This study investigates staffing competencies and collaboration for electronic resource management (ERM) in public and private university libraries in Ghana. Interviews were conducted with twenty-four library staff from two public and two private universities and three consortium executives. The findings revealed similarities and differences in…

The purpose of this paper was to discuss the collaborative initiative between the Mona Library (ML) and the Library and Information Association of Jamaica (LIAJA) focused on digitizing the Association's peer-reviewed publications, specifically the Jamaica Library Association (JLA) Bulletin and the LIAJA Bulletin, for enhanced access and…

How can we best train student employees for public service roles? At UC Berkeley, as in many academic libraries, a student employee is the first person that a user will see when entering the library; they are the "face of the library." A positive interaction will set a positive tone for the user's library experience, while a negative…

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.…

This issue's column focuses on online tools and resources available for leadership development of academic, public services staff. The resources are not targeted solely to professional librarians, but rather to all levels of library staff engaged with the public. In addition to inspirational and coaching videos, reviewers recommend resource guides…

This case study explores services academic libraries provide to students with disabilities and the impact these can have on the success and experience of these students. The study focuses on staff training and outreach programming. The authors examine the academic library literature surrounding these topics, provide examples of programming…

Integrating micro-credentialing into employee training programs offers libraries an innovative and individualized way to recognize and certify learning and achievement. Digital badges provide a low-cost initiative to support learning benefiting both the individual and institution, offering evidence of skill development that transcends the library…

Changes and innovations in higher education learning and teaching acted as a catalyst for rethinking the way in which service was delivered to library clients at Australian Catholic University. The Single Service Point was piloted at one campus library in 2014 to develop a best practice approach to service delivery. The merging of cultures within…

Customer service is a core component of user experience and an important element in making patrons feel welcomed and valued within our libraries. At the University of Maryland Libraries, we took on the challenging task of creating a customer service training curriculum for all staff working at public service points and offering a digital badge for…

Every U.S. state and the District of Columbia has a law on the books that protects a library borrower's privacy, both an ethical and legal obligation of the library. In addition, FERPA further restricts access to users' records. Getting the message across to staff can be a challenge, especially if you employ students or volunteers who may not…

Since the late 1970s, the access services librarian or equivalent position has become commonplace in academic libraries, and degreed professionals have been sought for these positions since the beginning. In 2009, David McCaslin, California Institute of Technology, examined the place of access services in American Library Association-accredited…

In the summer of 2012, the University of Arizona Libraries implemented an online training program to effectively train Access Services staff and student employees at a large academic research library. This article discusses the program, which was built using a course management system (D2L) and various e-Learning software applications (Articulate…

With less staff time and more things to do, providing consistent and thorough training is sometimes a challenge. In order to streamline training and provide for more effective communication among staff and student assistants, a Blackboard course was created to provide a graded, self-paced, and interactive training tutorial. The tutorials were…

Circulation is the library's tireless foot soldier: it serves as the front gate to the library's services and resources. This service point is where most patrons enter and leave; and experience their first and last impressions--impressions that linger. In an age when academic libraries are facing meager budgets and declining usage statistics, this…

As libraries change to meet the evolving needs of our patrons, including the development of online services, many libraries are considering consolidating physical service points to maximize staff and better serve the in-house patron. This article describes the planning, implementation, and evaluation process involved in merging the circulation and…