Subject No-hits Searches in an Academic Library Online Catalog: An Exploration of Two Potential Ameliorations

Describes a study that explored ways in which users subject searching problems in a local online catalogue might be reduced. On a weekly basis, the author reviewed catalogue transaction logs to identify topics of subject searches retrieving no records for which appropriate information resources may actually be represented in the catalog. For topics thus identified, the author explored two potential ameliorations of the no-hits search results through the use of authority record cross-references and pathfinder records providing brief instructions on search refinement. Describes the study findings, discusses possible concerns regarding the amelioration methods used, outlines additional steps needed to determine whether the potential ameliorations make a difference to users searching experiences, and suggests related areas for further research. (Original abstract

A multiple case study exploration of undergraduate subject searching: preliminary report

A common goal of undergraduate degree programs is to foster students’ critical and creative thinking skills within a liberal education framework, the desired result being graduates who habitually make positive contributions to society through sound independent thought and action. Academic libraries advance this endeavour through instruction, programs, services, resources, and research tools that promote the development of information literacy competencies (Association of College and Research Libraries, 2000) underpinning the ability to think critically. A multiple case study was undertaken to probe one such information literacy competency – the ability to access “needed information effectively and efficiently” – by examining undergraduates’ processes of subject searching for information in order to understand better the factors associated with successful subject searching.Ye

A multiple case study exploration of undergraduate subject searching

Subject searching—seeking information with a subject or topic in mind—is often involved in carrying out undergraduate assignments such as term papers and research reports. It is also an important component of information literacy—the abilities and experiences of effectively finding and evaluating, and appropriately using, needed information—which universities hope to cultivate in undergraduates by the time they complete their degree programs. By exploring the subject searching of a small group of upper-level, academically successful undergraduates over a school year I sought to acquire a deeper understanding of the contexts and characteristics of their subject searching, and of the extent to which it was similar in quality to that of search and domain experts. Primary data sources for this study comprised subject searching diaries maintained by participants, and three online subject searches they demonstrated at the beginning, middle, and end of the study during which they talked aloud while I observed, followed by focused interviews. To explore the quality of study participants’ subject searching I looked for indications of advanced thinking in thoughts they spoke aloud during demonstration sessions relating to using strategy, evaluating, and creating personal understanding, which represent three of the most challenging and complex aspects of information literacy. Applying a layered interpretive process, I identified themes within several hundred instances of participants’ advanced thinking relating to these three information literacy elements, with evaluative themes occurring most often. I also noted three factors influencing the extent of similarity iii between the quality of participants’ advanced thinking and that of search and domain experts which reflected matters that tended to be i) pragmatic or principled, , ii) technical or conceptual, and iii) externally or internally focused. Filtered through these factors, participants’ instances of advanced thinking brought to mind three levels of subject searching abilities: the competent student, the search expert, and the domain expert. Although relatively few in number, I identified at least some advanced thinking evincing domain expert qualities in voiced thoughts of all but one participant, suggesting the gap between higher order thinking abilities of upper-level undergraduates and information literate individuals is not always dauntingly large.Ye

Library online catalog: an exploration of two potential ameliorations

This paper describes a study that explored ways in which users’ subject-searching problems in a local online catalog might be reduced. On a weekly basis, the author reviewed catalog transaction logs to identify topics of subject searches retrieving no records for which appropriate information resources may actually be represented in the catalog. For topics thus identified, the author explored two potential ameliorations of the no-hits search results through the use of authority record cross-references and "pathfinder” records providing brief instructions on search refinement. This paper describes the study findings, discusses possible concerns regard­ing the amelioration methods used, outlines additional steps needed to determine whether the potential ameliorations make a difference to users’ searching experiences, and suggests related areas for further research.Ye

An evidence-informed picture of course-related copyright

Open access journal; published under a CC-BY-NC LicenseRecent changes in Canadian copyright law have prompted Canada’s educational institutions to reexamine their need for a blanket copying license. Users’ rights under the amended Copyright Act now include fair dealing for purposes of education, and the Supreme Court has established that copying short excerpts for classroom use can qualify as fair dealing. This study looks at one university’s examination of copied course materials made available via library reserve, coursepacks and its learning management system, and likely sources for copyright permissions, when needed. Results suggest that fair dealing is the most important and the institution’s blanket license is the least important basis for permissions clearance over a semester’s worth of copying.Ye

Recalibrating some copyright conceptions: toward a shared and balanced approach to educational copying

Sherpa Romeo green journalMost of Canada’s publicly-funded educational institutions have operated since the 1990s under blanket reprographic licences. But recent Copyright Act amendments and Supreme Court decisions in several copyright cases have added legislative and judicial weight to the idea that copyright encompasses both private owners’ rights and public users’ rights in the form of infringement exceptions such as fair dealing. Many educational institutions have responded to these changes by moving toward greater reliance on statutory users’ rights and direct licensing with copyright owners, and by moving away from blanket collective licensing. Not unexpectedly, copyright owners and the societies and collectives that represent them see the changes in copyright law in a different light. Copyright owners’ and educators’ variant conceptions of the kinds of educational copying that are compensable pose a challenging policy problem in need of a principled solution that upholds the legislative underpinnings of copyright law and is perceived to be fair. This article attempts to frame a balanced understanding of underlying issues by considering the nature and purpose of copyright, the purpose of copyright collectives, what is meant by fair dealing, and, ultimately, how we should think about copyright. It suggests that meaningful change may not be achievable without concerted attention paid to the language we use to think and talk about copyright in order to construct a combat-free shared space in which learning, inquiry, and the production of creative works are fostered and, when appropriate, rewarded fairly

Copyright practices and approaches at Canadian universities: a preliminary update

Open access articleMuch has changed in the copyright sphere since a 2008 survey found that Canadian universities delegated responsibility for copyright in widely variant ways, and that frustration regarding a lack of guidance on how to interpret aspects of copyright legislation was common. A study is underway to update the 2008 survey

50 shades of access: equalizing student access to media for coursework

Open access. Creative Commons License (CC BY) appliesContribution to a roundtable on Strategies and Struggles in On-line Teaching During the Pandemic held on June 1, 2021 as part of the Film Studies Association of Canada-Association Canadienne d’Études Cinématographiques (FSAC-ACÉC) Annual Conference. Following on FSAC’s recent Statement on Copyright and Online Screenings, this contribution identifies practical, legal and philosophical challenges involving appropriate access to media required for film studies courses that affect both instructors and students alike. It also proposes two avenues for remediating access problems: pursuing reforms for unnecessarily restrictive aspects of Canada’s copyright law and developing guidelines for good practices that facilitate appropriate access to film studies content