scholarly journals Organizing workflows of academic libraries with online digital educational resources

2021 ◽  
pp. 105-114
Author(s):  
N. I. Vaskova ◽  
N. B. Zinovyeva
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Classification Scheme ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Educational Resources ◽  
Professional Groups ◽  
Online Educational Resources ◽  
Library Websites ◽  
Heterogeneous Resources

Accommodating lists of links to recommended online educational resources on the academic library websites is discussed. The author concludes that that is not quite efficient as it could be, as qualitatively heterogeneous resources often unadapted for learning purposes are included; their titles are complex, unintelligible, and elusive; or oriented toward different groups of users. The authors suggest to develop: methods to annotate and critically evaluate resource contents, to select resources efficiently so they meet user information needs; classification scheme to differentiate online educational resources by stage and field of study, and prospectively – by larger professional groups. It might be also helpful to design end-to-end navigator of resources suggestible for academic libraries and learning in every code of professional training field.

Academic library website functions in the context of users’ information needs

2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Mierzecka ◽  
Andrius Suminas
Keyword(s):  
Information Needs ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Library Services ◽  
Digital Revolution ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Vilnius University ◽  
Locating Information ◽  
Library Websites ◽  
The University ◽  
Desk Research

The digital revolution has had a particular impact on the functioning of libraries: it has changed both the means of communicating with the users, and the nature of the service itself. In the case of academic libraries, an online presence is crucial due to the increased rate of Internet usage among their stakeholders, academics and students alike. From their perspective, library websites serve as digital gates to library services and resources. However, an academic library website may fulfil a wide array of functions and their importance can be variously prioritized. The purpose of our research was to find out which functions of academic library websites are viewed as the most important by a selected group of users: the students. To answer this question, we identified the main functions of academic library websites on the basis of desk research and designed a survey conducted among students of the University of Warsaw (Poland) and Vilnius University (Lithuania) ( n=680). The picture of users’ information needs with regard to content of the academic library website revealed by our research allows us to draw conclusions about the functions of the academic library website distinctive from those already mentioned in the subject literature. From the perspective of a user-centric approach we distinguished five functions of the academic library website: (1) supporting the usage of the collection (online and traditional); (2) promotion of culture; (3) gateway for locating information on the Web; (4) education; (5) creation of library’s online image.

Desperately seeking funding: library guides to student funding

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 415-431
Author(s):  
Rochelle Lundy ◽  
Reilly Curran
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Online Research ◽  
Educational Funding ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Instructional Content ◽  
Funding Support ◽  
Funding Opportunities ◽  
Library Websites ◽  
Student Funding

Purpose This study aims to examine online research guides as a measure of academic library support for students seeking educational funding opportunities. Design/methodology/approach The library websites of 38 members of a regional academic library consortium were examined for guides that address funding for educational purposes. The guide content was manually reviewed. Information regarding institutional characteristics was gathered from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Findings Despite relatively few reports of educational funding support in the library literature, online guides exist at 42% of studied institutions. However, few guides are comprehensive and many lack features that promote discoverability. Instructional content – guidance, advice or information beyond resource descriptions – and in-person funding support rarely appear in the studied guides, presenting opportunities for academic libraries to contribute to student retention and success. Practical implications This paper provides information on and examples of online guides to educational funding useful to academic libraries looking to support students facing affordability concerns. Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature on non-disciplinary uses of online research guides and is the first to survey academic library guides on educational funding opportunities.

scholarly journals Academic Library Websites Show Heavy Use of Web 2.0 Applications

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana K. Wakimoto
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Instant Messaging ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Networking Services ◽  
Main Page ◽  
Library Websites

A Review of: Boateng, F., & Liu, Y. Q. (2014). Web 2.0 applications’ usage and trends in top US academic libraries. Library Hi Tech, 32(1), 120-138. doi:10.1108/LHT-07-2013-0093 Abstract Objective – To explore Web 2.0 application use in academic libraries through determining: Web 2.0 applications used, the purpose of using these applications, and how the use of Web 2.0 is changing. Design – Exploratory survey of academic library websites using content analysis of websites, blogs, and social networking service platforms. Setting – Websites of academic libraries in the United States, blog platforms, and social networking services. Subjects – 100 academic libraries. Methods – The researchers based their selection of academic library websites on the US News & World Report’s 2013 list of the top 100 best colleges in the United States. The authors created a checklist to determine which Web 2.0 technologies were used by the academic libraries on their websites and for what purposes. The researchers searched for Web 2.0 applications on the main page and one subpage down from the main page. The researchers also used keyword searches on the library’s website to find Web 2.0 applications and searched blog platforms and social networking sites. Main Results – The authors found that Facebook and Twitter were the most popular Web 2.0 applications and that all of the libraries analyzed used social networking services. Blogs were the second most popular Web 2.0 tool at 99% participation rate, followed closely by RSS (97%) and instant messaging (91%). Libraries used these Web 2.0 tools for information sharing including: outreach, promotion, providing online reference services, subject guides, tutorials, highlighting resources, and posting announcements. Conclusion – The academic libraries analyzed in this study use Web 2.0 applications to a much greater extent than previous research had shown. The researchers expect to see increased use of Web 2.0 applications by academic libraries in the coming years. They suggest that future research focus on Web 2.0 use by historically black colleges in the United States and on collaboration between academic libraries and other academic units when offering Web 2.0 services.

scholarly journals Information and analytical support: Current goals and pathways

2020 ◽  
pp. 24-44
Author(s):  
Yu. V. Gushul ◽  
E. V. Teslya
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Visual Analytics ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Analytical Data ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Information Support ◽  
Primary Role ◽  
It Services ◽  
Professional Literature

User information support is among the functions of academic libraries. The authors attempt to reveal the potential of this activity vector. They characterize in brief the academic libraries’ performance in the external environment, reveal the changes in digital environment and social demands due to advancing IT: using Open Access, Semantic Web, Big Data and Data Analytics technologies in handling science data, the most recent phenomenon of Data Science, etc. The authors argue that the origins of further transformations will be the migration of communications, including scientific ones, toward the cyberspace, preferential generation and use of e-documents, supercomputer technologies, cloud computing, end-to-end technologies, multimodal interaction, science IT-services, etc. These transformations have been changing primarily the academic library users – who are high-end professionals with increasingly complex and unique information needs which the libraries are supposed to satisfy. This purpose can be fulfilled through prompt knowledge update, processing enormous flows of fast-aging information, delivery of resulting knowledge, comparative analytical data, range of solutions, etc. The current trends in the information support in academic libraries are discussed based on the information tail content analysis and observations: support of grant management, support of expert examination of academic papers, generation of analytical bibliographies, and organization of scientific communications, researchers, papers and ideas promotion in the global information space. In the professional literature, the information needs to determine the user services vectors for scientific libraries and their bibliographers are revealed, namely, IT-services support, virtual learning laboratory, e-science, knowledge and learning commons, library involvement in scientific data curation, expert analysis of generated information and preliminary quality appraisal, recommending publications and publishers to researchers, related administration and mediation, visual analytics, etc. The primary role of bibliographers in the libraries of the future is emphasized.

scholarly journals A case study investigation of academic library support for open educational resources in Scottish universities

2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 685-693
Author(s):  
Seth D. Thompson ◽  
Adrienne Muir
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Open Educational Resources ◽  
Educational Resources ◽  
Institutional Commitment ◽  
Case Study Methodology

The aim of the research was to investigate why and how Scottish university libraries support open educational resources and to assess their ability to provide support services for their development and use within higher education institutions. There has been little research on the role of academic libraries in supporting open educational resources in Scotland and previous research found that there is a lack of awareness of them in Scottish higher education institutions and few have open educational resources policies. The case study methodology therefore involved two Scottish academic libraries providing open educational resources services. The libraries’ motivation includes supporting teaching and learning and the development of educator digital skills and copyright knowledge. However, there are a number of barriers limiting the services the libraries are able to provide, particularly lack of human resources. The research confirmed the findings of previous research on the importance of institutional commitment, incentives for educator engagement, and understanding of copyright and licensing issues by educators and library staff.

Academic Libraries' Mobile Initiatives and Research from 2010 to the Present

2016 ◽  
pp. 118-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Blummer ◽  
Jeffrey M. Kenton
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Literacy Instruction ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Library Services ◽  
Quick Response ◽  
Qr Codes ◽  
Library Websites ◽  
Support Students

An examination of the literature from 2010 to the present reveals a variety of academic library mobile initiatives. In addition to creating mobile library websites, librarians utilized iPads to support roving reference, rounding library services, as well as information literacy instruction. IPads were also offered to patrons for circulation and librarians conducted research to enhance their understanding of students' use of iPads. Articles documented the availability of Quick Response (QR) codes in academic libraries to support students' access to materials. Despite the diversity of these mobile initiatives, academic librarians' employed similar strategies to foster their development including: obtaining support, collecting data, as well as promoting and assessing the projects. One or more of these strategies remained characteristic of libraries' mobile initiatives identified in the literature during these years.

Web 2.0 applications' usage and trends in top US academic libraries

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 120-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Boateng ◽  
Yan Quan Liu
Keyword(s):  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Participation Rate ◽  
Social Bookmarking ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Main Research ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Library Websites

Purpose – This paper aims to explore Web 2.0 technologies usage and trends in the top 100 US academic libraries as exemplified through the academic library websites. Design/methodology/approach – The top 100 universities were selected from the US News & World Report's (USNWR) 2013 ranked list's top 100 of the best colleges in the USA. Content analysis was used in terms of quantitative approach. A checklist was developed as the main research instrument based on other checklists and questionnaires. Each of the selected university library websites was visited within a period of two weeks to explore implementation and usage of web tools, including SNS, blog, RSS, wikis, podcast/vodcast, and social bookmarking/tagging. Findings – All 100 academic libraries had a social media presence on Facebook and Twitter, making SNS the most widely applied Web 2.0 tool. The wiki was the least applied Web 2.0 technology, with a 34 percent participation rate. Blog was the second most popular tool with a 99 percent participation rate, followed by RSS and IM/Chat with 97 percent and 91 percent respectively. The vodcast and podcast had 47 percent and 46 percent participation rates respectively, while social bookmarking/tagging were also used by 39 percent of the academic libraries. Research limitations/implications – This study is completely based on publicly available data regarding usage of Web 2.0 applications. Web 2.0 tools used on library intranets were not analyzed for this study. Outcomes suggest that academic libraries are increasingly using Web 2.0 applications to promote themselves, enhance library services, and highlight resources to patrons. Originality/value – This is the first research that draws an overall picture of the usage and trends of Web 2.0 applications in the top 100 US academic libraries. This study demonstrates some noticeable patterns regarding usage, trends, and adoption which are relevant to how Web 2.0 applications are perceived and used within academic libraries. The study provides academic libraries with helpful information to better meet their user needs by effectively applying Web 2.0. Additionally, library managers, librarians and other libraries may also find this research beneficial as they plan to deploy Web 2.0.

Is the need for mediated reference service in academic libraries fading away in the digital environment?

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 596-626 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aditi Bandyopadhyay ◽  
Mary Kate Boyd-Byrnes
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Digital Environment ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reference Services ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
Reflective Questions

Purpose Academic libraries are experiencing numerous changes in their services due to high demands for digital resources and changes in users’ information needs and expectations. Many academic library users give preferences to Google, Google Scholar and other search engines on the internet when they search for information. As reference transactions are decreasing in many academic institutions, this paper aims to investigate the continuing need for mediated reference services in the technology-driven environment in academic libraries. Design/methodology/approach The authors have conducted a literature review to document and analyze the current trends in reference services in academic libraries. They have examined the relevant published literature through a series of reflective questions to determine whether the demise of mediated reference services is imminent in academic libraries. While this literature review is by no means an exhaustive one, the authors have provided a fairly comprehensive representation of articles to synthesize an overview of the history, evolution, and current trends of reference services in academic libraries. Findings This paper clearly demonstrates the importance of human-mediated reference services in academic libraries. It reinforces the need for skilled, knowledgeable professional librarians to provide effective and efficient reference services in a digital environment. Practical implications This paper provides a comprehensive overview of current trends in reference services in academic libraries and analyzes the merits and demerits of these trends to establish the need for mediated reference services in academic libraries. The arguments used in this paper will be useful for library and informational professionals as validation for the need to hire skilled, knowledgeable reference librarians to provide reference services in a digital environment. Originality/value This paper critically looks at the current trends and practices in reference services through the published literature to determine the future need for mediated reference services in academic libraries. It offers important insights to demonstrate why professional librarians’ skills, knowledge and expertise are essential to provide efficient reference services in the digital age.

scholarly journals Blind User Experiences of US Academic Libraries can be Improved by More Proactive Reference Service Delivery

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-127
Author(s):  
Alisa Howlett
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
The United States ◽  
Screen Reader ◽  
Blind Users ◽  
User Experiences ◽  
Reference Services ◽  
Reference Service ◽  
Blind User ◽  
Library Websites

A Review of: Mulliken, A. (2017). There is nothing inherently mysterious about assistive technology: A qualitative study about blind user experiences in US academic libraries. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 57(2), 115-126. https://doi.org/10.5860/rusq.57.2.6528 Abstract Objective – To explore blind users’ experiences with academic libraries. Design – Qualitative questionnaire. Setting – Academic libraries within the United States of America. Subjects – 18 individuals who are legally blind, have experience relying on a screen reader to access the internet, and have used an academic library either online or in person within the previous two years. Methods – An open-ended questionnaire was administered via telephone interview. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using an inductive approach to identify themes using Hill et al.’s (2005) approach. Main Results – The author found seven themes in the interview data: experiences working with reference librarians in person, difficulty with library websites, screen reader use during reference transactions, preferences for independence, using chat, interactions with disability officers, and challenges of working with citation styles.  Conclusion – The study concluded that academic libraries and librarians should be more proactive when approaching reference services for blind users. The author offered suggestions for practice about how to improve blind user experiences of academic libraries.

scholarly journals Surveying North American Academic Library Websites for Instructional Outreach and Delivery Reveals a Broad Range of Approaches Employed

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
Heather Coates
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
North American ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Library Instruction ◽  
Web Presence ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Library Websites ◽  
The Web ◽  
American Academic

A Review of: Yang., S. Q., & Chou, M. (2014). Promoting and teaching information literacy on the Internet: Surveying the web sites of 264 academic libraries in North America. Journal of Web Librarianship, 8(1), 88-104. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19322909.2014.855586 Abstract Objective – To determine the extent to which academic libraries have used the Web to market and deliver information literacy both as a service and as a concept. Design – Survey of web content. Setting – Websites of North American academic libraries. Subjects – A random sample of 264 libraries selected from Peterson’s Four-Year Colleges. Methods – The investigators reviewed and analyzed content on academic library websites by recording the presence of various types of information. Presence was recorded for the term information literacy, tutorial content, guides and tests, and delivery of information literacy instruction. The frequencies of tutorials and guides were also reported. Main Results – Approximately 65% of the libraries used their website to promote instruction, while 30% did not mention information literacy or library instruction. A wide range of terminology was used to denote library instruction, but information literacy was not highly used. Approximately 5% of libraries had no public web presence. Research guides, tutorials, or both were provided by 64% of libraries. More than 300 tutorials in a variety of formats, including Adobe Flash videos, static web pages with little or no animations, webcasts, documents, and presentations were offered by 111 libraries. The tutorials addressed general research topics, databases, concepts and technical skills, among others. Conclusion – While the majority of academic libraries sampled have incorporated information literacy and library instruction into their web presence, it is unclear why nearly one third did not mention these activities. Further study is needed to benchmark how libraries are using the Web for instruction and outreach.

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