instructional workshops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirty-one chat reference conversations were linguistically analyzed, compared to twenty-three instant messaging (IM) conversations held between students, and further correlated to students' satisfaction with the reference interaction. Conversations between librarians and students in chat reference are more formal than those solely involving students, and the use of some linguistic patterns is correlated to user satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which discussed the development of an electronic reserves software system and related administrative issues for academic libraries. Implementation of a pilot project on an electronic reserve system at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois; Creation of copyright guidelines specific to electronic reserves; Design decisions for the creation of a homegrown system.

Discusses a study which examined the local systems that Association of Research Libraries academic libraries have developed to provide academic library more Internet access. Methods that facilitate the use of the Internet; Purpose of the study; Structure of assisted access systems; Characteristics of assisted access systems.

Discusses leadership for user services in academic libraries. Feature on the University of Arizona Library; Organizational changes; Challenges for leadership; Economic realities of scholarly publishing and their impact on research; Implications for user services.

Across the campuses of many of our most prestigious universities, quiet and cautious negotiations are being attempted by academic librarians wishing to craft more robust and higher value service offerings to graduates in the form of access to their information resources: these negotiations are fraught with difficulties which, on first inspection, may seem understandable, but which, when examined more closely, may be based as much on prejudices we have about working professionals and the relationship we as educators should have with them, as they are about logistical and financial concerns. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

An essay is presented on smartphone and mobile technologies in academic libraries. The author discusses the proliferation of mobile technology among undergraduates and the changes in how information is created, distributed, and consumed. According to the author, academic libraries have been slow to respond to this change but are now in the process of providing mobile access to their services and resources. He argues that those libraries that implement such services will see a rise in demand.

Student participation in class is an important step in preparation for the communication skills needed in reference services. Participation involvement and assessment should extend beyond mere classroom attendance. Course syllabi should clearly state how participation is defined and what is expected of students. This article discusses the role of participation and provides an example of one way to assess and encourage such participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to facilitate the user recommendation service system of library access, predict the future number of users and hobbies, and provide decision-making basis for e-commerce enterprises, this paper designs an adaptive Web Recommendation System Framework Self-Adaptive Websites Recommendation System. It is divided into two parts: offline parts and online components. The former includes data collection, preprocessing and frequent access pattern mining. The latter generates recommendation sets based on existing mining rules and user’s current access behaviour of offline components, and realizes adaptive online recommendation service. Taking the university library as an example, this paper uses the sliding window method to obtain the current user access path, then use association rule algorithm based on aggregation tree to generate association rule set. After getting association rule set, we use recommendation set generation algorithm to generate recommendation set. The results show that both theoretical analysis and experiment indicate that the method is effective and feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Column description. The Best of the Literature column is intended to keep librarians, administrators, and staff up to date with the most recent, relevant, and useful literature of the field. Columns may focus on a specific theme or topic or they may be a review of significant or interesting resources published within the past year. Columns generally begin with a brief introduction to the topic or theme of the column and include references and annotations for between 7-10 different resources. Readers are invited to suggest themes, topics, or resources to Linda Frederiksen. The recently published articles and chapters noted in this column discuss the library student assistant experience, from the perspective of employer and employee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay begins with a narrative comparison of several reference interviews, both face-to-face and virtual. The chosen reference query concerned the meaning and significance of the "genius" of the Roman emperor. Using three connotations of the word genius as a launching point, the article discusses the importance of rapid response, expert knowledge, and guiding instruction within reference services. The essay concludes by using this threefold framework to construct a simple assessment tool that could spur on further reflection and conversation concerning the "ideal" reference interaction. This memorable triangulation may be of special interest to those training new reference staff members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Libraries in higher learning institutions (HLIs) of Ethiopia have been providing electronic information (e-information) resources to users such as academics through different access models, including open access. Nonetheless, little is known about the academics’ attitudes toward open access journals. The study triangulated qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. Data were obtained through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Out of 768 academics from seven selected universities in Ethiopia who were surveyed, 566 (78 percent) responded. The data were analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively by means of content analysis and basic descriptive statistics respectively. The results of the study revealed that 78 percent of the academics were aware of open access journals. On the whole, they have a perceived positive attitude towards open access journals and would like to use them in the future. Moreover, they have been using open access journals as an alternative access model to the conventional journals subscription model; and yet to optimize the benefits of open access among academics, they expect university librarians to promote and enhance the accessibility of open access journals in their respective university libraries and in Ethiopia in general. Further studies using a similarly rigorous approach are required to determine the generality of this finding. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Assessment has become a persistently hot topic in the library world, particularly when it comes to establishing value for academic library services. In an effort to assess performance and develop training tools to improve text/SMS reference services for an academic library, we used the Reference and User Services Association's Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Service Providers as the framework for an analytic rubric. We then used the rubric to assess academic librarian responses collected over a three-year period as part of text/SMS reference service. Results include implications for librarian friendliness, response time, attentiveness, and follow-up, as well as patron return rates. Comparative trends in text reference and the physical reference desk response times are also examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer learning dynamics have proven powerful in collegiate contexts. These dynamics should be leveraged at the undergraduate level in academic libraries for reference provision and basic information literacy instruction. Drawing on the literature of peer learning, documented examples of peer reference and instruction in academic libraries, and preliminary evidence from current practice at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, this article provides support from the pedagogical standpoint that undergraduates not only can provide peer reference and instruction, but should. The relevance to other institutions and additional assessment methods for establishing the efficacy of peer instruction are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased proliferation and accessibility of geographic data are changing the landscape of services based on geographic information. From the analysis of recent job offers posted in American university libraries, we discuss what could be the role of the information professional in this new context, with respect to the management and dissemination of geographic data collections, looking for synergies for mutual benefit between academic libraries and their information professionals and the geographic data community that uses geographic information systems (GIS). In fact, this activity would be one more among the data curation or data sets preservation tasks needed currently in many disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study that examined the use of library resources by Kwara State University (KWASU) students at the University Library in Malete, Kwara State in Nigeria. Topics covered include use of the simple random technique in the questionnaire survey of 520 KWASU student and statistical analysis using frequencies and percentages. Conclusions indicated average library users from 15-25 years old, seldom use of reference materials and 75.8% saying information needs are met.

This study examines the prevalence of offering reference services from the reference desk in 119 academic libraries at universities offering master's level programs. Survey results found that 66.4 percent of libraries still used the reference desk to offer reference services, and 77.21 percent of libraries use a professional librarian at the reference desk all or some of the time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some academic libraries are consolidating their circulation and reference desks into single service points. The librarians at one academic library undertook a study to determine if such a consolidation would affect their reference service. They analyzed the number and type of questions asked during times when a librarian was physically present at the reference desk and compared it to the number and type of questions asked when a librarian was "on call" (not present at the desk, but available to be called to the service desk to answer reference questions) over a period of seven academic semesters. This article reports on the methodology used to collect and analyze the data and the researchers' findings. The results show that true reference questions remained steady whether or not the reference desk was staffed. The implications are important at a time when libraries are moving to single service desks staffed by nonlibrarians and are unsure of the efficacy of this model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing virtualization of resources, reference service, and instruction, college students have fewer reasons to visit the academic library, a place they believe lacks relevance in their lives. This article explores the idea of revitalizing academic libraries by reconsidering the place of pleasure reading in them. Considerable research has been conducted on reading in the last quarter century. Reading serves a host of essential functions, far more than we have ever guessed. The first part of this paper looks at the social, psychological, moral, emotional, and cognitive role it plays in our lives. The second half examines readers' advisory services that we can borrow or adapt from public libraries, services that can attract new users, promote lifelong reading, and transform academic libraries to be more community, user, and reader focused. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the role of the repository manager in research support of academic libraries. Topics discussed include the expansion of job roles and titles in libraries, the definition of a repository manager, with reference to tasks including user training, department liaisons, and content policies, and the job activities and qualifications of the repository manager.

The performance of an organization,- including an infodocumentary structure such as a library or an information service, depends largely on its organizational culture, on the values it promotes. The competition on the market of information transfer has made libraries and information services orientate towards managerial processes aimed at the most important resources nowadays - the knowledge resources. Such a process is the knowledge management, and an essential role in its implementation in an institution has the organizational culture. A culture that supports learning and knowledge sharing supports organizations for such an approach and also helps them obtain performance and enjoy success in their environment. The article presents elements of a framework for creating a culture of learning and knowledge sharing in the infodocumentary structures. These elements were identified through a research on knowledge management in Romanian academic libraries which also had as a result the development of a model for the implementation of this process in the infodocumentary structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the challenges facing university libraries as they perform the dual function of being both an academic library serving the needs of student library users and scholarly library users while also developing library collections and managing those collections as the digitization of library materials becomes more and more prevalent in library science. Other topics discussed in the article include archival storage of documents by university libraries, the administration of university libraries, as well as libraries and the internet.

This article examines the process of researching, adapting, and implementing a text message reference service and the conclusions reached after nearly 10 months of continuous service. This experiment involved a single BlackBerry passed in a rotating schedule among librarians to gauge student interest in a text reference service. Although implementing this service allowed the library to be at the technological forefront, this is a service that would be better provided via a software interface. Furthermore, the text message reference service needed a stronger marketing campaign to make students aware of this option. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article looks at the differences in information seeking behavior among faculty, staff, and students at a university in the southeastern United States and what it means for library reference support strategies. The number of individuals using public and academic libraries for information is increasing, the article states, which means that librarians must assess their practices and services through studying user preferences. According to the study of university staff and students, most participants preferred face-to-face interaction for reference help, but technology such as email was preferred over phone calls and online chats. Other topics covered include demographic influence, gender differences, and convenience factors.

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to describe the ongoing process of weeding, streamlining, and transforming a very large, print-based reference collection at the University of Louisville's William F. Ekstrom Library, focusing in particular on the various issues involved in developing a more timely, focused, and electronic-oriented collection. Design/methodology/approach – Over the years, the Ekstrom Library reference collection evolved into a large, neglected, print-based collection that ignored current space needs and user preferences for digital sources. To address this, the reference department developed a new, cooperative approach to reference collection development and weeding to improve the user experience and address serious space issues. Findings – To achieve a more usable reference collection, the reference department needed to rethink the philosophy behind the collection and completely rewrite the collection development policy. These changes have facilitated the creation of a smaller, more user-friendly collection that embraces the digital environment. Originality/value – The article highlights problems and approaches to refocusing a reference collection in a time of transition, as physical library spaces continue to evolve and the value of a traditional reference collection appears increasingly uncertain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses changes in the job profiles and expectations of subject librarians in academic libraries in Germany, based on a survey of 479 librarians at the 100th Deutscher Bibliothekartag (Meeting of German Librarians) in Berlin in 2011. Responses to the survey questions, which included questions regarding subject-specific qualifications, streamlining and outsourcing of responsibilities and expertise, and the future of subject librarianship in general, are quoted extensively.

The article discusses information-seeking behavior of academic researchers and its implications for academic librarians. It addresses search strategies of and services for scholars, such as content alerts, thematic monitoring, and chaining. It also considers information retrieval and management systems, such as bibliographic and reference management software, as well as researchers' habits of information use, processing, and dissemination, such as the use of abstracting and indexing services.

Despite the ever-growing range of media types, formats, and information-access options, students are often instructed to only use specific sources in their research. They are sometimes even given strict guidelines, prescribing how many of each they need to, or may, cite. It is important not to lead students to believe there is a formula for the ideal works cited for all research topics. In contrast, students should learn to think critically about the content and appropriateness of each potential source rather than choosing it only because it is a book, a journal article, a Website, etc. This article argues that requiring students to use, or not use, a source based solely on its format or media type encourages students to choose sources for wrong reasons, pushing critical thinking and source-content evaluation to the periphery of their research processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the uses of Quick Response (QR) codes in libraries and how to assess their usefulness. It describes a step-by-step approach to developing a system to track the scans of QR codes by library users for assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines students' and practitioners' attitudes toward, and uses of, various reference sources. It was precipitated by questioning the best outcomes of the basic reference class in Library Science programs, specifically asking what types of sources LIS students should be versed in as they enter the workforce -- print or online? This research found some differences between academic and public librarians, and little agreement about the purposes of the basic reference course. Teaching about types of reference sources today is difficult; as Margaret Landesman says, we are moving away from "reference collections" because of "the convergence among formats, [so that] we can't recognize a reference book when we see one."[1] Our students, though, might benefit from using print reference sources, less as a historical artifact, but for the concrete demonstration of organization of information that they offer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]