ITAL Information Technology and Libraries (E-Journal)
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Library Use of Web-based Research Guides
This paper describes the ways in which libraries are currently implementing and managing web-based research guides (a.k.a. Pathfinders, LibGuides, Subject Guides, etc.) by examining two sets of data from the spring of 2011. One set of data was compiled by visiting the websites of ninety-nine American university ARL libraries and recording the characteristics of each site’s research guides. The other set of data is based on an online survey of librarians about the ways in which their libraries implement and maintain research guides. In conclusion, a discussion follows that includes implications for the library technology community
President’s Message: Doing Something about Life’s Persistent Problems?
President’s Message: Doing Something about Life’s Persistent Problems
“Just-in-Case” Answers: The Twenty-FirstCentury Vertical File
“Just-in-Case” Answers: The Twenty-FirstCentury Vertical Fil
MyLibrary: A Digital Library Framework and Toolkit
This article describes a digital library framework and toolkit called MyLibrary. At its heart, MyLibrary is designed to create relationships between information resources and people. To this end, MyLibrary is made up of essentially four parts: (1) information resources, (2) patrons, (3) librarians, and (4) a set of locally defined, institution-specific facet/term combinations interconnecting the first three. On another level, MyLibrary is a set of object-oriented Perl modules intended to read and write to a specifically shaped relational database. Used in conjunction with other computer applications and tools, MyLibrary provides a way to create and support digital library collections and services. Librarians and developers can use MyLibrary to create any number of digital library applications: full-text indexes to journal literature, a traditional library catalog complete with circulation, a database-driven website, an institutional repository, an image database, etc. The article describes each of these points in greater detail
Revitalizing the Library OPAC: Interface, Searching, and Display Challenges
The behavior of academic library users has drastically changed in recent years. Internet search engines have become the preferred tool over the library online public access catalog (OPAC) for finding information. Libraries are losing ground to online search engines. In this paper, two aspects of OPAC use are studied: (1) the current OPAC interface and searching capabilities, and (2) the OPAC bibliographic display. The purpose of the study is to find answers to the following questions: Why is the current OPAC ineffective? What can libraries and librarians do to deliver an OPAC that is as good as search engines to better serve our users? Revitalizing the library OPAC is one of the pressing issues that has to be accomplished
Online Workplace Training in Libraries
This study was designed to explore and describe the relationships between preference for online training and traditional face-to-face training. Included were variables of race, gender, age, education, experience of library employees, training providers, training locations, and institutional professional development policies, etc. in the library context. The author used a bivariate test, KruskalWallis test and Mann-Whitney U test to examine the relationship between preference for online training and related variables
Batch Ingesting into EPrints Digital Repository Software
This paper describes the batch importing strategy and workflow used for the import of theses metadata and PDF documents into the EPrints digital repository software. A two-step strategy of importing metadata in MARC format followed by attachment of PDF documents is described in detail, including Perl source code for scripts used. The processes described were used in the ingestion of 6,000 theses metadata and PDFs into an EPrints institutional repository
Editorial Board Thoughts
Editoria Board Thoughts
The Iowa City Flood of 2008: A Librarian and IT Professional's Perspectiv