Undergraduate research offers academic librarians and archivists an additional motivation to engage students with special collections. Curriculum design, course instruction, and mentoring by librarians and archivists can benefit not only students but also the institution as well. I explore an example of such engagement with a collection of New…

In Fall 2014 the University of Maryland Libraries launched a textbook reserves program to help relieve the burden of high textbook costs on students. Although its initial performance was lackluster, workflow refinements and expanded promotion greatly improved usage, resulting in a tenfold increase in circulation and expansion of the program. This…

The trajectory of U.S. higher education in the next 20 years is portrayed by some as an arc of potential disaster and by others as a slightly upwardly inclined plane that may have some dips along the way. Generally these scenarios focus on the teaching and learning program of higher education institutions and give very little attention to the…

Studies about diversity initiatives in academic libraries have primarily focused on large research libraries. But what kinds of diversity work occur at smaller libraries? This study examines the status of diversity initiatives, especially those aimed at students, at national liberal arts college libraries. Results from a survey of library…

This article examines a cluster of health topics that are frequently selected by students in lower division classes. Topics address issues relating to addictive substances, including alcohol and tobacco, eating disorders, obesity, and dieting. Analysis of the topics examines their interrelationships and organization in the reference literature.…

Community colleges are often venues for flight training programs. Since such programs are often housed off-campus at a local airport, the library may not even be aware of their existence. These programs range from small single courses done in conjunction with a local airport to full-fledged varieties with a fleet of aircraft owned by the college.…

Measuring quality of service in academic libraries traditionally includes quantifiable data such as collection size, staff counts, circulation numbers, reference service statistics, qualitative analyses of customer satisfaction, shelving accuracy, and building comfort. In the libraries of the third millennium, virtual worlds, Web content and…

In the course of a weeding project at a small community college library, librarians discovered an unusual nineteenth century literary collection consisting of many obscure titles written by people of color, women and ethnic minorities. Though the materials were not rare, they constituted an interesting and valuable set of materials. These…

This study explores how LaGuardia Community College faculty use library resources for personal research. Faculty were given a survey of library usage patterns, as well as their attitude toward the LaGuardia library and libraries in general. Findings indicate tenured faculty more likely to use the LaGuardia library than untenured faculty. (Contains…

What is the future direction of reference books? What types of policies are libraries implementing regarding the purchase of electronic reference books? Are libraries still buying hard copy reference items when an electronic equivalent is available? This paper discusses a national survey of libraries regarding the purchase and use of electronic…

Approval plans are widely used in academic libraries to acquire current books soon after publication without time-consuming, costly title-by-title ordering. However, return rates of unselected books to the approval plan vendor are sometimes unacceptably high. Wright State University Library attempted to moderate their high approval return rates by…

A collection analysis project (CAP) was conducted at the Wolfgram Memorial Library of Widener University (Pennsylvania) in 1983 in order to critically evaluate library collection development methods in relation to the present and anticipated needs of faculty and students. The project followed a model developed by the Association of Research…

This study was initiated by the Acting Director of the Division of Technical Services at University of Louisville to examine and analyze the structure of the division and its workflow, use of personnel, and level of productivity. Information on the workflow and structure was obtained from department head workflow charts, statistics indicating the…

This follow-up report combines results from a staff review process and final recommendations of the Acting Director for the reorganization of the Division of Technical Services at University of Louisville in Kentucky. The report is divided into two sections: "Report on Staff Review" and the "Final Recommendations on Reorganization…

Evaluates the 'Library Improvement Program' using data derived from questionnaires administered at each program stage. The results mandate changes in lectures, formats, and student materials; indicate success in reaching incoming students; and show improvement in attitudes, skill retention, and resource usage. Included are 11 references.…