Drawing on recent teaching experiences in two intermediate-level classes, this paper showcases the ways through which librarians can help students interrogate structural issues in knowledge creation. Through class discussions and projects, students engaged with information at both individual sources and system levels. They confronted hidden…

This case study looks at the work to develop initiatives to diversify Warwick University Library's collections, spaces and services, carried out in conjunction with our key student partners, Warwick's Library Associates. It explores the origins of the voluntary Library Associates scheme, with an emphasis on working in true partnership with…

In higher education, libraries are facing drastic spatial changes, transforming areas traditionally used for housing books to spaces for interaction and shifting from individual to team-based learning. This study (a) identifies space uses; (b) examines the environmental satisfaction, support for productivity, and perceived productivity depending…

Since the invention of artificial light, people have been working, studying, and playing for longer hours than ever before. They are also sleeping less as a result. This article examines the impact of sleep deprivation on people generally, and specifically on college students. Students accrue a large sleep debt that impairs their ability to…

Academic librarians have embraced tools such as e-mail or chat that allow them to deliver reference services virtually, but not many studies have advocated for using social networking sites (SNS) as a medium for answering user questions. Even as reference departments field fewer questions requiring in-depth resources or responses, librarians have…

A multiple methods study was conducted over three academic terms during the 2015 fiscal year at Santa Clara University Library to assess the impact and value of overnight library hours. A survey was conducted after midnight during times the Library was open 24 hours, five days a week (24/5), the last two weeks of the quarter. The survey was…

A case study demonstrating how an online narrative featuring the adventures of a cuddly toy penguin, Pablo Penguin (@uoppenguin on Twitter) has been introduced at the University of Portsmouth Library to build trust and engagement between university students and library services and facilities. Evidence for the benefits of anthropomorphic brand…

Aligning with student engagement and promotional strategies, a Pop-Up Library project was initiated at the University of Birmingham. This involved setting up temporary, staffed stalls in different locations across campus in order to informally communicate with students and effectively take "the Library" to them. This article discusses…

In fall of 2011 the University at Buffalo Libraries circulation department undertook Six Sigma training for the purpose of overhauling its student scheduling process. The department was able to mitigate significant staffing budgetary reductions and resource reallocations and to overcome the unique challenges of scheduling student labor for a…

This article describes a library renovation project in a community college that involved using existing space and reorganizing it to support the way students learn both individually and collaboratively. The article also looks at the importance of the academic library as place.

This study explores the library needs of students and tutors of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), utilization level of the library facilities and resources, the problems in the use of library, and suggestions for improvement of library facilities for students and tutors. Data collected from 4080 students and 526 tutors belonging to 15 different…

During 1993-94 the University Libraries of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, began formal needs assessment to collect data that reflect the information needs of university students, faculty, and staff. The program was implemented by a Needs Assessment Coordinating Group, an assessment consultant, and staff members. Data from the…

Faculty at Western Illinois University were asked to share in the library's journal deselection responsibility by ranking the library's journals by importance. These rankings were then compared to student use of the same journals. Results indicate that journals that were frequently cited or retrieved by students were highly ranked by the faculty.…

This narrative description summarizes the planning and implementation of a periodical use survey conducted during fall 1985 and spring 1986 to determine who uses the Fitchburg State College Library periodical holdings and which periodicals are used. Relevant literature is discussed, the purpose of the survey is explained, and survey procedures are…

The effectiveness of the following methods for identifying college students' serials needs for collection development purposes is compared: reshelving/ILL; bibliography; and survey. Bibliographies of student projects or student surveys provided the most comprehensive evaluation. Four diagrams depict data. (AEF)