Through assistive technology, individualized support, and community-based activities, the Inclusive Libraries Initiative is increasing the capacity of rural libraries in Northeast Alberta to attract and serve patrons with disabilities, particularly developmental disabilities. Local public libraries are important natural supports for adults with…

This qualitative study examines first-year college students' online search habits in order to identify patterns in millennials' mental models of information retrieval. The study employed a combination of modified contextual inquiry and concept mapping methodologies to elicit students' mental models. The researcher confirmed previously observed…

"Research Library Issues" ("RLI") is a bimonthly report from ARL (Association of Research Libraries), CNI (Coalition of Networked Information), and SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition). This issue includes the following articles: (1) Special Collections at the Cusp of the Digital Age: A Credo (Clifford…

This briefing paper captures the key findings and recommendations of a study commissioned by the Joint Information Systems Committee on aspects of the strategic commitment of institutions to repository sustainability. This project, labelled EMBRACE (EMBedding Repositories And Consortial Enhancement), is aimed at enhancing the functionality,…

Each profession has its own code of ethics. The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (2008) defines professional ethics as "the principles of conduct governing an individual or a group." The Code of Ethics of the American Library Association (ALA Council 2008) has served librarians for seventy years and reflects the ideals toward which all librarians…

This study investigates how information literacy courses have been taught in American Library Association-accredited library and information science programmes. Using a content analysis approach, we compared information literacy course syllabi from Master of Library Science (MLS) programmes collected in 2005 and 2009. In addition, courses in…

This paper examines where students prefer to find information, and then matches survey results with students' assignments. Surveys showed that half the surveyed students used library databases (e.g. ProQuest) as their first preference to locate scientific information; however, of these students, one third did not have any journal articles cited in…

The future of the publishing industry and the profession of journalism are hot topics these days. Those with intact long-term memory faculties will recall equally heated and ongoing debates about the future of libraries and their own profession, dating as far back as 1994, when the internet captured public imagination. Times have changed a bit…

The Information Services Division (ISD) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) positioned itself to successfully implement an electronic resources management system. This article highlights the ISD's unique ability to "team" across the organization to realize a common goal, develop leadership qualities in support of…

This article presents an interview with Casper Grathwohl, VP and publisher of reference at Oxford University Press (OUP), regarding his background of reference publishing, his role in OUP, and his plans of moving on with Oxford Bibliographies Online (OBO). Over the past 12 years, Grathwohl, has led a successful transition of the venerable…

Open access has long emphasized access to scholarly materials. However, open access can also mean access to the means of producing visible and recognized journals. This issue is particularly important in developing and emergent countries. The SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library On-line) project, first started in Brazil and, shortly afterward, in…

Action research can be an efficient means for busy library media specialists (LMSs) to assess problems or situations to determine the best course of action in their libraries. According to Jody K. Howard and Su A. Eckhardt, action research is different from traditional scientific research. For example, action research can be used for the analysis…

In the mid 1990s, Encoded Archival Description (EAD) appeared as a revolutionary technology for publishing archival finding aids on the Web. The author explores whether or not, given the advent of Web 2.0, the archival community should abandon EAD and look for something to replace it. (Contains 18 notes.)

From the information literacy educator's perspective, librarians have the potential to play important roles in strengthening information literacy elements within curricula learning scaffolds. While there needs to be an increased awareness amongst academics about the forms of assistance teaching librarians can provide teachers as integrated…

If nothing else, 2008 was an eventful year for government information. People witnessed one of the most dramatic Presidential elections in U.S. history, the largest global economic meltdown since the Great Depression, and fundamental changes in the role of the federal government. As always, government information reflects the times people live in.…