EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) has been heavily used by UMUC students since its implementation in fall 2011, but experience has shown that it is not always the most appropriate source for satisfying students' information needs and that they often need assistance in understanding how the tool works and how to use it effectively. UMUC librarians have…

Kids ask the darndest questions. And sometimes they ask them in the darndest places, including online information systems that were not designed to answer them. There is a reason for this continuing phenomenon, and an important lesson in it for school library media specialists and other educators. To understand the phenomenon at hand, imagine an…

This study examined how often and to what extent university learners of German use online resources (e.g., online dictionaries and translators) in relation to German coursework, their motivations for use, and their beliefs about online resources and language learning. Data for this study consisted of open-ended surveys ("n" = 71) and face-to-face…

Considers the current trend in libraries toward live, or digital, reference services. Highlights include models for reference, including synchronous versus asynchronous; benefits for users; software packages; user expectations; suitability of the technology; and determining the best service for users and their information needs. (LRW)

Discussion of the search process in the online information field focuses on what information professionals do after the data have been gathered and are ready to be presented to the end user. An example is given using a framework developed at Henkel Research Corporation that puts results in a more helpful context. (LRW)

Academic libraries by nature serve as spaces for communities of learners to gather. Careful design and marketing of spaces to meet specific needs, staffed by experts to facilitate and guide such learning, enhance the impact of "library as place." In this article, the author shares two examples of collaborations that have resulted from partnerships…

When a website has become a virtual storage closet rather than a place where useful, usable content is created, published, and organized, there is a problem. If audiences cannot quickly and easily find what they are looking for when they visit a website--and are not interested in what they find when they get there--they will get frustrated and…

As access services emerges as a discrete discipline within the field of librarianship, opportunities for access services librarians to meet and discuss the issues facing today's libraries continue to grow. One annual meeting that has attracted less attention over the years is the Ivies + Access Services Symposium. Held at various member…

Discusses improving the quality of satisfaction of information needs through the use of information retrieval systems. The characteristics of information need are investigated; a new instrument in information retrieval systems is proposed which takes into account different components of information need; and future research is suggested.…

The "embedded librarian" as a concept has emerged in the literature only recently, but has quickly gained footing as a model of practice. Many scholarly explorations of embedded librarianship have been published, though no two works define this concept in the exact same way. David Shumaker's description seems to be particularly apt: "Embedded…

Discusses how to increase user satisfaction by designing information retrieval systems that inform the user while the user is interacting online. Models the information processing operations of a user who has received an information message from the system and is stimulated into grasping at a higher understanding of the information need. (Contains…

Describes part of a project designed to develop a user-based approach to measuring the extent to which services provided by librarians meet or exceed user expectations on a consistent basis. Results show that academics and librarians have similar expectations, but there are differences in the emphasis each group places on aspects of service.…

This article describes the process and role frontline access and public service staff play in needs assessment and evaluation of user services, specifically in understanding the voice of the customer. Information includes how the University of Arizona Libraries have incorporated daily data collection into the strategic planning process, resources…

People using libraries will expect to receive more of what they provide in more ways and in more places. It's already the case that people presume they should be able to do things they can do at the library through the web. Because they can do that, they presume they can use the libraries through their phones and their tablet computers. To some…

Describes the Braille/Large Print Reference Project developed in Illinois to provide visually impaired patrons with information transcribed into either Braille or large print. Topics discussed include equipment needs; staff training; user response; and problems. Examples of publicity and guidelines are included. (LRW)