Showing papers in "Information Technology and Libraries in 2017"
TL;DR: The authors find that user success in subject searching remains problematic and suggest that metasearching, relevance-ranked results, and relevance feedback are now expected in user searching and should be integrated into online catalogs as search options.
Abstract: This paper analyzes the results of transaction logs at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA) and studies the effects of implementing a Web-based OPAC along with interface changes. The authors find that user success in subject searching remains problematic. A major increase in the frequency of searches that would have been more successful in resources other than the library catalog is noted over the time period 2000-2002. The authors attribute this increase to the prevalence of Web search engines and suggest that metasearching, relevance-ranked results, and relevance feedback ( "more like this") are now expected in user searching and should be integrated into online catalogs as search options.
79 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated whether students' computer attitudes predict levels of library anxiety and found that the new technologies in the library have led to them experiencing other forms of negative affective states that may be, in part, a function of their attitude towards computers.
Abstract: Over the past two decades, computer-based technologies have become dominant forces to shape and reshape the products and services the academic library has to offer. The applicationo of library technologies has had a profound impact on the way library resources are being used. Although many students continue to experience high levels of library anxiety, it is likely that the new technologies in the library have led to them experiencing other forms of negative affective states that may be, in part, a function of their attitude towards computers. This study investigates whether students' computer attitudes predict levels of library anxiety.
61 citations
TL;DR: Opening the Internet to common usage literally opened the flood gates of what has come to be known as the information superhighway, and there is virtually no subject that cannot be found on the Internet in one form or another.
Abstract: As a source of serious subject-oriented information, the Internet has been a powerful feature in the information arena since its inception in the last quarter of the twenti eth century. It was, however, initially restricted to gov ernment contractors or major research universities operating under the aegis of the Advanced Research Projects Network (ARPANET) .( 1) In the 1990s, the content and use of the Internet was expanded to includemundane subjects covered in business, industry, education , government, entertainment, and a host of otherareas. It has become a magnanimous network of networks the measurement of whose size, impact , and content often elude serious scholarly effort.(2) Opening the Internet to common usage literally opened the flood gates of what has come to be known as the information superhighway. Currently, there is virtually no subject that cannot be found on the Internet in one form or another.
36 citations
TL;DR: This paper summarized research concerning Google Scholar, Google Books, and Microsoft Academic from the past three years with a mind to informing practice and setting a research agenda, and selected literature from earlier time periods is included to illuminate key findings and to help shape the proposed research agenda.
Abstract: Academic web search engines have become central to scholarly research. While the fitness of Google Scholar for research purposes has been examined repeatedly, Microsoft Academic and Google Books have not received much attention. Recent studies have much to tell us about the coverage and utility of Google Scholar, its coverage of the sciences, and its utility for evaluating researcher impact. But other aspects have been woefully understudied, such as coverage of the arts and humanities, books, and non-Western, non-English publications. User research has also tapered off. A small number of articles hint at the opportunity for librarians to become expert advisors concerning opportunities of scholarly communication made possible or enhanced by these platforms. This article seeks to summarize research concerning Google Scholar, Google Books, and Microsoft Academic from the past three years with a mind to informing practice and setting a research agenda. Selected literature from earlier time periods is included to illuminate key findings and to help shape the proposed research agenda, especially in understudied areas.
34 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report on the success of a pilot program in course-integration i fformation literacy instruction in the field of medieval studies, and provide a model for the ways in which information literacy instruction can be effectively integrated into the academic curriculum, and for how a successful pilot program can both lead the way for further development of the general instructional program in an academic library, and serve as a springboard for future collaborative projects between classroom faculty and academic librarians.
Abstract: The question of how best to incorporate information literacy instruction into the academic curriculum has long been a leading concern of academic librarians. In recent years, this issue has grown beyond the boundaries of professional ibrarianship and has become a general concern regularly addresssed by classroom faculty, educa tional administrators, and even regional accrediting organizations and state legislatures. This essay reports on the success of a pilot program in course-integration i nformation literacy instruction in the field of medieval studies. The author's experience with the "Engelond" project provides a model for the ways in which information literacy instruction can be effectively integrated into the academic curriculum, and for the ways in which a successful pilot program can both lead the way for further development of the general instructional program in an academic library, and serve as a springboard for future collaborative projects between classroom faculty and academic librarians.
29 citations
TL;DR: It is revealed that readers tend to pull books out of the bookshelf layers that are easily reachable by human eyes and hands, and this article opens some issues for librarians to reconsider the management of library collections.
Abstract: This article is an attempt to develop Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techology into an analytical tool for examining the relationships between the height of the bookshelves and the behavior of library readers in utilizing books within a library. The tool would contain a database to store book-use information and some GIS maps to represent bookshelves. Upon analyzing the data stored in the database, different frequencies of book use across bookshelf layers are displayed on the maps. The tool would provide a wonderful means of visualization through which analysts can quickly realize the spatial distribution of books used in a library. This article reveals that readers tend to pull books out of the bookshelf layers that are easily reachable by human eyes and hands, and thus opens some issues for librarians to reconsider the management of library collections.
25 citations
TL;DR: This article was originally published in Information Technology and Libraries 36, no. 2 (2017): 48-58 and is reprinted here with permission.
Abstract: This article was originally published in Information Technology and Libraries 36, no. 2 (2017): 48-58. https://doi.org/10.6017/ital.v36i2.9817.
20 citations
TL;DR: The results serve to emphasize not only the necessity of broader awareness of this problem, but also to stimulate action on the preservation front.
Abstract: This study examine s ETDs deposited during the period 2011-2015 in an institutional repository, to determine the degree to which the documents suffer from reference rot, that is, linkrot plus content drift. The authors converted and examined 664 doctoral dissertations in total, extracting 11,437 links, finding overall that 77% of links were active, and 23% exhibited linkrot. A stratified random sample of 49 ETDs was performed which produced 990 active links, which were then checked for content drift based on mementos found in the Wayback Machine. Mementos were found for 77% of links, and approximately half of these, 492 of 990, exhibited content drift. The results serve to emphasize not only the necessity of broader awareness of this problem, but also to stimulate action on the preservation front.
17 citations
TL;DR: After more than a year of development in information infrastructure, a CALIS resource-sharing network is gradually taking shape.
Abstract: Since its inception in 1998, China Academic Library and Information System (CALIS) has become the most important academic library consortium in China. CALIS is centrally funded and organized in a tiered structure. It currently consists of thirteen management or information centers and seventy member libraries' 700,000 students. After more than a year of development in information infrastructure, a CALIS resource-sharing network is gradually taking shape.
17 citations
TL;DR: The authors propose a framework that combines elements of information architecture with approaches to incremental system design and implementation, which allows for the development of a Web site that is responsive to changing user needs, while recognizing the need for libraries to adopt a cost-effective approach to implementation and maintenance.
Abstract: Users' needs and expectations regarding access to information have fundamentally changed, creating a disconnect between how users expect to use a library Web site and how the site was designed. At the same time, library technical infrastructures include legacy systems that were not designedf or the Web environment. The authors propose a framework that combines elements of information architecture with approaches to incremental system design and implementation. The framework allows for the development of a Web site that is responsive to changing user needs, while recognizing the need for libraries to adopt a cost-effective approach to implementation and maintenance.
16 citations
TL;DR: Interlibrary cooperation in Italy is a fairly recent and not very widespread practice, where various initiatives are aimed at setting up consortia to purchase licenses and run digital products.
Abstract: Interlibrary cooperation in Italy is a fairly recent and not very widespread practice. Attention to the topic was aroused in the eighties with the Italian library network project. More recently, under the impetus toward technological innovation, there has been renewed (and more pragmatic) interest in cooperation in all library sectors. Sharing electronic resources is the theme of greatest interest today in university libraries, where various initiatives are aimed at setting up consortia to purchase licenses and run digital products. A number of projects in hand are described, and emerging trends analyzed.
TL;DR: A usability study of the University of Southern Mississippi Libraries' website conducted in early 2016 as discussed by the authors found that library employees and graduate students completed the study's tasks most successfully, whereas undergraduate students performed fairly simple searches and relied on the Libraries discovery tool, Primo.
Abstract: This article describes a usability study of the University of Southern Mississippi Libraries’ website conducted in early 2016. The study involved six participants from each of four key user groups – undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and library employees – and consisted of six typical library search tasks such as finding a book and an article on a topic, locating a journal by title, and looking up hours of operation. Library employees and graduate students completed the study’s tasks most successfully, whereas undergraduate students performed fairly simple searches and relied on the Libraries’ discovery tool, Primo. The study’s results identified several problematic features that impacted each user group, including library employees. This increased internal buy-in for usability-related changes in a later website redesign.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe the process by which different regions in Spain have organized university library consortia, and describe the different types of libraries and the types of associations that have been created.
Abstract: New political, economic, and technological developments, as well as the growth of information markets, in Spain have created a foundation for the creation of library consortia. The author describes the process by which different regions in Spain have organized university library consortia.
TL;DR: Little has been done, however, on the application of this cutting edge technology in the library environment using library data.
Abstract: Data warehousing technology has been defined by John Ladley as "a set of methods, techniques, and tools that are leveraged together and used to produce a vehicle that delivers data to end users on an integrated platform." ( 1) This concept h s been applied increasingly by industries worldwide to develop data warehouses for decision support and knowledge discovery. In the academic sector, several universities have developed data warehouses containing the universities' financial, payroll, personnel, budget, and student data. ( 2) These data warehouses across all industries and academia have met with varying degrees of success. Data warehousing technology and its related issues have been widely discussed and published. ( 3) Little has been done, however, on the application of this cutting edge technology in the library environment using library data.
TL;DR: This research article investigated and reported different approaches to bibliographic classification of digital collections, two evaluation frameworks that evaluate different classification schemes and elaborate different approaches that exist in theory, in manual practice and automatically in digital environments.
Abstract: Bibliographic classification is among the core activities of Library & Information Science that brings order and proper management to the holdings of a library. Compared to printed media, digital collections present numerous challenges regarding their preservation, curation, organization and their resource discovery and access. In this regard true native perspective is needed to be adopted for bibliographic classification in digital environments. In this research article, we have investigated and reported different approaches to bibliographic classification of digital collections. The article also contributes two evaluation frameworks that evaluate different classification schemes and elaborate different approaches that exist in theory, in manual practice and automatically in digital environments. The article presents a bird-eye-view for researchers in reaching a generalized and holistic approach towards bibliographic classification research, where new research avenues have been identified.
TL;DR: The objectives, management, and implementation stages of the project are detailed, as submitted to the Research Support Foundation of the State of Sao Paulo (FAPESP) and the project will facilitate information access and minimize acquisition costs of international scientific periodicals.
Abstract: Making information available for the acquisition and transmission of human knowledg e is the focal point of this paper , which describes the cr e ation of a consortium for the univer sity and research institute libraries in the stat e of Sao Paulo, Bra z il. Through sharing and coop e ration , the project will facilitat e information access and minimize acquisition costs of international scientific periodicals, consequently incr e asing user satisfac tion. To underscore the advantages of this procedure, the objectives, management, and implementation stages of the project are detailed , as submitted to the Research Support Foundation of th e State of Sao Paulo (FAPESP) .
TL;DR: Google Appointment Calendar, part of Google Apps for Education, makes it easier than ever for students to book a consultation with a librarian, while at the same time allowing the librarian to better control their schedule.
Abstract: The increasing complexity of the information ecosystem means that research consultations are increasingly important to meeting library users' needs. Yet librarians struggle to balance escalating demands on their time. How can we embrace this expanded role and maintain accessibility to users while balancing competing demands on our time? One tool that allows us to better navigate this shifting landscape is Google Appointment Calendar, part of Google Apps for Education. It makes it easier than ever for students to book a consultation with a librarian, while at the same time allowing the librarian to better control their schedule. Our research suggests that both students and librarians felt it was a useful, efficient system.
TL;DR: This article examines the development of site licensing within the United Kingdom higher education community and the issues they faced, which included off-site access, definition of a site and perhaps mostimportantly, the unbundling of print and electronic journals.
Abstract: This article examines the development of site licensing within the United Kingdom higher education community. In particular, it looks at haw the pressure to make better use of dwindling fiscal resources led to the conclusion that information technology and its exploitation was necessary in order to create an effective library service. These conclusions, reached in the Follett Report of 1993, led to the establishment of a Pilot Site License Initiative and then a National Electronic Site License Initiative. The focus of this article is these initiatives and the issues they faced, which included off-site access, definition of a site and perhaps mostimportantly, the unbundling of print and electronic journals.
TL;DR: Librarians at Samford University Library developed a process for streamlining updates using Server-Side Include (SST) commands, which created text files on the library server that corresponded to each of 143 online resources.
Abstract: Frustrated by the time-consuming process of updating subject Web pages, librarians at Samford University Library (SUL) developed a process for streamlining updates using Server-Side Include (SST) commands. They created text files on the library server that corresponded to each of 143 online resources. Include commands within the HTML document for each subject page refer to these text files, which are pulled into the page as it loads on the user's browser. For the user, the process is seamless. For librarians, time spent in updating Web pages is greatly reduced; changes to text files on the server result in simultaneous changes to the edited resources across the library's Web site. For small libraries with limited online resources, this process may provide an elegant solution to an ongoing problem.
TL;DR: Two locally created databases are made available to the world via the Web using an inexpensive but highly functional search engine created in-house.
Abstract: Two locally created databases are made available to the world via the Web using an inexpensive but highly functional search engine created in-house. The technology consists of a microcomputer running UNIX to serve relational databases. CGI forms created using the programming language Perl offer flexible interface designs for database users and database maintainers.
TL;DR: This exploratory study examined the use of the Oregon State University Libraries website via mobile devices by advanced researchers at an off-campus branch location to address knowledge gaps around library resources and research tools and to generate more ways to study advanced researchers’ use of library services through mobile devices.
Abstract: This exploratory study examined the use of the Oregon State University Libraries website via mobile devices by advanced researchers at an off-campus branch location. Branch campus–affiliated faculty, staff, and graduate students were invited to participate in a survey to determine what their research behaviors are via mobile devices, including frequency of their mobile library website use and the tasks they were attempting to complete. Findings showed that while these advanced researchers do periodically use the library website via mobile devices, mobile devices are not the primary mode of searching for articles and books or for reading scholarly sources. Mobile devices are most frequently used for viewing the library website when these advanced researchers are at home or in transit. Results of this survey will be used to address knowledge gaps around library resources and research tools and to generate more ways to study advanced researchers’ use of library services via mobile devices.
TL;DR: This primer describes TVWS technology as a viable, long-term access solution for the benefit of public libraries and their communities, especially for underserved populations.
Abstract: TV Whitespace (TVWS) represents one new wireless communication technology that has the potential to improve internet access and inclusion. This primer describes TVWS technology as a viable, long-term access solution for the benefit of public libraries and their communities, especially for underserved populations. Discussion focuses first on providing a brief overview of the digital divide and the emerging role of public libraries as internet access providers. Next, a basic description of TVWS and its features is provided, focusing on key aspects of the technology relevant to libraries as community anchor institutions. Several TVWS implementations are described with discussion of TVWS implementations in several public libraries. Finally, consideration is given to first steps that library organizations must take when contemplating new TVWS implementations supportive of Wi-Fi applications and crisis response planning.
TL;DR: When a practitioner from one discipline can interact and engage with others from across the STEAM spectrum, the world becomes a richer place – and maybe, just maybe, the authors can fan the flames of curiosity along the way.
Abstract: By actively seeking out opportunities to bring art into traditionally STEM-focused activity, and vice-versa, we are deliberately increasing the diversity of the environment. Makerspace services and activities, to the extent they are open and visibly accessible to all, are a natural for the spontaneous development of trans-disciplinary collaboration. Within the spaces of the library, opportunities to connect individuals around shared avocational interest might range from music and spontaneous performance areas to spaces salted with LEGO bricks and jigsaw puzzles; the potential connections between our resources and the members of our communities are as diverse as their interests. Indeed, when a practitioner from one discipline can interact and engage with others from across the STEAM spectrum, the world becomes a richer place – and maybe, just maybe, we can fan the flames of curiosity along the way.
TL;DR: The article presents the Idaho Geospatial Data Center (IGDC), a digital library of public-domain geographic data for the state of Idaho, and presents methodology and tools used to build IGDC with the focus on a geolibrary map browser.
Abstract: The article presents the Idaho Geospatial Data Center (IGDC), a digital library of public-domain geographic data for the state of Idaho. The design and implementation of IGDC are introduced as part of the larger context of a geolibrary model. The article presents methodology and tools used to build IGDC with the focus on a geolibrary map browser. The use of IGDC is evaluated from the perspective of accessa and demand for geographic data. Finally, the article offers recommendations for future development of geospatial data centers.
TL;DR: In th e e valuation of consortia and what constitutes these e ntiti es th e discussion runs th e g amut, the concept, goal s, and priorities put forward by a broad-based contin ge ncy of librarians are coalesced.
Abstract: In th e e valuation of consortia and what constitutes these e ntiti es th e discussion runs th e g amut. From small , loos e ly kn i t g roups who are int e r es t e d in cooperation for th e s ak e o f impro v ing se r v i c e s to la rg e membership dri ve n org a ni z ations addr ess in g multiple intere s t s , all r ecog ni ze th e b e nefit s of partn e r s hip s. Th e F e d e rated States of Micr o n es ia ar e located in th e w es t e rn Pacific Ocean and c ov e r 3 . 2 million square mil es. Throughout this scatt e rin g o f small islands exists an e nthusiastic library community of s taff and users that hav e c han ge d the outlook of librari e s since 1991. Mot i vat e d by the collaborat v i e e f o rt s of this group , a pr o j ec t ha s unfold e d o v er th e past y e ar that will furth e r e nhan ce library ser v ices throu g h staff training and educ a ti o n whil e utilizin g inno v ativ e technology. In asse ss in g th e library needs of th e r eg ion thi s g roup crafted th e do c um e nt " The Federated Stat e s of Micronesia Library S e rvic e s Plan, 1999-2003," whi c h coalesces the concept s, goal s, and priorities put forward by a broad-based contin ge ncy of librarians . The compilation of the plan and it s impl e m e ntation demonstrat e an understanding of th e i s su es and ex hibit the ing e nuity , cr e ati v ity , and willin g n e s s to s ol v e probl e m s on a g rand scal e addre s sin g th e n eed s of all libraries in this v a s t Pacifi c r e gion.
TL;DR: This article reveals tha t read ers tend to pull book s out of th e bookshelf l ayers that ar e eas ily re acha ble by human eyes an d hand s, and opens some i ssues for librar ians to consider t he ma nagem ent of library co llection s.
Abstract: T hi s articl e is an attem pt to develop Geographic Inform ation Syst ems (GIS) t ec hnology into an analytical tool for ex am ining the r e l at ion s hip s between t h e height of the book s helves and the behavior of library r eaders in utili z ing book s w ithin a libra ry. Th e too l would con tain a data base to s tore book-use inform a tion and some GI S maps to repres ent bookshelves. Upon analyzing th e data stored in the dat abas e, dif ferent frequ e ncies of book us e across bookshelf l ayers are di s played on the maps. Th e tool would provid e a wonderful means of v isualiz ation throu gh which analysts can quickly realize th e spatia l di stributio n of books used in a libra r y. This article reveals tha t read ers tend to pull book s out of th e bookshelf l ayers that ar e eas ily re acha ble by human eyes an d hand s, and thu s opens some i ssues for librar ians to re consider t he ma nagem ent of library co llection s .
TL;DR: The article explains the relation ship between the Web's protocol HTTP and other high-level Internet protocols, such as Telnet and FTP, as well as provides a brief history of Web development.
Abstract: This article first examines the difference between two very familiar and sometimes synonymous terms, the Internet and the Web. The article then explains th e relation ship between the Web's protocol HTTP and other high-level Internet protocols, such as Telnet and FTP, as well as provides a brief history of Web development . Next , the article analyzes the mechanism in which a Web browser (client) "talks " to a Web server on the Internet . Finally, the article studies the market growth for Web browsers and Web servers between 1993 and 1999 . Two statistical sources were used in the Web market analysis : a survey conducted by the University of Delaware Libraries for the 122 members of the Association of Research Libraries, and the data for the entire Web industry from different Web survey agencies.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors reflect on what change initiatives we have engaged in over the past few years that have strengthened the organizational effectiveness of the IT department in our library, and their thoughts almost immediately drifted to our focus on collaboration.
Abstract: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND LIBRARIES | JUNE 2017 3 With the end of the performance and fiscal year wrapping up, it seemed like a good time to reflect on what change initiatives we have engaged in over the past few years that have strengthened the organizational effectiveness of the IT department in our library. My thoughts almost immediately drifted to our focus on collaboration. Early in my career, it was the profession wide culture of cross-institutional collaboration that convinced me that becoming a librarian would be the right career move. I am certain that the impetus to collaborate stems from our professional service commitment a values based system that at its core believes that the success of all helps the collective do their jobs better in the name of service to our patrons. And yet, over the years, I have heard stories of and observed first hand internal competitions for resources, vilification of library IT as siloed and opaque factions, and library IT departments that have had strained relationships with their institution’s central IT organizations.
TL;DR: Initially, the project was an attempt to adapt cataloging workflows to a new environment in which the copy cataloging of e-resources takes place within discovery system tools rather than traditional cataloging utilities and MARC record set or individual record downloads into online catalogs.
Abstract: A meeting in April 2015 explored the potential withdrawal of valuable collections of microfilm held by the University of Maryland, College Park Libraries. This resulted in a project to identify OCLC record numbers (OCN) for addition to OCLC’s Chadwyck-Healey Early English Books Online (EEBO) KBART file. [i] Initially, the project was an attempt to adapt cataloging workflows to a new environment in which the copy cataloging of e-resources takes place within discovery system tools rather than traditional cataloging utilities and MARC record set or individual record downloads into online catalogs. In the course of the project, it was discovered that the microfilm and e-version bibliographic records contained metadata which had not been utilized by OCLC to improve its link resolution and discovery services for digitized versions of the microfilm resources. This metadata may be advantageous to OCLC and to others in their work to transition from MARC to linked data on the Semantic Web. With MARC record field indexing and linked data implementations, this collection and others could better support scholarly research. [i] A KBART file is a file compliant with the NISO recommended practice, Knowledge Bases and Related Tools (KBART) . See KBART Phase II Working Group, Knowledge Bases and Related Tools (KBART): Recommended Practice: NISO RP-9-2014 (Baltimore, MD: National Information Standards Organization (NISO), 2014), accessed March 14, 2017, http://www.niso.org/publications/rp/rp-9-2014/ .
TL;DR: Having computer-use policies at the university and library level Helps provide a comprehensive, encompassing guide for the effective and appropriate use of this vital resource.
Abstract: The networked computing environment is a vital resource for academic libraries. Ever-increasing use dictates the prudence of having a comprehensive computer-use policy in force. Universities often have an overarching policy or policies governing the general use of computing technology that helps to safeguard the university equipment, software, and network against inappropriate use. Libraries often benefit from having an adjunct policy that works to emphasize the existence and important points of higher-level policies, while also providing a local context for systems and policies pertinent to the library in particular. Having computer-use policies at the university and library level Helps provide a comprehensive, encompassing guide for the effective and appropriate use of this vital resource.