New Support for the Research Process: Desktop Delivery of Microform Content

While trying to access microform content, patrons at the Christopher Center for Library and Information Resources at Valparaiso University were often hampered by unfamiliar equipment, temperamental software, and a puzzling file management system. In an effort to address these problems, the Access Services Department launched a pilot program for the electronic delivery of microform content. It was decided to discontinue the self-service model and design a system in which patrons could request specific items from the microform collection which would then be retrieved and scanned by the staff and made available electronically through the interlibrary loan client. After describing the problems a typical user might encounter with the existing system, the author explains the solution piloted by the library, outlines the policies and procedures, reviews the outcomes, and finally draws attention to the considerable potential of such a service

New Support for the Research Process: Desktop Delivery of Microform Content

While trying to access microform content, patrons at the Christopher Center for Library and Information Resources at Valparaiso University were often hampered by unfamiliar equipment, temperamental software, and a puzzling file management system. In an effort to address these problems, the Access Services Department launched a pilot program for the electronic delivery of microform content. It was decided to discontinue the self-service model and design a system in which patrons could request specific items from the microform collection which would then be retrieved and scanned by the staff and made available electronically through the interlibrary loan client. After describing the problems a typical user might encounter with the existing system, the author explains the solution piloted by the library, outlines the policies and procedures, reviews the outcomes, and finally draws attention to the considerable potential of such a service

Focus group research in the academic library: An overview of the methodology

Through the use of focus groups, academic librarians can discover what students really think, feel, need, and want. Equipped with this knowledge, librarians will be better positioned to design and deliver effective programs, improve services, and shape the development of facilities to better meet the needs of current and future users. Concerned about the efficacy of various library programs and initiatives at Valparaiso University (Valparaiso, Indiana, USA), two public services librarians conducted a series of focus groups with undergraduate students to gain a better understanding of their perceptions of the library. This paper provides an overview of the focus group methodology employed in this study

Circulation Policies for External Users: A Comparative Study at Public Urban Research Institutions

This paper is a study of the policies that govern the use of the main university library by external users at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and twelve peer institutions used by IUPUI for comparative purposes. A search of each institution’s website was conducted as well as interviews with circulation librarians and managers. Although it was useful to learn of common practices developed by similar institutions, it was especially beneficial to learn about policies that differed substantially from those in place at comparable institutions. Creative solutions developed to address problems at other libraries can be used to influence policy development

Information Literacy or Inert Knowledge? Applying Key Principles of Cognitive Apprenticeship to the Library Instuction Session

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New Support for the Research Process: Desktop Delivery of Microform Content

While trying to access microform content, patrons at the Christopher Center for Library and Information Resources at Valparaiso University were often hampered by unfamiliar equipment, temperamental software, and a puzzling file management system. In an effort to address these problems, the Access Services Department launched a pilot program for the electronic delivery of microform content. It was decided to discontinue the self-service model and design a system in which patrons could request specific items from the microform collection which would then be retrieved and scanned by the staff and made available electronically through the interlibrary loan client. After describing the problems a typical user might encounter with the existing system, the author explains the solution piloted by the library, outlines the policies and procedures, reviews the outcomes, and finally draws attention to the considerable potential of such a service

Criticism is not a four-letter word: Best practices for constructive feedback in the peer review of teaching.

In recent years, peer review of teaching (PROT) has become an increasingly important tool for evaluating library instruction. Most PROT programs consist of three components: a pre-observation meeting, the observation of teaching, and a post-observation session. The post-observation feedback session can be especially challenging—for both the observer and the observed. Drawing upon literature addressing the peer review of teaching, the authors recommend a set of best practices for providing constructive criticism to fellow instruction librarians

Circulation policies for external users: A comparative study of public urban research institutions

This article is a study of the policies that govern the use of the university library by external users at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and 12 peer institutions used by IUPUI for comparative purposes. A search of each institution’s Web site was conducted as well as interviews with circulation librarians and managers. Although it was useful to learn of common practices, it was especially beneficial to learn about policies that differed substantially from those in place at comparable institutions. Creative solutions developed to address problems at other libraries can be used to influence policy development

Qualitative Content Analysis: A Reflection

Like many public services librarians, we spend much of our time focused on improving service quality. We think of excellent service quality as meeting or exceeding customer expectations consistently over time. One approach for fostering consistent service delivery for libraries is to implement standards like those found in a service philosophy statement. A service philosophy statement communicates directly to users what they can—and should—expect from library services. We decided to study service philosophy statements in a formal way using qualitative content analysis to learn how one might benefit our own public services units. This chapter addresses key questions we had about our research project: Where do we begin? What method or approach is most appropriate to answer our research question? How will we learn to use this method? This chapter describes the challenges we faced while simultaneously learning and applying the method of qualitative content analysis to our study of service philosophy statements

Library Instruction and Student Engagement in the Age of Google

A typical library instruction session generally includes demonstrations of how to use the library catalog, how to access information via library-provided electronic resources, and how to use the electronic journal list. Given limited time with a new group of students, many librarians would not opt to include instruction on how to effectively and efficiently use a search engine. The 2006 OCLC report College Students’ Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources indicates that “that 89 percent of college student information searches begin with a search engine." Librarians should also consider beginning their library instruction sessions at the place where their students would begin—with Google. Such an approach not only motivates students, but it also enables the instructor to build on the students’ prior knowledge and research experiences more quickly and efficiently. Lessons which begin by briefly evaluating a student's prior knowledge make good pedagogical sense. Students naturally feel more confident and eager to learn something new when it appears that the topic is familiar. Activating prior knowledge prepares the mind to integrate new knowledge and concepts. Using Google to help students connect new knowledge to old helps them build sequences of memories that associate library searching with their previously 'easy' and 'enjoyable' search engine experiences. Lessons which extend student understanding of a familiar concept help to create better student searchers. In this session the presenters will demonstrate a variety of ways in which instruction librarians can use search engines and related web search products to increase student engagement