In this article, the development of a digital repository is examined, specifically how the focus on acquiring content for the repository has transitioned from faculty-published research to include the gray literature produced by the research centers on campus, including unpublished technical reports and undergraduate research from honors programs.…

This article presents an interview with Terry Pratchett, one of the world's most beloved storytellers. And with sales of more than 65 million books in 37 languages, he's indisputably one of the most successful. The English novelist's many honors include a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth, more than a half dozen honorary doctorates, and the 2008…

This article presents an interview with Joyce Karon, a former school librarian, district coordinator, and former member of the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Board of Higher Education. She is currently a member of the Illinois P-20 Council and has always been a passionate advocate for school libraries. In this interview, Karon…

All librarians, even those working one job, can become victims of burnout. Burnout can occur throughout the course of any career, and can pose a serious threat. On a daily basis, librarians help patrons fight their way through a haze of misinformation and disinformation. A good librarian is always on the ready, shifting gears from MLA source…

In an effort to market the library as a more inviting, student-friendly place, librarians at the main library of Kent State University have piloted several new events to lure students into the building and keep them coming back. With the transition to more social events hosted by the university libraries, a number of questions arose among…

Purpose: This paper aims to provide an overview of representative multimedia applications in the cultural heritage sector, as well as research results on quality of service (QoS) mechanisms in internet protocol (IP) networks that support such applications. Design/methodology/approach: The paper's approach is a literature review. Findings: Cultural…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report on users' information behaviour in China, a topic which has not been researched extensively. The aim is to help producers and providers collect and develop more electronic resources. Design/methodology/approach: The study investigates users' information behaviour at seven "211 Project"…

Purpose: There are many library automation packages available as open-source software, comprising two modules: staff-client module and online public access catalogue (OPAC). Although the OPAC of these library automation packages provides advanced features of searching and retrieval of bibliographic records, none of them facilitate full-text…

The first comprehensive national survey of all academic libraries in the United States which were conducting chat reference service was carried out to determine: what practices were being used to prepare personnel for chat reference service, what competencies were being taught, how and why training practices may have changed over time, and what…

Like middle school students, adults would never want to go into a new school not being able to speak the language. Most teachers aren't signing up to teach in Mexico or China unless they know how to speak with their fellow educators and their students. But English Language Learners (ELL) don't have the choices that teachers do. They have been…

Microblogging is a relatively new phenomenon in online social networking that has become increasingly prevalent in the last few years. This study explores the use of Twitter in public and academic libraries to understand microblogging patterns. Analysis of the tweets was conducted in two phases: (1) statistical descriptive analysis and (2) content…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the findings from the qualitative strand of the National e-Book Observatory (2007-2009) project, relating to the promotion of e-textbooks in UK universities by the library, academics and publishers. A complementary paper on the ways in which students and academics locate e-books provided by their…

Reviews the historical context of core journal lists, current uses in collection assessment, and existing methodologies for creating lists. Outlines two next generation core list projects developing new methodologies and integrating novel information/data sources to improve precision: a national-level core psychology list and the other a local…

Constructivist learning theories promote students' engagement as one of the key factors in successful learning and knowledge building. Research indicates that the short attention span of adult learners, their need to "learn-by-doing," interact and multitask in the learning process can be accommodated with a positive outcome by…

Participating in an evidence-based practice workshop in 2005 was a transforming experience for the author. She realized that the traditional statistics that she had painstakingly gathered and recorded for her annual report did not provide evidence of actual learning. Evidence acquired through assessment, both formative and summative, provides the…