Introduction to Volume 13, Issue 1

Introduction to Volume 13, Issue 1 of Practical Academic Librarianship: The International Journal of the SLA Academic Division

A Study of the Deployment of Institutional Repositories in Colleges and Universities in Connecticut

In the past several years, many colleges and universities have developed institutional repositories as a means of highlighting the research and scholarship conducted at their institution as well as a means of combating the current publication model. Past studies have concentrated on growth in the total number of repositories, but none has looked at how the number of repositories in a particular region compares to those institutions without a repository. The primary purposes of this study were to find out how many colleges and universities in Connecticut have developed institutional repositories and how they have used these institutional repositories. Overall, this study revealed that less than a third of the academic institutions in Connecticut have institutional repositories. These repositories are most frequently found in the state sponsored universities and the independent, nonprofit schools. On the other hand, none of the community colleges, which constitute one of the largest proportion of schools in the state behind independent, nonprofits, has a repository. A vast majority of the repositories are registered with OpenDOAR, and nearly all of them use Digital Commons as their platform. The two most popular types of content found in Connecticut institutional repositories are journal articles and theses & dissertations

Introduction to Volume 13, Issue 2

Introduction to Volume 13, Issue 2 of Practical Academic Librarianship: The International Journal of the SLA Academic Division

Searching for Answers: A Case Study in Pursuit of Best Practices for Library FAQs

This case study looks at trends in FAQ organization and title composition in corporate and university library FAQs. Similarities and differences between the two groups were noted and analyzed. The patterns discovered in this research prompted changes to one university library’s FAQ page to test user engagement and discovery of relevant FAQ articles. User engagement for the library’s FAQ page overall and for popular articles was tracked before and after the changes were made. This data was analyzed for the impact the changes made and recommendations for best practices in organizing and composing titles for library FAQ are developed and presented

Apologia pro Bibliotheca: More than Information

A recurring assumption about libraries is that its work can equated with information. It becomes no surprise, then, when libraries are argued to be redundant and easily replaceable with online holdings. The present piece suggests ways in which this position, common even among librarians, fundamentally misrepresents the deeper project of the library

Putting the Puzzle Together: Creating a Library Orientation Escape Room for University Freshmen

At James Madison University, many first-year students enroll in a general education course that requires them to participate in campus events. James Madison University Libraries offers special information literacy sessions as part of this program, but developing an engaging session that is not tied to a research assignment or academic major can be challenging. A team of librarians and staff collaborated on creating an escape room that would teach freshmen about James Madison University Libraries spaces, collections, and services. In this case study, we describe the development process from identifying learning objectives through playtesting to the successful implementation of the escape room as a library orientation activity. We discuss some principles of good escape room design taken from the literature as well as observations and lessons learned from our experiences.&nbsp

Balancing, Prioritizing, and Reimagining: Comprehensively Updating Asynchronous Library Instruction

Academic instruction librarians and library instruction programs have been turning to online instruction in recent years as an option for creating a more sustainable presence. Developing online learning opportunities often requires various considerations outside of identifying learning needs. Librarians may consider designing for students both in-person and online; creating online instruction to replace or supplement one-shot sessions; and marrying chosen technology with a pedagogical approach. These are common to instruction librarians as they create online learning, but they are also sometimes challenging to address simultaneously. This process-focused article details one librarian’s experience balancing all three of these considerations while reimagining asynchronous library instruction for large-enrollment introductory public speaking courses. This article shares an iterative process for determining needs and addressing multiple considerations. It also details how the author practically addressed considerations as well as how the redesigned instruction was implemented. There is discussion on the idea of “comprehensive” design and what it means to balance multiple priorities in practice. The article ends with recommendations for librarians who are designing or redesigning online instruction who are holding many interests and goals in mind.  Keywords: online learning, information literacy instruction, asynchronous instruction, academic librarie

Exploring Research Support by Academic Librarians to Faculty Members

Abstract This article explored the availability and relevance of research support offered by academic librarians to faculty members within the Colleges of Health Sciences and Basic and Applied Sciences at the University of Ghana, with the background that current technological changes in librarianship have made research support a critical function of academic libraries. Mixed methods research design was adopted for the study. Data was collected from faculty members and academic librarians through self-designed questionnaires and semi-structured interviews respectively.  The study concluded that research support activities by academic librarians existed and is seen as very relevant to faculty members.  However, in as much as there is an upsurge in technological advancement in academic library services, only the Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) was mostly utilised for research support whereas Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI) by academic librarians to faculty, news alerts and list of new arrivals were the least utilised services.  It was observed that academic librarians had not utilised the use of social media in communicating research support to faculty members although they had a positive mind-set about its use.  Other ways of communicating research support to faculty members were through “ask the librarian” system on university websites, presentations by academic librarians at workshops for faculty members, notices on notice boards and one-on-one interactions.  Identified research support needed by faculty members were article request services; training in reference management software such as Mendeley and Endnote; Faculty Research Commons for faculty members alone; effective maintenance and update of the institutional repository and training on the use of electronic databases.  The study recommended the need for academic librarians to periodically update their knowledge on current trends of research support as well as ascertain the research needs of faculty members which keep on changing because of technological advancements

Best Practices for Serving LGBTQ+ Library Users in the 21st Century: A systematic literature review

In order to best serve LGBTQ+ library users, it is necessary to develop a list of best practices. While there is ample literature on the topic of the needs of LGBTQ+ library users and how to address those needs, there is no readily accessible list of evidence-based best practices for general implementation. To address this need, the author identified an initial pool of 210 articles published in library journals between the years of 2000 and 2022. Of those 210 articles, 109 articles met all conditions for further review. A total of 21 articles within the review pool contained specific recommendations for serving LGBTQ+ library users. Those 21 articles were assessed, and their findings compiled to create a list of evidence-based best practices for serving LGBTQ+ library users

The English Conversation Group: A Library-led Virtual Program for International Students

Academic libraries play a key role in helping international students adjust to a new learning environment. The abrupt halt to in-person activities due to COVID-19 meant that many libraries had to find new and creative ways of utilizing technology to continue serving patrons. In fall 2020, the English Conversation Group (ECG) at the University of Windsor’s Leddy Library pivoted to offering virtual sessions for the first time in the program’s history due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The sessions have been successful in continuing to support international students and have allowed for students to engage with the university, the library, and each other despite being physically separated. The authors detail the process, challenges, and outcomes of hosting English Conversation Group using Blackboard Collaboratory for international students. This case study provides limited empirical evidence for libraries who have an interest in offering a   web-based English conversation program in order to support international students