Re-visioning a Library Liaison Program in Light of External Forces and Internal Pressures

Liaison librarian roles have existed for many years within the academic environment. Initially taking the form of reference, instruction, and collection development – often with subject specialization – the activities of liaisons have adapted and evolved in response to changing library user needs. In response to such changing needs and internal pressures, the Health Sciences Library at McMaster University is in the process of re-visioning its liaison program. The result is a set of proposed models informed by the literature and institutional context which contributed to the selection of a new direction for liaisons. Key steps reported in this article include a review of the literature, rationale and context, a librarian survey, and final decision.     

Transforming a Library: Strategies for Implementing a Liaison Program

Column Editor's Notes

This column examines advances in public services internal and external to libraries. The focus is on how public services, such as instruction and education, programming, research consulting, and circulation evolve and impact users. The strength of the column is its broad, international focus and contributors are encouraged to explore issues and recent advances in public services relevant to their geographical region, as well as the larger, global audience. Interested authors are invited to submit proposals and articles to the column editor at andrea.falcone@ucdenver.edu     

Effectiveness of a Liaison Program in Meeting Information Needs of College of Pharmacy Faculty

This article describes the creation and implementation of focus groups to evaluate the effectiveness of a health sciences library's liaison program of the College of Pharmacy faculty and to better understand the faculty's information needs in order to design new and improved library services. The liaison services support the teaching and research needs of faculty and students through literature research, classroom teaching, and an extensive library collection of pharmacy literature. Focus group results demonstrated a high level of satisfaction with library liaison services and collections. Opportunities exist for expanded interaction with graduate students and greater marketing of library services to increase faculty awareness of specific library programs.     

Getting Our Foot (Back) in the Door: Reestablishing a Freshman Instruction Program

SUMMARY

In 1999, librarians at the University of Alabama (UA) developed a program to reintroduce library instruction into the English Department's mandatory Freshman Composition Program. This article discusses the development, execution, outcome, and assessment of the program and includes tips for developing a similar program. Through negotiation and open discussion with the Director of Freshman English, the library successfully convinced the Director to allow a program of instruction back into the English 101 program. Library instruction sessions were paired with one of the essays/assignments common to all English 101 classes. A survey conducted to assess the library's efforts concluded that the instruction had a positive effect on students' understanding of library resources.     

Leveraging Librarian Liaison Expertise in a New Consultancy Role

This paper presents a case study of an advisory role that librarians successfully developed with faculty editors to increase the visibility and readership of an open access scholarly publication. The study represents an example of how expertise among liaison librarians and other library service professionals can be leveraged in new consultancy roles in support of evolving library service models. It also depicts local application of a hybrid model for librarianship that combines the functional specialist and subject librarian liaison roles in implementing advisory activities and recommendations. The liaison librarians successfully used their knowledge of scholarly communications and applied innovative bibliometric analysis to help enhance the discoverability and user experience of an online journal publication. The librarians made specific recommendations for optimizing journal website content organization, search functionality, metadata standards and marketing opportunities that were subsequently implemented by the editors and platform managers. The faculty editor places a high value on these recommendations, and the librarian advisory role continues to develop. Our study also outlines many of the essential considerations that scholar-editors and librarian advisors can use to help implement open access scholarly publishing projects successfully.     

Leveraging Technology and Staffing in Developing a New Liaison Program

With nearly all library resources and services delivered digitally, librarians working for the New York University Health Sciences Library struggled with maintaining awareness of changing user needs, understanding barriers faced in using library resources and services, and determining knowledge management challenges across the organization. A liaison program was created to provide opportunities for librarians to meaningfully engage with users. The program was directed toward a subset of high-priority user groups to provide focused engagement with these users. Responsibility for providing routine reference service was reduced for liaison librarians to provide maximum time to engage with their assigned user communities.     

Difficult Library Patrons in Academe

Summary

Difficult patrons have been considered primarily from the perspective of the problem behaviours they present in libraries. Many have attempted to define the problem patron and to provide advice and develop guidelines for frontline public service staff. To understand the difficult patron in academic libraries we need to answer three questions-How well do we know our patrons? Do we unwittingly create difficult patrons through our failure to appreciate their needs? Do we regard patrons as difficult because the way they use libraries and conduct their information research does not match our idea of how it should be done? The answers to these questions suggest that we need to reconceptualize both our patrons and the services we provide. Library staff need to see difficult patrons not as problems but as challenges to the service ideas and standards we hold. A paradigm shift is necessary if we are to reconstruct our beliefs about our patrons, their information seeking behaviours, and the services we provide to meet their needs. Some strategies for developing the skills of library staff to work effectively with difficult patrons are presented.     

美国高校图书馆的本科生研究支持服务

文章调查美国高校馆开展的本科生研究支持服务,服务内容包括:研究咨询,提供研究用空间,为本科生讲授课程,设立图书馆研究奖,设立图书馆研究员计划,协助本科生发表、保存与展示研究成果,提供研究指导信息;归纳美国高校图书馆本科生研究支持服务的经验。对我国高校图书馆的启示包括:开展本科生研究支持服务研究,为本科生提供研究空间支持,选拔学生同伴为本科生提供研究支持服务,成立图书馆员导师团队,设立本科生研究奖项,等等。     

Student Responses to Using a Computerized Database

Summary

An overwhelming majority (94%) of surveyed students rely on assistance from librarians (80%), professors (9%), and friends (5%) when using ERIC-on-CDROM, even when they are not first-time users. Almost three-quarters of the students report that ERIC-on-CDROM improves research quality (74%) and learning (70%) and evokes feelings of motivation and accomplishment (72%). All students indicate that they will return to use ERIC-on-CDROM but only 39% feel capable of transferring their skills to similar databases. Responses indicate that ERIC-on-CDROM contributes to highly individualized learning situations in which students successfully find information through assistance from both humans and computers.     

Communication,Collaboration, and Enhancing the Learning Experience: Developing a Collaborative Virtual Enquiry Service in University Libraries in the North of England

ABSTRACT

This article uses the case study of developing a collaborative “out-of-hours” virtual enquiry service by members of the Northern Collaboration Group of academic libraries in the north of England to explore the importance of communication and collaboration between academic library services in enhancing student learning. Set within the context of a rapidly changing UK higher education sector the article considers the benefits and challenges of collaboration and the contribution of library services to the student experience. The project demonstrated clear benefits to student learning and evidence of value for money to individual institutions as well as showing commitment to national shared services agendas. Effective communication with students, with colleagues and stakeholders in our own and other Northern Collaboration member institutions, and with OCLC, our partner organization, was a critical success factor in the development, promotion, and uptake of the new service.     

Providing Circulation Services in a Temporary Location

Abstract

This article presents the experience of Circulation Services at Booth Library, Eastern Illinois University, during a 31-month relocation to temporary facilities while the building was undergoing renovation. The move to temporary locations presented new challenges and required unique solutions. Issues such as the rationale for the move to the temporary facilities, the organization of the temporary branches, the delivery service, preservation and security, staffing issues, and the role of student workers are discussed. The article recommends extensive planning prior to a move to temporary facilities, as well as the adoption of a flexible approach during the duration of the stay in the locations.     

Using Electronic Course Reserves to Promote Information Literacy of First-Year Students in a University Writing Program

Abstract

The University of Florida is a large research institution with a freshman class of more than seven thousand students out of a total enrollment of about fifty thousand.Although a partnership with the University Writing Program has allowed the Libraries to reach almost four thousand students this past academic year, certain barriers still exist. There are just too many students to reach and the content is too vast to cover in only a single fifty-minute class period.Furthermore, problems encountered while working with students, as well as with their graduate writing instructors who run the classes, have reduced the effectiveness of the current library sessions.To solve these problems, our instruction team created targeted information literacy activities online, so writing instructors could have students complete them outside of class. This article covers some of the challenges in coordinating a first-year information literacyprogram in a large university setting and how electronic course reserves can be used creatively to deliver the desired content.     

高校图书馆服务新农村建设研究综述

高校图书馆是我国信息资源的重要组成部分,在我国的社会主义新农村建设进程中高校图书馆在不断探 索服务新农村建设的途径、方法,如何发挥高校图书馆信息资源的优势服务好资源贫乏的农村地区成为研究者持续关 注的课题。本文运用文献计量学的方法,从研究论文的年代分布、作者和内容主题等角度对1979 -2010 年有关高校图 书馆服务新农村建设的相关论文进行了定量和定性分析,以期了解该领域研究现状及特点,为今后开展这方面的研究 提供一定的参考。     

高校图书馆学术类刊物助力科研支持服务探究——以北京大学图书馆《未名学术快报》为例

《未名学术快报》是北京大学图书馆创办的第一个面向科研的常规性信息产品,是其科研支持服务体系中的重要组成部分,也是高校图书馆创办学术类刊物的积极尝试。《快报》立足科研支持、突出学术性;关注人文社会科学学科发展,多维度展现北大科研成果和学科发展等,都是对高校图书馆创办学术类刊物的重要启示。     

Making Every Seat Count: Space Management at Peak Times in a University Library

This study explores the library equivalent of the towels on deck chairs phenomenon of students reserving library seats: the practice of leaving personal belongings unattended at a library study space for long periods of time, rendering the desk unavailable for use by others. It presents highly inefficient use of high value academic library space. This study measured the impact and effectiveness of a desk clearing intervention put in place to alleviate the space constraints caused by the practice. The components of this single site study were focus groups that explored student attitudes and motivations toward desk reserving, a survey to assess user perceptions of the intervention and analysis of access gate data to identify behavioral changes following the intervention. Findings suggest that the phenomenon is a normal part of the student culture in the University library where this study is based. In addition to space constraints during busy periods, the sense of community and the trust and peer support that users feel in the library appear to be contributory factors in desk reserving. The desk clearing initiative was introduced in response to user feedback, to maximize the availability of seats for the benefit of all users. It was successful in reducing the practice of seat reserving. Its impact was most noticeable in the early morning, where the practice of reserving seats for use later in the day disappeared. The initiative was welcomed by library users. The “Every Seat Counts” campaign is now a regular part of the end of each semester in the University of Limerick.     

A Case Study in the Evolution of Digital Services for Science and Engineering Libraries

ABSTRACT

Building on experiences from earlier digital initiatives and partnerships, the University of Virginia has developed new services and forged new collaborations between traditional information technology and library units in support of changing approaches to science and engineering research and education. Over the past 4 years, the library has evolved through numerous service models, changes in institutional vision, and budgetary shortfalls and has emerged with a new understanding of where to invest resources and energy for coming challenges.     

Developing a generic tool to routinely measure the impact of health libraries

Background

Health libraries contribute to many activities of a health care organisation. Impact assessment needs to capture that range of contributions.

Objectives

To develop and pilot a generic impact questionnaire that: (1) could be used routinely across all English NHS libraries; (2) built on previous impact surveys; and (3) was reliable and robust.

Methods

This collaborative project involved: (1) literature search; (2) analysis of current best practice and baseline survey of use of current tools and requirements; (3) drafting and piloting the questionnaire; and (4) analysis of the results, revision and plans for roll out.

Findings

The framework selected was the International Standard Methods And Procedures For Assessing The Impact Of Libraries (ISO 16439). The baseline survey (n = 136 library managers) showed that existing tools were not used, and impact assessment was variable. The generic questionnaire developed used a Critical Incident Technique. Analysis of the findings (n = 214 health staff and students), plus comparisons with previous impact studies indicated that the questionnaire should capture the impact for all types of health libraries.

Conclusions

The collaborative project successfully piloted a generic impact questionnaire that, subject to further validation, should apply to many types of health library and information services.     

Expanding Library Support for Faculty Research in Historically Black Colleges and Universities

ABSTRACT

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Library Alliance conducted a study to assess library services in support of faculty research. Funded by an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant, and with support from LYRASIS, the study involved two different assessments. The first assessment was of faculty members and their support needs for research. The second assessment was of librarians to understand current capacity and needs related to support libraries provide to faculty. While the HBCU Library Alliance acknowledges that libraries do not have the capacity to address all the challenges to faculty research, the results from this study can serve as a tool to augment the academic infrastructure to support research.     

A Survey Study on the Adoption and Implementation of Automation Projects in Federal University Libraries in the South-West of Nigeria

This article reports on a survey study on the adoption and implementation of automation projects in federal university libraries in the south-west of Nigeria (SWN). The objectives are to ascertain the implementation status of automation projects, discuss the accruable benefits, investigate the library management system software being used, determine the modules already activated and fully implemented and their web presence, highlight the challenges encountered, draw conclusions and recommendations on enhancing successful implementation of library automation projects in Nigeria. The method used for gathering data for the study is questionnaire-based survey, using google form template. The findings of the study are that all the six federal university libraries in the SWN have adopted and implemented automation; two out of them are using open source integrated library automation software (Koha), one library uses in-house built integrated library system (ILS), while the remaining three use different proprietary software for their automation projects; and all the ILSs being used for automation projects are interoperable. The conclusion from the study is that the effective performance of libraries lies in the ability to access research materials and other relevant information contents with remarkable ease. This becomes achievable when libraries adopt and implement automation in their respective domains.