24,577 research outputs found
A library management information system in a multi-campus environment
The Office of Library Services in the Central Administration of the State
University of New York (SUNY) has, since 1975, been developing a library
management information system based on the analysis of library and other
bibliographic and academic data which are available in machine readable
form. Although primarily designed for the SUNY libraries, the processes
are applicable in other academic libraries because of the general availability
of the data used in the system. The task has changed over the years as
new ideas and opportunities were realized, as new appreciations of the
obtained results were attained, and as the technical environment has
evolved. Nonetheless, the fundamental structure of the system design has
not changed since the first ideas in 1974.
This is an interim report. Progress has been agonizingly slow for two
reasons. First, the difficulty of obtaining support and resources has been a
real hindrance; the work has been squeezed into overcrowded schedules
and ever-straitening budgets. Second, many of the machine-readable data
which one confidently felt would be available in the late 1970s or very early
1980s are still not available. Some years, at least, will pass before the work
can be completed as we see it now. Who knows what new ideas and
opportunities will emerge as new results become available? Nonetheless,
enough has been achieved to justify this report.published or submitted for publicatio
Power and Practice in Academic Library Materials Selection Paradigms
This article examines the theoretical and practical implications of three methods of materials acquisitions in an academic library. First, it evaluates how traditional collection development, electronic patron driven acquisitions (PDA) and other older forms of PDA affect materials storage, preservation, purchase speed and usage. Then this paper employs Foucault’s theories about power to discuss the ramifications of these acquisitions methods for librarians and three major user groups: faculty, graduate students and undergraduates. The article concludes that each method presents different practical and theoretical advantages and disadvantages
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Transforming Technical Services: Evolving Functions in Large Research University Libraries
Technical services functions in academic libraries have evolved in response to fiscal pressures and advances in technology. In this study the author investigates how technical services in large research university libraries are adapting to support
the changing roles of academic libraries. The author conducted hour-long phone interviews in early 2014 with the representatives from nineteen out of the twenty-five university libraries in the Technical Services Directors Large
Research Libraries Interest Group. This paper presents the results and discussion based on the interview data: use of the name, Technical Services; new and emerging functions of technical services; organizational structure of technical services
units; change drivers that are affecting technical services now, and those that will soon; and challenges in managing technical services. Five models of a technical services organizational structure were developed from participants’ organizational
charts and interview data. This research also highlights the skills needed among technical services personnel.UT Librarie
How Is That Going to Work?: Part II – Acqusitions Challenges and Opportunities in a Shared ILS
Building on a presentation given at the 2013 Charleston Conference, this article continues the discussion about acquisitions policies, workflows, and consortial collaboration in a next‐generation shared ILS. The Orbis Cascade Alliance is a consortium of 37 public and private academic institutions in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. In January 2013, the Alliance began a two‐year process of migrating all 37 institutions (in 4 cohorts, with a new cohort going live every 6 months) to Ex Libris’s Alma and Primo in order to realize efficiencies and increase collaboration within the consortium. The authors, who represent institutions in the first and third cohorts, offer perspectives on new consortial structures stemming from changing workflows, policy issues to consider from a consortial viewpoint, challenges and opportunities for the new system, partnering with vendors, and ongoing considerations for large‐scale cooperative collection development and assessment
Purchasing E-books: Considerations and Models for the Smaller Academic Library
There are many decisions to consider when acquiring e-books for the small academic library. This article lists some preparatory questions to be settled regarding format, vendor, and type of acquisition, and describes the main purchase models currently being used to acquire e-books. Cataloging issues are also discussed
Supporting Research in Area Studies: a guide for academic libraries
The study of other countries or regions of the world often crosses traditional disciplinary boundaries in the humanities and social sciences. Supporting Research in Area Studies is a comprehensive guide for academic libraries supporting these communities of researchers. This book explores the specialist requirements of these researchers in information resources, resource discovery tools, and information skills, and the challenges of working with materials in multiple languages. It makes the case that by adapting their systems and procedures to meet these needs, academic libraries find themselves better placed to support their institution's�� international agenda more widely. The first four chapters cover the academic landscape and its history, area studies librarianship and acquisitions. Subsequent chapters discuss collections management, digital products, and the digital humanities, and their role in academic projects. The final chapter explores information skills and the various disciplinary skills that facilitate the needs of researchers during their careers
Merge Everything It Makes Sense to Merge: The History and Philosophy of the Merged Reference Collection at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library in San Jose, California
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library in San Jose, California is a unique dual-use library serving the students of San Jose State University and the community of San Jose, California. The reference collections of the two libraries are merged and interfiled to promote ease of access for both populations served. Economies of scale were realized through collaborative collection development activities for major reference purchases between the two institutions. This article describes the planning and creation of the King Library\u27s merged reference collection and reviews the literature of collaborative collection development and merged or interfiled collections
The New Technology and Competencies for "The Most Typical of the Activities of Libraries": Technical Services
At a library conference in 1940, William M. Randall called technical
services the "most typical of the activities of libraries" "they are..." he
said, "the things which librarians do that no one else does the secrets of
the craft."
1 In those intervening forty-three years much has been written
and uttered in defense and derision of these "secrets of the craft." These
most typical of library activities have changed the name Randall used,
technical processes, to technical services. They have moved from being
sneeringly derided as "backroom," "basement" or other dreary location
activities to being enthusiastically hailed today as "where the action is."
They are, fortunately, no longer the "secrets" that they were in Randall's
day. They have been moved into, moved around within and even moved
out of the organizational charts. Regardless of all these attitudes and
activities, the functions of acquiring, organizing and preserving library
materials persist and the competencies necessary to carry out these three
functions will be the focus of this paper. In the paper, reference will
frequently be made to the "technical services librarian" meaning any
librarian who works in that aspect of librarianship. The emphasis is on no
particular type of library. The term library will be used as meaning also
information center.published or submitted for publicatio
TERMS: Techniques for electronic resources management
Librarians and information specialists have been finding ways to manage electronic resources for over a decade now. However, much of this work has been an ad hoc and learn-as-you-go process. The literature on electronic resource management shows this work as being segmented into many different areas of traditional librarian roles within the library. In addition, the literature show how management of these resources has driven the development of various management tools in the market as well as serve as the greatest need in the development of next generation library systems. TERMS is an attempt to create a series of on-going and continually developing set of management best practices for electronic resource management in libraries
Reports Of Conferences, Institutes, And Seminars
This quarter\u27s column offers coverage of multiple sessions from the 2016 Electronic Resources & Libraries (ER&L) Conference, held April 3–6, 2016, in Austin, Texas. Topics in serials acquisitions dominate the column, including reports on altmetrics, cost per use, demand-driven acquisitions, and scholarly communications and the use of subscriptions agents; ERMS, access, and knowledgebases are also featured
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