Library literature and blogs frequently discuss customer service and user experience in physical libraries and Web sites, but little is said about this mentality toward services for distance learners specifically. This paper takes customer service best practices from well-known thinkers of the business world and makes connections to services for…

If you're new to running a library or looking for a refresher, this book can serve as your first reference source for school library operation, providing overview information on a wealth of topics, lists of resources for more in-depth information, and coverage of current topics such as Web 2.0, fundraising, digital booktalks, and cybersafety.…

In this article, the author describes how she was able to allow her students to talk with author Cynthia Leitich Smith through Skype, a free Internet telephony service. The author also describes how Skype can be used for recording podcasts and enhancing the reference services of libraries. Here, the author shares ideas on using Skype in libraries.

As more users access library services remotely, it has become increasingly important for librarians to reach out to their user communities and promote the value of libraries. Convincing the faculty and students in the sciences of the value of libraries and librarians can be a particularly "hard sell" as more and more of their primary…

Smart librarians have always valued their relationships with users and other librarians. The creative force of those relationships is empowered via Web-based social networking, collaboration, and sharing. At Stony Brook University Health Sciences Library in New York, students, faculty, clinicians, and residents expect the latest refinements in…

Everybody wants to turn teens into regular library users, and a new report by the Pew Internet & American Life Project is chock-full of information that can help. If librarians better understand kids' online needs, and create libraries and services that respond to these needs, then teens will be much more likely to visit their libraries--either in…

This article describes the conception, implementation, and current status of Rakim open source software at Midlands Technical college in Columbia, SC. Midlands Technical College (MTC) is a 2-year school in Columbia, S.C. It has two large campuses and three smaller campuses. Although the library functions as a single unit, there are separate…

This study reports on exploratory research that investigated biology teachers' perceptions of their online information seeking practices and how these practices influenced their instructional planning activities. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of the results of an online survey and ten in-depth interviews measuring use of specific online…

This paper reports on an evaluation of InfoPoint, a centrally-managed, professionally staffed reference service available at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus Library through a variety of communication modes, including a World Wide Web form, direct e-mail, and chat and collaborative browsing. Over 400 InfoPoint users were sent a…

This paper describes how librarians can teach patrons the basics of hypertext markup language (HTML) so that patrons can publish their own homepages on the World Wide Web. With proper use of handouts and practice time afterwards, the three basics of HTML can be conveyed in only 60 seconds. The three basics are: the basic template of Web tags, used…

Reserve readings are a special collection in the university library, established by a professor to support a particular class. A recent study at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill found enthusiasm among current reserve users for an electronic reserve system (Petersen, 1996). The study described in this paper examined the reasons some…

This proceedings of the fourth Libraries Without Walls Conference addresses key strategic issues arising from international, regional, and cross-sectoral approaches to the provision of library services to distant users. The following papers are included: Theme 1: Libraries and Virtual Learning Environments: "Introduction" (Peter Brophy,…

This study explored the perceptions of distance-education students in two-year institutions toward advising, counseling, and library/media services. The objectives were to provide information to assist community college personnel in the development of relevant student support services for distance-education students. Two questionnaires were…

Topics addressed by the papers including in this proceedings include: multimedia in the classroom; World Wide Web site development; the evolution of academic library services; a Web-based literature course; development of a real-time intelligent network environment; serving grades over the Internet; e-mail over a Web browser; using technology to…

The Brick & Click Libraries Symposium is a one-day conference that focuses on providing library resources and services for students who are either on-campus learners or off-campus learners. It is sponsored by Northwest Missouri State University in order to offer academic librarians a forum for sharing practical information. The subjects and…