scholarly journals Retention Initiatives are Employed in Academic Libraries, Although not Necessarily for this Purpose

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 56
Author(s):  
Laura Newton Miller
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Electronic Mail ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Professional Experience ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Retention Initiatives ◽  
Retention Programs ◽  
Flexible Schedules

Objective – To study methods that support retention of academic librarians. Design – Exploratory research using an online survey; non-random sample. Setting – Academic libraries, nearly all located within the U.S. (97.2%). Subjects – A total of 895 professional academic librarians. Methods – The researchers sent an online survey link to professional electronic mail lists and directly to heads of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries. The 23-item survey was available from February 19, 2007, through March 9, 2007, and contained questions about the professional experience of respondents, their libraries, and their universities. Subjects were asked to identify retention activities that were currently offered at their workplaces (both library-specific and university-wide) and to rate their satisfaction for each available initiative. The list contained fifteen initiatives based on the researchers’ literature review. Main Results – Almost half (46.3%) of respondents were 50 or older and 7.5% under 30 years old, leaving 46.2% between the ages of 30-50 years old (although this percentage is not explicitly stated in the paper except in a table). Nearly half of the subjects were in the first ten years of their careers. 80.2% had held between one and four professional positions in their careers, and even when length of professional experience was factored out, age had no effect on the number of positions held. Most job turnover within the past three years (3 or fewer open positions) was in public service, while other areas of the library (i.e., technical services, systems, and administration) reported zero open positions. Only 11.3% of respondents noted that their libraries have deliberate, formal retention programs in place. Despite this, there are several library- and university-based initiatives that can be considered to help with retention. The most reported available library-based retention initiative was the provision of funding to attend conferences (86.8%). Librarians also frequently reported flexible schedules, support and funding for professional development and access to leadership programs. University-based retention programs included continuing education funding, new employee orientations, faculty status, and the chance to teach credit-bearing courses. Only 22.2% of subjects reported formal mentoring programs as a retention strategy. Librarians were very or somewhat satisfied with schedule flexibility (79.6%). They were generally satisfied with other initiatives reported. In response to 22 five-point Likert scale descriptions of positive library work environments, subjects most agreed with statements that allowed librarians to have control of their professional duties, that allowed for personal or family obligations, and that supported professional development. Librarians agreed less often regarding statements about salaries, research support, and opportunities for advancement. Conclusion – Academic librarians are involved in and are benefitting from some library and university-based retention initiatives, even though retention may not be the primary strategic goal.

scholarly journals Academic Librarians Perceive Duration and Social Interaction as Important Elements for Professional Development

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 94-96
Author(s):  
Hilary Bussell
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Electronic Mail ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
The United States ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Hermeneutic Phenomenological ◽  
Depth Interviews

A Review of: Attebury, R. I. (2017). Professional development: A qualitative study of high impact characteristics affecting meaningful and transformational learning. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 43(3), 232-241. http://dx.doi.org//10.1016/j.acalib.2017.02.015 Abstract Objective – To understand the characteristics of meaningful and transformational professional development experiences of academic librarians. Design – Qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Setting – Public and private colleges and universities in the United States of America. Subjects – 10 academic librarians. Methods – The researcher selected 10 participants using an initial survey distributed through national library electronic mail lists. Two rounds of semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted over Skype during fall 2014 and spring 2015. The first round of interviews began with background questions about participants’ careers, then moved on to questions about professional development experiences that were meaningful and/or transformational. The responses from this first round of interviews were used to develop questions for a second round of interviews with the same participants. After completing the interviews, the researcher sent follow-up emails to participants in order to gather feedback on summaries and interpretations of interviews. The transcribed interviews were used to create an initial set of codes and then imported into NVivo for analysis using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Main Results – All participants reported on professional development experiences that they found to be meaningful. Half of the participants discussed professional development experiences that were transformational for their perceptions and practice of librarianship. The themes of duration and interaction were identified in every participant’s discussions of meaningful or transformational professional development. Reflection, discomfort, and self-awareness were also identified as prominent themes. Conclusion – The study found that two of the most important ingredients for meaningful and transformational professional development are activities that are sustained over time and that include social interaction. The participants perceived long-term, interactive professional development activities as opportunities to identify and address gaps in their professional knowledge, which benefits themselves and their organizations. On-the-job learning, single-theme workshops or institutes, and professional committee work were particularly promising forms of meaningful professional development. The author recommends that academic librarians who are interested in meaningful or transformational professional development look for activities that are sustained and interactive, that promote reflection, and that provide opportunities to increase self-awareness of gaps in knowledge. Facilitators of professional development activities should include interactive components and ensure that participants have a chance to stay in contact after the event in order to encourage long-term interaction and reflection.

scholarly journals Fostering Research and Publication in Academic Libraries

2014 ◽  
Vol 75 (4) ◽  
pp. 458-491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Sassen ◽  
Diane Wahl
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Administrative Support ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Research Libraries ◽  
Association Of Research Libraries ◽  
Support Measures ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Faculty Status ◽  
Over Time

This study concerns administrative support provided to encourage the research and publishing activities of academic librarians working in Association of Research Libraries member libraries. Deans and directors of these libraries were asked to respond to an online survey concerning the support measures that their libraries provide, as well as their thoughts on support measures that academic libraries should provide. When compared to earlier studies, the survey results indicate that most support measures have grown over time. Results also suggest increases in the requirements for publication in academic libraries, as well as in the number of libraries at which librarians have faculty status.

scholarly journals Library and information science practitioners writing for publication: motivations, barriers and supports

2010 ◽  
Vol 34 (106) ◽  
pp. 7-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Clapton
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Writing For Publication ◽  
Protected Time ◽  
Organisational Support ◽  
Personal Profile

Few research studies have investigated UK LIS practitioners' motivation for publication, the barriers they perceive and which supports they think would help, and there is a particular lack of research on publication by practitioners who do not work in academic libraries. This investigation drew evidence from - a small scale quantitative survey to assess variation in the extent of practitioner publishing in 12 LIS publications, including peer reviewed journals and practitioner magazines, -an online survey of self-perceived motivations, barriers, and writing support wishes, undertaken by 100 LIS practitioners in September 2009. Key motivations included sharing ideas, professional development and raising the personal profile. Lack of time was the most reported barrier to participation, while protected time to write, peer encouragement and organisational support via appraisal objectives were most commonly requested supports. The findings will be of interest to those who wish to participate in or promote LIS practitioner publishing and research.

scholarly journals A Survey of Electronic Serials Managers Reveals Diversity in Practice

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 92
Author(s):  
Laura Costello
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Technology Support ◽  
Significant Development ◽  
Industry Standards ◽  
Survey Monkey ◽  
Management Groups ◽  
Question Survey

A Review of: Branscome, B. A. (2013). Management of electronic serials in academic libraries: The results of an online survey. Serials Review, 39(4), 216-226. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.serrev.2013.10.004 Abstract Objective – To examine industry standards for the management of electronic serials and measure the adoption of electronic serials over print. Design – Survey questionnaire. Setting – Email lists aimed at academic librarians working in serials management. Subjects – 195 self-selected subscribers to serials email lists. Methods – The author created a 20 question survey that consisted primarily of closed-ended questions pertaining to the collection demographics, staff, budget, and tools of serials management groups in academic libraries. The survey was conducted via Survey Monkey and examined using the analytical features of the tool. Participants remained anonymous and the survey questions did not ask them to reveal identifiable information about their libraries. Main Results – Collection demographics questions revealed that 78% of surveyed librarians estimated that print-only collections represented 40% or fewer of their serials holdings. The author observed diversity in the factors that influence print to digital transitions in academic libraries. However 71.5% of participants indicated that publisher technology support like IP authentication was required before adopting digital subscriptions. A lack of standardization also marked serials workflows, department responsibilities, and department titles. The author did not find a correlation between serials budget and the enrollment size of the institution. Participants reported that they used tools from popular serials management vendors like Serials Solutions, Innovative Interfaces, EBSCO, and Ex Libris, but most indicated that they used more than one tool for serials management. Participants specified 52 unique serials management products used in their libraries. Conclusion – In surveying academic librarians engaged in serials management, the author sought to identify trends and standards in the field, but instead found significant variation in serials budgets and processes amongst the responding libraries. While it is clear that electronic subscriptions are a significant development and now a permanent feature of serials management, decisions to move from print to digital are complex and definitive conclusions about best practices for serials transitions could not be drawn from this study. The survey revealed that institutions have invested in staff and tools for the management of electronic serials, but staffing configurations and tool combinations are also extremely diverse. The author concluded that the lack of standardization in these areas and the disconnect between institution and serials budget size indicated a serials landscape that was highly individualized and customized to each institution’s unique needs.

Collaborating Off Campus

2016 ◽  
pp. 245-274
Author(s):  
Adam T. Brisk ◽  
Kim Pittman ◽  
Matt Rosendahl
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Lake Superior ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Professional Development Needs ◽  
Effective Community ◽  
Compare And Contrast

This chapter describes how academic libraries can partner with public, school, and special libraries – despite differences in mission or size – to meet the professional development needs of librarians, support staff, administrators, trustees, and volunteers. Using Lake Superior Libraries Symposium as a model, the chapter will explore methods for initiating and sustaining an effective community of practice. By joining forces with colleagues off campus, academic library staff members can better meet the needs of increasingly technologically sophisticated students and faculty and provide the highest quality service. The chapter will provide a literature review about communities of practice and look at how librarians can establish and nurturing a productive group of library professionals. Additional examples of academic librarians' involvement in regional, homegrown library networks and organizations is included to compare and contrast with LSLS.

scholarly journals Academic Uses of Google Earth and Google Maps in a Library Setting

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Dodworth ◽  
Andrew Nicholson
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
The United States ◽  
Google Earth ◽  
Instructional Materials ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Library Services ◽  
Google Maps ◽  
Survey Results

Over the last several years, Google Earth and Google Maps have become increasingly utilized in academic libraries for promoting and delivering a variety of library services. These have included instructional collaborations with faculty to promoting student engagement across programs and campuses. Seeking to find out exactly how academic libraries were using Google Maps and Google Earth (if at all), the authors launched a online survey in December 2010 to see just what kind of impact the Google mapping products were having in the academic library setting. Receiving over 80 responses from academic librarians and staff from across Canada and the United States, the results showed that over 90% of the respondents use Google Earth and Google Maps for some area of their professional duties in a academic library. These included answering research questions, developing instructional materials for courses, and building tools to promotion and marketing. This presentation will discuss the survey results and summarize the way academic libraries are utilizing Google Earth and Google Maps for instruction, research, and student engagement.Depuis les dernières années, Google Earth et Google Maps sont de plus en plus utilisés en bibliothèque universitaire pour promouvoir et offrir une variété de services en bibliothèque, y compris l’enseignement collaboratif avec les professeurs afin d’accroître l’engagement étudiant, de tous les programmes et campus. Afin de déterminer exactement la mesure dans laquelle les bibliothèques universitaires utilisent Google Maps et Google Earth (le cas échéant), les auteurs ont lancé un sondage en ligne en décembre 2010 pour évaluer l’impact des produits de cartographie de Google dans les bibliothèques universitaires. Plus de 80 sondages ont rempli par des bibliothécaires et du personnel en bibliothèque d’universités au Canada et aux États-Unis. Les résultats démontrent que plus de 90 % des répondants utilisent Google Earth et Google Maps pour certaines de leurs activités professionnelles, y compris répondre à des questions de recherche, développer du matériel pédagogique et élaborer des outils de promotion et de marketing. Cette communication abordera les résultats de la recherche et résumera les modes d’utilisation de Google Earth et de Google Maps dans l’enseignement, la recherche et l’engagement étudiant.

Survey of information literacy instructional practices in academic libraries

2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 964-971 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noa Aharony ◽  
Heidi Julien ◽  
Noa Nadel-Kritz
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
United States ◽  
Instructional Practices ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Shared Responsibility ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Multiple Challenges

This paper reports a study of information literacy instructional practices in Israeli academic libraries, conducted to understand the methods and approaches used by academic librarians in their instructional work, and to explore whether their practices have been influenced by the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. The study used an online survey to gather data, an instrument based on one used successfully in similar surveys in Canada and the United States. The survey was completed by Israeli academic librarians with instructional responsibilities. Findings show that respondents believe that information literacy instruction is a shared responsibility, and that one-on-one instruction is the most-used approach. Results reveal multiple challenges faced by respondents, as well as opportunities for improvement in their instruction.

scholarly journals Teams Are Now Used by Many Technical Services Departments in Academic Libraries

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 79
Author(s):  
Kirsty Thomson
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Electronic Mail ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Survey Question ◽  
Systematic Application ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Team Working ◽  
Open Question ◽  
Technical Services

Objective – An investigation of the use of teams in technical services, provision of training on team-working, characteristics of technical services teams, and the effectiveness of teams. Design – Survey comprising of 19 closed questions and one open question. Setting – Technical services departments in academic libraries. Subjects– Responses were received from 322 library staff members. Of those, 294 answered the survey question about team-based technical services and 55.9% of respondents completed the full survey. Methods – An online survey was promoted via seven technical services electronic mail lists and was conducted using SurveyMonkey. Main Results – The survey found that 39% of technical services were entirely team-based, 18% were partly team-based, and 43% did not use teams. Information was gathered about the number of teams, team nomenclature, and how long teams have been used. This research highlighted the lack of provision of training and documentation about working in teams. Conclusion – Many respondents have team-based technical services, and most participants found that working in teams had a positive impact. A systematic application of this survey is planned for the future.

scholarly journals Significant Value Found in Mentoring Programs for Novice Tenure-Track Academic Librarians

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saori Wendy Herman
Keyword(s):  
Survey Data ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Interview Data ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Mentoring Programs ◽  
Mentoring Program ◽  
Survey Questionnaire ◽  
Tenure Track

A Review of: Goodsett, M., & Walsh, A. (2015). Building a strong foundation: Mentoring programs for novice tenure-track librarians in academic libraries. College & Research Libraries, 76(7), 914-933. http://dx.doi.org/10.5860/crl.76.7.914 Objective – To examine the effectiveness of mentoring programs for novice tenure-track academic librarians, and to identify critical elements that define a successful mentoring program in various academic library settings. Design – Survey questionnaire with a voluntary phone interview. Setting – Academic libraries in the United States of America. Subjects – 283 librarians participated in a survey questionnaire. Researchers conducted additional interviews with 6 out of the 12 librarians who had volunteered on the survey questionnaire and who met the inclusion criteria. Methods – Researchers recruited participants through two professional e-mail lists: the Information Literacy Instruction Discussion List (ILI-L) listserv and the American Library Association’s New Members Round Table (NMRT) listserv. Interested participants completed a secured online survey that was hosted using SurveyMonkey. The researchers then coded and analyzed the collected survey data using the same software. At the end of the online survey, participants were given the opportunity to volunteer for an additional interview. Potential interviewees were selected if mentoring programs were available for tenure- track librarians at their institutions. Once selected, researchers contacted potential interviewees and conducted interviews. The interviews were transcribed, the data anonymized, and original recordings deleted. Researchers coded the anonymized interview data to identify common themes. Main Results – Researchers identified six themes from the survey data and interview transcripts: traits of an effective mentor; configuration of mentoring programs; elements of effective mentoring programs; mentoring partnerships within or beyond the library; role and training of mentors and mentees; and the mentor/mentee relationship. Overall, the survey and interview data suggest that mentoring programs provide valuable assistance with professional tenure-related activities, and facilitate less-tangible effects such as an increased understanding of an institution’s culture and an improvement of communication and time-management skills. The data also provides insight into effective program elements and areas for improvement. Conclusion – This study suggests that there is significant value in implementing a mentoring program. The results from this study can be used by academic libraries that are considering implementation of a mentoring program or improving an existing one.

scholarly journals Academic Librarians’ Attitudes about Advanced-Subject Degrees

2005 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Mayer ◽  
Lori J. Terrill
Keyword(s):  
Job Performance ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Institutional Culture ◽  
Library Science ◽  
Career Goals ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Research Skills ◽  
Terminal Degree

Academic librarians have various opinions on the importance of advanced-subject degrees in addition to a master’s in library science (MLS). The authors conducted an online survey to collect opinions from academic librarians on this topic. Arguments in favor of having advanced-subject degrees include development of research skills, credibility, and overall improved job performance. Arguments against it include the fact that the MLS is—and should continue to be—our terminal degree, inadequate salaries, and the validity of developing subject expertise via other means. The need for advanced-subject degrees may vary by many factors, including individual career goals and local institutional culture.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document