Dimensions and Use of the Scholarly Information Environment


Book Description

Users' expectations of libraries are changing as they find and obtain more information directly from the Web. To better understand how usage patterns are changing, the Digital Library Federation (DLF) and Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) commissioned Outsell, Inc., to conduct a large-scale study of undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty members from a wide range of academic institutions. This report includes 158 of the 659 data tables, a few summary observations, and a brief discussion of some possible implications of the findings. To view all 659 tables, click here. CLIR will deposit the raw data tapes with the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR).




Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography 2010


Book Description

The Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography presents over 3,800 selected English-language articles, books, and other textual sources that are useful in understanding scholarly electronic publishing efforts on the Internet. It covers digital copyright, digital libraries, digital preservation, digital rights management, digital repositories, economic issues, electronic books and texts, electronic serials, license agreements, metadata, publisher issues, open access, and other related topics. Most sources have been published from 1990 through 2010. Many references have links to freely available copies of included works. Peter Jacso said in ONLINE (vol. 27, no. 3 2003, pp. 73-76): "SEP is compiled with utter professionalism. It reminds me of the work of the best artisans who know not only every item that leaves their workshops, but each component used to create them--providing the ideal quality control. . . . The selection of items is impeccable. I have yet to find journal articles irrelevant to the scope of the bibliography. SEP could be used as a benchmark in evaluating abstracting/indexing databases that proudly claim to have coverage of electronic publishing, but do not come close to SEP."




Advances in Librarianship


Book Description

Presents international research and professional issues in libraries, the information industry, education and development of information professionals. This title is suitable for practitioners, researchers, students and faculty members seeking literature and solutions to various issues in library and information science and related fields.




Improved Access to Information


Book Description

Connect patrons with the information they seek with these promising electronic tools! Improved Access to Information: Portals, Content Selection, and Digital Information focuses on how you can improve access to information using electronic reference resources. This book features nine of America’s leading library administrators who give their perspectives, observations, and stipulations on how to meet the research needs of patrons in a digital age. This timely resource is relevant to senior library administrators in the process of developing electronic tools and services. Improved Access to Information addresses the current library issue of how to utilize scarce resources to provide an ever-increasing amount of electronic information to an ever-expanding user base. The use of portals and their advantages are discussed in detail and from the different perspectives of information providers and users. Several authors offer instructive graphs, tables, and other illustrations to emphasize their findings. In Improved Access to Information, you’ll learn more about: the variety of groups that libraries serve cooperative collection development the balance of print and electronic resources the evolvement of collection development in libraries to the concept of knowledge development the implementation of portals in research libraries the factors influencing the selection of electronic resources digitizing unique collections for preservation and improved access The product of the 2003 University of Oklahoma Libraries annual conference, Improved Access to Information offers library administrators new approaches for overcoming the proliferation of electronic information and making it readily available to users. This book will help you provide essential research services to your users and secure your patron base.




Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography


Book Description

The Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography presents selected English-language articles, books, and other printed and electronic sources that are useful in understanding scholarly electronic publishing efforts on the Internet. Most sources have been published between 1990 and 2008; however, a limited number of key sources published prior to 1990 are also included. Peter Jacso said in ONLINE (vol. 27, no. 3 2003, pp. 73-76): "SEP is compiled with utter professionalism. It reminds me of the work of the best artisans who know not only every item that leaves their workshops, but each component used to create them--providing the ideal quality control. . . . The selection of items is impeccable. I have yet to find journal articles irrelevant to the scope of the bibliography. SEP could be used as a benchmark in evaluating abstracting/indexing databases that proudly claim to have coverage of electronic publishing, but do not come close to SEP."




Scholarly Communication in Science and Engineering Research in Higher Education


Book Description

Stay on top with the latest developments in scientific and technical journal publications! In Scholarly Communication in Science and Engineering Research in Higher Education, experts in the academic community propose cost-effective alternatives to commercial publications in the face of increased journal prices and reduced budgets. This book discusses recent technological innovations that can maintain the needs of researchers who need to stay on the cutting edge of science and technology as well as scholars who must be published and peer-reviewed in order to achieve tenure and promotion. This text also examines the latest developments in information retrieval that will effectively cut time and costs for academic researchers in the library. Scholarly Communication in Science and Engineering Research in Higher Education focuses on the need for the academic community to accept new, economical methods of producing and making available publications such as peer reviews, research papers, letters, technical and experiment reports, preprints, and conference papers. This volume also emphasizes that scientists and engineers—whether graduate students or professionals—must have access to the latest relevant research in their fields and rely on libraries to provide it. Several chapters in this book examine the problem areas of information technology that will need to be fixed, such as bottlenecks to the flow of information, difficulties using information retrieval systems, and the challenges with archiving electronic journals. Using research and case studies, this book offers strategies for obtaining benefits such as: more efficient and inexpensive ways to access and navigate information more cost-effective means of authentication and quality control new initiative programs in electronic theses and dissertations to assist graduate students increased dissemination and access for conference papers at significantly less cost alternative and more effective approaches for solving underlying problems within the scholarly communication circuit of scientists activities for librarians to help expand utilization of digital technologies at the local level accurate and reliable retrieval of citation data from online sources Using Scholarly Communication in Science and Engineering Research in Higher Education, you can play an important role in improving the means and methods in this area of academics. This important guide will help librarians, science and engineering faculty and students, researchers, and publishers maintain funding, improve efficiency, and offer new methods for scientific studies.




Digital Scholarship 2009


Book Description

Digital Scholarship 2009 includes four bibliographies: the Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography: 2009 Annual Edition, the Institutional Repository Bibliography, the Electronic Theses and Dissertations Bibliography, and the Google Book Search Bibliography. The longest bibliography, the Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography: 2009 Annual Edition, presents selected English-language articles, books, and other printed and electronic sources that are useful in understanding scholarly electronic publishing efforts on the Internet. Most sources have been published between 1990 and 2009; however, a limited number of key sources published prior to 1990 are also included. Peter Jacso said in ONLINE (vol. 27, no. 3 2003, pp. 73-76): "SEP [Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography] is compiled with utter professionalism. It reminds me of the work of the best artisans who know not only every item that leaves their workshops, but each component used to create them--providing the ideal quality control. . . . The selection of items is impeccable. I have yet to find journal articles irrelevant to the scope of the bibliography. SEP could be used as a benchmark in evaluating abstracting/indexing databases that proudly claim to have coverage of electronic publishing, but do not come close to SEP."




Information Literacy Instruction that Works


Book Description

Information literacy and library instruction are at the heart of the academic library’s mission. But how do you bring that instruction to an increasingly diverse student body and an increasingly varied spectrum of majors? In this updated, expanded new second edition, featuring more than 75% new content, Ragains and 16 other library instructors share their best practices for reaching out to today’s unique users. Readers will find strategies and techniques for teaching college and university freshmen, community college students, students with disabilities, and those in distance learning programs. Alongside sample lesson plans, presentations, brochures, worksheets, handouts, and evaluation forms, Ragains and his contributors offer proven approaches to teaching students in the most popular programs of study, including English Literature Art and Art History Film Studies History Psychology Science Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Hospitality Business Music Anthropology Engineering Coverage of additional special topics, including legal information for non-law students, government information, and patent searching, make this a complete guide to information literacy instruction.




Streamlining LIS Research


Book Description

This collection of the best library research instruments will help you to streamline efforts and save time when researching. Surprisingly, instruction in library science rarely includes in-depth training on research methods, instrument selection, or test creation—leaving many librarians struggling when it comes to validating their own work. To bridge this gap, this professional's guide houses the leading library research instruments in use for the past 15 years, providing one-page evaluations to help expedite your research validation. The work features a variety of tests—such as the Beile Test of Information Literacy for Educators, Project SAILS, and the Library Anxiety Scale—and contains full text of each test when available. You'll learn essential details about the instrument, including the source, a description of its purpose, the development and validation of the test, its administrative procedure, and its psychometric properties where applicable. The book begins with a chapter on evaluating tests and other instruments, followed by a primer on establishing validity and reliability. Throughout the work, you'll tap into leading tests in the field, learn where they have been utilized, and gain access to contact information for the test authors. Topics covered include information literacy, library anxiety, service evaluation, services and library use, information-seeking behavior, and resource evaluation.




The Evaluation and Measurement of Library Services


Book Description

This guide provides library directors, managers, and administrators in all types of libraries with complete and up-to-date instructions on how to evaluate library services in order to improve them. It's a fact: today's libraries must evaluate their services in order to find ways to better serve patrons and prove their value to their communities. In this greatly updated and expanded edition of Matthews' seminal text, you'll discover a breadth of tools that can be used to evaluate any library service, including newer tools designed to measure customer and patron outcomes. The book offers practical advice backed by solid research on virtually every aspect of evaluation, including quantitative and qualitative tools, data analysis, and specific recommendations for measuring individual services, such as technical services and reference and interlibrary loan. New chapters give readers effective ways to evaluate critical aspects of their libraries such as automated systems, physical space, staff, performance management frameworks, eBooks, social media, and information literacy. The author explains how broader and more robust adoption of evaluation techniques will help library managers combine traditional internal measurements, such as circulation and reference transactions, with more customer-centric metrics that reflect how well patrons feel they are served and how satisfied they are with the library. By applying this comprehensive strategy, readers will gain the ability to form a truer picture of their library's value to its stakeholders and patrons.