Report: Book Usage Patterns in Academic Libraries

From the report:

OhioLINK and OCLC Research have released a report of, and the data set used in, a joint study of OhioLINK circulation, to better understand the usage patterns of books in academic libraries and support further research in this area. The study, which incorporated usage data from 2007-2008, was limited to books and manuscripts because these materials typically circulate, and circulation is a significant element in evaluating collections.

http://web.resourceshelf.com/go/resourceblog/65140

Amazon's new Kindle Fire Tablet

Higher-Ed Gadget-Watchers React to Amazon's New 'Kindle Fire' Tablet

Today Amazon unveiled a new tablet computer, the company’s long-awaited competitor to Apple’s iPad. Though it won’t go on sale until November, some gadget-happy college professors and administrators are already speculating about the impact it will have on campuses.

The big surprise in today’s announcement was the tablet’s price: $199. That’s far less than the lowest-cost iPad, which sells for $499.

Marketing academic libraries in a web 2 world

We describe features when we should be describing results,

We describe products when we should be describing services,

We talk about searching when we should be talking about finding.

http://www.slideshare.net/thewikiman/marketing-libraries-in-a-web-2-world

Academic journals - Princeton ban on copyright allocation

Princeton bans academics from handing all copyright to journal publishers

Interesting development!

Search Skills of the 21st Century Student

The Google Gap: College Kids Aren't Good At Searching:

“…I don’t really know what there is
to use. I know there are books but
I don’t really know how to find
them. Really the only thing I know
how to do is go to Google and type
in what I’m looking for.”

http://www.erialproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/ACRL-erial-results-presentation.pdf

From digital libraries to digital preservation research: the importance of users and context

Conclusion: "Digital libraries in future, if we want to continue with this term in future that is,
need digital librarians (again many believe the term is an oxymoron) and such tools
and technologies can play the role of experienced librarian or information personnel in
helping users access, understand, interpret and use digital information in its proper
context. This is a huge challenge and significant amounts of research efforts and
resources are needed to develop the appropriate solutions. Both the digital library and
digital preservation community need to work hand in hand to solve these problems".

http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=0022-0418&volume=66&issue=2&articleid=1846244&show=html

Libraries and Information Commons

First attempt on contributing to the blog:
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oitp/publications/booksstudies/ic%20principles%20docume.pdf

Emerging Futures of Subject Librarians

Emerging Futures of Subject Librarians
(also see the below radial chart showing roles as seen in 2010 and 2016, embedded in the link article)

LibGuides (Subject Guides) - best practices

For all those involved in editing/designing subject guides: Do have a look at this

Core competencies for librarians

Core competencies for information professionals of Thai academic libraries in the next decade (A.D. 2010-2019
International Information and Library Review
Volume 43, Issue 3, September 2011, Pages 122-129.

Clearly outlines competencies and definitions

Men of the stacks - 2012 calendar

I've often come across people who respond by rudely saying 'shame' after I have told them that I am a librarian. Considering the complete inaccurate view of librarians, it is not surprising that some initiatives aim to change how we as librarians are perceived and that it can (and is) a very fulfilling career 'even for a man'!

I am happy to share the following initiative:

The Men of the stacks - a 2012 calender

If I was to be the Queen ...

(I originally posted this on the RLC Blog in April of 2010.)

If I was to be the Queen ...

I would knight librarians for aren’t we the keepers and protectors of the truth. Are we not on an endless errand to find the holiest of grails (knowledge), bringing it into the open for the world to see (cataloguing, exposing, digitising ...)? Are we not always out there looking to save ‘maidens in distress’ (researchers and students) in a world filled with dragons (irrelevant and incorrect information) whose sole aim is to ensnare and devour the feeble minded? We are knights in shining libraries sworn to do the bidding of those that we serve. We are the 'illuminators' of the true path to wisdom.

Sir Librarian – what a wonderful world this can be! I am proud to be a librarian! I am proud to part of a small group of chosen people who though battle-scarred keeps on fighting the good fight for an informed world.

Understanding the changing role of academic librarians

Understanding the changing role of academic librarians from a psychological perspective: A literature review
Ellen I. Shupe, , Stephanie K. Pung

The Journal of Academic Librarianship
Volume 37, Issue 5, September 2011, Pages 409-415
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2011.06.005

AbstractAlthough issues related to the role of librarians have long been discussed in the literature on academic librarianship, there has been little attempt to incorporate the extensive psychological theory and research on role-related issues. In the current article we review the empirical literature on the role of librarians, with a particular focus on the link between role-related issues and job stress, recruitment and selection, and training and development. We then discuss relevant psychological theory and research in these areas, and we conclude with a recommendation for more collaborative efforts between research psychologists and scholars in the field of librarianship.

Article Outline
Role-related stress experienced by academic librarians
The recruitment and selection of academic librarians
The training and development of academic librarians
Research on Training
Professional Development of Librarians: Research on Mentoring
Conclusion
References

Example of LibGuide

Quite a good idea to put the menu on the landing page

http://libguides.uta.edu/content.php?pid=227768&sid=1884348

Social media use in the library

The Journal of Academic Librarianship
Volume 37, Issue 5, September 2011, Pages 373-375
Guest editorial: Social Media, Academic Research and the Role of University Libraries

from the conclusion: "...the real value of social media for libraries lies in its marketing potential, and marketing is something that libraries are not very good at. Thus one of the biggest university users of social media in the UK (not represented in the focus groups) uses Facebook and Twitter quite successfully for this purpose. Social media add powerful (‘cool’) communication channels to the marketing mix and appeal to the strategic student group. Whether it would appeal to researchers is of course another thing. So the real issue isn't that libraries are failing to understanding social media per se but failing to understand its effectiveness in their marketing strategy overall, and this is why many of them are not really connecting with social media. .."

More on copyright

Very important - I discovered only this week that 2 lecturers in the Geography Dept were putting the pdfs of journal articles and scanned book chapters on their RUConnected course resources. This is breaking copyright and I had to alert them to this.
We all need to check this sort of thing. I have asked CHERTL to send out a message to teachers on RUConnected.

· Some time back DALRO queried the low amount that RU was paying for copyright and so they are watching us! I have a feeling that many departments are not compliant.

·

Copyright matters

Take the time to check DALRO's website:
http://www.dalro.co.za/
It's really important for us, as Librarians, to be aware of copyright issues!

New Open Access Library Journal in 2011

Kansas Library Association College and University Libraries Section Proceedings

An annual collection of papers based upon presentations given at the Kansas Library Association College and University Libraries Section Conference.

Vol 1 (2011): Theme Issue: Originate, Create, Renovate, and Innovate: Leading Revolution in the Academic Library

Table of Contents

Introduction

How Did We Get Here? Innovation in Practice	PDF
Cynthia Akers	1

Articles

Where Is the Love? Using the Black Eyed Peas to Reach Expository Writing Students	PDF
Heidi Blackburn, Jennifer Molidor	2-10

Subject Guides: Two Different Libraries, Two Different Approaches	PDF
Gemma Blackburn, Judy Bastin	11-15

QR Codes: What Are They and Why Should You Care?	PDF
Jason Coleman	16-23

Building New Interfaces for Shocker Open Access Repository	PDF
Sai Deng	24-31

The Wireless Library: An Assessment of a Library Laptop Program	PDF
Arthur Gutierrez, Terri Summey	32-40

Going Mobile: the In’s and Out’s of an Academic Library Mobile Site	PDF
Ronda Holt, Mary Walker	41-47

Archival Internships: Creating Real World Learning Beyond the Classroom	PDF
Lorraine Madway	48-56

Where Did My Time Go? Time Management in Libraries	PDF
Morgan McCune	57-65

Gifts Nobody Wants: The State of the Art in Dealing with Unwanted Donations	PDF
Sheila O'Hare, Andrew Smith	66-86

Copyright Renovation: Creating Informational Web Pages and a Consulting Service for Academic Users	PDF
Jenny Oleen, Beth Turtle	87-90

Re-Branding Academic Libraries in an Experience Culture	PDF
Rajesh Singh	91-95

Following the Evidence: Approaches to Assessment in Academic Libraries	PDF
Gregory A. Smith	96-108

Instructor Development: A Model for Growth and Success	PDF
John Stratton, Erin Ellis	109-113