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.     

Library Instruction Assessment in Academic Libraries

SUMMARY

Determining the best methods of assessment for a library instruction program in a large research university can be a challenging task. Albert R. Mann Library at Cornell University Library has pilot-tested three methods of formative and summative assessment for its library instruction program-attitudinal, outcomes-based, and gap-measure-and determined not only key areas of improvement for the program, but also the benefits and drawbacks of each method of assessment. Attitudinal assessment has guided program improvement in areas of marketing and user satisfaction but does not provide the measurement of learning that outcomes-based assessment covers. The latter can be difficult to achieve in single-session, short-term instruction, while gap-measure assessment can provide a more nuanced view of both patron and instructor attitudes toward learning outcomes, if not actual data on achievement of the objectives themselves. The authors have determined that a combination of these three different types of assessment can address the shortcomings of a single method alone and provide a better measure of the program as a whole.     

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     

美国大学学科馆员服务的典型案例及其启示

开展学科馆员服务项目是目前图书馆服务的重要内容之一，本文就康涅狄格州大学图书馆和佛罗里达大学健康科学中心图书馆的学科馆员服务做了介绍和分析，并在此基础上提出了我国高校图书馆有效开展此项服务的建议。     

Barcoding a Small Academic Library:

Barcoding problems are universal to recently-automated small academic libraries. This article chronicles one library's experience and provides practical advice for others facing the same task. A barcode plan and worker guidelines are included. The authors offer the following suggestions for a successful project: (1) Read the shelves first. (2) Create a written plan. (3) Test in advance. (4) Get additional workers if you can. (5) Stress accuracy. (6) Regularly check the work being done. (7) Keep error correction and book repair to a minimum.     

Library Webmasters in Medium-Sized Academic Libraries

Abstract

Library webmasters in medium-sized academic libraries were surveyed about their educational backgrounds, job responsibilities, and training and experience levels in Web development. The article summarizes the findings of the survey with recommendations for libraries and library and information science programs.     

Extreme Makeover: A Blueprint for Redefining the Role of the Liaison Librarian in the Academic Library

Utilizing the concepts of change management and intentional change theory, this column delves into the issues facing new liaison roles and provides tips for those who are undergoing a similar process through a lens of organizational change that addresses reviewing what is working, as well as what is not, developing a clear vision and direction, breaking down the change into smaller segments, cultivating a sense of identity through shared purpose, and supporting new habits.     

高校图书馆文献信息咨询服务的新思路

本文论述了新形势下高校图书馆文献信息咨询服务工作的新思路，并介绍了一些实际做法。     

Continuing Professional Development in Kuwaiti Academic Libraries

This study investigates the current state of continuing professional development activities for information professionals in academic libraries, as well as their perceptions of the value of different continuing professional development activities. A questionnaire was used to collect data from 63 librarians and information professionals working at five Kuwaiti academic libraries, located in two public and three private universities. The findings of the study revealed that, generally, information professionals in academic libraries are of the opinion that they possess personal and professional skills that enable them to serve library users. Moreover, continuing professional development activities and programs are perceived as important for developing a professional workforce and maintaining professional competence.     

Evaluating Academic Library Outreach to Determine Return on Investment for Student Success

Campus outreach is a key part of an academic library’s service mission. However, the literature demonstrates a lack of assessment around library outreach, particularly from an institution-wide or programmatic perspective. The University of Houston Libraries assembled a team to evaluate return on investment for the Libraries outreach activities in service of meeting student success goals. This article shares the methodology, results, and recommendations made as a result of this project, with implications for outreach programs at other academic libraries.     

A Study of the Variables Influencing Academic Library Staff's Attitudes Toward Marketing

This article aims to present an insight into some of the factors influencing the attitudes of academic library staff in three UK university libraries toward marketing and how these factors could be incorporated into an existing model. An online questionnaire about attitudes to marketing and personality was completed by 54 academic library staff from three UK universities. Four academic library management staff were also selected for in-depth interviews. The results indicated that academic library staff have a positive attitude toward marketing and feel that it is vital in the current environment. The research found that personality factors such as extroversion and openness to change, experience and training influenced marketing attitudes. It also revealed that academic library staff were unclear of the definition of marketing, leading to a possible misunderstanding and mistrust of the terminology. The research discovered a gap in marketing knowledge and understanding that must be addressed for marketing success to be achieved. The findings supported the definition of marketing for individual academic libraries as a prerequisite to strategic marketing planning and the importance of considering the attitudes of staff when implementing marketing strategy.     

Curriculum Mapping in Academic Libraries

Librarians at four different academic institutions concurrently completed curriculum mapping projects using varying methods to analyze their information literacy instruction. Curriculum mapping is a process for systematically evaluating components of an instructional program for cohesiveness, proper sequencing, and goal achievement. There is a dearth of documentation of how this process has applied to an information literacy curriculum; however, the benefits of an organized examination of course progression is clear. The librarians explored curriculum mapping using different methodologies and approaches in order to formulate a more strategic approach to teaching students information literacy skills.     

Building the College Library Collection to Support Curriculum Growth

Because the mission of smaller academic libraries serving fewer than 10,000 full-time enrolled students is mainly to serve the curriculum-based needs of students and faculty, collection management in these libraries needs to be directly related to changes in the curriculum of the parent institution. A look into applicable collection management literature, combined with one library's experience, offers insights about effective curriculum-based collection building in a smaller academic library setting. To achieve efficiency, collection managers must maintain up-to-date knowledge of changing instructional and research needs at their institutions, the needs new programs have for library materials, appropriate collection assessment tools, and the tasks involved in a focused expansion project. By optimizing consultations with faculty and evaluation procedures scaled to its needs, the library at North Georgia College & State University, a modestly sized academic institution, established a model for becoming an active participant in new course and program planning during the application stage, ensuring appropriate library support for new courses and programs of study.     

Breaking New Ground: The Case for Seed Libraries in the Academic Library

Seed libraries are a relatively new innovation in the library field, offering seeds, gardening information, and the opportunity for community and ecological engagement to members. While they are increasingly popular in public libraries, they have not yet established a foothold in academic libraries. This paper defines the nature and role of seed libraries, the current state of seed libraries in North American universities, and offers recommendations for the establishment of seed libraries in academic libraries.     

Collaborate or Die! Collection Development in Today's Academic Library

SUMMARY

The practice of collection development faces many challenges in the present and likely future library environment. The following text presents concepts for collaboration as viable solutions to these challenges for collection development in academic libraries. In particular, a model of collaboration involving department faculty representatives and library liaisons is discussed. Consulting professional literature on this topic has offered insight into the establishment of librarian-faculty relationships, the process of collaboration, benefits of collaboration, as well as problems that may result from such cooperative relationships. Examples are illustrated from experiences at three academic libraries: University of Nevada Las Vegas, University of South Florida, and Hillsborough Community College.     

Monograph Interlending for the Higher Education Research Community

This article presents the findings of a small-scale study undertaken at a UK university. The purpose of the research was to investigate the perceived impact and value of the Academic Library Liaison service at the university. This was considered to be a critical issue of concern, in the light of drivers threatening the UK higher education library sector to de-professionalize—or worse, remove such services. A mixed methods approach was adopted, combining an online questionnaire disseminated to academic staff, resulting in 29 responses from three academic departments and in-depth interviews with eight members of academic staff. The results indicate that although academic staff do value the service provided by Academic Liaison Librarians (ALLs), there is scope to increase awareness of the range of services on offer. The study also demonstrates that academic staff prioritize the contribution that ALLs can make through the possession of in-depth subject knowledge, IT skills and well-developed communication skills, and the provision of advice on copyright matters and assistance with institutional repositories. This holds implications for curriculum design on the part of LIS educators.     

Tools of Academic Library Assessment: the User Survey

ABSTRACT

Academic libraries are taking a closer look at how well they are serving the needs of their users. As a result assessment activities become more important. In this column, the authors will focus on and describe one major tool of assessment—the user survey.     

河南高校图书馆数字信息资源建设调查分析

作者用网上调查的方法对河南省高校图书馆数字资源建设的现状进行了调查和分析，指出了存在的问题和解决问题的对策。