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Changes in information and technology continue to test how librarians interact with and support patrons. Now, engaged librarians have the opportunity to immerse themselves in their user’s workflows and become partners in the research enterprise. Engagement represents a model of librarianship in which librarians are challenged to move from the traditional collection-centered model to an engaged-focused one. It requires new roles and tasks, as well as a deeper understanding of the academic setting. This article discusses working in a large research institution and articulates the engagement model. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Comprehensive assessments have shown that academic library users prefer a welcoming environment that provides the opportunity for self-sufficiency. Libraries need to meet these expectations and improve the quality of library reference by creating a comprehensive training program for librarians, staff, and students. This article will review standards for reference training in academic libraries with a focus on one-desk service points and consider best practices for planning, implementing, and assessing training programs for staff, students, and librarians. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Privacy and anonymity in the profession of librarianship was one of the themes emerging from the Internet Public Library (ipl2) institute in March 2010, questioning whether new trends in librarianship are leading to the demise of the “anonymous librarian.” This article examines the research literature on how privacy and anonymity issues can affect users and librarians. The rise of new initiatives such as embedded librarians, on-site liaison librarians, and personal librarians appears to be a shift toward increasing professional visibility and away from anonymity in professional practice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A total of 77 pupils in an English high school contributed data via an online questionnaire about their information needs. Many pertained to popular culture and technology, with sport and computer games inspiring particularly large numbers. Current information was especially important to the participants. Future research incorporating interviews would be invaluable in collecting richer data on young people's information needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This bibliographic essay examines recent (1994-2006) research into the evaluation of reference effectiveness. Different methods for evaluating traditional in-person reference services are compared and contrasted from an unobtrusive or obtrusive methodology perspective, including those that use the "Willingness to Return" factor and the Wisconsin-Ohio Reference Evaluation Program (WOREP). A review of emerging trends is provided as well as recommendations for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plagiarism by students in academic institutions is an old but continuing problem facing teachers and librarians. Although studies disagree on the Internet's effect on student plagiarism, the easy availability of electronic information creates a challenge for librarians, who must be ready not only to detect and deter plagiarism, but also to educate their patrons about it. The purpose of this contribution is to summarize briefly the nature, extent, and causes of plagiarism in its academic aspect, especially as it has been influenced by electronic information sources, and to review measures of its detection and deterrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the role of education in training reference librarians as new technology emerges. The author asserts that educational programs and libraries are still focused on maintaining a distinction between information science and library science, leaving many librarians lacking in certain skill sets. The author also states that many educational schools teach how mew technology can be applied, but not how it is used. The article also addresses the subject of whether technology is appropriated to best serve the library user.