Forces for change in higher education and implications for the accounting academy

In order to assess the use and usability of a new discovery tool, staff at the University of Kansas Libraries conducted usability tests with 27 users and analyzed three semesters of the tool's usage as measured by custom event tracking implemented in Google Analytics and usage statistics drawn from the discovery tool and server logs. An initial study with sixteen users was conducted prior to launching the new tool, and a subsequent study with eleven users was conducted a semester after the launch. This article describes test participants’ success using the new tool to complete basic library research tasks, details the specific features they used in their attempts (e.g., facets, “did you mean” suggestions), and identifies areas where changes were made to address problems identified in the studies, including changes outside the tool itself. In addition, comparisons between feature use in the discovery system as observed in usability testing and feature use as measured by event tracking and log analysis are ...

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Use and Usability of a Discovery Tool in an Academic Library

The main goal of this article is to describe the purpose and content of a new branch of bibliometrics: ALMetrics (Author-
Level Metrics). ALMetrics is focused on the quantitative analysis of an author’s performance by measuring the dimensions
of their intellectual activity as shown through varied metric indicators. This article will list, define, and classify the different metrics that are offered in newer information portals that showcase the scientific activity of authors. These metrics are
grouped into five sets: bibliometrics (publication and citation), usage, participation, rating, social connectivity, and composite
indicators. This new bibliometric specialty is necessary because of new trends in scientific assessment, which have
moved analysis away from old bibliometrics (based on journal analysis and Impact Factor) towards new bibliometrics that
analyze both documents and authors via a mix of indicators. Most importantly, ALMetrics responds to the researchers’ desire
for both knowledge and acknowledgement.

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The next bibliometrics: ALMetrics (Author Level Metrics) and the multiple faces of author impact

Purpose – This paper aims to present academic librarians with a framework for teaching and assessing information literacy in response to advancements in online discovery. Advancements in online discovery require academic librarians to develop new means of teaching and assessing information literacy, with an emphasis on having students use critical thinking to evaluate sources. Design/methodology/approach – This conceptual paper analyzes how the threshold concept “format as a process” could be incorporated into information literacy instruction sessions which address Web-scale discovery services and other online search tools. General guidelines for applying this concept are included, along with potential classroom activities and assessments. Findings – Format as a process provides a valuable framework for evaluating information, though librarians need to be mindful of how they present the concept to students. Instruction must be focused on fostering critical thinking skills, rather than how to perform tasks...

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Teaching “format as a process” in an era of Web-scale discovery

The University of Houston Libraries implemented Primo as the primary search option on the library website in May 2014. In May 2015, the Libraries released a redesigned interface to improve user experience with the tool. The Libraries took a user-centered approach to redesigning the Primo interface by conducting a "think-aloud" usability test in order to gather user feedback and identify needed improvements. This article describes the methodology and findings from the usability study, the changes that were made to the Primo interface as a result, and implications for discovery system vendor relations and library instruction.

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Lessons Learned: A Primo Usability Study

Discovery tools offer users a powerful way of searching library holdings as well as external databases and indexes. They are becoming an increasingly common part of the library user experience, and research on the usability of such tools is expanding. In 2012, a mid-sized academic research library implemented Primo Discovery and Delivery by Ex Libris and conducted a diagnostic usability test to investigate how the tool is used without instruction, to discover patterns in searching behavior, and to uncover how compatible Primo is with user search behavior. This article will describe the design and implementation of the usability study. Despite some design flaws, users adapt to the tool over time and can perform effective searches. This article also provides recommendations for future usability studies in specific targeted areas where problems were detected.

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Kicking the Tires: A Usability Study of the Primo Discovery Tool

This article presents the results of a faculty survey conducted at the University of Vermont during academic year 2014–2015. The survey asked faculty about: familiarity with scholarly metrics, metric-seeking habits, help-seeking habits, and the role of metrics in their department’s tenure and promotion process. The survey also gathered faculty opinions on how well scholarly metrics reflect the importance of scholarly work and how faculty feel about administrators gathering institutional scholarly metric information. Results point to the necessity of understanding the campus landscape of faculty knowledge, opinion, importance, and use of scholarly metrics before engaging faculty in further discussions about quantifying the impact of their scholarly work.

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Scholarly Metrics Baseline: A Survey of Faculty Knowledge, Use, and Opinion about Scholarly Metrics

Discovery tools have been widely adopted by academic libraries, yet little information exists that connects common practices regarding discovery tool implementation, maintenance, assessment, and staffing with conventions for research and instruction. The authors surveyed heads of reference and instruction departments in research and land-grant university libraries. The survey results revealed common practices with discovery tools among academic libraries. This study also draws connections between operational, instructional, and assessment practices and perceptions that participants have of the success of their discovery tool. Participants who indicated successful implementation of their discovery tool hailed from institutions that made significant commitments to the operations, maintenance, and acceptance of their discovery tool. Participants who indicated an unsuccessful implementation, or who were unsure about the success of their implementation, did not make lasting commitments to the technical...

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What Does it Take to Make Discovery a Success?: A Survey of Discovery Tool Adoption, Instruction, and Evaluation Among Academic Libraries

The University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point deployed a pilot program to study the viability of supplying faculty with journal content via pay-per-view in lieu of journal subscriptions Librarians took advantage of a University of Wisconsin system pay-per-view plan with publishers Wiley and Elsevier Journal articles were requested and delivered using modified existing interlibrary loan (ILL) software Along with journal content, a survey was distributed to library users to measure their reaction to this manner of delivery Users' positive reactions to the service coupled with the savings to the library prompted the adoption of this access method for a significant number of serials titles

Pay-Per-View Article Delivery at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

Faculty and institutions are increasingly called upon to present succinct, quantified descriptions of their research impact to administrators, funders, legislators, and academics. This project sought to explore how and what researchers think about research impact measures across disciplines and institutions. Presenters will discuss findings from a multi-institutional survey of faculty (n=1202) addressing their familiarity with metrics and altmetrics and impression of the accuracy of these metrics. We discuss how researchers use such statistical measures to demonstrate the importance of their scholarship, and their attitudes towards use of scholarly metrics by administrators. We also address possible implications for librarians supporting these faculty members.

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Aaron Nichols

Papers

Kicking the Tires: A Usability Study of the Primo Discovery Tool

Scholarly Metrics Baseline: A Survey of Faculty Knowledge, Use, and Opinion about Scholarly Metrics

What Does it Take to Make Discovery a Success?: A Survey of Discovery Tool Adoption, Instruction, and Evaluation Among Academic Libraries

Pay-Per-View Article Delivery at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

How Faculty Demonstrate Impact: A Multi-Institutional Study of Faculty Understandings, Perceptions, and Strategies Regarding Impact Metrics