Are print books dead? An investigation of book circulation at a mid-sized academic library

I analyzed circulation of print books at Seton Hall University Libraries using the WorldCat Analysis tool and Voyager data. Only 21.5% of our collection circulated between 2005 and 2009, but circulation varied by subject area. Circulation was higher for subjects with more current collections. Over one-third of recent science books circulated, while older science books had low circulation. Print book circulation declined by 23% between 2005 and 2009. Results of this study informed collection development and prompted a comprehensive weeding project, participation in an international scholarly reading study, and an e-book, patron-driven acquisition program

The high cost of science journals: a case study and discussion

Like many libraries, Seton Hall University Libraries has suffered budget cuts that forced a reduction in serial subscriptions. As science librarian, I report on my efforts to streamline subscriptions and to address the question “Why are science journals so expensive?” Our science journals are significantly more expensive than journals in other areas. Our commercially published science journals are 25% more expensive than those from non-profit publishers, although the difference is not statistically significant. I discuss the reasons for the high cost of science journals, which involve a complex interaction between supply and demand and academic culture

Ecology, Information Literacy and Bernard Lonergan: A Librarian Immersed.

In spring 2013 a group of faculty and administrators completed a series of workshops exploring Bernard Lonergan\u27s General Empirical Method (GEM) and ways to apply it to our teaching. GEM invites students to learn how to think for themselves and discover themselves as learners. There are three initial steps - experiencing, understanding, and judging - which can readily be applied to searching, discovering and evaluating information resources. I report on my collaboration with a Biology professor teaching Ecology and Stewardship, where we jointly incorporated elements of GEM, information literacy and the research process and developed rubrics for assessing student work

Winning letter: ACS Charleston Conference Scholarship

The set topic for this letter is: The University Librarian is a musicologist and wants to cut science budgets to allow for more humanities resources

Reflections on Fake News, Librarians, and Undergraduate Research

The recent explosion of “fake news” highlights the need for academic libraries to provide access to reliable information resources and for librarians to instruct students in using them effectively. Providing reliable resources with minimal barriers to access involves cooperation among librarians, publishers, and vendors; however, I suggest that there is tension between our mutual desires to satisfy student demands for instant and perfect results and to encourage them to become persistent and critical information seekers. Many tools exist to assist students in gaining background information and limiting search results, but ultimately none replace the need to develop and explore questions and to evaluate information sources. In this paper I reflect on the difficulties of persuading students to persist in using library resources and the use of Bernard Lonergan’s generalized empirical method as a framework for critical thinking and information literacy

Reflections on Fake News, Librarians and Undergraduate Research

The recent explosion of “fake news” highlights the need for academic libraries to provide access to reliable information resources and for librarians to instruct students in using them effectively. Providing reliable resources with minimal barriers to access involves cooperation between librarians, publishers and vendors. However, I suggest that there is tension between our mutual desire to satisfy student demands for instant and perfect results and encouraging them to become persistent and critical information seekers. Many tools exist to assist students in gaining background information and limiting search results, but ultimately none replace the need to develop and explore questions and to evaluate information sources. In this paper I reflect on the difficulties of persuading students to persist in using library resources and the use of Bernard Lonergan’s Generalized Empirical Method as a framework for critical thinking and information literacy

Reflections on Fake News, Librarians and Undergraduate Research

The recent explosion of “fake news” highlights the need for academic libraries to provide access to reliable information resources and for librarians to instruct students in using them effectively. Providing reliable resources with minimal barriers to access involves cooperation between librarians, publishers and vendors. However, I suggest that there is tension between our mutual desire to satisfy student demands for instant and perfect results and encouraging them to become persistent and critical information seekers. Many tools exist to assist students in gaining background information and limiting search results, but ultimately none replace the need to develop and explore questions and to evaluate information sources. In this paper I reflect on the difficulties of persuading students to persist in using library resources and the use of Bernard Lonergan’s Generalized Empirical Method as a framework for critical thinking and information literacy

Gamifying a First Year Biology Lab Library Session

Three years of work with a Biology lab course suggests that an embedded librarian has a positive impact on some student research skills. However, student feedback indicated that students want more interactive library sessions. The science librarian worked with an instructional designer to introduce elements of “gamification” into a library presentation and other library materials. In fall 2016 the science librarian integrated Top Hat, a teaching platform designed to help professors engage students, into library sessions for 16 biology labs. She also introduced Bernard Lonergan\u27s Generalized Empirical Method (GEM) as a research framework. In this session we report on the instructional design, the hands-on experience, and discuss the results