Search

Exam period can be a stressful time for students, and having examples of past papers to help prepare for the tests can be extremely helpful. It is possible that past exams are already shared on your campus--by professors in their specific courses, via student unions or groups, or between individual students. In this article, we will go over the workflows and infrastructure to support the systematic collection, provision of access to, and repository management of past exam papers. We will discuss platform-agnostic considerations of opt-in versus opt-out submission, access restriction, discovery, retention schedules, and more. Finally, we will share the University of Toronto setup, including a dedicated instance of DSpace, batch metadata creation and ingest scripts, and our submission and retention workflows that take into account the varying needs of stakeholders across our three campuses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses how the William G. Squires Library conducted a usability study on their LibGuides to identify student design preferences. The results of the study support previous research concerning best practices for LibGuide creation. This paper offers insight into how librarian-centric design hinders student success and provides suggestions for how to best develop a student-centric template design that offers consistency and increased user proficiency across all guides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarizes librarian research on information visualization as well as general trends in the broader field, highlighting the most recent trends, important journals, and which subject disciplines are most involved with information visualization. By comparing librarian research to the broader field, the paper identifies opportunities for libraries to improve their information visualization support services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discovery environments are ubiquitous in academic libraries but studying their effectiveness and use in an academic environment has mostly centered around user satisfaction, experience, and task analysis. This study aims to create a quantitative, reproducible framework to test the relevancy of results and the overall success of Washington State University's discovery environment (Primo by Ex Libris). Within this framework, the authors use bibliographic citations from student research papers submitted as part of a required university class as the proxy for relevancy. In the context of this study, the researchers created a testing model that includes: (1) a process to produce machine-generated keywords from a corpus of research papers to compare against a set of human-created keywords, (2) a machine process to query a discovery environment to produce search result lists to compare against citation lists, and (3) four metrics to measure the comparative success of different search strategies and the relevancy of the results. This framework is used to move beyond a sentiment or task-based analysis to measure if materials cited in student papers appear in the results list of a production discovery environment. While this initial test of the framework produced fewer matches between researcher-generated search results and student bibliography sources than expected, the authors note that faceted searches represent a greater success rate when compared to open-ended searches. Future work will include comparative (A/B) testing of commonly deployed discovery layer configurations and limiters to measure the impact of local decisions on discovery layer efficacy as well as noting where in the results list a citation match occurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the importance of subject retrieval for scientific visibility, and the need to guide authors in self-archiving their papers in institutional repositories of university libraries, this study observed the patterns and strategies used by authors while indexing for keyword assignment. The study examined four categories of analysis: criteria for keyword assignment; use of controlled vocabulary for keyword assignment; understanding of the importance of keywords; and ordering criteria and function of assigned keywords. The study found that, while assigning keywords, authors: consider fundamental concepts for representing significant content of the text; act as domain expert indexers; and are unaware that keyword assignment is an indexing process that requires controlled vocabularies. The research suggests that institutional repositories implement a hybrid information representation and retrieval system to allow for both the representation of more specific subjects of knowledge domains, as well as controlled vocabulary indexing terms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the potential of the Gamified Metaverse as a platform for promoting library services. The study compares the effectiveness of a traditional library program with a Metaverse- based library program in terms of knowledge acquisition and library anxiety. The research also examines students' perceptions of implementing gamification within the context of the Gamified Metaverse platform. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, including pre- and post-test analysis, statistical analysis, and qualitative data collection. The results indicate that both the traditional and Metaverse-based library programs effectively increased the participants' knowledge, with no significant difference between the two approaches. However, the Metaverse-based program was found to be less effective in facilitating interaction with librarians and reducing library anxiety. Additionally, students expressed positive perceptions of implementing gamification in the Gamified Metaverse platform, finding it engaging and motivating. These findings contribute to the understanding of the effect of the Metaverse as a tool for promoting library services and enhancing knowledge acquisition. However, it is not as effective in reducing library anxiety, particularly in terms of interaction with librarians and staff. It should be noted that the platform may have limitations such as high costs and potential side effects of virtual reality, making it more suitable as an additional tool for promoting library services, taking into account its feasibility and potential benefits for specific student populations and larger libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2007, a web-based survey of book conservation practices was conducted to document standard-practice, moderate-use, and low-use book conservation treatments for general and special collections in research libraries in the United States. This paper reports on the findings of a ten-year follow-up survey conducted in 2017 to determine whether and how book conservation treatment practices have changed over the last ten years. Overall, the data indicate that while general collections treatment practices have remained consistent, special collections practices continue to evolve, with many treatments newly qualifying as standard practice in the special collections context since 2007. The data also suggest areas of further research, including how demographic factors may correlate with particular treatment practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To promote an academic library makerspace, the University of Mississippi Libraries hosted a "3D selfie" booth which used body scanning technology. This booth, advertised on campus and set up outside the library during the first weeks of class, was designed to attract attention and perform outreach through the use of body scans to be printed in the makerspace at a later date. Although the hoped-for printing of "selfies" did not materialize, the project resulted in data about interested patrons and ideas for similar projects going forward. This paper serves as a case study for other academic library makerspaces interested in similar outreach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With an ongoing focus on accessibility and usability, many academic libraries have developed new ways to improve services for students with disabilities. Library technical services departments contribute to the accessibility of library resources through materials selection, cataloging, and the acquisition of assistive technologies. Library partnerships with an institution’s office of disability services have also proven particularly effective and can help libraries to better identify potential barriers to accessibility and find workable solutions. For students with visual impairments, screen readers, magnifiers, voice recognition software, and braille texts are some of the methods that libraries can use to improve accessibility. This paper offers a case study of the collaboration between the Office of Disability Resources for Students and the University Libraries at the University of Memphis to make a discrete collection of braille textbooks more widely available to students, including the collection management considerations, system configurations, and cataloging procedures that went into the process. This case study provides a simple and cost-efficient example of how libraries can improve services for users with visual impairments that readers will find easy to implement in their own libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which editor discusses articles in issue on topics including adoption of National Information Standards Organization’s Shared Electronic Resource Understanding at U.S. Academic Libraries; and recommendations on vocabularies and standards for capturing metadata.

This paper details the results of a mixed-methods study of first-year and upper-division students' information literacy (IL) competencies. The study used a rubric and a survey, seeking to answer two research questions: 1) Is there a correlation between National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) IL survey responses and IL rubric scores? 2) Are there any indicators that correlate to improved IL performance in first-year students? Results demonstrated that first-year students reported greater engagement with IL and also indicated that instructors placed greater emphasis on IL competencies than students in upper-division courses. They also show a statistically significant impact on first-year students' rubric scores when a librarian is in the class. This finding held even when controlling for other variables. Results provide an evidence-based foundation to spur conversations with faculty and university administration on the value of IL and the role of librarians in undergraduate student success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes usage data from Hunter Library's digital collections using Google Analytics for a period of twenty-seven months from October 2013 through December 2015. The authors consider this data analysis to be important for identifying collections that receive the largest number of visits. We argue this data evaluation is important in terms of better informing decisions for building digital collections that will serve user needs. The authors also study the benefits of harvesting to sites such as the Digital Public Library of America, and they believe this paper will contribute to the literature on Google Analytics and its use by libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the decision points over the course of ten years of development of an institutional repository. Specifically, the focus is on the impact and influence from the open-source community, the needs of the local institution, the role that team dynamics plays, and the chosen platform. Frequently, the discussion revolves around the technology stack and its limitations and capabilities. Inherently, any technology will have several features and limitations, and these are important in determining a solution that will work for your institution. However, the people running the system and developing the software, and their enthusiasm to continue work within the existing software environment in order to provide features for your campus and the larger open-source community, will play a bigger role than the technical platform. These lenses are analyzed through three points in time: the initial roll out of our institutional repository, our long-term running and maintenance, and eventual new development and why we made the decisions we made at each of those points in time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern academic libraries are hubs of technology, yet the gap between the library and IT is an issue at several small university libraries across Canada that can inhibit innovation and lead to diminished student experience. This paper outlines results of a survey of small (<5,000 FTE) universities in Canada, focusing on IT and the library when it comes to organizational structure, staffing, and location. It then discusses higher level as well as smaller scale solutions to this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will briefly discuss encoded archival description (EAD) finding aids, the workflow and process involved in encoding finding aids using EAD metadata standard, our institution's current publishing model for EAD finding aids, current EAD metadata enhancement, and new developments in our publishing model for EAD finding aids at Florida State University Libraries. For brevity and within the scope of this paper, FSU Libraries will be referred to as FSU, electronic EAD finding and/or archival finding aid will be referred as EAD or EADs, and locally encoded electronic EAD finding aids inventories will be referred to as EADs @ FSU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the University of Memphis, a team of librarians and library staff formed the Research Guides Redesign Team (RGRT) to redesign, organize, and evaluate the University Libraries' (UL) research guides. The purpose of the project was to ensure that the new design of the research guides homepage was intuitive to use. While it is impossible to ensure absolute usability for every user, this usability study attempts to eradicate the most common interface issues in community experiences at the University of Memphis. The RGRT conducted usability testing to evaluate the effectiveness of the new standardized format, grouped headings, and the appearance of the interface. The RGRT worked within the limitations of Springshare's software to create the design and then chose five users to complete various task scenarios. Upon analysis of the users' ability to complete the tasks, the RGRT discovered that overall, the design was effective, but they did make a few minor changes. This study describes the process and includes the original design, the new design, edits made after usability testing was conducted, and plans for future testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a library-space information model (LSIM) based on a geographical information system (GIS) was built to visually show the bookshelf location of each book through the display interface of various terminals. Taking Shanghai Jiao Tong University library as an example, both spatial information and attribute information were integrated into the model. In the spatial information, the reading room layout, bookshelves, reference desks, and so on were constructed with different attributes. The bookshelf layer was the key attribute of the bookshelves, and each book was linked to one bookshelf layer. Through the field of bookshelf layer, the book in the query system can be connected with the bookshelf-layer information of the LSIM. With the help of this model, readers can search books visually in the query system and find the books' positions accurately. It can also be used in the inquiry of special-collection resources. Additionally, librarians can use this model to analyze books' circulation status, and books with similar subjects that are frequently circulated can be recommended to readers. The library's permanent assets (chairs, tables, etc.) could be managed visually in the model. This paper used GIS as a tool to solve the problem of accurate positioning, simultaneously providing better services for readers and realizing visual management of books for librarians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to investigate the reciprocal relationship between VIAF® and Wikidata and their possible roles in the semantic web environment. It deals with their data, their approach, their domain, and their stakeholders, with particular attention to identification as a fundamental goal of Universal Bibliographic Control. After examining interrelationships among VIAF, Wikidata, libraries and other GLAM institutions, a double approach is used to compare VIAF and Wikidata: first, a quantitative analysis of VIAF and Wikidata data on personal entities, presented in eight tables; and second, a qualitative comparison of several general characteristics, such as purpose, scope, organizational and theoretical approach, data harvesting and management (shown in table 9). Quantitative data and qualitative comparison show that VIAF and Wikidata are quite different in their purpose, scope, organizational and theoretical approach, data harvesting, and management. The study highlights the reciprocal role of VIAF and Wikidata and its helpfulness in the worldwide bibliographical context and in the semantic web environment and outlines new perspectives for research and cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted higher education, including academic libraries. This paper compares the use of library resources (including interlibrary loan, website and discovery tool pageviews, database use, patron interactions, etc.) at three university libraries before and after the pandemic. The latter part of the 2019 and 2020 spring semesters are the time frames of focus, although two control time frames from earlier in those semesters are used to determine how the semesters differed when the coronavirus was not a factor. The institutions experienced similar patterns of use across many metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many academic libraries collect art exhibition catalogues and juvenile books to support the curriculum, but academic library review sources and book vendors have limited coverage of these niche areas. For more than a decade, Wichita State University has used purchase plans from Worldwide Art Books and Junior Library Guild to acquire print books. This paper discusses the assessment of both plans, how experience with this assessment has influenced development of an assessment plan, and reasons other libraries may want to assess their own niche collecting plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Nuclear Energy Agency of Indonesia (BATAN) taxonomy is a nuclear competence field organized into six categories. The Polytechnic Institute of Nuclear Technology, as an institution of nuclear education, faces a challenge in organizing student publications according to the fields in the BATAN taxonomy, especially in the library. The goal of this research is to determine the most efficient automatic document classification model using text mining to categorize student final project documents in Indonesian and monitor the development of the nuclear field in each category. The kNN algorithm is used to classify documents and identify the best model by comparing Cosine Similarity, Correlation Similarity, and Dice Similarity, along with vector creation binary term occurrence and TF-IDF. A total of 99 documents labeled as reference data were obtained from the BATAN repository, and 536 unlabeled final project documents were prepared for prediction. In this study, several text mining approaches such as stem, stop words filter, n-grams, and filter by length were utilized. The number of k is 4, with Cosine-binary being the best model with an accuracy value of 97 percent, and kNN works optimally when working with binary term occurrence in Indonesian language documents when compared to TF-IDF. Engineering of Nuclear Devices and Facilities is the most popular field among students, while Management is the least preferred. However, Isotopes and Radiation are the most prominent fields in Nuclear Technochemistry. Text mining can assist librarians in grouping documents based on specific criteria. There is also the possibility of observing the evolution of each existing category based on the increase of documents and the application of similar methods in various circumstances. Because of the curriculum and courses given, the growth of each discipline of nuclear science in the study program is different and varied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents assessment data from a first-year writing library partnership to examine the relationship between student source use and written synthesis. It finds that first-year students could locate peerreviewed, scholarly sources but that these sources were poorly integrated in their arguments--if they were used at all. In contrast, it finds that students attempted to synthesize their in-class reading material, suggesting that students "tack on" outside sources. Ultimately, this paper argues that librarians may want to consider shifting their instructional focus from traditional one-shot sessions to other solutions recommended by the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses a dual approach of case study and research survey to investigate the complex factors in sustaining academic library digitization programs. The case study involves the background of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Libraries' digitization program and elaborates on the authors' efforts to gain staff support for this program. A related survey was administered to all Association of Research Libraries (ARL) members, seeking to collect baseline data on their digital collections, understand their respective administrative frameworks, and to gather feedback on both negative obstacles and positive inputs affecting their success. Results from the survey, combined with the authors' local experience, point to several potential success factors including staff skill sets, funding, and strategic planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a doorway for users seeking information, library websites should be accessible to all, including those who are visually or physically impaired and those with reading or learning disabilities. In conjunction with an earlier study, this paper presents a comparative evaluation of Ivy League university library homepages with regard to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates. Data results from WAVE and AChecker evaluations indicate that although the error of Missing Form Labels still occurs in these websites, other known accessibility errors and issues have been significantly improved from five years ago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of higher education, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has become a revolutionary influence, shaping how students access and use library resources. This study explores the intricate balance of both positive and negative effects that GenAI might have on the academic library experience for higher education (HE) students. The key aspects of enhanced discovery and retrieval, personalization and engagement, streamlined research processes, and digital literacy and information evaluation potentially offered through using generative AI will be considered. These prospective advantages to HE students offered by using GenAI will be examined through will be examined through the theoretical framework of the Technological Acceptance Model (TAM) introduced by Davis et al. in 1986, which suggests that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use are key factors in determining user acceptance and utilization of technology. The adoption of GenAI by higher education students will be analyzed from this viewpoint before assessing its impact on their use of library resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the results of a pilot project conducted Spring 2021 in which Milner Library licensed seventy-five assigned texts to fifty-two courses at Illinois State University. The authors used the pilot as a springboard to explore faculty perspectives on textbook selection, textbook affordability, and the role of the academic library in addressing the rising cost of textbooks. The results highlight the strong and often deeply personal beliefs faculty hold about textbook selection and textbook affordability, reveal several obstacles to achieving affordable access to course readings, and demonstrate the willingness of some faculty to partner with librarians and other institutional stakeholders to explore more affordable access to assigned resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a novel collections-based outreach model for special collections, underscoring the vital role of outreach in linking unique and distinctive collections (UDCs) with existing interest groups. Drawing from a series of successful events, focused on knitting, held at the McGill University Library between 2021 and 2023, the model recommends the use of creative initiatives to engage pre-existing communities. These initiatives attracted a global audience, extending far beyond the university campus, and fostered connections between cultural heritage collections and specialized communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Villanova University's Falvey Memorial Library developed a multiyear comprehensive and strategic collection review of print monographs. In this paper, the authors focus on the operational components of the project, such as generating potential deselection lists with GreenGlass, convening working groups to plan the project, developing strategies for faculty outreach and faculty collection review, and analyzing deselection and retention data. The authors share decision-making processes as well as lessons learned that were involved in the project design and implementation phases throughout the extensive collection review project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the findings of an environmental scan conducted as part of a Digital Exhibits Intern Librarian Project at the Edmonton Public Library in 2016. As part of the Library's 2016-2018 Business Plan objective to define the vision for a digital exhibits service, this research project aimed to understand the current landscape of digital displays in learning institutions globally. The resulting study consisted of 39 structured interviews with libraries, museums, galleries, schools, and creative design studios. The environmental scan explored the technical infrastructure of digital displays, their user groups, various uses for the technologies within organizational contexts, the content sources, scheduling models, and resourcing needs for this emergent service. Additionally, broader themes surrounding challenges and successes were also included in the study. Despite the variety of approaches taken among learning institutions in supporting digital displays, the majority of organizations have expressed a high degree of satisfaction with these technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we report on two surveys and offer an introductory plan that librarians may use to begin implementing mobile access to selected library databases and services. Results from the first survey helped us to gain insight into where students at Utah State University (USU) in Logan, Utah, stand regarding their use of mobile devices for academic activities in general and their desire for access to library services and resources in particular. A second survey, conducted with librarians, gave us an idea of the extent to which responding libraries offer mobile access, their future plans for mobile implementation, and their opinions about whether and how mobile technologies may be useful to library patrons. In the last segment of the paper, we outline steps librarians can take as they "go mobile." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Undergraduates, as members of the Millennial Generation, are proficient in Web 2.0 technology and expect to apply these technologies to their coursework—including scholarly research. To remain relevant, academic libraries need to provide the technology that student patrons expect, and academic librarians need to learn and use these technologies themselves. Because leaders at the Harold B. Lee Library of Brigham Young University (HBLL) perceived a gap in technology use between students and their staff and faculty, they developed and implemented the Technology Challenge, a self-directed technology training program that rewarded employees for exploring technology daily. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Technology Challenge through an analysis of results of surveys given to participants before and after the Technology Challenge was implemented. The program will also be evaluated in terms of the adult learning theories of andragogy and self-directed learning. HBLL found that a self-directed approach fosters technology skills that librarians need to best serve students. In addition, it promotes lifelong learning habits to keep abreast of emerging technologies. This paper offers some insights and methods that could be applied in other libraries, the most valuable of which is the use of self-directed and andragogical training methods to help academic libraries better integrate modern technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews how usability has been defined in the context of the digital library, what methods have been applied and their applicability, and proposes an evaluation model and a suite of instruments for evaluating usability for academic digital libraries. The model examines effectiveness, efficiency, satisfaction, and learn-ability. It is found that there exists an interlocking relationship among effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction. It also examines how learn-ability interacts with these three attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]