Evidence Based Library and Information Practice (Journal)
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Academic Library Websites Show Heavy Use of Web 2.0 Applications
No full textA Review of:
Boateng, F., & Liu, Y. Q. (2014). Web 2.0 applications’ usage and trends in top US academic libraries. Library Hi Tech, 32(1), 120-138. doi:10.1108/LHT-07-2013-0093
Abstract
Objective – To explore Web 2.0 application use in academic libraries through determining: Web 2.0 applications used, the purpose of using these applications, and how the use of Web 2.0 is changing.
Design – Exploratory survey of academic library websites using content analysis of websites, blogs, and social networking service platforms.
Setting – Websites of academic libraries in the United States, blog platforms, and social networking services.
Subjects – 100 academic libraries.
Methods – The researchers based their selection of academic library websites on the US News & World Report’s 2013 list of the top 100 best colleges in the United States. The authors created a checklist to determine which Web 2.0 technologies were used by the academic libraries on their websites and for what purposes. The researchers searched for Web 2.0 applications on the main page and one subpage down from the main page. The researchers also used keyword searches on the library’s website to find Web 2.0 applications and searched blog platforms and social networking sites.
Main Results – The authors found that Facebook and Twitter were the most popular Web 2.0 applications and that all of the libraries analyzed used social networking services. Blogs were the second most popular Web 2.0 tool at 99% participation rate, followed closely by RSS (97%) and instant messaging (91%). Libraries used these Web 2.0 tools for information sharing including: outreach, promotion, providing online reference services, subject guides, tutorials, highlighting resources, and posting announcements.
Conclusion – The academic libraries analyzed in this study use Web 2.0 applications to a much greater extent than previous research had shown. The researchers expect to see increased use of Web 2.0 applications by academic libraries in the coming years. They suggest that future research focus on Web 2.0 use by historically black colleges in the United States and on collaboration between academic libraries and other academic units when offering Web 2.0 services
Grey Literature Searching for Health Sciences Systematic Reviews: A Prospective Study of Time Spent and Resources Utilized
No full textAbstract
Objective – To identify estimates of time taken to search grey literature in support of health sciences systematic reviews and to identify searcher or systematic review characteristics that may impact resource selection or time spent searching.
Methods – A survey was electronically distributed to searchers embarking on a new systematic review. Characteristics of the searcher and systematic review were collected along with time spent searching and what resources were searched. Time and resources were tabulated and resources were categorized as grey or non-grey. Data was analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis tests.
Results – Out of 81 original respondents, 21% followed through with completion of the surveys in their entirety. The median time spent searching all resources was 471 minutes, and of those a median of 85 minutes were spent searching grey literature. The median number of resources used in a systematic review search was four and the median number of grey literature sources searched was two. The amount of time spent searching was influenced by whether the systematic review was grant funded. Additionally, the number of resources searched was impacted by institution type and whether systematic review training was received.
Conclusions – This study characterized the amount of time for conducting systematic review searches including searching the grey literature, in addition to the number and types of resources used. This may aid searchers in planning their time, along with providing benchmark information for future studies. This paper contributes by quantifying current grey literature search patterns and associating them with searcher and review characteristics. Further discussion and research into the search approach for grey literature in support of systematic reviews is encouraged
The Scholarly Communications Needs of Faculty: An Evidence-Based Foundation for the Development of Library Services
No full textAbstract
Objectives – This exploratory research seeks to broadly understand the publishing behaviours and attitudes of faculty, across all disciplines, at the University of Saskatchewan in response to the growing significance of open access publishing and archiving. The objective for seeking this understanding is to discover the current and emerging needs of researchers in order to determine if scholarly communications services are in demand here and, if so, to provide an evidence-based foundation for the potential future development of such a program of services at the University Library, University of Saskatchewan.
Methods – All faculty members at the University of Saskatchewan were sent personalized email invitations to participate in a short online survey during the month of November 2012. The survey was composed of four parts: Current Research and Publishing Activities/Behaviours; Open Access Behaviours, Awareness, and Attitudes; Needs Assessment; and Demographics. Descriptive and inferential statistics were calculated.
Results – The survey elicited 291 complete responses – a 21.9% response rate. Results suggest that faculty already have a high level of support for the open access movement, and considerable awareness of it. However, there remains a lack of knowledge regarding their rights as authors, a low familiarity with tools available to support them in their scholarly communications activities, and substantial resistance to paying the article processing charges of some open access journals. Survey respondents also provided a considerable number of comments – perhaps an indication of their engagement with these issues and desire for a forum in which to discuss them. It is reasonable to speculate that those who chose not to respond to this survey likely have less interest in, and support of, open access. Hence, the scholarly communications needs of this larger group of non-respondents are conceivably even greater.
Conclusion – Faculty at the University of Saskatchewan are in considerable need of scholarly communications services. Areas of most need include: advice and guidance on authors’ rights issues such as retention of copyright; more education and support with resources such as subject repositories; and additional assistance with article processing charges. The University Library could play a valuable role in increasing the research productivity and impact of faculty by aiding them in these areas
The Possibilities are Assessable: Using an Evidence Based Framework to Identify Assessment Opportunities in Library Technology Departments
No full textAbstract
Objective – This study aimed to identify assessment opportunities and stakeholder connections in an emerging technologies department. Such departments are often overlooked by traditional assessment measures because they do not appear to provide direct support for student learning.
Methods – The study consisted of a content analysis of departmental records and of weekly activity journals which were completed by staff in the Emerging Technologies and Services department in a U.S. academic library. The findings were supported by interviews with team members to provide richer data. An evidence based framework was used to identify stakeholder interactions where impactful evidence might be gathered to support decision-making and to communicate value.
Results – The study identified a lack of available assessable evidence with some types of interaction, outreach activity, and responsibilities of staff being under-reported in departmental documentation. A modified logic model was developed to further identify assessment opportunities and reporting processes.
Conclusion – The authors conclude that an evidence based practice research approach offers an engaging and illuminative framework to identify department alignment to strategic initiatives and learning goals. In order to provide a more complete picture of library impact and value, new and robust methods of assessing library technology departments must be developed and employed
Surveying North American Academic Library Websites for Instructional Outreach and Delivery Reveals a Broad Range of Approaches Employed
No full textA Review of:
Yang., S. Q., & Chou, M. (2014). Promoting and teaching information literacy on the Internet: Surveying the web sites of 264 academic libraries in North America. Journal of Web Librarianship, 8(1), 88-104. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19322909.2014.855586
Abstract
Objective – To determine the extent to which academic libraries have used the Web to market and deliver information literacy both as a service and as a concept.
Design – Survey of web content.
Setting – Websites of North American academic libraries.
Subjects – A random sample of 264 libraries selected from Peterson’s Four-Year Colleges.
Methods – The investigators reviewed and analyzed content on academic library websites by recording the presence of various types of information. Presence was recorded for the term information literacy, tutorial content, guides and tests, and delivery of information literacy instruction. The frequencies of tutorials and guides were also reported.
Main Results – Approximately 65% of the libraries used their website to promote instruction, while 30% did not mention information literacy or library instruction. A wide range of terminology was used to denote library instruction, but information literacy was not highly used. Approximately 5% of libraries had no public web presence. Research guides, tutorials, or both were provided by 64% of libraries. More than 300 tutorials in a variety of formats, including Adobe Flash videos, static web pages with little or no animations, webcasts, documents, and presentations were offered by 111 libraries. The tutorials addressed general research topics, databases, concepts and technical skills, among others.
Conclusion – While the majority of academic libraries sampled have incorporated information literacy and library instruction into their web presence, it is unclear why nearly one third did not mention these activities. Further study is needed to benchmark how libraries are using the Web for instruction and outreach
Hands on Digital Information Literacy Training from Peers is Preferred by Public Service Library Staff
No full textA Review of:
Robertson, R. (2014). Reframing ourselves: Digital information literacy skills of frontline public library staff. New Zealand Library and Information Management Journal, 53(3). doi:10.1080/00048623.2011.10722203
Abstract
Objective – To explore how and where public library employees acquire digital information literacy (DIL) skills.
Design – Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews.
Setting – Two public libraries in New Zealand.
Subjects – Nine front line public library staff members.
Methods – A convenience sample of nine library employees was interviewed about their existing DIL skills, how and where they learned them, any barriers to this learning, and how they defined DIL in others. Interviewees ranged in age from 40 to 64 and included both those new to libraries and those with over 25 years in the profession. The interview transcripts were analyzed for key themes and placed in the theoretical framework of Kolb’s experiential learning cycle (Robertson, 2014).
Main Results – Five participants described their own DIL skills as average or below average. The remaining participants classified their skills as above average. Participants recounted acquiring DIL skills in the course of their work through formal workplace training sessions, peer support, or individual exploration; through personal exploration of tools on their own time; or through a mix of work and personal learning opportunities. The barriers they identified to their learning included insufficient time to train and practice the skills learned and the lack of access to relevant technologies. Participants noted problems such as accessing key hardware and insufficient Internet connectivity at work because of issues with organizational infrastructure and at home due to personal financial constraints. Participants largely preferred informal hands-on training by peers to formal training sessions, which were described by some as too general or held too far in advance of the implementation of new technology. The data suggested participants largely fell into Kolb’s accommodating or diverging learning styles because of their preference for “concrete experience” (Robertson, 2014).
Conclusion – Libraries may improve staff acquisition of DIL skills by increasing hands on learning opportunities and providing dedicated time to review and practice skills learned. Other suggestions included identifying potential digital peer mentors among staff and providing them with the necessary resources (time, money, and a defined role) to support their colleagues, breaking training into parts allowing time for practice, creating training plans tied to performance evaluation, and using incentives to encourage staff to participate in self-directed training
Reference Desk Employees Need Both Research Knowledge and Technical Skills for Successful Reference Transactions
No full textA Review of:
Chan, E. K. (2014). Analyzing recorded transactions to extrapolate the required knowledge, skills, and abilities of reference desk providers at an urban, academic/public library. Journal of Library Administration, 54(1), 23-32. doi:10.1080/01920836.2014.893113
Abstract
Objective – To determine the essential knowledge and skills required by reference positions serving academic and public library patrons.
Design – Data analysis of recorded reference transactions using author-created categories.
Setting – The reference desk of a joint academic and public library in downtown San José, California.
Subjects – A total of 9,683 in-person and phone reference transactions recorded between August 20 and December 29, 2012.
Methods – All reference transactions recorded in the tracking software Gimlet during the fall 2012 semester were downloaded and analyzed in Excel using 17 author-created reference service categories. Of the original 13,827 transaction entries, 4,135 were eliminated because the actual reference questions, an optional entry in Gimlet, were not recorded. Thus these transactions could not be properly categorized for analysis.
Main Results – The most frequently occurred type of reference transaction (16.6%, or 1,607 out of 9,683) out of the 17 categories was assistance for printing, copying, scanning, and wireless network assistance. The next most regularly recorded categories were catalog searching for non-known items (15.0%) and general research (10.9%), which included formulating research questions and selecting the appropriate resources for searching.
When clustering the 17 reference question categories into 4 broader thematic groups, “research-oriented assistance,” including question categories for catalog searching and general research, emerged as the most common question type (31.7%). Technical and equipment assistance (30.8%) was the second most popular category group, followed by facility and policy questions (19.2%), and quick search requests (18.3%).
Conclusion – The study findings suggest that successful reference desk transactions would require library employees to master research knowledge as well as technical computer and equipment skills
