Purpose: This paper aims to give a brief description of some chemistry portals available worldwide, followed by a description of the chemistry portal developed for Panjab University Library, Chandigarh (India). Design/methodology/approach: A well-structured chemistry portal was designed for chemistry and its allied departments at Panjab University…

At a recent conference on technology and education, the theory of connectivism was a hot topic. Proponents of this educational theory argue that technology has changed so substantially in the past several decades that they must review previous learning theories to ensure that they accommodate new processes that technology makes possible.…

As learners and information users are changing, so must library services. Meeting user needs and expectations is a priority within the academic library experience. Embracing a proactive approach to library service is necessary in order to be successful and relevant in the academic environment. Breaking out of the stereotypical librarian mold, this…

In autumn 2012, the University of Birmingham launched FindIt@Bham, a Primo-based Resource Discovery Service, after a series of focus groups with students and staff to help determine its initial configuration and customization. This article presents the results from a large-scale online survey and focus groups that were conducted to poll users'…

Libraries are critical learning spaces and may play a significant role in intercultural education initiatives, particularly in Sweden where the national curriculum ascribes central functions to libraries for learning activities. Unfortunately, the ways in which teachers and librarians may collaborate to leverage mutual resources is not fully…

After a needs assessment exposed that even daily library users were unaware of the best resources, tools, and services, the Rider University Libraries switched gears from a focus on the creation of long step-by-step tutorials, to the creation of short promotional videos for all users, with attention on the needs of distance learners. This project…

This report is based on a series of presentations at the second CLIR Seminar on "Participatory Design of Academic Libraries," held at the University of Rochester's River Campus June 5-7, 2013. Participatory design is a relatively recent approach to understanding library user behavior. It is based on techniques used in anthropological and…

This article describes the roles of librarians in a research library, particularly in the digital era. Librarians' roles vary from the custodian of resources to providers of a diverse nature of activities ranging from collection development, organization of knowledge, information services, preservation and conservation, and management. Librarians…

The LaGuardia Community College Student Technology Mentor (STM) program demonstrates how a college's own students can become resources for the technology development of faculty, the improvement of teaching tools, and the expansion of library services. The program also illustrates how the Student Technology Mentors themselves benefit from campus…

Higher education libraries have traditionally sought to be able to demonstrate the impact their services have on student attainment. This is particularly important in the current economic climate where libraries frequently have to defend their budgets in the face of financial constraints, whilst needing to demonstrate better value for money to…

The University of Michigan Library wanted to learn more about the kinds of searches its users were conducting through the "one search" search box on the Library Web site. Library staff conducted two investigations. A preliminary investigation in 2011 involved the manual review of the 100 most frequently occurring queries conducted…

As knowledge brokers, librarians are living in interesting times for themselves and libraries. It causes them to wonder sometimes if the traditional tools like the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) system can cope with the onslaught of information. The categories provided do not always seem adequate for the knowledge-discovery habits of…

Library 2.0 is a change in the way libraries interact with their users. Technological developments on the Web have had a major influence on these changes. The change also places new requirements on librarians' competencies and skills. This research investigates how librarians themselves see this change in terms of their work identity and working…

An analysis of Quebec academic libraries' direct reciprocal borrowing statistics from 2005 to 2010 reveals that the physical distance separating universities plays an important role in determining the amount of direct reciprocal borrowing activity conducted between institutions. Significant statistical correlations were also seen between the…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe how the authors gained a better understanding of the variety of library users' data needs, and how gradually some new data services were established based on current capabilities. Design/methodology/approach: This paper uses a case study of the new data services at the John Cotton Dana Library, at…