A Collective Impact Approach To The Reading Achievement Gap

Abstract

This essay profiles The Big Lift, a multi-agency initiative to improve third-grade reading proficiency in San Mateo County, California. The Big Lift is an example of collective impact, in which organizations from different sectors unite around a common agenda to solve a social challenge. This kind of initiative goes beyond collaboration, requiring its own infrastructure, dedicated staff, ongoing communication and shared measurements of success. Library participation is critical to the success of community and literacy-focused collective impact projects like The Big Lift.     

Trends in Library Systems: Improved Workflow Processes,Greater Collaboration,and Unbounded Openness

The evolution of print, electronic, and digital resources, as well as shifting technology advancements, are significant drivers of change in libraries, including library systems. This article reviews the latest variety of library systems available focusing on the library services platform, ¹ 1. “Library services platform” is a term used by Marshall Breeding. See Marshall Breeding, Contents from the Guest Editor, 24 Information Standards Quarterly 2, 2 (2012). open source solutions, and the hybrid open source library services platform. All of these newer alternatives to the integrated library system are attempting in their own way to address the overarching drive for libraries, including law libraries, to have greater efficiencies in the following ways: (1) more productive business processes, (2) collaboration among libraries, institutions, and vendors, and (3) unfettered access to open code and software in order to customize library systems to their own specifications.     

Proactive Outreach to Adult Students: A Department and Library Collaborative Effort

The number of adult learners in institutions of higher education is increasing, and these students' reasons for attending, ways of learning, challenges, and methods for overcoming challenges often differ from those of traditional-age students. Faculty and library personnel can support these students in their research efforts using several collaborative endeavors. One department and university library recognized the struggles of many of their adult students as they sought to conduct research for coursework, as well as theses or dissertations. Collaborative activities proved effective in reducing students’ anxieties and frustrations with using the library and its resources.     

Information Literacy in Music History: Fostering Success in Teaching and Learning

ABSTRACT

The article describes the collaborative process between the authors in adapting course assignments in undergraduate music history courses to demonstrate actual learning of content and information literacy skills. Although the inclusion of the information literacy standards is an important step in developing critical thinking skills, other factors impede students to perform well such as lack of knowledge on how to structure a research paper or not understanding how to properly cite the information. By monitoring student performance, the faculty and instruction librarian can make changes to improve student learning and the acquisition of critical thinking skills.     

The Embedded Science Librarian: Partner in Curriculum Design and Delivery

ABSTRACT

Information literacy is essential for success in undergraduate science programs, but teaching faculty are generally ill-prepared or unwilling to provide intentional support in their courses. Librarians are uniquely qualified to help. In this article, the author presents one example of a faculty–librarian collaboration in which the science librarian is embedded in a first-year, undergraduate course in nanoscience, both as a codesigner of the curriculum and a member of the teaching team. She traces her progress from new appointee to faculty partner, and describes the unique, electronic-journal project they designed to promote the development of information and academic literacies.     

Balancing Act for the Future: How the Academic Library Engages in Collection Development at the Local and Consortial Levels

ABSTRACT

Collection development remains a major focus and concern of current interest for all types of libraries. Consortia began as a means of sharing resources and of leveraging purchasing power for its members. How does a library balance its individual collection needs, both present and future, when it is a member of a consortium? Do the expectations of the consortium outweigh the needs of the individual library member? This article will address how an academic library engages in collection development at the local and consortia levels, addresses the benefits and challenges of consortia memberships, and responds to its local patrons in light of its obligations and commitment to a consortium.     

Library Research Project for First-Year Engineering Students: Results from Collaboration by Teaching and Library Faculty

SUMMARY

This article will discuss three years of collaboration between the Freshman Engineering Program and the Engineering Library of the University Library System at the University of Pittsburgh. This collaboration has resulted in a library research project that is integrated into the freshman curriculum. The project ultimately provides the students with a research structure for presentations in an annual mock professional conference. The mission of the Freshman Engineering Program's academic and advising components is to create a first-year experience that promotes the student's continued pursuit of an engineering degree through commitment to clearly understood and self-declared goals. The goal for the Engineering Library is to introduce library research as a necessary skill-set for successful engineers. The successful outcome of all of these goals requires the collaboration between “teaching” faculty and “library” faculty and results in better prepared, more focused students. Developing and integrating a library research project into the freshman engineering academic curriculum is a significant opportunity for library instruction, and the approach demonstrated here may be transferable to other disciplines.     

多数据源协同下的专利分析系统构建

采用C/S架构,以C#+Sql Server组合设计构建了由专利数据监测、数据清洗、数据加工和数据挖掘等4个功能模块组构成的多数据源协同下的专利分析系统;详细阐述该系统架构、协同机制和主要功能;认为该系统能有效实现对中国、美国、欧洲、世界知识产权组织等国家或组织专利著录信息、法律状态信息、同族专利信息以及专利引文信息的智能化监测、采集、清洗、筛选、分类、标引、查询、统计、文本挖掘、信息可视化和自动生成报告等功能。     

From Google Print to Google Book Search: The Controversial Initiative and Its Impact on Other Remarkable Digitization Projects

Google's initiative to scan and add book content into its search engine has resulted in much praise and protest. Changing its digitization project's name from Google Print to Google Book Search and adding information to its site did not keep Google out of copyright court. However, publicity surrounding this project has spawned renewed interest in book digitization projects, with collaborative efforts quickly growing. This article will look at Book Search's history, highlight how it has been altered along with its name, and point out other interesting book digitization projects that Book Search has spawned or recently brought into the limelight, such as those associated with the Internet Archive.     

Librarians and Undergraduate Thesis Support: An Annotated Bibliography

This article surveys the available literature to explore the assistance librarians can provide to undergraduate thesis writers. The article begins with a discussion of undergraduate thesis requirements, then presents an annotated bibliography of scholarship on librarians'; work with thesis writers, and concludes with issues to consider for librarians planning to provide instruction and support to undergraduate thesis writers.