Difficult library patrons in academe: it's all in the eye of the beholder

C. Lyn Currie, BA. Grad Dip Lib. MA., is Head, Education Library, University of Saskatchewan, 28 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 0X1, Canada, E-mail: [email protected] patrons have been considered primarily from the perspective of the problem behaviours they present in libraries. Many have attempted to define the problem patron and to provide advice and develop guidelines for frontline public service staff. To understand the difficult patron in academic libraries we need to answer three questions - How well do we know our patrons? Do we unwittingly create difficult patrons through our failure to appreciate their needs? Do we regard patrons as difficult because the way they use libraries and conduct their information research does not match our idea of how it should be done? The answers to these questions suggest that we need to reconceptualize both our patrons and the services we provide. Library staff need to see difficult patrons not as problems but as challenges to the service ideas and standards we hold. A paradigm shift is necessary if we are to reconstruct our beliefs about our patrons, their information seeking behaviours and the services we provide to meet their needs. Some strategies for developing the skills of library staff to work effectively with difficult patrons are presented

Facilitating adult learning: the role of the academic librarian

C. Lyn Currie, BA. Grad Dip Lib. MA., is Head, Education Library, University of Saskatchewan, 28 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 0X1, Canada, E-mail: [email protected] paper considers the instructional role of the academic librarian and examines the contribution adult learning theory makes to the practice of teaching information literacy skills. It explores those principles of effective practice in facilitating adult learning which apply to the teaching-learning transactions in the library. It describes the aim of facilitation as one of encouraging self directed, empowered adults and confirms the role of the academic librarian in facilitating the development of critical thinking, creative problem-solving and informed decision making in adult learners. It also examines the concept of information literacy and how this contributes to adult lifelong learning

Transforming the academic library: creating an organizational culture that fosters staff success [article]

Culture plays a critical role in creating a work environment where employees are committed and contribute to the success of the organization. A research study assessed organizational culture in an academic library to identify current and preferred organizational cultures. Specific actions to implement culture change, achieve organizational transformation, and facilitate a positive, creative and rewarding working environment are proposed

Assessing organizational culture: moving towards organizational change and renewal [article]

Published in Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical Assessment: Proceedings of the 2006 ARL Library Assessment Conference, Charlottesville, Virgini

International genome-wide meta-analysis identifies new primary biliary cirrhosis risk loci and targetable pathogenic pathways.

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a classical autoimmune liver disease for which effective immunomodulatory therapy is lacking. Here we perform meta-analyses of discovery data sets from genome-wide association studies of European subjects (n=2,764 cases and 10,475 controls) followed by validation genotyping in an independent cohort (n=3,716 cases and 4,261 controls). We discover and validate six previously unknown risk loci for PBC (Pcombined<5 × 10(-8)) and used pathway analysis to identify JAK-STAT/IL12/IL27 signalling and cytokine-cytokine pathways, for which relevant therapies exist

Transforming the academic library: creating an organizational culture that fosters staff success [presentation]

CACUL peer reviewed research paper presented at the CLA annual conference, St. John's Newfoundland, May 26, 200

Taking care of ergonomics: one library's experience

Paper presented at the CLA/CACUL session: Ergonomics or else. Victoria, CLA Annual Conference, June 199