Search

Introduction: Recent developments in the field of scientific information resource provision lead us to the key research question, namely,what is the coverage of freely available information sources when writing doctoral theses, and whether the academic library can assume the leading role as a direct intermediator for information users. Method: Citation analysis of doctoral theses was conducted in the summer of 2015. A total of thirty-nine theses (with 6,998 references) defended at Vilnius University at the end of 2014 was selected (30 per cent of all defended theses). Theses were randomly chosen from different research fields: the humanities, social sciences, biomedical sciences, technological sciences, and physical sciences. Analysis: The research team was tasked with identifying whether certain resources could be found in the eCatalogue of an academic library, its subscribed databases, freely available online (through Google or Google Scholar), or whether the resources from the library's subscribed databases are identical to those which are freely available. The data gathering process included such resource categories as journal papers, printed and electronic books or book chapters, and other documents (legal reports, conference papers, newspaper articles, Websites, theses, etc.). Conclusions: Library collections and subscribed databases could cover up to 80 per cent of all information resources used in doctoral theses. Among the most significant findings to emerge from this study is the fact that on average more than half (57 per cent) of all utilised information resources were freely available or were accessed without library support. We may presume that the library as a direct intermediator for information users is potentially important and irreplaceable only in four out of ten attempts of PhD students to seek information.

In this article, Susan Altman shares her experience of working as a library assistant at Forest Heights Elementary School in Columbia, South Carolina, while taking classes in the Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) Program at the nearby University of South Carolina. She discusses getting acquainted with the students, faculty and staff, and the wealth of literacy-related resources available. Her interactions with Forest Heights teachers helped her develop a mindset for planning collaborative endeavors when she is in charge of a school library program.

Licensure examination performance of graduates is one measure of the effectiveness of curricular programs. This study analyzed the five-year performance of 159 BLIS graduates in the Librarians' Licensure Examination in from 2011 to 2015. Findings reveal that the passing the graduates' passing rates were statistically consistent in the five-year duration. The average passing rate was moderately high at 57.89%, but the mean general rating was only 73.23%. The general ratings had a slightly platykurtic, negatively skewed distribution. Overall, the institutional passing rate surpassed the national passing rate by 45.12%. Passing rates were highest in Information Technology, Indexing and Abstracting, and Library Organization and Management. Lower passing rates were posted in Selection and Acquisition of Library Materials, and in Cataloguing and Classification. The first timers, and the review center attendees, outperformed their respective counterparts, while the male and female examinees were statistically even. The first timers scored better than the repeaters in five areas, save cataloguing and classification. Meanwhile the male examinees and the center-reviewers were better than their counterparts on only one area - Library Organization and Management, and Selection and Acquisition of Library Materials, respectively. Recommendations as to the result of this study were proposed.

Introduction: This paper reports the findings of a study of risk management in public libraries. The focus of the research was to determine whether the libraries had a risk management and disaster plan for major disasters. Method: A qualitative study was done to investigate risk management and disaster recovery in public libraries in South Australia. Seven personal interviews were conducted with library managers and librarians at four public libraries. Analysis: The qualitative results emerging from the interviews were analysed through hand coding using grounded theory. Results: Participants confused risk management and disaster recovery with the practice of work (occupational) health and safety. None of the participating libraries have a risk management or disaster plan. Conclusions: The library managers do not rate the risk of disaster as high, believing that their library is located in a low-risk disaster area. They also do not regard any part of their collections to be of great value. Loss of a collection is perceived as an opportunity to refresh that collection. The participants do not consider risk management and disaster recovery as an important part of their business. [Paper presented at the Information Seeking in Context (ISIC): The Information Behaviour Conference, Part 1 (11th, Zadar, Croatia, September 20-23, 2016).]

The present study examined the representation of authors, illustrators, and characters of color in books for young children (6 years old and under) that (1) have won awards, (2) were purchased most often, and (3) were borrowed most often from libraries in the Netherlands from 2009 to 2018. Factors influencing the prominence of characters were explored. In total, 64 books and 2053 characters were coded, and representation statistics were compared to statistics of the national population. Results suggest a slight underrepresentation of authors of color as compared to population statistics, and an underrepresentation of characters of color as compared to the target audience. Results on some factors influencing prominence suggest that White characters and characters of color play an equally prominent role in the books. Results on other factors, however, suggest that characters of color, especially females, are less prominent in terms of their role in the story, whether they have a name, and in relation to the number of other characters in the book. The results provide an insight in to ethnic diversity in popular books for young children in the Netherlands, and show some room for improvement in terms of representation and prominence of characters of color, so that children of color might have more opportunities to identify with characters and that readers could be exposed to ethnic diversity as represented in society.

Using data for 2,717 journals and more than 9,000 acquisition opportunities, this study shows how journal prices vary by level of aggregation (single-journal subscription or full-text database), resource provider type (scholarly society, university press, other nonprofit organization, commercial publisher, or library vendor), and broad subject field. The journals acquired through commercial publishers' databases cost less than half as much as those acquired through the databases of scholarly societies, university presses, and library vendors. Across all provider types, full-text databases are more cost-effective than single-journal subscriptions. These results are more realistic than those reported in earlier investigations, since (1) unlike previous studies, this one accounts for the prices of both single-journal subscriptions and full-text journal databases; (2) this assessment is based on actual prices, including consortial and negotiated prices, rather than list prices; and (3) this investigation focuses on the journals identified by faculty as important titles for their teaching and research.

The revitalization of Latin American Indigenous languages started many years ago, but only some university libraries in the United States have taken steps to advocate for preservation, access, inclusion, and diversity through collection building covering these languages and cultures. This study examines holdings of Quechua, Nahuatl, Guaraní, Zapotec, Maya, Mapudungun, and Aymara materials in 87 university libraries in the United States. This study seeks to answer the question: are university libraries in the United States supporting inclusion and diversity through the purchase of Latin American Indigenous language materials? In addition, the author explores what initiatives university libraries could take to further the revitalization and advancement of these Indigenous languages.

The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor had embraced service design and design thinking, but the pandemic-induced campus transition enabled staff to innovate differently. Many services transitioned to virtual options but some onsite library services reopened for Fall 2020. Library employees created a new service model to accommodate request fulfillment of non-digitized collections: contactless pickup. Continuous feedback loops, interaction safety, and quick, collaborative support were key elements to the service's success in design and implementation. This paper outlines its development, implementation, and adaptation, along with lessons learned and an exploration of interactions continuing to inform future design discussions and service creation.

Alzheimer's Disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia, is an incurable neurological disease with an unknown cause. Since AD is not only social and health challenge but also an economic and fiscal burden and its prevalence is expected to grow exponentially as world population gets older, in 2012 the World Health Organization (WHO) and Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) recognized dementia as a global public health priority. Although librarians have not generally been recognized as professionals caring for persons with dementia, recent research indicates that public libraries can contribute to the development of dementia friendly communities by supporting social inclusion, self-efficacy and capacity building of persons with AD, and by providing support to their informal caregivers (CGs). The research reported in this paper aims to examine the role of Croatian public libraries in building a dementia friendly communities, in a country where information, health and social care systems for D patients and their CGs are not sufficiently developed (Rusac, 2016; Petr Balog et al., 2020). With the help of quantitative (online survey) methodology authors explore how Croatian public libraries tailor their spaces, collections, programs and services in order to enhance the everyday experience of persons with AD and their CGs.

Academic libraries have been subjected to disruptive events throughout history. Academic literature primarily provides case study examples of incidents, guidance on developing an emergency management plan or advice on recovering or restoring items, particularly related to Special Collections, which require specific handling expertise. Increasingly, however, academic libraries may require a changed approach to traditional risk management thinking, increasing consideration towards resilience-building measures. In addition, many academic libraries are unaware of how efforts to protect items of cultural or historical significance held in Special Collections, are contributing to international frameworks in disaster risk reduction. This paper will review findings from a literature review, providing examples of disruptive events within academic libraries, and consider how academic libraries may build resilience against disruptive events in order to contribute to international efforts to protect cultural heritage within international disaster risk reduction frameworks.

This study sought to (1) Determine how international students conduct research. (2) Determine whether international students conduct research in the way they perceive that they do. (3) Determine whether international students are efficient in conducting research. This study collected data from 67 international students who attend the University of Iowa, was collected through a survey and testing instrument. The results showed that international students rely heavily on English language websites such as Google and Wikipedia to conduct research for general information and facts. International students did not often use their library's ILS (Integrated Library System). International students favored using library databases over English websites when tasked with finding a peer reviewed article. However, when asked to find the best resource possible to answer a research question, international students used an English language website primarily with a library database close behind. International students do not accurately self-identify their own methods of conducting research particularly research within their major. Students further in their education performed better on the test than those in earlier years. However, having a librarian come into class did not improve their test scores.

Our paper consists of two parts. First, we review the history of the Royal United Service Institute (RUSI) museum, its collections, its closure and the dispersal of its collections. Second, we synthesize this analysis with a summary and reflection on the challenges of undertaking a collective memory project that represents the rise and fall of empire. To synthesize these two points, we discuss the museum's history and highlight how digital cultural heritage initiatives have catalyzed an interest in digitizing and archiving RUSI's collection records. Following our review of RUSI and its museum collection, we discuss the value of academics forming partnerships with cultural heritage institutions, and we analyze our experiences managing two student projects hosted at RUSI. Our discussion of student work will reflect on methods for designing engaging curriculum that encourages students to practice record keeping for cultural heritage institutions.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which hit academic libraries in the United States during the spring semester of 2020, forced librarians and staff to redouble their efforts to reach out to users in light of newly enforced safety measures such as building closures, quarantine periods, enforced social distancing, etc. This article describes three services--one adapted, one newly developed, and one a collaboration across several units on campus--to allow users to continue receiving the assistance and the materials they needed despite the obstacles inherent to the pandemic. Unexpectedly, these changes also helped streamline processes in a post-pandemic academic library environment.

This article presents the results of an online survey of access services departments at academic libraries on the responses implemented during the initial stage of COVID-19 in March-May 2020. The 33-question survey was completed by 121 respondents. The article identifies policies and procedures adopted by access services departments during the pandemic, including staffing, return of library materials, fines, due dates, quarantine periods, interlibrary loan, reserves, and retrieval of materials.

Research Libraries UK is a consortium of 37 of the UK and Ireland's largest research libraries with the purpose of convening its members around the key issues that affect them, to represent their collective voice, to support them as they face shared challenges, and to be an effective advocate on their behalf. In fulfilment of these roles, RLUK launched its digital shift manifesto in May 2020, which provides a vision for the research library of 2030 - in relation to the digital shift occurring within research library collections, services, operations, and audience interactions. Centred around the four strands of skills, spaces, scholarship, and stakeholders, the manifesto provides a shared vision of the future and a tangible programme of activities through which this can be achieved. This article will explore how the COVID-19 pandemic has witnessed the digital shift in action. Combining the reflections of individual academic and research libraries, and using RLUK's previous research into the impact of COVID-19 as a foundation, this article will reflect on how realistic and future looking the manifesto was. It will explore the collective experiences of libraries regarding the digital shift, will consider progress made in the implementation of the manifesto against this rapidly changing backdrop, and will provide a series of reflections for the future.

The purpose of this study was to assess the convenience and accessibility of library services to users with disabilities at Aligarh Muslim University in India. The study utilized both quantitative and qualitative methods through questionnaires, interview and remarks applying the IFLA checklist to investigate the scenario. The study established that AMU has a purpose-built library to accommodate users with disabilities; however, additional funds were not allocated for developing library facilities, assistive technologies and collections in the accessible formats that lead to the delivery of inadequate services to users with disabilities. Despite the availability of some specialized services, the study found that users with disabilities face numerous obstacles when using library services due to unavailability of library materials in convenient formats, lack of assistance from the trained library staff and lack of adequate training to users. The paper concludes with the recommendations to implementing guidelines of IFLA and UNESCO regarding access to library services for users with disabilities.

Purpose: This paper focuses on the donation in 1888 of a Sèvres Vase to the Education Department of Victoria after the International Exhibition in Melbourne. Using the vase as its focus the paper reflects on what this donation may be able to tell us about the impact, primarily on education, of a series of International Exhibitions held both in Australia and internationally between 1851 and 1900. The life of the Sèvres vase highlights the potential of the Exhibitions for the exchange of ideas internationally, the influence of the International Exhibition movement on education and the links between a 19th-century gift and the teaching of Art in 1930s Melbourne. Design/methodology/approach: The paper examines one object in relation to education in its wider historical context through a reading of the archival records relating to the Melbourne Teacher's Training College and Melbourne High School. Findings: The influence of the educational exhibits of the 1888 Centennial International Exhibition held in Melbourne are shown to have had an impact on the design of the Melbourne Teachers Training College. Originality/value: This paper provides a new and original perspective on the Melbourne Teachers Training College and its foundation through its library and museum collections.

Purpose: This essay focuses on the Chinese-Japanese Library of the Harvard-Yenching Institute and examines how the Library collected and transported Chinese rare books to the United States during the 1930 and 1940s. It considers Harvard's rationale for its collection of Chinese books and tensions between Chinese scholars and the Harvard-Yenching Institute leaders and librarians over the purchase and "export" of Chinese books. Design/methodology/approach: This research is a historical study based on archival research at Harvard-Yenching Institute and the Harvard-Yenching Library, as well as careful readings of published primary and secondary sources. Findings: By examining the debates that surrounded the ownership of Chinese books, and the historical circumstances that enabled or hindered the cross-national movement of books, this essay uncovers a complex and interwoven historical discourse of academic nationalism, internationalism and imperialism. Originality/value: Drawing upon the unexamined primary sources and published second sources, this essay uncovers a complex and interwoven historical discourse of academic nationalism, internationalism and imperialism.

This study analyses fifteen months of circulation data from a popular titles collection at a regional campus undergraduate library. To better understand how popular titles collections in academic libraries are used, this data analysis shows a breakdown of use amongst the entire campus population (students, faculty, and staff). Faculty are the most frequent borrowers of items from this collection, followed by students and staff. Further analysis shows that fiction is more popular than nonfiction. Amongst circulated titles and in the broad fiction category, general literature and English literature are ranked highest. Young Adult literature is another category in which items frequently circulated. Finally, this article touches on the benefits of using a rental plan for leasing titles in a browsing collection, including a better ability to meet specific needs on campus or among student groups than with traditional acquisitions processes.

Academic libraries are undergoing evolutionary change as emerging technologies and new philosophies about how information is created, distributed, and shared have disrupted traditional operations and services. Additionally, the population that the academic library serves is increasingly distributed due to distance learning opportunities and new models of teaching and learning. This article, the first in this special issue, suggests that in today's increasingly networked and distributed information environment, the strategic integration of open curation and collection development practices can serve as a useful means for organizing and providing structure to the diverse mass of available digital information, so that individual users of the library have access to coherent contexts for meaningful engagement with that information. Building on insights from extant research and practice, this article proposes that colleges and universities recognize a more inclusive open access environment, including the integration of resources outside of those owned or created by the institution, and a shift toward policies that consider open access research and open educational resources as part of the library's formal curatorial workflow and collection building. At the conclusion on this article, authors Lisa Petrides and Cynthia Jimes offer a commentary on the six remaining articles that comprise this special issue on Models of Open Education in Higher Education, discussing the significant role that "open" policy and practice play in shaping teaching, learning, and scholarship in the global context of higher education.

As an elementary school librarian, Sally Smollar has had access to the latest technologies since document scanners were considered cutting edge. Even then, allowing students to scan images to insert into their stories was a game changer. Since those days, Smollar writes that she has never stopped experimenting with various platforms and applications to let students express themselves. As with most experiments, sometimes what works with one group might flop with another, or the whole activity may just bomb completely! Here, Smollar provides some examples of lessons and activities related to digital story telling. All of these examples are tried and true, tested on real kids, and can be adapted to any topic or story idea. The common takeaway from each idea is that students will engage their imaginations when they can become publishers and not just consumers of stories.

This study investigated users' satisfaction with library information resources and services at the College of Health Sciences (CHS) library Niger Delta University, Nigeria. The objective was to determine the level of users satisfaction with library information resources and services. 2 (two) research questions were formulated to guide the study. The survey research design was adopted, using a population of 687 registered users in the College of Health Sciences Library. The sample size of 180 was selected through random sampling technique. The instrument used for data collection was a self-designed questionnaire. Among the results of the study showed that users were satisfied with the lending services of library, renewal of library materials and longer hours of internet services in the library. It was also revealed in the study that users were dissatisfied with the limited reference materials in their various subject areas, national and international journals because they were not up to date.

The Darakht-e Danesh ("knowledge tree") Online Library is the first open educational resource (OER) initiative in Afghanistan, established to enhance teacher subject-area knowledge, access and use of learning materials, and to foster more diverse teaching methodologies in order to improve learning outcomes in Afghan classrooms. This paper describes our experience developing this local language digital library, buildings its responsiveness to our audience of users as we progressed, customizing both the interface and the resources for Afghanistan's education environment. We innovated methods to devise relevant local content, localized usability, developed different access models to reach different populations of users, integrated impact measurement, and opted to openly license material in the library's collection. By making digital educational content open from the first introduction of digital repositories of learning objects in Afghan languages, we have an opportunity to establish the principle of openness and to promote open practices in teacher professional development in Afghanistan. The paper aims to share lessons on how OER can be customized for multilingual, resource-scarce contexts drawing from our experience to date in Afghanistan, and seeking to contribute to the literature on localization and multilingual OER. [This paper was presented at the "Open Education Consortium Global Conference," Krakow, Poland, April 12-14, 2016.]

On the margins of El Paso, Texas, a teacher-librarian communicates daily to her students the following bilingual mantra: "'Esta biblioteca les pertenece a ustedes.' This is your very own library." Lisa M. López-Williamson is the teacher-librarian and literacy activist and advocate at William "Guillermo" C. Herrera Elementary School in the El Paso Independent School District. She is a celebrated teacher-librarian who cares about family literacy. Proudly bilingual, she works to advance the intellect, creativity, and imagination of children through digital and print literacies that foster social responsibility. She identifies herself as a young Latina of Mexican descent and borderlands citizen who can directly influence young people's bilingualism, biculturalism, and biliteracies. The library serves a school population of nearly 500 students, 96 percent of Hispanic origin. Lisa explained that her school building houses three libraries in one to increase bilingual readership among students--during all hours and every day of the year. In addition to the main school library that is open during the academic year and part of the summer, there is one Little Free Library outside, and another indoors. A Little Free Library is part of a larger non-profit network of free book exchanges with the motto "Take a Book, Return a Book." The libraries vary by shape and size, although the most common version is a small wooden box with glass doors that open to house books for readers. Anyone takes a book or brings a book to share. The outdoor Little Free Library is open year-round for readers and families. Although situated along the largest border and enforcement zones of North America, these three school libraries are free of borders and limitations. This article features an interview with Ms. Lopez-Williams, and digs deeper into the interactions among borrowers and the librarian. The questions were open-ended with the purpose of seeking the librarian's own agency and identification, which involves decision-making about selecting books, honoring students' ethnic cultures and home languages, and maintaining mindfulness about civic responsibilities.

Storytime is an important fixture in many school libraries that helps foster students' reading abilities. With a history of success, why would librarians want to alter storytime by incorporating technology? This article discusses how Laura Fleming, a long-time school librarian, addressed decreased student engagement in traditional reading materials by engaging readers with materials that included URLs augmenting the plot. Her experience indicates that careful selection of high-quality materials and supportive technologies can help enhance student engagement. The process of planning for a digital storytime can be considered through the same lens as planning a more traditional storytime. This article provides the following information to help librarians navigate the new educational landscape containing digitally augmented and/or created books: (1) selection criteria for traditional read-aloud storytimes and digital storytimes; (2) tips for preparing for and presenting traditional and digital storytimes; (3) examples of augmented reality titles; (4) examples of e-books and story apps with embedded access to additional resources; (5) examples of resources that support students' creation of their own e-books; and (6) Wonder Workshop hardware and apps that support students' exploration of coding.

Staff turnover especially among lecturers in private universities is high due to poor and disappointing conditions of service. This negatively affects effective teaching, learning and research. The purpose of the study was to examine the causes of staff turnover in private universities, using the Perez University College in Winneba as a case study. The study employed the descriptive survey design to collect data from forty (40) lecturers and twenty (20) administrative staff. The convenience sampling technique was therefore used to obtain the sample size of 60 respondents. Questionnaire and interview guides were used to collect data. The study revealed that lecturers and top administrators were poorly paid. There was low research output among lecturers in private universities. Libraries lack current publications and ICT connectivity to support teaching, learning and research. The study recommended the improvement in the conditions of service of staff. It also recommended the establishment of a research fund to motivate lecturers to increase research output as well as ICT connectivity to support effective teaching, learning and research in private universities in Ghana.

The digital environment has transformed how data on library material use is collected and reported, providing librarians with more information about usage but less clarity about how to interpret it. This article discusses current approaches to reporting and assessing library book use, addresses the question of what qualifies as a worthwhile use of library materials, and presents an analysis of four years of COUNTER 4 BR2 ebook reports at a single research institution to explore the reliability of page view-level usage data for collection assessment. It reveals ways assessment theory and practice fail to capture the value of library materials throughout the research lifecycle, and argues for an inclusive view of collections use.

Collective collections are multiple local collections described and/or managed as a single collection. Constructing, understanding, and operationalizing collective collections is an increasingly important aspect of collection management for many libraries. This article presents some general insights about collective collections, drawn from a series of studies conducted by OCLC. These insights identify salient characteristics of many collective collections and serve as a starting point for developing collective collection-based strategies for such library priorities as shared print, digitization, and group-scale discovery and fulfillment.

This study surveyed librarians' and students' attitudes, perceptions, and concerns on privacy in Ghanaian universities with the aim of seeking a better alignment of their perspectives in the online library context. The study adapted and applied the instrument developed by Zimmer that assessed attitudes and practices of librarians in the United States on privacy rights and protecting patrons' privacy in the library. The study found that, between librarians and students in Ghanaian universities, there was a need for greater control over their personal data and a need for ethical responsibility on the part of data collecting online library agents; both groups expressed dislike for state censorship and corporate monopoly over their personal data. However, despite their positive attitude about the strong role of librarians in guaranteeing their personal data, a significant number of them demonstrate little faith in librarians to actualize the protection of their personal data. Finally, privacy attitudes and concerns of academic librarians were noted to align with those of university students in Ghana. Among others, it was recommended that Ghanaian academic librarians integrate privacy education and awareness creation in their universities, emphasizing the need to make informed online decisions and exposing potential repercussions of their decisions while using online library and digital resources.

As inclusion becomes a growing standard for universities in the United States, data extracted from OCLC suggest that university libraries in the United States build their Spanish-language collections with books purchased primarily in Spain and Mexico. This overlooks presses from 19 other Spanish-speaking countries in the Americas. This research is concerned with the representation of books published in these Hispano-American countries and examines the holdings of 88 university libraries. The article discusses the drawbacks in neglecting purchase of literature published in Hispano-American countries and the benefits of changing collection practices into a more inclusive design, including recommendations for best practices.

Although most academic library websites include a webpage of information intended for users with disabilities, no research was located that solicited feedback about users' needs or preferences for these pages. To address this discrepancy, 12 university students with disabilities were interviewed about their perspectives on navigation, search terms, organization, desired content, and the overall look and feel for such a webpage. These interviews revealed numerous important considerations around accessibility and inclusivity, and a list of recommendations was compiled.

This study examines the book selections of 22 Manhattan College librarians, faculty, and students who were asked to make "yes" or "no" decisions for 287 books reviewed in CHOICE. It focuses on four research questions. First, "What characteristics are associated with selected and nonselected books?" Although there is only modest agreement among selectors, "yes" decisions are associated with favorable reviews, appropriateness for lower-division undergraduates, reasonable price, publication by a university press, and the absence of caveats in the review. The results suggest that selectors are willing to relax certain selection criteria if others are exceeded, that selectors' generally favorable attitudes toward multidisciplinary works do not extend to all such books, and that titles in areas unfamiliar to the selector are less likely to be chosen. Second, "What are the key differences among the book selections of librarians, faculty, and undergraduates?" Although there are minor differences among all three groups, the main finding is that students' selections are relatively unpredictable and less closely linked to particular book and review characteristics. Third, "What are the key differences among the book selections of specialists (faculty and librarians) in the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities?" Although the three subject groups are similar in their yes/no decisions and in the characteristics of the books they choose, most selectors demonstrate a strong tendency to favor books in their own subject areas. Finally, "What individual characteristics are associated with effectiveness as a book selector?" Librarians and faculty are equally effective, overall. Faculty have an advantage among selectors without book selection experience, but the positive impact of experience is greater for librarians than for faculty. In contrast, students are relatively ineffective selectors, and their choices are not closely related to those of other students, faculty, or librarians.

After instituting major cuts to discipline-specific science abstracting and indexing (A&I) databases at an ARL library due to significant budget cuts, the author sought to determine if such cuts were being made by other academic libraries and what trends could be found in holdings of such databases. Annually, over the course of eight years, 108 ARL libraries and 74 Oberlin Group library website A-Z database lists were reviewed to look for the presence of 21 Science and Technology A&I databases. Additions and cancellations were recorded and verified. The results indicate little change in the holdings of several discipline-specific databases including MathsciNet, SciFinder Scholar, and GeoRef, while there were declines in holdings of several other databases including INSPEC, Biological Abstracts, and Compendex. Also measured were holdings of Proquest and EBSCO science A&I databases, which saw small declines in holdings, as well as holdings of comprehensive A&I databases Scopus and Web of Science, which saw a significant increase for Scopus holdings.

Administrators, librarians, parents, teachers, and teacher educators need to be familiar with quality multicultural children's literature as a means of helping children develop an understanding of others as well as affirming their own diverse backgrounds. In this study, 31 fictional picture books identified as containing representations of ethnic Chinese or their culture were examined for literary quality and cultural authenticity. Six reviewers (three Chinese and 3 American) independently evaluated each book using a revised 10-item version of the Multicultural Children's Literature Evaluation Tool (Higgins, J. J. (2002). Multicultural children's literature: creating and applying an evaluation tool in response to the needs of urban educators. New Horizons in Education. Retrieved from http://education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/strategies/topics/multicultural-education/multicultural-childrens-literature/index.html) with the highest possible score being 30. Results indicated good interrater reliability with the mean score of the Chinese and American reviewers differing by less than 5 points for 24 books (80 %). Three books received a mean score of 30 by at least one group of reviewers, and three books received a mean score of below 19 by at least one group of reviewers. With results of studies such as this one at their disposal, adults are better prepared to select quality, culturally authentic literature to share with children.

This article explores how self-identified lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) students use the library located within a culture center on campus serving LGBTQ students, compared to the ways those students use the main campus library. In particular, this study asks how LGBTQ students' needs of library collections may differ based on where those collections are located. While much has been written about pluralism, diversity, and multiculturalism in the library, there have been strikingly few studies by librarians attempting to work with minority student cultural centers on campus. Through an in-depth survey, this study directly asks LGBTQ students who frequent the LGBTQ Resource Center about their needs and usage habits in each library collection. By learning from the students directly, one can make claims about best practices for outreach, collection development, and information literacy practices specific to LGBTQ students who may have different needs for collections in different spaces.

This paper will use circulation data to explore usage trends for physical textbooks in an academic library over a sustained period of time. Conclusions will be drawn from the analysis to determine the usefulness of aging physical textbook collections in academic libraries and inform recommendations for efficient models of lending and management.

During the Fall 2017 semester, staff at the Hudson County Community College (HCCC), Library began to notice that many books listed as available in the catalog were often not being found on the shelves when patrons attempted to retrieve them. This situation puzzled library leadership because HCCC had recently conducted an inventory and removed all missing items from its holdings. To determine the cause of this discrepancy, HCCC staff decided to sample the library's collection to determine if books were available at the expected locations. From this, the library found that a high percentage of its books were not present where they were expected to be. In response, library staff implemented a variety of changes to HCCC's shelving and access services operations.

The University of Louisville's Ekstrom Library needed to remove 260,000 items from its shelves, and shift a further 95,000 within an extremely short deadline ahead of plans to redesign its third floor into an inviting, modern, student-friendly space for patrons to enjoy. The move faced three distinct challenges: space, item tracking, and sufficient personnel to complete the project. Although the project finished ahead of schedule, things did not go as smoothly as planned. OPAC issues and lack of sufficient storage space forced the Committee to readjust plans on the fly, resulting in issues that could possibly take years to fix.

Discriminations against members of the lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/queer (LGBTQ) community have been reported in every sphere of life, including in libraries. This paper reviewed the literature on transgender studies particularly in relation to the role of libraries. It highlights the problems faced by transgender people in accessing information in libraries and the importance of making libraries more inclusive.

This study is the first of its kind to analyze and compare demand-driven acquisition (DDA) ebook programs on a large scale by using eight academic libraries. The purpose is to understand which factors contribute to successful collection management practices and sustainability. Study findings also offer insight into weeding practices and suggest that ebooks removed from the discovery pool too soon may impact service to library users. Furthermore, findings based on formula analysis show that return on investment (ROI) for serviceable content is better achieved through a sustained straight DDA model without short-term loans.

As in other academic libraries, LSE (London School of Economics and Political Science) Library does not meet student expectations for access to core readings despite increasing provision. We used user experience research to gather evidence of student experience, behaviours, and preferences for taught course content with the aim of making improvements. We found that convenience is the deciding factor for students in choosing what and how to read due the necessity of keeping up with weekly reading. They prefer PDF journal articles due to their structure and functionality and dislike e-books. This suggests that for book chapters we should offer accessible scans where possible while advocating for improved e-book functionality and licencing. Our research underlines the role of liaison librarians in encouraging appropriate use of reading lists so that they scaffold rather than spoon-feed, as students appreciate well-structured and signposted reading lists, but approach their reading instrumentally. Our next step is to engage with teaching staff.

Escape rooms are used in a myriad of ways by businesses, teachers, and public libraries. They can be a great way to encourage team building, learning, and simply having fun in a non-threatening environment. This case study presents an innovative approach to engaging students, faculty, and community by using and showcasing unique academic library collections. This empowers them to discover what the library has to offer, spark creative and scholarly discussion, and make them comfortable in a potentially intimidating space. Following some brief background information, the authors describe the development, implementation, and results, and examine the impact of two separate escape rooms they created for different events in 2018 and 2019.

Across the sector, universities are transforming the student experience by reconceptualising the ways in which they partner with students. The academic library is at the heart of the university experience and libraries have a long history of collaboration and engaging with their communities. As such academic libraries are the perfect next frontier within which to embed the 'students-as-partners' approach. This paper proposes a broadening of partnership with students to improve the governance, operations and design of the academic library. Taking La Trobe University Library as a case study, the authors explore a series of examples in action across six domains: space transformation, library governance, service excellence, research, resource design and collection renewal. Within these domains the paper provides insights into how the relationship between the academic library and its community might be shifted to foster critical student/staff partnerships.

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the establishment of metrics that can be used by libraries to analyze, anticipate, and plan for resource allocation for specialized print-based collections within an academic library. In the context of transactions associated with the circulation of library materials, that is checkouts, renewals, and holds, the resources this study will propose includes two ratios that can be used for evaluating and justifying continued allocation of library resources to specialized print collections. These ratios proposed are the Proportionate Number (P/N) and Internal P/N (I-P/N) Ratios. Beginning with the conceptual framework of how data driven decision making can contribute to the operation of the library, the study will also provide concrete examples of how to analyze data from an Integrated Library System (ILS). Data will be presented for the case study of Gumberg Library at Duquesne University. The study hopes to address a perceived gap in the literature that percentage of users accessing a collection is often not considered in the analysis of circulation data.