Teacher education is a vital component of Eastern Washington University's (EWU) mission and history. In 2006, after several years of decline in collections and usage of its curriculum center, EWU Libraries made a commitment to transform it into a center for twenty-first century educators. The center has changed greatly in a short time with five…

In 2006, MIRACLE Project investigators censused library directors at all U.S. academic institutions about their activities planning, pilot testing, and implementing the institutional repositories on their campuses. Out of 446 respondents, 289 (64.8 percent) were from master's and baccalaureate institutions (M&BIs) where few operational…

Writing about cataloging and reducing a backlog in the archives of a special collections department is one thing, but actually establishing a plan and executing it is another. This article describes cataloging and reducing a backlog in the archives of a special collections department as a project that involves multiple people, techniques, and…

The authors develop a framework for addressing the question of truth in librarianship and in doing so attempt to move considerations of truth closer to the core of philosophical debates within the profession. After establishing ways in which philosophy contributes to social scientific inquiry in library science, the authors examine concepts of…

This article describes a campus-wide customer satisfaction survey undertaken by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Research Library in 2007. The methodology, survey instrument, data analysis, results, and actions taken in response to the survey are described. The outcome and recommendations will guide the library both…

Certain colleges and universities require that their academic librarians have an additional advanced subject degree for either being eligible for hire or for continued employment. This paper reviews this topic and examines how using metaphors may help the field of librarianship make sound decisions on this controversial topic.

The author's current position had an established program of using high school seniors as library aides. She was comfortable with such a program, and knew the students could do a good job if taught correctly. She didn't count on the variety of memorable moments that would occur with these student workers. In this article, the author shares some of…

Ten years ago, stories like "B&N: The New College Library" (LJ 2/1/98) and "What If You Ran Your Library Like a Bookstore?" (American Libraries, 3/98) kicked up a controversy about the viability of libraries. Ironically, these days it's the book business that has an aura of crisis and gloom, while visits to libraries are surging. Over two billion…

This paper identifies key methodological issues affecting quality of data in the evaluation of remote reference services. Despite a growing number of studies in this area, no comprehensive effort has been made to identify potential problems and suggest solutions. The strategies proposed in this paper offer practical ways in which libraries can…

This study measured the degree of Google Scholar adoption within academia by analyzing the frequency of Google Scholar appearances on 948 campus and library Web sites, and by ascertaining the establishment of link resolution between Google Scholar and library resources. Results indicate a positive correlation between the implementation of Google…

As Facebook has come to dominate the social networking site arena, more libraries have created their own library pages on Facebook to create library awareness and to function as a marketing tool. This paper examines reported versus actual use of Facebook in libraries to identify discrepancies between intended goals and actual use. The results of a…

Mentorship is essential to the health of any institution; sharing knowledge and experience transforms managers into stronger leaders and helps less senior employees improve their job skills. Noted reference librarian and researcher Lee offers librarians at all levels both her experience and her ideas about establishing a formal mentoring process…

Winners of the most respected prizes in children's literature speak out in an exclusive collection of acceptance speeches, culled from the archives of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) and "The Horn Book" magazine. Featuring authors and illustrators selected during the past 10 years, the book includes speeches by: (1) Neil…

School librarians need evaluation forms that fit their unique roles and responsibilities and acknowledge both the similarities and differences between classroom teachers and school librarians. The incorporation of American Association of School Librarians' (AASL's) "Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Programs"--a resource that sets…

In January 2007, the author wrote an article titled "Prevent a Disaster in Your Library: Advertise." In 2011, with the ongoing economic crisis that has caused so many school budget cuts, it is clear that advertising is no longer enough to save school librarians' positions. Librarians need to become even more aggressive as they market their…