Showing papers in "Library Resources & Technical Services in 2008"

Using Comparative Online Journal Usage Studies to Assess the Big Deal

Abstract: This paper analyzes the comparative findings of two studies undertaken at the University of Florida Libraries comparing online journal usage statistics derived from COUNTER-compliant publishers. The analyses conducted in 2005 and 2006 were not intended to be rigorous scientific studies. Instead, the statistical assessments were intended as tools for determining trends in the costs and use of online journals at the University of Florida. The studies also explored the relationship between the large publisher online journal packages (the so-called Big Deals often licensed through consortia arrangements) and online journal usage, and the effects of Big Deal packages on library budgets.

Social Libraries: The Librarian 2.0 Phenomenon

Abstract: The author shares his thoughts on the future of libraries and librarianship in the context of the emerging importance and impact of Web 20 and social computing ********** This paper explores some of the concepts that underlie the emergence of the next generation of the Web and how it will affect libraries and librarianship Commonly referred to as Web 20 and Library 20, it is also called the interactive Web or the Social Web It is an exciting time in which we can use these tools to invent the future we need These are my personal perspectives underpinned by thirty years in librarianship as a reference librarian, cataloger, indexer, publisher, vendor, and software developer Recently I was asked if some software applications I was involved in were Web 20 compliant This was amusing and distressing on so many levels It is amusing because what is being called Web '20 is not a "standard" in almost any sense of tile word It is distressing because it shows how quickly a conversation becomes an expectation in today's world This is a perfect example of the power of the ninety-five theses of the Cluetrain Manifesto (1) The major thesis to me is number one: "Markets are conversations" I thought it might be useful to explore the opportunities for libraries to use Web 20 technologies to generate further success The global Web 20 discussion is birthing a number of newborn babies: Law 20, Advertising 20, and Library 20 and Librarian 20 among them And why should you read this piece? You have heard it all before But in a few years these Web 20 conversations will have the power to drive huge transformations in our media landscape and therefore our life, work, and play environments We are entering a period of enormous change--far greater than what we have experienced in our lives to date Major forecasters such as the Gartner Group and Morgan Stanley have noted that this will be transformational on a very global scale It will be exciting too, although those of us who care about communities, research, discovery, invention, learning, and information will be tasked with some pretty heavy strategic planning goals We are going to need to stay alert and nimble Web 20 According to some sources, the term Web 20 has been around since about October 2004 Wildpedia, the free Web encyclopedia, defines Web 20 as A term often applied to a perceived ongoing transition of the World Wide Web from a collection of websites to a full-fledged computing platform serving web applications to end users Ultimately Web 20 services are expected to replace desktop computing applications for many purposes (2) I think Web 20 goes much further than this, actually beyond an application focus It is really about the "hot" Web I am talking here about "hot" in the McLuhanesque sense of the hot and cold or the warm and cool aspects of technology What makes the Web warmer or hotter? Interactivity Of course, the Web is already interactive in a cooler sense You can click and get results You can send e-mail and get responses You can go to Web sites and surf The old World Wide Web was based on the "Web 10" paradigm of Web sites, e-mail, search engines, and surfing Tim Berners-Lee's vision was originally much richer (see his current thinking on the semantic, and neutral Web), but we had to spend a few years filling in the details (3) Web 20 is about the more human aspects of interactivity It is about conversations, interpersonal networking, personalization, and individualism It is focused on content in the context of people, workplaces, markets, community, and learning In the library world this has relevance not just to our public Web portals but also to workplace intranets and the imperative for greater social cohesiveness in virtual teams and global content engagement Plain intranets and plain HTML Web sites are fast becoming old stuff, so last century …

OPAC Queries at a Medium-Sized Academic Library : A Transaction Log Analysis

Abstract: Patron queries at a four-year comprehensive college’s online public access catalog were examined via transaction logs from March 2007. Three representative days were isolated for a more detailed examination of search characteristics. The results show that library users employed an average of one to three terms in a search, did not use Boolean operators, and made use of limits one-tenth of the time. Failed queries remained problematic, as a full one-third of searches resulted in zero hits. Implications and recommendations for improvements in the online public access catalog are discussed.

Web citation availability: A follow-up study

Abstract: The researchers report on a study to examine the persistence of Web-based content. In 2002, a sample of 500 citations to Internet resources from articles published in library and information science journals in 1999 and 2000 were analyzed by citation characteristics and searched to determine cited content persistence, availability on the Web, and availability in the Internet Archive. Statistical analyses were conducted to identify citation characteristics associated with availability. The sample URLs were searched again between August 2005 and June 2006 to determine persistence, availability on the Web, and in the Internet Archive. As in the original study, the researchers cross-tabulated the results with URL characteristics and reviewed and analyzed journal instructions to authors on citing content on the Web. Findings included a decrease of 17.4 percent in persistence, and 8.2 percent in availability on the Web. When availability in the Internet Archives was factored in, the overall availability of Web content in the sample dropped from 89.2 percent to 80.6 percent. The statistical analysis confirmed the association between the likelihood that cited content will be found by future researchers and citation characteristics of content, domain, page type, and directory depth. The researchers also found an increase in the number of journals that provide instruction to authors on citing content on the Web.

Improving the Flow of Materials in a Cataloging Department: Using ADDIE for a Project in the Ohio State University Libraries

Abstract: The Cataloging Department at the Ohio State University Library continuously reviews workflow to see which areas need improvement In 2004, the Cataloging Department began receiving complaints about the time it took to locate unprocessed materials within Technical Services Locating these materials was difficult and time consuming, causing problems for both patrons and staff The author reports on a project that examined the workflow of unprocessed materials in the Cataloging Department at Ohio State Using the instructional design ADDIE model, a new workflow was designed and implemented to ensure that items could be located, processed, and delivered to patrons in a timely manner The paper concludes with suggestions applicable to other libraries

Entering an Alternate Universe: Some Consequences of Implementing Recommendations of the Library of Congress Working Group on the Future of Bibliographic Control

Abstract: This paper is derived from the keynote speech delivered to the New England Technical Services Librarians Annual Conference held in Worchester, Massachusetts, on April 4, 2008. It retains much of its original oral presentation style.

How Much Are Technical Services Worth? Using the Contingent Valuation Method to Estimate the Added Value of Collection Management and Access

Abstract: This paper reports on an application of the contingent valuation method in order to establish a dollar estimate of the value added to a collection by a library’s technical services The overall benefit-cost ratio of the Wagga Wagga City Library, in New South Wales, Australia, was estimated to be 133:1, whereas the benefit-cost ratio of its technical services was found to be much higher, at 24:1, indicating the particular importance of this work The use of stated preference techniques such as contingent valuation is discussed, with reference to library and technical service contexts

Cataloging and Classification Review of the Literature 2005-06

Abstract: This paper reviews library literature on cataloging and classification published in 2005-06. It covers pertinent literature in the following areas: the future of cataloging; Functional Requirement for Bibliographic Records (FRBR); metadata and its applications and relation to Machine-Readable Cataloging (MARC); cataloging tools and standards; authority control; and recruitment, training, and the changing role of catalogers. ********** The literature published in 2005 and 2006 devoted to cataloging and classification reveals a profession in transition. The future of the catalog and cataloging in the Web environment was the focus of severn important discussions, presentations, white papers, reports, conferences, and articles. Another topic attracting attention was the emerging new cataloging standard, Resource Description and Access (RDA). The great importance of the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR) was emphasized in a number of scholarly publications. Classification schemas, such as the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) and the Library of Congress Classification (LCC), continued as a topic in library literature. Other areas of interest included metadata, Machine-Readable Cataloging (MARC) and the flexibility of Extensible Markup Language (XML), authority control, recruitment, training, and the changing role of catalogers. Research Method A preliminary review of literature on cataloging and classification published in 2005 and 2006 was conducted in two library online databases: Library Literature and Information Science Full Text, and Library, Information Science, and Technology Abstract with Full Text. Other resources, such as the Web-based resources Google Scholar, Google Print, and Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) WorldCat, print library journals, and book reviews in library journals related to cataloging and classification, were also consulted. These resources were searched by keywords or subject headings, or both. The search strategy was limited to journal articles and books in English, and to 2005 through 2006 dates of publication. The search produced a great number of citations (238 items). To deal with the volume of material and the range of topics covered, the author created a spreadsheet of topics derived from the preliminary literature search and the author's knowledge of the current trends in cataloging and classification. The author organized the topics into the following groups: future of cataloging, classification, Library of Congress (LC) series decision, authority control, FRBR, Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules 2nd ed., 2001 revision (AACB2), RDA, subject headings, DDC, recruitment, training, education, cataloging standards, ISBN13, and metadata. Resulting citations were then entered under each heading in the spreadsheet. Citations under each topic were reviewed to determine if the sources of the publication were scholarly and peer reviewed. In limited cases, the author included non-peer--reviewed sources because they provided valuable and relevant information. Some topics, such as the LC decision about series and ISBN13, were not included because of insufficient scholarly literature. The author read and analyzed the articles and wrote brief reviews for each item. Some articles fell outside the scope of this review and were excluded. The focus of this paper is on substantive contributions to the literature. In a few cases, less significant resources are referenced to provide a context for important themes covered during 2005 and 2006. Some articles may have been omitted unintentionally, for which the author apologizes. The Future of the Catalog and Cataloging The future of libraries in general and of cataloging in particular has been the focus of much of the research in recent years. Speculation about the directions that cataloging is taking, as well as suggestions for ways to revitalize and enhance the catalog and retool the cataloging workforce, filled the pages of many articles and reports in 2005 and 2006. …

Use of the Checklist Method for Content Evaluation of Full-text Databases : An Investigation of Two Databases Based on Citations from Two Journals

Abstract: Following a detailed (but not comprehensive) review of the use of citation data as checklists for library collection evaluation, the use of this technique for evaluating database content is explained. This paper reports an investigation of the full-text and indexing and abstracting coverage of Library Literature & Information Science Full Text and EBSCOhost Academic Search Premier, based on checking citations to journal articles in the 2004 volumes of Library Resources & Technical Services and Collection Building. Analysis of these citations shows they were predominately to English-language library and information science journals published in the United States, with the majority dating from 2000 to 2004. Library Literature & Information Science Full Text contained 21.1 percent of the citations in full-text format, while the corresponding figure for Academic Search Premier was 16.1 percent. The database coverage also is analyzed by publication date, country of origin, and Library of Congress classification number of cited items. Some limitations to the study are acknowledged, while issues for future research are outlined.

Literature of Acquisitions in Review, 1996–2003

Abstract: In this review, the authors discuss key trends in acquisitions found in the professional literature published from 1996 through 2003 During this period, technology surfaced as the primary factor affecting acquisitions policies and procedures Advances in technology allowed vendors and libraries to select, order, and pay for materials via automated systems and the Internet Such changes also allowed acquisition units to streamline many of their processes and improved efficiency As the demand for electronic resources continued to grow, acquisition units frequently were restructured to meet the more complex acquisition process Acquisitions librarians often were required to assume the responsibility for negotiating license agreements and establishing online access, and to handle the myriad issues required to manage electronic resources The changes in technology were complex improvements to existing workflows; the addition of electronic resources management introduced significant new responsibilities to the acquisitions unit

Determining the average cost of a book for allocation formulas: Comparing options

Abstract: Academic libraries that use allocation formulas to divide monographic funds among academic departments frequently include the average cost of books per discipline as a variable. Published price indices provide average costs for some subjects, but for libraries serving interdisciplinary departments, purchasing nonbook materials with monographic funds, or purchasing foreign language materials, the published price indices may prove insufficient. This study investigates methods of determining average prices to be used in allocation formulas. As part of evaluating the allocation formula at Mississippi State University, the authors reviewed literature pertinent to library use of allocation formulas, surveyed Carnegie Doctoral/Research Extensive land grant university libraries on their use of average price as a variable in allocation formulas, and calculated allocations using average price data from four sources: The Bowker Annual , previous acquisition cost data, Blackwell Price Reports, and Blackwell approval plan profiles. The pros and cons of each method of determining average price are discussed.

Provenance evidence in bibliographic records: demonstrating the Value of best practices in special collections cataloging

Abstract: Noting and tracing former ownership of rare materials has been a common cataloging practice for many years. This paper explores the value of examining special collections materials that may not be old and rare for evidence of provenance in order to provide notes and added entries pointing to former owners in bibliographic records. This case study of a small group of mid-twentieth century books, formerly owned by a Swiss family, demonstrates the significance of the cataloging process in revealing information about the original owners. Building on the bibliographic work of catalogers working with a collection of books on mountaineering topics, the author uses the case study to show how cataloging books as objects with a history can enable users to find new topics of research in special collections materials. ********** For special collections librarians and users of their collections, provenance is an important aspect of the materials. In the exhibitions they mount and in the classes they teach, many special collections librarians often highlight evidence of previous ownership of materials in their collections. In addition to research interests in the content of rare books, scholars working in special collections also may focus on the materials as objects and the evidences of provenance they reveal. While the Oxford English Dictionary's first general definition of provenance is "the fact of coming from some particular source or quarter; origin; derivation," the second is more specific to materials in library or museum collections: "The history or pedigree of a work of art, manuscript, rare book, etc.; concr., a record of the ultimate derivation and passage of an item through its various owners." (1) Carter likewise defines provenance as "the pedigree of a book's previous ownership" and notes that "the evidences of [a book's] earlier history are always of interest (documentary or sentimental) and sometimes of importance." (2) The provenance of a particular work of art or printed work can be verified in several ways: authenticating documentation may accompany the object, catalogs or lists may include entries confirming the names of former owners, or the work itself may contain the evidence of former ownership. Provenance has significance for special collections and the users of special collections for a number of reasons: (1) former ownership may make the book or object more valuable or important to users and to the holding institution; (2) knowledge of the content of a former owner's collection may bring insight to the intellectual interests and pursuits of a particular person; and (3) historians of the book and bibliographers often have a keen interest in the personal libraries of persons well known in their fields--for example, authors, politicians, or scientists, particularly those who lived in an earlier age. In his comprehensive reference work, Provenance Research in Book History, Pearson categorized and discussed the various types of provenance evidence and presented the bibliographical resources and indexes that support scholarly research on private libraries from the fifteenth to the early nineteenth century. (3) To keep a record of the characteristics denoting value and significance and to facilitate the study of former ownership, catalogers of rare materials routinely note the provenance evidence in books they catalog and many provide added entries for the previous owners of the materials. The physical evidence of former ownership includes autographs or annotations, stamped names, bookplates, book labels, and presentation inscriptions, among others. The uniqueness of provenance evidence makes it paramount for catalogers to note the names of former owners to establish the relationship of other materials belonging to the same person or family. A recent posting to the rare books list Exlibris-L asked for information concerning any books libraries currently hold with provenance indicating that the books belonged to the Sidney family of Penshurst Place, Kent, beginning in the sixteenth century. …

Defining and Achieving Success in the Movement to Change Scholarly Communication

Abstract: In the pursuit to change scholarly communication, libraries have undertaken a number of initiatives. These may include establishing a formal program, creating a committee, or taking other concerted actions at their institutions. While librarians have been engaged in targeted activities for some time, there has been no attempt to describe what constitutes a successful program. This paper proposes that five stages that are experienced in organized attempts to change scholarly communication, arguing that the use of stages provides a practical approach to addressing a nearly intractable problem. The author defines these stages, offers illustrative examples, provides measures of success, and details strategies that support the efforts toward change.

Mass Digitization: Implications for Preserving the Scholarly Record

Abstract: Libraries and archives have a critical role in preserving the scholarly record; many players in the publication cycle depend on them for this. Preservation of scholarly books that are being digitized has lagged far behind preservation initiatives for electronic journals. The issue has become more critical, as large commercial companies such as Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft have begun mass digitization of millions of books in research libraries. Since December 2004, the pace of developments has been rapid, involving great risks on Google's part over the copyright issue. Google and certain participating libraries have not addressed the issue of whether or not all this effort to digitize huge numbers of books indiscriminately will serve students" and scholars" needs in the long run. Quality, secrecy, and long-term stability are all issues that suggest it may be foolish to expect that commercial companies will share librarians' values and commitment to digitized material preservation. The information profession must exert strong leadership in setting policies, standards, and best practices for long-term preservation of the scholarly record. ********** Libraries and archives that serve the scholarly community have a solemn responsibility to preserve the scholarly record. What these institutions do (or fail to do) will have an impact on all the players in the arena of what has been called the "publication cycle." The players in the cycle include publishers, editors, reviewers, librarians, archivists, readers, and, of course, scholars themselves. Converting and preserving scholarly materials are generally seen as the last steps in the cycle--if the cycle can be said to have an end. The experts in converting scholarly materials from paper or other tangible materials to digital formats, and in preserving those digitized documents, are only a small subset of this large community, and I am not one of those technical experts. Nonetheless, I am among the stakeholders in the community affected. My observations are from the perspective of an informed, objective, and concerned eyewitness to current developments. Side-stepping the issues and developments surrounding digitized and born-digital journals, I will focus on the programs for mass digitizing of books and other, nonjournal scholarly materials by such companies as Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, and others. Interestingly, in the past, these companies were never considered part of the scholarly publication community--a fact that makes their abrupt and explosive entrance onto the scene not only unexpected, but also unsettling. My issues and concerns are organized into five areas: pace of developments, foolish risk versus vision, justification for digitizing books, trust, and leadership. Each of these has implications for preservation and long-term access to digital documents. Preservation and access go hand-in-glove, but they are not the same. Most of my observations focus on Google; they are by far the biggest and most controversial player the eight-hundred-pound gorilla. I will mention activities of Yahoo and Microsoft as well; the implications for preservation are similar. Pace of Developments Is this all happening too fast? Digitizing library books and making scholarly collections available on the Web have been around for more than a decade. Since the commercial world, in the form of such deep-pocket companies as Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft, has come into the academy, the pace has sped up enormously. Is the pace too fast to make good policy? Is it too fast to ponder and debate difficult issues and make decisions that will benefit all of us in the long term? Some of us are still digesting Google's startling announcement in December 2004 that it will be working with five major research libraries to digitize more than fifteen million books from their collections in exchange for providing these libraries with digital copies of their books. …

An operational model for library metadata maintenance

Abstract: Libraries pay considerable attention to the creation, preservation, and transformation of descriptive metadata in both MARC and non-MARC formats. Little evidence suggests that they devote as much time, energy, and financial resources to the ongoing maintenance of non-MARC metadata, especially with regard to updating and editing existing descriptive content, as they do to maintenance of such information in the MARC-based online public access catalog. In this paper, the authors introduce a model, derived loosely from J. A. Zachman’s framework for information systems architecture, with which libraries can identify and inventory components of catalog or metadata maintenance and plan interdepartmental, even interinstitutional, workflows. The model draws on the notion that the expertise and skills that have long been the hallmark for the maintenance of libraries’ catalog data can and should be parlayed towards metadata maintenance in a broader set of information delivery systems.

Converting and Preserving the Scholarly Record: An Overview

Abstract: The author provides an overview of the issues related to preservation in the digital environment and describes initiatives that promise to address these issues. He considers the mutability of electronic content, the mission of libraries to preserve, the long-term ownership of digital content, the nature of preservation in a digital age, and promising digital preservation initiatives. The paper, drawing on the work of a collaborative Duke/Dartmouth Mellon-sponsored project, concludes with recommended elements for a campuswide digital repository.

The Two Markets: Libraries in an Attention Economy

Abstract: If we live in an attention economy, where it is not information that is in short supply but the human attention needed to make sense of it—and we do; if librarians have always played a central role in organizing this attention—and you have; then why is it that Google seems to be eating your lunch? One way to frame this question is to discriminate more clearly than we usually do between the two markets: the free market of stuff and the free market of ideas.

Art in a medium-sized University Library. Acquisition, cataloging, and access issues: Challenges and opportunities

Abstract: . In 2001 the William Madison Randall Library at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington found itself with a substantial collection of art, acquired through gifts and purchases to augment existing collections of faculty scholarship and regional materials. What had been tracked in a simple administrative database had become a collection deserving improved access. This paper outlines the acquisition, cataloging and access issues that shaped the evolution of the art works from their status first as decoration on the library walls, then as fully cataloged library materials in the online catalog, then as digitized images available in a searchable Web tour. Explored are the reasons behind the collection development push and the methods of acquisition, how and why the collection outgrew its original inventory database, and why the University Librarian turned to catalog librarians for solutions to improve access by utilizing and linking data existing in separate databases. The paper offers implications and lessons learned that could assist other libraries that may face such a challenge, as well as a literature review of the issues faced in art documentation. Randall Library’s experience illustrates how a decision to invest in cataloging an unusual medium can go beyond the basics of author and subject access to create an unusually valuable foundation for promotional, curricular, and Web-based ventures.

Approaches to Selection, Access, and Collection Development in the Web World : A Case Study with Fugitive Literature

Abstract: Academic and research libraries are well-versed in collecting material from the print world. The present and future collections that are being produced on the Web require urgent attention to acquire, preserve, and provide access to them for future research. Many of the skills that librarians have honed through years of collecting in the print-based world are applicable to digital collection development, but will require ramping up technical skills and actively embracing digital content in current and future collection-development work. This paper reports on an exploratory project that aims to apply existing skills and knowledge to collect materials from the Internet and lay the groundwork for collection development in the future. ********** In the print world, the acquisition and selection of materials for libraries is a well-defined and well-known system, developed over decades of work in the profession. The bibliographic output is generally controlled, and librarians can rely on their agents or vendors to obtain the books and journals that are required. This system of identifying and procuring known items also translates well into the controlled digital domain of electronic resources--databases, e-books, and e-journals. Likewise, archivists have developed a refined way of identifying and acquiring specialized collections of letters and diaries, memorabilia, and primary literature that form the basis for social and historic research. A significant and growing shadow world of material of equal importance is exploding on the Internet and now deserves attention. This fugitive literature contains important manifestations of present day social and political history, art, and literature, and primary cultural output. In every way, this literature is contemporary primary source material upon which research in the future will rely. Its existence begs the question of how subject specialists and collection development librarians take the selection and procurement skills already mastered and refine or expand them to address the new and growing population of material on the Web. The research presented here reflects efforts to understand the challenges of collecting from the Web. The questions this project sought to answer are * How can we discover and locate this material? * How can we associate it with known published material (either in print or electronically) where it might enrich an existing collection? * How can we modify and transfer the bibliographic principles already existing in the profession to the work of gathering more transitory documents from the Web? The issues of long-term archiving creating a potentially massive collection, and the provision of adequate metadata to provide access, are corollary questions of equal significance, but are not the primary focus of this research. Literature Review A review of literature in collection development includes the standard collection development texts that detail how items are identified, selected, obtained, and processed (cataloged). Bonk and Magrill's Building Library Collections, Gorman's Collection Management for the 21st Century, and Johnson's Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management provide the rubric for acquisition and collection-development activities in most libraries. (1) This historic professional framework enabled a subject-based approach, matching the goals of this project to the standards in our profession. While this traditional library literature helped set the stage, the literature of archives, especially recent research with archiving Web documents, helped us understand current efforts to capture collections on the Web. While not yet a widely embraced area of research, some seminal writings have been produced. Pearce-Moses and Kaczmarek examine the challenges of a state library managing its mandate to collect and provide access to official reports and documents. …

Subject Access Tools in English for Canadian Topics: Canadian Extensions to U.S. Subject Access Tools

Abstract: Canada has a long history of adapting United States subject access tools, including the Library of Congress Classification (LCC), Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) , the Dewey Decimal Classification, and the Sears List of Subject Headings , to meet the specific needs of Canadians. This paper addresses the extensions to these American tools for English-speaking Canadians. While the United States and Canada have many similarities, differences exist that require changing terminology and providing greater depth and precision in subject headings and classification for specifically Canadian topics. The major effort has been for Library and Archives Canada (LAC) systematically to provide extensions for LCC and LCSH for use within its cataloging records. This paper examines the history and philosophy of these Canadian efforts to provide enhanced subject access. Paradoxically, French-speaking Canadians may have found it easier to start from scratch with the Repertoire de vedettes-matiere because of the difficult decisions for English-language tools on how much change to implement in an environment where most Canadian libraries use the American subject access tools. Canadian studies scholars around the world can use Canadian records, especially those maintained by LAC, to obtain superior subject access for Canadian topics even if they obtain the documents from other sources.

Collecting Conversations in a Massive-Scale World

Abstract: This paper highlights the growing importance, challenges, and opportunities of massive scale computing as they relate to libraries. Massive-scale computing is defined as the predictable widescale availability of computing power, storage, and network speeds at immense levels. The author argues that libraries must help shape the emerging world of nearly unlimited computing capacity, and outlines an approach to library service in such an environment: participatory librarianship.

A Model for Assessing Digital Image Use and Needs : Report of a Study into Digital Image Use in North American Dental Education

Abstract: This study is presented as one possible model for assessing image use and needs that can inform planning for and creation of a digital image repository. The study described here specifically sought to provide basic knowledge about the current use of digital images in North American dental schools, as well as what future needs might occur among digital image users. It was conducted as part of an ongoing needs assessment for possible construction of an online repository of digitized dental images. The research team conducted semistructured interviews with a purposive sample of dental faculty members at a representative dental school, as well as a brief survey of academic deans. Findings indicated use of digital dental images is nearly ubiquitous among faculty members, but that not all of their needs are being met. The faculty members would benefit from access to an online repository of high-quality digital dental images with accompanying metadata.

Who Has Published What in East Asian Studies? an Analysis of Publishers and Publishing Trends

Abstract: This study examines Western-language, particularly English-language, monographs on East Asian studies published in the United States, Canada, England, Australia, and other countries from 2000 through 2005. The study provides a landscape view of the scope and trends of publications for both scholars and librarians in East Asian studies. The data for this study were collected from the YBP's GOBI (Global Online Bibliographic Information) database, covering publications profiled by YBP from January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2005. The results of data analysis shed light on scholarly currents and publishing trends in East Asian studies over that six-year period. ********** Scholars and librarians in East Asian studies often wonder how research productivity and publishing trends evolve in the field. Which publishers are active in this field? What subject areas have been covered prolifically or meagerly, and what does the publishing landscape look like? Traditionally, the areas of East Asian literature, history, and philosophy have been strongly represented. Is this still so? Have traditional trends experienced any shifts? Which publishers are the major players in the field? Do university presses publish in different areas from commercial publishers? Some fifty years ago, Frederick Mote (1922-2005), a leading professor of Chinese history and culture at Princeton University, raised similar questions. He surveyed important academic publishers and their major publications, introducing new publishing developments in Chinese studies in the Republic of China on Taiwan to the Journal of Asian Studies audience. (1) He wrote, "Although the Journal has on several occasions during the last five or six years reported briefly on publication there, now there is perhaps some value in reporting more comprehensively on recent developments, both because the phenomenon itself is of interest, and because many recently published items will be desired by scholars and by research libraries." (2) The authors of this article share his rationale in the examination of recent scholarly currents and publishing trends. The purpose of Mote's survey was "not to list all of the worthwhile books recently published, for that would be an obvious impossibility, but to make the general outlines and character of recent publication activities known, and to inform the reader of names and addresses of publishers from whom more detailed information can be obtained." (3) Today, however, improved technology can be utilized to achieve the goal of a fairly complete survey. Technologically, all worthwhile books recently published can be listed and analyzed. The authors used YBP'S Global Online Bibliographical Information (GOBI) database in hopes of providing a comprehensive analysis of nearly all publications profiled. The analysis helped reveal characteristics of these publications and East Asian studies publishing trends. This study's purpose was to evaluate the scope of, and trends in, East Asian research and publications. In the study, the authors use the term "East Asian studies" to refer to studies on China, Japan, and Korea; "Chinese studies" includes People's Republic of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, and Tibet. Within "Korean studies," both North Korea and South Korea are covered. In this study, the focus is on print books. The scope includes English-language monographs on East Asian studies published in the United States, Canada, England, Australia, and other countries between 2000 and 2005. The data were collected from GOBI, covering publications profiled by YBP from January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2005. Research and publishing trends are of interest to publishers, though largely from the perspective of sales. The Association of American Publishers Industry Statistics Annual Report registers data based on publishers' responses to questionnaires, collecting data on the sale of books in the category of "Professional and Scholarly Publishing," which covers categories of technical, scientific, law, business, humanities, and medical materials. …

Who Has Published What in East Asian Studies

Abstract: This study examines Western-language, particularly English-language, monographs on East Asian studies published in the United States, Canada, England, Australia, and other countries from 2000 through 2005. The study provides a landscape view of the scope and trends of publications for both scholars and librarians in East Asian studies. The data for this study were collected from the YBP’s GOBI (Global Online Bibliographic Information) database, covering publications profiled by YBP from January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2005. The results of data analysis shed light on scholarly currents and publishing trends in East Asian studies over that six-year period.

Reflections on Cataloging Leadership

Abstract: Four Association for Library Collections & Technical Services leaders (Sheila S. Intner, Janet Swan Hill, Regina R. Reynolds, and William A. Garrison) reflect on their careers and offer insights in their paths to leadership positions in the professional and in the Association. A brief introduction by Beth Picknally Camden, program moderator, introduces the papers.

Evaluating and Improving the Presentation of Serials Information in the Online Catalog

Abstract: Many factors should be considered when evaluating how serial publications are presented in online library catalogs. Both patrons and library employees utilize the catalog to locate serial titles and then must be able to determine which formats are available, as well as which issues are available in each format. Consideration of both the recording and display of serials data should be part of a thorough evaluation. This paper presents an outline for an evaluation focusing on meeting user needs. It also provides advice based on the experience of undertaking a successful project at the University of Wyoming Libraries. ********** Serial publications, including scholarly journals, are an essential part of any academic library's collections. The library's online catalog works in tandem with indexes, article databases, and OpenURL resolvers to provide access to serials information. Discussions about the role of the catalog and cataloging rules have been common in the library community within the past few years. Most people will agree that any feasible effort to improve upon library catalogs must build on the bibliographic and holdings data libraries have been creating and maintaining for decades. While library catalogs and cataloging evolve, librarians should be proactive in making their online catalogs as user-friendly as possible, using the integrated library system (ILS) technology and functionality currently available to them. They should also try to position themselves to take advantage of future enhancements to library system technology by thinking about data recording and data display as separate but complementary entities. The goal of this paper is two-fold: it provides an outline for evaluating serials displays in the online catalog, referring to relevant literature, and provides advice based on the experience of undertaking a successful project at the University of Wyoming (UW) Libraries. The UW Libraries serve a population of approximately 13,000 students and support undergraduate, graduate, and faculty research. Holdings include approximately 41,000 serials in print and other physically held formats and access to more than 42,000 online serials. An evaluation of how serials are presented in the online catalog can be guided by these key questions: * How should a library represent serials owned or licensed at the title level? * How should a library represent the specific volumes and issues owned or licensed for each title? * What is the role of the catalog? To address these issues, one must look at what data should be included, the source of the data, how it is recorded, and how it is displayed. Literature Review Literature on the subject of the presentation of serials information in the online catalog ranges from general works on the problems users face in finding and interpreting serials information to papers addressing specific aspects, including holdings information, information on volumes involved in internal workflows, online catalog displays, and issues related to online serials. The Serials Maze Serials are a particular area for confusion in online catalogs, as they were in their paper-based predecessors. A quarter century ago, Pinzelik described the confusion caused by the "serials maze," saying, "Patrons want to know if the library subscribes to a specific title, if the library's holdings include a certain volume and issue, where the issue is located, if the pages are intact, and if they can photocopy it, check it out, or sit down and read it." (1) She adopted a user perspective in outlining the process of finding information about serials, identifying up to twenty-four decision points for a user. Her solution was a serials information desk to help patrons navigate the complexities of serials. Additionally, she suggested reducing special locations, using shelf dummies, creating better signage, and creating clearer serials records. …