The re-envisioning of libraries as information leaders in higher education requires an examination of the decisions made in the acquisition and adoption of library technology. The Critical Theory of Library Technology offers a framework for viewing technology decisions through a social, economic and political perspective. This paper uses the…

Collection development for commercial online resources can be difficult without established standards, such as those librarians have for books. Using the Carnegie Classification System can be a good tool for generating a list of comparable universities to discover what they subscribe to. Librarians at the Paul Meek Library at the University of…

This project investigates if a Web 2.0 approach to designing an institutional repository can positively impact community participation. To study this, two institutional repositories (one Web 2.0, the other not) are used within the same institution. Results indicate that the use of a Web 2.0 approach significantly enhances community participation.…

This study documents the number and types of referrals to librarians by a paraprofessional staff member at an academic reference desk. Results indicate that over two semesters, only 7.4% of the reference desk transactions required referral to a librarian. From the results of this and other studies, the authors explore the expanded use of trained…

Situations arise almost every day of a reference librarian's working life in which a student (or a professor, a colleague, or a person off the street) asks a straightforward question that the librarian recognizes in a specific way. On the other hand, there are specific questions that come up fairly often and routinely lead to further queries. What…

Each year the State Library sends annual report forms to California's public, academic, special, state agency, and county law libraries. Statistical data from those reports are tabulated in this publication, with directory listings published in the companion volume, "California Library Directory." For this fiscal year, 389 libraries of…

This dissertation research investigated undergraduates' academic information behaviors in the modern digital age to identify their perspective on the role of the academic library in their academic life. The research examined usage of a broad range of information sources and means to access, selection criteria, and obstacles encountered during…

This paper seeks to expand our understanding of how educators, and in particular school librarians, acquire and use professional-practice knowledge. This exploratory study, grounded in "lived practice" (Spillane, Hunt, and Healey, 2009) uses reflective analysis to amplify competencies and skill development in pre-service school library education.…

The study of obesity is a relatively new interdisciplinary academic field. The community college library shelves should contain two types of resources. First, several kinds of reference materials, and second, a host of broader materials that place the discussion of obesity within a cultural framework. This overview is divided into two major…

Collaboration is the key! It is the driving force that has allowed Forest Lake Elementary Technology Magnet School to be consistently recognized as a "school that works" for all members of the learning community. Forest Lake's staff, teachers, students, and parents enthusiastically embrace the collaborative spirit that is a vital,…

Medical librarianship is changing in health care environments. Since 1996, by which time the standards that determine how hospitals acquire accreditation changed, many hospitals have been acquiring accreditation without a qualified medical librarian on site. For that reason, it has become even more important that health care professionals,…

The need for research support in U.K. universities is growing at a fast pace and a number of different professional and academic units within universities are involved in the process. This case study takes place in a post-92 higher education institution and discusses the benefit of utilizing a cross-university Community of Practice (CoP) approach…

The Kettering Foundation is a nonprofit, operating foundation rooted in the American tradition of cooperative research. The foundation seeks to identify and address the challenges to making democracy work as it should through interrelated program areas that focus on citizens, communities, and institutions. Each issue of this annual newsletter…

Experienced librarian and coach Ruth Metz outlines a focused and results-oriented plan for achieving the best results from staff members through a coaching style of management. Real-world examples and coaching scenarios specific to library work will help librarians: (1) Be both a coach and a player by learning the terminology and techniques; (2)…

This report summarizes research into the current application of fair use to meet the missions of U.S. academic and research libraries. Sixty-five librarians were interviewed confidentially by telephone for around one hour each. They were asked about their employment of fair use in five key areas of practice: support for teaching and learning,…