Escape rooms are used in a myriad of ways by businesses, teachers, and public libraries. They can be a great way to encourage team building, learning, and simply having fun in a non-threatening environment. This case study presents an innovative approach to engaging students, faculty, and community by using and showcasing unique academic library…

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the establishment of metrics that can be used by libraries to analyze, anticipate, and plan for resource allocation for specialized print-based collections within an academic library. In the context of transactions associated with the circulation of library materials, that is checkouts, renewals, and…

In the competitive Higher Education environment, it is no longer sufficient for special collections to rely on the "uniqueness" of a collection as its unique selling point--it must be supported by a service and strategic plan that is both proactive in anticipating the demands of future researchers and responsive to current researchers'…

This article provides the framework for a set of standards and outcomes that would constitute information literacy with primary sources. Based on a working model used at Dartmouth College's Rauner Special Collections Library in Hanover, New Hampshire, these concepts create a framework for teaching with primary source materials intended to produce…

With journal price increases continuing to outpace inflation and library collection funds remaining stagnant or shrinking, libraries are seeking innovative ways to control spending while continuing to provide patrons with high-quality content. The Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library reports on the evaluation, implementation, and use of…

"Special Libraries, Special Challenges" is a column dedicated to exploring the unique public services challenges that arise in libraries that specialize in a particular subject, such as law, medicine, business, and so forth. In each column, the author will discuss public service dilemmas and opportunities that arise in special libraries.…

Revealing hidden assets stewarded by research institutions so they can be made available for research and learning locally and globally is a prime opportunity for libraries to create and deliver new value. "Making Archival and Special Collections More Accessible" collects important work OCLC Research has done to help achieve the…

Based on a three-year collaboration with elementary school instructors, this paper discusses a creative approach to introducing younger students to the historical aspects and unique structure of the medieval book as a physical object. Through incremental activities, students learn to contextualize primary sources in both original and digital…

A significant number of distance students report they "stray" from their home universities by using local libraries, despite the fact that distance education librarians work hard to provide customized resources and services tailored to their programs and needs. Are public libraries and special libraries able to meet the research needs of…

This paper reports on the results of an overlap study of Australian research library collections. The study used OCLC's WorldCat Collection Analysis software to mine data recording Australian holdings on the WorldCat database. The data is analysed according to the results obtained for six "groups" which represent various coalitions of…

Prison libraries have traditionally fulfilled many purposes for their incarcerated patrons, and these libraries often carry a diverse collection to serve varied patron needs. However, during the trial of Steven Hayes for the Petit family murders, the prosecution questioned the collection development policies of the institutions where Hayes had…

It has become widely recognised across the academic and research libraries sector that special collections and archives play a key role in differentiating each institution from its peers. In recognition of this, Research Libraries UK (RLUK) established the workstrand "Unique and Distinctive Collections" (UDC) in support of its strategic…

Robert Young became the Director of Education at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, in October of 2007. In this article, the author discusses some of the workshops and other materials available for teachers and students at the Folger. Beginning with an idea that Peggy O'Brien had 23 years ago, Folger Education has developed into a…

The job of the contemporary reference librarian has a virtual component unimaginable a generation ago. Today's library professional can obtain an MLS (or equivalent) online with a minimal residency requirement. Not only the degree, but also library sources, and indeed patrons, have become virtual. Both books and periodicals can be consulted by…

Many scholars and professionals have noted in recent years that the United States is experiencing a transformation to an economy based upon knowledge. However, researchers have only begun to explore how the essence of such an economy, the creation of wealth by organizations through their use of information, works empirically. This study provides…