Answering a Library Management Challenge: Applying a New Student Staffing Model
John Danneker, Eckles Library, The George Washington University; Stephen Manos, Arlington County Public Libraries
Given the challenge of servicing a rapidly-increasing residential campus population with a stagnant operations budget, the Eckles Library of George Washington University's Mount Vernon Campus faced a dilemma -- known throughout the University as an exemplary service point, Eckles needed to find ways to continue to provide high-quality user experiences in a safe environment while observing patterns of building usage and responding to new needs.
To answer the challenge, for the 2010-11 academic year a new tiered staffing model of student coverage was instituted on evening and weekend shifts. Experienced students assistants with advanced training in circulation and reference/research capabilities paired up with new student employees for all shifts occurring in the absence of permanent staff. These experienced student mentors worked closely with the permanent staff of the library to ensure a dependable level of customer service while serving as models to highlight not only the expectations of quality customer service but also the operational details of the hands-on responsibilities at a library’s single service point.
Now in its second year, the student mentor model is being assessed for its value and future viability. Amongst the considerations are the impacts of the model from a staffing and service standpoint, the quality of the resulting interactions with library users, an ongoing skills-level assessment and training to ensure adequacy of staff reference knowledge and research triage capabilities, and the budgetary implications of the model.
Featuring input from management and student assistants, this poster will highlight the library’s decision-making processes in moving to a new staffing model, the relative successes and challenges of the model, and thoughts on future assessment and planning to ensure a continued high level of service quality for all library users across all levels of university life.
Beyond Face-to-Face: Learning the Future Face of Reference
Amanda Youngbar, Towson University
Chat reference gives librarians the opportunity to engage with users at point of need, empowering them to use our increasingly electronic resources whenever and wherever they may be. One of the benefits of chat reference is the ability to log transcripts. These transcript logs have provided the raw data for small case studies as well as major research. These logs also have the potential to serve as a knowledgebase and training ground, enabling the novice librarian to learn how to approach the variety of questions that librarians answer. This poster presents the results of reading and categorizing a semester's worth of transcripts by type of question (known item, circulation, ready reference, etc.), and shares reflections upon the use of transcript logs as a pedagogical tool for library and information science students.
Collaboration Between Darden Librarians and the Finance Club to Teach MBA Students about Business Research and Databases: A Qualitative Study
Karen King, University of Virginia Darden Graduate School of Business
Each year the Darden Camp Business Library professional staff collaborates with Darden Finance Club members to teach other MBA students about financial data resources and business databases. Student club members who are experts in finance, due to their previous jobs in the field, volunteer to teach business research sessions and coach fellow students one on one. During the Fall 2010 semester, the business librarian and the senior leadership of the finance club formed a research team to undertake a study of the club’s business research instruction activities. The priority of the research was to identify and describe existing club activities that support learning about business research and resources. Qualitative methods such as observation and interviews were be used to chronicle existing clubs activities that facilitate learning about business research. A secondary research goal was to describe the interaction of student experts with their fellow students, as they taught/coached other students in the use of business information resources and databases. Through analysis of the study’s results, the librarian and finance club leadership identified additional opportunities for teaching about business research and other ways to improve existing learning activities. The research team used the findings to plan future club activities that expand opportunities for students to learn about business research activities and resources. The poster will summarize the results of the study, conclusions of the research team, and activities that were developed based on the research findings.
Conceptual Attributes of Image Queries during the Query Modification Process
Youngok Choi, Catholic University of America
The use of search engines is a common approach for users to search for images. Most search engines offer an interface allowing users to conduct searches according to multimedia content collections. With this traditional interface for image search, previous studies investigated general image searching behavior in the Web environment. Findings show that image searches use more terms; the session lengths for image searches are longer than any other type of searching; query modification is important in image searching; and users switch frequently between Web and Image collections while searching for images. It is apparent that image search is a more complex task than other types of searching. Results of previous studies suggest that image users progressively consolidate or learn more information about their problems through the interaction with the Web search engine. However, less is known about what conceptual attributes users incorporate in their query as a result of browsing search results and shaping their image needs accordingly. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to identify what attributes of image search need users incorporate in formulating a query during query modification process. Findings of the study will provide insight on development of system features for alternative query representation formats and matching semantics.
The Convergence of Practical Online Pedagogy and Library Instruction
Marianne E. Giltrud, Catholic University of America
One of the goals of the Catholic University of America is a robust general education curriculum. Inherent in that goal is the increased importance of library instruction and information literacy. In order to enhance the libraries’ traditional fifty minute one shot library instruction classes, a series of online learning activities were conceived, created, and executed using Adobe Connect Pro web conferencing software. The poster will describe the development and piloting of these online learning modules.
Demonstrating the Value of Electronic Collections for Academic Libraries
Stephen Miller, University of Maryland University College
In today's lean times, and with the rise of the Internet and the ever increasing volume of information that it provides access to, how can we show the value of electronic resources such as aggregator databases and e-journal subscriptions? How can we justify their expense? The University of Maryland University College (UMUC) is an institution of the University System of Maryland that is devoted to the education of a highly diverse non-traditional student body, primarily through online distance education. The UMUC Library, with an almost entirely online collection, recently undertook two major projects to demonstrate the need for continued annual investment in its collections and to objectively ensure that the collection meets the requirements of the curriculum. In the first project, we undertook a library program review following the model of academic program reviews that are conducted for accreditation agencies. Four external expert consultants from institutions with top-ranked academic programs that matched UMUC's were hired and provided with detailed information about the databases in the library collections and about UMUC's curriculum. In a second initiative we have conducted benchmarking with peer institutions following the recommendations of ACRL's Standards for Libraries in Higher Education 2011 edition, with a particular focus on electronic resource holdings. This poster session will discuss these projects, methods used, lessons learned, and provide participants with ideas on how to go about similar projects at their institutions.
The Full-Text Book and the Library of Congress
Angela McMillian, Library of Congress
Many patrons have the misconception that the Library of Congress offers an online public catalog of full-text books. Each week the Library receives numerous queries from patrons requesting the full-text of a book specifically from the Library of Congress. This poster presentation will explain how a patron can obtain full-text books via the Library of Congress as well as other sites that offer full-text books.
Game Design and Programming Club in the Media Center
Tim Steelman, Theodore G. Davis Middle School
The award-winning Game Design and Programming Club is a middle school, afterschool club that creates an environment of creativity and friendship through active roles taken by its members as they design, create, edit, and distribute 2D video games. Using the program Game Maker as the creative environment, informal instruction is combined with focused discussion on the creation of playable mini-computer games.
Supporting wider STEM programs (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), this club is led by the Media Specialist. Instruction is a combination of prescriptive examples, tutorials, and guided open-development opportunities. Focus is placed on object design (terrain, characters, creatures. and other objects), player motivation through story development, and game coding/programming. Experienced/advanced club members are encouraged to work together and as part of the wider club membership. No prior experience is necessary for membership; however teacher recommendations are required of all members along with a permission slip signed by a parent/guardian. Club Objectives are: (1) Demonstrate an ability to critically review existing computer games and apply that analysis to development of new games. (2) Describe the conditions that lead to interest and enjoyment in computer games. (3) Demonstrate an ability to analyze, plan, and manage a computer game development project. (4) Demonstrate an ability to collaborate with small teams to design, implement, test, and evaluate small computer games as appropriate to the student's academic background. Expectations of club members include: (1) Participation in short, interactive lectures on game design and structure. (2) Read assigned resources to prepare for and supplement topics covered in scheduled club meetings. (3) Participate in hands-on lab sessions during scheduled club meetings with a variety of software. (4) All club members are expected to move beyond their comfort zones, with non-technically oriented students attempting technical tasks, and technical students attempting non-technical tasks.
The poster will include demonstrations of club member-created games.
Health Information Delivered at the Back Yard of the Nation’s Capitol
Roman Santillan, Jeanne A. Lauber, District of Columbia Public Library
In the back yard of the Nation’s Capitol, just east of the Anacostia River, there exist African American communities that have been long plagued by crime, poverty and disenfranchisement. “East of the River,” is the tag name for this section. There are also pockets of middle class and mixed-income neighborhoods. One of these communities is Deanwood, one of the Northeast's oldest African-American suburbs. The quiet tree lined streets feature relatively low density, small wood-frame and brick homes. The Deanwood Recreation Center and Library opened a year ago: 63,000 square foot facility with swimming pool, senior program, computer lab, locker rooms, a gymnasium, a full service kitchen, a game room, a music studio, a fitness center, multi-purpose rooms, and a 7,500 square foot library with 20 computers, space for children’s activities, space for teens to study and capacity for 25,000 books.
We want to promote health information to empower residents east of the river. The goal of the program is to educate the residents on how to find and evaluate good health information. In the first stage of the program the library staff targeted the senior population. Two health information sessions were already held in the computer lab at Deanwood Community Center and Library. The sessions were largely focused on the NIHSeniorHealth, and MedlinePlus. Most of the participants are seniors. The library staff is also participating in community health fairs, including one offered by the local NAACP and Unity Health Care in June 2011, a health back-to-school fair at Capital View Library, and library workshops during the Fall at various libraries.
Heeding the Call: User Feedback Management and the Digital Library (Poster) (Paper)
Bianca Crowley, Erin Thomas, Grace Costantino, Smithsonian Institution Libraries; Rebecca Morin, California Academy of Sciences
The Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) is a consortium of natural history and botanical libraries that cooperate to digitize and make accessible the legacy literature of biodiversity held in their collections and to make that literature available for open access and responsible use as a part of a global biodiversity commons. BHL supports a large and active user base with content and services, and continues to grow its collection of over 35 million pages. It is operated by a small full-time staff as well as librarians distributed throughout the consortium who work on the project in addition to their daily responsibilities at their home brick-and-mortar institutions. BHL adopted a commercial, off-the-shelf issue tracking system to improve collaboration, resolve problems, and manage feedback from users. Issue tracking systems are typically used to manage tasks associated with institutional information technology needs, including computer programming, telecommunications, and other services where a small, centralized staff serve a large, decentralized user group. BHL staff customized the software to serve digital library task management requirements. BHL stakeholders understand that free, 24-7 online access does not negate the need for more traditional, in-person library services. The implementation and effective use of issue tracking software offers the opportunity to bring the service model of a traditional library into a digital library space. In fostering greater, more efficient staff collaboration, issue tracking software allows BHL to capitalize on the diverse collections and skills of member libraries and librarians. This poster will demonstrate how an issue tracking system is critical to the successful management of user feedback for the digital library space.
LibGuide Uses for Promoting Information Literacy in a Distance Education Environment
Julie Arnold, Joseph Rawson, University of Maryland University College
The tremendous growth in distance education has prompted librarians to find new and innovative ways to reach out to their user communities as traditional face-to-face instructional methods may no longer be relevant. Finding ways to meet the user at the point of need to provide information literacy skills is more challenging in an asynchronous learning environment. LibGuides have been used by the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) since 2008 as an important tool for reaching out to distance learner user communities to promote information literacy. This poster session will demonstrate how the UMUC library currently uses LibGuides in four distinct ways to reach out to distance learners:
Embedded Stand-Alone Library Instruction Modules – LibGuides are used to create these modules for high-enrollment online courses as a way to provide scalable library instruction. The stand-alone module, where no librarian is present in the classroom, is offered in dozens of courses in various departments, at both the graduate and undergraduate level. The modules are customized for each course.
Course Resources Guides – These guides are customized to a particular online course providing relevant research materials specific to that course, serving as a complement to the stand alone modules.
Search by Subject Guides -- UMUC, like many other libraries, has created these guides, using the Springshare LibGuides platform, providing access to research materials in a variety of formats as well as research and technical assistance. These guides are based on the curricular needs of the subject-area determined through examination of course syllabi and assignment descriptions.
Tutorials – These multimedia tutorials meet specific research needs providing users with step-by-step, point-of-need instructions on how to perform certain research tasks.
LibGuides: Are They Worth It?
Alison Shea, Fordham University School of Law
In an era when communicating with patrons digitally is becoming ever more important, one tool that many librarians are turning to for help is LibGuides. This poster session will take an "after action review" approach to assessing the effectiveness of a LibGuide which the author, after being inspired by a colleague's digital guide (Learnmore: http://learnmore.lawbore.net), created for incoming law students which features video clips of current students discussing various topics that a new student might have questions about (legal writing and research, moot court, public interest groups) along with links to relevant law library resources that may be of use to them.
This poster will address what the author THOUGHT was going to happen, what ACTUALLY happened, and how future projects can be changed to ensure better success. In addition to assessing the LibGuide's effectiveness at Fordham, it will explain the challenges of incorporating digital media into a LibGuide, provide tips and guidance on how users can embark on a similar project at their own libraries, and will also discuss usage statistics of the guide and potential conclusions concerning student usage of these digital tools in a graduate level environment.
Managing Electronic Resources in Rough Seas: The Changing Ebb of Work Flow at Two University of Maryland Institutions
Lenore England, University of Maryland University College; Kelly Shipp, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Organization of electronic resources workflow is critical in the increasingly complex world of library management. The way in which this management process is structured differs according to the type of library and organizational structure within. A common goal, though, is strategically sustaining access and availability to electronic resources over time and the effective management of the library staff that maintains them.
As will be illustrated in this poster, two libraries in the University System of Maryland and Affiliated Institutions (USMAI) approach electronic resources management (ERM) from different vantage points. The first, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, is working on a change in work flow for an increased electronic resources collection, as their print collections are changed to electronic access in both monographs and serials. Goals of this project have included faster response to patron needs, quicker implementation times for electronic projects, and new methods of interdepartmental communication. They have worked extensively to adapt print based workflows towards a faster and more agile way of handling electronic resources. The ERM staff is currently working to increase efficiencies, and on processes to reduce redundancies between print and electronic workflows.
The second USMAI library, at the University of Maryland University College, explored the building blocks of existing infrastructure: current resources, tools, and staff in order to create a means for efficient electronic resources work flow. Goals for processes were established and then broken down into small functional modules that were, in most cases, managed effectively with checklists and existing systems. They also adapted business process management (BPM) for ERM work, carefully reviewing these linked ERM functional modules to create an effective work flow, within budgetary constraints. Ultimately the ERM staff created cost-effective small solutions for work flow that achieved big results. The ERM staff have plans to expand ERM to the entire university community based on the implemented BPM theories, seeking economies of scale not previously seen.
Models of Success: Lessons from Successful Embedded Librarians
David Shumaker and Alison Makins, Catholic University of America
During June 2011, site visits and in-depth interviews were conducted at six diverse organizations: three higher education institutions, and three corporate entities. All have operated successful embedded librarianship programs for at least five years. The poster presents the findings of these visits, emphasizing the common threads: practices that appear to be associated with successful initiation and sustainment of embedded librarianship.
"Our Librarian:" Embedded Librarianship in Government
Trevor Riley, Catholic University of America
Many corporate, academic, and health service institutions have profited through the added value which an embedded librarian can bring. However, embedded librarianship within the government is a topic that has yet to be fully understood and upon which there is little to no documentation. This poster will help to shed light upon the work of an embedded librarian within the U.S. government. It will do this by looking at the roles which the librarian takes on, identifying key tasks, roadblocks, and competencies. While independently painting a picture of the embedded librarian within government, it will also be comparing this to the description of an embedded librarian in SLA Final Report, "Models of Embedded Librarianship". The poster will also explore the possible future of embedded librarianship in government.
Partnerships on Both Sides of the Pond: Taking on Corporate Partners for Digitization
Lisa Campbell, Catholic University of America
Archives all over the world are struggling to meet user demand for digital information. The National Archives and the British Library are no exception. On both sides of the Atlantic, these major national archives are serving their users by providing them with information in a digital format. These digitization efforts are made possible by the archives’ corporate partners who fund the majority of the digitization process. In the case of the National Archives and the British Library, the corporate partner are usually companies that help people research their genealogy, so digitizing the documents are just as beneficial to them as it is for the archive. Such partnerships certainly help to forward the digitization process, but archives must be cautious to ensure that corporate partners are maintaining a high level of quality. Also, the public, the users of these collections, have expressed mixed feelings over the change from analog to digital. While these two archives are unique in their size and national standing, their plight is representative of archives all over the world. How can archives balance their desire and need to keep pace with changes in technology and still respect the needs and wishes of their users? This poster addresses this question by examining the digitization practices/efforts of these two institutions.
Reducing the Long Tail of Social Tags Distribution
Sue Yeon Syn, Catholic University of America
There are efforts to make use of social tags for indexing, organization, and retrieval in libraries and information services. In processing and analyzing social tags, it has been a challenge to deal with the long tail of the tag distribution that is in some degree caused by various forms of social tags including compound tags. Previous research has suggested that processing tag noise including compound tags would improve the tag analysis and usage. For this poster, compound tags are analyzed to reduce the long tail of the tag distribution and improve the analysis of tags for various purposes. As a part of the process, the potential forms that can be uniformed and special characters that are used to build compound tags are identified to provide ways to reduce the long tail. The findings of the study suggest that having a step for tag uniformity process in any method of social tag usage would be more effective.
Research Circles in the Academic Library: Inspiring Practice Through Intellectual Dialogue
Sara Williams, Reba Leiding, Michael Mungin, Stefanie Warlick, Elizabeth Haworth, James Madison University Libraries
This poster presents a model of inquiry and dialogue that provides librarians and library staff a regular opportunity to participate in collective learning, discovery and problem-solving. Based on various methods of salons, scholarly cafes, study circles and appreciative inquiry groups, our research circle operates without a charge, agenda, or defined outcomes. Yet, the method has produced many transformative ideas, new ways of conceiving questions, unexpected intellectual partnerships and a highly enthusiastic and growing membership.
The Research Papers of High School Boys: Messages for the College and University Librarian
Terry Darr, Loyola Blakefield School
There has been little written in the professional literature about the research skills of students in private secondary schools. Boys, as a subgroup have also been ignored.
Loyola Blakefield is a private, independent, Catholic school for boys from grades 6-12 in Towson, Maryland. Loyola Blakefield, like many secondary schools, does not have an organized program of information literacy even though students are required to write research papers. Teachers may request information literacy instruction. The only exception is a standardized three day program each fall with freshmen. What skills in information literacy do these students bring to college? How can information literacy librarians better prepare first year programs for students with scattered research skills?
A two year analysis of research papers written by these boys from the ages of 15-18 (juniors and seniors in high school) has yielded important information about their research skills. These boys showed significant challenges in the broad area of information synthesis. This causes other related problems within their papers. This poster will illustrate three of the resulting issues: plagiarism, an ineffective use of resources and inadequate conclusions.
Searcher Gaze Behavior with Faceted Interfaces in Academic and Health Domains
Bill Kules, Catholic University of America
Faceted search is an accepted technique to support complex and iterative information seeking tasks like exploratory search. Faceted search interfaces incorporate clickable categories into search results so searchers can narrow and browse the results without reformulating their query. These techniques have the potential to support more flexible information seeking strategies for exploratory search by allowing searchers to fluidly transition between browsing and search strategies. My research is motivated by a desire to better understand how these interfaces affect searcher actions, tactics, and strategies.
This poster will describe several studies that examine searcher gaze behavior in two types of faceted search interfaces: an academic library catalog and the Medline Plus web site. The studies apply multiple methods, including eye tracking and stimulated recall interviews to investigate several factors in searcher gaze behavior (what components of the interface searchers look), including: differences when training is and is not provided; changes as searchers become familiar with the interface; differences depending on the stage of search; and differences by domain and task. It will summarize the findings of these studies and suggest guidelines for practitioners who are interested in implementing faceted search on their sites.
Serials Departments Aren't What They Used To Be
Denise Branch, Virginia Commonwealth University
Some serials departments are taking on responsibilities beyond routine serials work, including public service and technical responsibilities. The image of serials work is checking in journals, claiming missing issues and verifying access to electronic resources. At the VCU Libraries, we have added other dynamic responsibilities. Serials staff positions were repurposed and work plans updated. The Serials Unit is responsible for answering patrons' problem reports regarding access to e-resources through an electronic journal problem report form. Patrons fill in the problem report form in the link resolver, SFX, and the Serials staff receive an email with the problem report. Serials staff had to enhance current skills, develop new skills and learn a whole new vocabulary, such as learning about IP ranges, proxy, URLs and licensing; interpreting patrons' questions; responding to patrons in a clear and well written manner; troubleshooting access issues; learning link resolver (SFX) terminology. The Serials Unit had to develop an effective workflow for handling the electronic journal problem reports. It has been a challenging journey, but the unit has weathered the storm and provided excellent customer service to its patrons.
Social Communities and Digital Information Literacy
Judine Slaughter, Catholic University of America
This project presents an asynchronous instructional module demonstrating how social networking sites can enhance digital information fluency. Digital Information Fluency (DIF) is the ability to find, evaluate and use digital information effectively, efficiently and ethically. Students preparing for high school graduation need to be able to identify, evaluate and use information related to reading comprehension effectively. Social networking sites serve as a good learning platform for students, as they have the flexibility and privacy to balance learning with work and personal responsibilities. This module addresses a needs assessment for librarians helping Washington, DC high school students to evaluate internet resources for reading comprehension resources from various social media networks by determining the authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency, and functionality of the information. After a brief instruction, they will complete the web exercise using Facebook, and provide feedback using a web-based survey. With the explosion of information on the Internet, it is important for users to have the skills to analyze the various web sources using the information literacy competency standards. This module also provides an example to librarians how they can supplement classroom instruction with social networks to teach the importance of information literacy. Combining classroom skills with Web 2.0 strategies allows users to learn at their own pace and can allow students to maintain confidentiality.
Taking EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) to the Distance: Implementation at the University of Maryland University College
John Coogan, Rocco DeBonis, Lenore England, Li Fu, Stephen Miller, Cynthia Thomes, University of Maryland University College
Implementation of EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) by the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) library presented many unique challenges that were managed with careful planning and organization. UMUC is a comprehensive distance education university, focusing on the educational and professional development needs of adult learners and serving more than 90,000 students worldwide.
This poster illustrates how UMUC librarians from different functional areas incorporated their vantage points and goals for distance learners during the evaluation and implementation of EDS, renamed UMUC Library OneSearch. Attendees will learn about the unique processes required for distance education learning and beyond, and how these apply at your institution.
- Stephen Miller, Associate Provost, initiated the review of discovery tools and the selection and acquisition of EDS, and coordinated with the University System of Maryland and Affiliated Institutions (USMAI) Library Consortium.
- Lenore England, Digital Resources Librarian, managed a review of EDS, negotiations on pricing and licensing, implementation planning, content set-up, administration, and will oversee the future development.
- Li Fu, Digital Services Librarian, and John Coogan, Systems Librarian, managed the customizations and integration of EDS into the library website.
- Rocco DeBonis and Cynthia Thomes, Reference and Instruction Librarians, identified the special requirements and needs of the undergraduate and graduate schools and assisted in creating instructional material that could be used to teach students how to use UMUC Library OneSearch efficiently and effectively in order to meet their research needs.