New research needs, global developments and local shifts in emphasis are demanding a broader range of interactions by librarians with researchers and are challenging previous staffing structures. Research has a higher institutional profile and academic libraries have responded by creating new roles and staffing models, with stronger linkage across…

Purpose: The University of the East Web Portal is an academic, web-based system that provides educational electronic materials and e-learning services. To fully optimize its usage, it is imperative to determine the factors that relate to its usage. Thus, this study, to determine the computer self-efficacy of the faculty members of the University…

The abundance of technological and Internet resources can both simplify and complicate a researcher's world. Such innovations place a burden on researchers to stay current with advances in technology and then discern the best technology tools to utilize. We first discuss benefits that Google Scholar can provide in the preparation of the literature…

This qualitative research assesses the success of a unique upper-level course project developed collaboratively by a library faculty member and a history instructor. It resulted in a permanent online library guide and a one-hour public panel event focused on a social justice issue. We situate our assessment of the project in today's higher…

There have been multiple calls to support more systematic approaches to addressing the needs of multilingual students in social studies. In this action research study, the authors point to the Maryland Humanities Inquiry Kits, which provide an example of how to leverage digital history resources in the multilingual classroom for a culturally and…

Learning at a distance and learning online are growing in scale and importance in higher education, presenting opportunities for large scale, inclusive, flexible and engaging learning. These modes of learning swept the world in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The many challenges of providing effective education online and remotely have been…

The Library of Congress offers a wealth of primary source documents that can be integrated into the classroom to enhance critical thinking skills of students as they learn about historical and other related topics. Similarly, these materials can be promoted via individual libraries for their 24/7 access online. Understanding what primary source…

This issue's column focuses on online tools and resources available for leadership development of academic, public services staff. The resources are not targeted solely to professional librarians, but rather to all levels of library staff engaged with the public. In addition to inspirational and coaching videos, reviewers recommend resource guides…

As a project in a History of American Sport class, the author charged students with researching individuals or issues in Trinity University athletics history in the period from 1950 to 1991. After investigating their subjects in the university's special collections and archives, examining past issues of San Antonio-area newspapers and Trinity…

Background: The resurgence of interest in virtual reality (VR) in recent years has been exciting for health educators and researchers, yet little is known about VR's effectiveness. This systematic literature review aims to provide an overview of the prevalence of VR in alcohol studies and assess its effectiveness. Methods: Peer-reviewed articles…

This case study provides insights into how one academic library scaled and structured its information literacy program for a rapidly growing online learning division. Particular attention is paid to strategies for reaching learners who bypass portions of the liberal studies requirements and techniques for designing information literacy modules…

Online tutorials are a way many librarians connect with students. The main benefit is the ability to reach more students than traditional face-to-face instruction sessions. In 2016, the Life & Health Sciences Librarian received instruction session requests for a freshman biology lab to teach students how to search for articles and use proper…

Apart from the evident tragedy that the COVID-19 outbreak has meant regarding both personal and economic costs, the normal functioning of the academic year has been drastically altered at all educational levels. Regarding Spain, the state of alert implemented by the government from mid-March to June has affected traditional face-to-face sessions…

This paper explores relationships between knowledge production and academic publication and shows that the current political economy of mainstream academic publishing has resulted from a complex interplay between large academic publishers, academics, and hacker-activists. The process of publishing is a form of 'social production' that takes place…

Twenty-first century undergraduates demand quick access to authoritative sources that are easily read without challenging technical and disciplinary language. They expect comprehensible natural language--exactly like Google's--which can be read without concentrating for long periods of time. Integrating Google and Google Scholar in library…