Showing papers in "Library Resources & Technical Services in 2015"
TL;DR: Wiley journal usage statistics were examined from 2011 and 2012 to determine if the number of PDF downloads of articles in the published in and cited Wiley journals were higher than the average numbers of PDF downloading of Wiley journals.
Abstract: Citation studies and analyses of usage statistics are two approaches academic librarians take to determine if their journal collections support the needs of research faculty. Librarians at a small, regional liberal arts university compiled a list of faculty journal publications covering a thirteen-year span from four academic departments—nursing, chemistry, biology, and mathematics—and, from these publications, generated a list of the journals that were cited. As expected, this university’s faculty members publish in many of the same journals that they cite. However, faculty members cite a wide range of sources. Wiley journal usage statistics were examined from 2011 and 2012 to determine if the number of PDF downloads of articles in the published in and cited Wiley journals were higher than the average numbers of PDF downloads of Wiley journals. Combining an analysis of usage statistics with citation analysis provides a more strategic way to look at a Big Deal package. This information is of interest to the departments represented and other stakeholders, and the implications for collection development purposes are addressed.
21 citations
TL;DR: This article presented a survey of the Lib-Value project at the Library Assessment Conference in Seattle, Washington, in August 2014 and will be published in those proceedings; other prepublication presentations took place at the Charleston Conference in November 2013 and 2014 (no proceedings publications are available; this paper represents the sole published culmination of this research).
Abstract: This research is a part of Values, Outcomes, and Return on Investment of Academic Libraries (“Lib-Value”), a three-year study funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services IMLS grant # LG-06-09-0152-09. We gratefully acknowledge this support. In addition, the authors wish to thank Jean-Louise Zancanella, our graduate research assistant on this project, for her careful work. Portions of the survey results were presented at the Library Assessment Conference in Seattle, Washington, in August 2014 and will be published in those proceedings; other prepublication presentations took place at the Charleston Conference in November 2013 and 2014 (no proceedings publications are available; this paper represents the sole published culmination of this research).
19 citations
TL;DR: Analysis of collected data shows that after patrons identify desired articles that require ILL, they only submit ILL requests 31 percent of the time, which means that for every successful ILL request, there are at least two articles desired that are never requested.
Abstract: Academic libraries that cancel serials titles typically offer interlibrary loan (ILL) as an alternative means to access these titles.This study examines how serials cancellations affect ILL usage and how reliance on ILL affects patrons’ access to content. By analyzing the number of ILL requests from canceled titles, the authors found that cancellations have a very small effect upon overall ILL usage. With the help of Google Analytics, the authors counted patron requests for link resolver access that were converted to ILL requests. When the link resolver was unable to generate a link to full text, it displayed a message to that effect on a link resolver landing page and presented the patron with a choice to request the title through ILL. Google Analytics recorded traffic to and from the link resolver landing page and generated a data set for this study. Analysis of collected data, including ILLiad records, shows that after patrons identify desired articles that require ILL, they only submit ILL requests 31 percent of the time. This means that for every successful ILL request, there are at least two articles desired that are never requested. Implications for collection development are discussed.
18 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: The authors thoughtfully organized the book into four parts grounded in a concept called the Digital Preservation Triad, which encompasses the scope and depth of the project while considering the present and future of the collection.
Abstract: Digital preservation involves careful planning and management and Digital Preservation in Libraries, Archives, and Museums addresses the technology, but more importantly the all-inclusive meaning and objectives of digital preservation. The authors thoughtfully organized the book into four parts grounded in a concept called the Digital Preservation Triad. Management tools that encompass the scope and depth of the project while considering the present and future of the collection are also included.
15 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss the literature on LGBTQ youth literature, explore the extent to which academic libraries supporting education and library science programs collect recently published LGBTQ youth fiction, and conclude that academic librarians responsible for youth collections should evaluate their LGBTQ holdings to ensure that they are meeting the needs of future teachers and educators for access to these books.
Abstract: Academic libraries supporting education and library science programs collect youth literature to support courses that teach students to evaluate and use books with children and teenagers. Although children’s and young adult literature with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) content is often controversial, this literature is being discussed in both the education and library literature. This paper discusses the literature on LGBTQ youth literature, explores the extent to which academic libraries supporting education and library science programs collect recently published LGBTQ youth literature, and concludes that academic librarians responsible for youth collections should evaluate their LGBTQ holdings to ensure that they are meeting the needs of future teachers and educators for access to these books. The paper offers suggestions for assessing collections, locating LGBTQ youth titles, and updating selection procedures to build a more inclusive collection.
15 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a team of librarians from the University of Florida (UF) launched a project to assess cost and usage of e-books purchased using three different acquisitions methods.
Abstract: To better determine how e-book acquisitions might affect future collection development decisions, a team of librarians from the University of Florida (UF) launched a project to assess cost and usage of e-books purchased using three different acquisitions methods: e-books acquired in large publisher packages; single-title e-books selected through firm orders; and e-books purchased through two patron-driven acquisitions (PDA) plans. The cost-usage data were then sorted into three broad areas of subject disciplines—humanities and social sciences (HSS); science-technology-engineering-mathematics (STEM); and medicine (MED)—and the results were reviewed and summarized. The authors compared the cost-usage data of e-books acquired by the acquisitions methods across the three subject areas and describe how the findings are affecting current and future acquisitions, traditional collection management, and budgeting at UF.
14 citations
TL;DR: The results of theODID Metrics Team’s findings are examined and an extensive analysis of the purchases by Library of Congress (LC) classification, publisher, format, etc are provided.
Abstract: Patron Driven Acquisition (PDA) programs have been established in many libraries, but there is no agreed upon set of metrics to evaluate the programs’ performance. With that in mind, the University of Arizona (UA) formed the On-Demand Information Delivery (ODID) Metrics Team in January 2012 to establish metrics to evaluate their PDA program. This paper examines the results of the team’s findings and provides an extensive analysis of the purchases by Library of Congress (LC) classification, publisher, format, etc. The discussion includes an analysis of the process and challenges of measuring a PDA program based on UA’s experience. This paper also provides a list of key metrics that the authors argue that every library with a PDA program should monitor.
11 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a physical inventory of 1,319 recently published books in an academic library, and comparison of circulation statistics between different cover types was conducted, showing that books with publisher-supplied information on the cover circulated at a higher rate than books with plain covers.
Abstract: Publishers attract readers to books and inform them about the books’ contents by adding information to the books’ covers. In many academic libraries, the dust jackets of cloth-bound books are discarded. This study was a physical inventory of 1,319 recently published books in an academic library, and comparison of circulation statistics between different cover types. By every measure, books with publisher-supplied information on the cover circulated at a higher rate than books with plain covers. The implications of our findings for collection management are discussed.
11 citations
TL;DR: This paper introduces and demonstrates a scenario analysis approach for libraries to evaluate, identify, and select a DDA plan that works best for them based on their DDA program data.
Abstract: Demand-Driven Acquisition (DDA) has been commonly adopted by academic libraries in the United States for acquiring e-books in recent years. Implementation of the e-book DDA model varies by library. This paper introduces and demonstrates a scenario analysis approach for libraries to evaluate, identify, and select a DDA plan that works best for them based on their DDA program data. This approach helps address some key questions facing libraries with a DDA e-book program: How may a DDA program be evaluated under different scenarios? Does a short-term loan (STL) option make sense? And, is the current DDA implementation a good fit for the library? The implications and related issues are discussed.
9 citations
TL;DR: This study seeks to better understand aggregates through the analysis of a sample of bibliographic records and review of the cataloging treatment of aggregates to determine how common aggregates are in library collections, what types of aggregate exist, how aggregate are described in bibliographical records, and the criteria for identifying aggregates from the information in bibliography records.
Abstract: Aggregates have been a frequent topic of discussion between library science researchers. This study seeks to better understand aggregates through the analysis of a sample of bibliographic records and review of the cataloging treatment of aggregates. The study focuses on determining how common aggregates are in library collections, what types of aggregates exist, how aggregates are described in bibliographic records, and the criteria for identifying aggregates from the information in bibliographic records. A sample of bibliographic records representing textual resources was taken from OCLC’s WorldCat database. More than 20 percent of the sampled records represented aggregates and more works were embodied in aggregates than were embodied in single work manifestations. A variety of issues, including cataloging practices and the varying definitions of aggregates, made it difficult to accurately identify and quantify the presence of aggregates using only the information from bibliographic records.
8 citations
TL;DR: The results suggest that cataloging practice, the hands-on creation of bibliographic records or catalog cards, the effectiveness of the instructor, a balance of theory and practice, and placing cataloging in a real-world context contribute to effective learning.
Abstract: This paper presents the results of a research study, a survey of library and information science master’s degree holders who have taken a beginning cataloging course, to identify the elements of a beginning cataloging course that help students to learn cataloging concepts and skills. The results suggest that cataloging practice (the hands-on creation of bibliographic records or catalog cards), the effectiveness of the instructor, a balance of theory and practice, and placing cataloging in a real-world context contribute to effective learning. However, more research is needed to determine how, and to what the extent, each element should be incorporated into beginning cataloging courses.
TL;DR: In the cultural heritage sector of libraries, archives, and museums, the ongoing transition from analog to digital technologies has accelerated the pace of the knowledge required for one to be an effective preservationist, and it has complicated the transfer of knowledge from experts to students.
Abstract: A recent issue of Preservation, Digital Technology & Culture was devoted to preservation education and presented the conference papers from the 2011 University of Michigan “Symposium of Preservation Educators.” Paul Conway, the convener in the opening session, provided the key to the importance of the program: “In the cultural heritage sector of libraries, archives, and museums, the ongoing transition from analog to digital technologies as source, medium and technique has accelerated the pace of the knowledge required for one to be an effective preservationist, and it has complicated the transfer of knowledge from experts to students.”
TL;DR: The University of Iowa became a partner in this collaborative pilot project, and its cataloging staff used the Purdue template and procedures to create records from the CSS for individual documents from two years in the 1890s.
Abstract: As part of its participation in the Google Books government documents scanning project, the Purdue University Libraries agreed to contribute volumes of the Congressional Serial Set ( CSS ). Realizing that the results would be far more useful if the individual documents within this title were cataloged separately, librarians developed procedures to create brief records and began cataloging CSS documents from the 1890s. The University of Iowa became a partner in this collaborative pilot project, and its cataloging staff used the Purdue template and procedures to create records from the CSS for individual documents from two years in the 1890s. Purdue staff used those records to barcode their own corresponding CSS documents before sending those volumes to Google for scanning. Staff subsequently loaded the records into WorldCat to improve discoverability for scholars. The result of the collaborative cataloging effort was the ability to prepare CSS volumes for scanning quickly and efficiently.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a method to consistently achieve a zero or negative cash balance in a library budget, based on the assumption that efficient spending focuses on the library budget's final cash balance.
Abstract: The difficulty for a library to spend their collections budget efficiently is a timeless problem. The diversity of a typical budget, with its mix of one-time and continuing funds, for an array of resources that have both regular and sometimes irregular frequencies, provides great challenges. Approval plans, usually expending one-time funds, generate expenditures that contain high variability on a weekly basis. Standing orders for serials fall into the same category. With some effort, it is possible to expend all continuing funds. But it is the commitments that do not result in expenditures, with funds remaining in cash balances that can determine what university administrators call “efficient results.” Acquisitions personnel must take an aggressive approach to commitments with the goal of turning as many possible into expenditures. New expenditures will compensate for the orders that remain committed. Based on the assumption that efficient spending focuses on a library budget’s final cash balance, this article presents a method to consistently achieve a zero or negative cash balance.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors outline deficiencies in some fields and elements of cataloging standards for description of historical astronomical resources, mainly star atlases and catalogs, and propose an approach for accommodating these parameters in the current criteria of MARC 21, the International Standard Bibliographic Description and Resource Description and Access.
Abstract: Enhancing content description of specialized resources, particularly astronomical resources, is a matter that is still unresolved in library and information science. In this paper, the authors outline deficiencies in some fields and elements of cataloging standards for description of historical astronomical resources, mainly star atlases and catalogs. Furthermore, they review their recent proposal of astronomical parameters for a better description and propose an approach for accommodating these parameters in the current criteria of MARC 21, the International Standard Bibliographic Description, and Resource Description and Access. Fourteen new parameters are considered, and recommendations are provided to standards developers for the addition of elements to accommodate attributes of celestial cartographic resources. This would improve bibliographic records for such resources in astronomical libraries’ OPACs, which will have a beneficial effect on information retrieval.
TL;DR: The Guide to Ethics in Acquisitions by Wyoma vanDuinkerken, Wendi Arant Kaspar, and Jeanne Harrell covers the previous and current aspects of ethical acquisitions practices in an academic library.
Abstract: As is true of the other books that are a part of the ALCTS Acquisitions Guides Series, the Guide to Ethics in Acquisitions continues and summarizes current conversations regarding an important part of acquisitions librarianship. The Guide to Ethics in Acquisitions by Wyoma vanDuinkerken, Wendi Arant Kaspar, and Jeanne Harrell covers the previous and current aspects of ethical acquisitions practices in an academic library. As acquisitions librarians, we are tasked with various responsibilities including budgeting, adjusting, and adhering to a variety of payment workflows, reporting expenditure data to institutional stakeholders, and collection development, all of which require us to be ethical stewards of library funding and resources. This guide not only clarifies some of the reasoning for previous acquisitions practices, largely because of lack of specific ethical guidelines for librarians, but also provides information on some of the newer situations that librarians encounter because of the changing nature of research and information today.
TL;DR: “Complex digital objects” are objects defined as simulations and visualizations, gaming environments, and software-based art that contribute additional layers of complication to preservation.
Abstract: Digital preservation efforts share many of the goals, ethics, and priorities of analog preservation but incorporate distinctive vocabulary, technology, and methodology.1 “Complex digital objects” are objects defined as simulations and visualizations, gaming environments, and software-based art (xii). By definition, these objects contribute additional layers of complication to preservation. These are the focus of Preserving Complex Digital Objects .
TL;DR: The ALCTS Board of Trustees recently hired Keri Cascio as their new executive director as mentioned in this paper, who brings a wealth of experience in many different library settings (research, public, consortial) and has long been active in the association.
Abstract: Perhaps the most significant event this year was the retirement of Charles Wilt, our beloved executive director, after a seventeen-year career at ALA. It was a bittersweet moment for ALCTS. However, we were very fortunate to hire Keri Cascio as our new executive director. Keri brings a wealth of experience in many different library settings—research, public, consortial—and she has long been active in the association. In fact, she was ALCTS’ first Emerging Leader back in 2007, which gives her career thus far a lovely symmetry.
TL;DR: His latest book, Are Libraries Obsolete?
Abstract: In 2001, a legislator told Mark Herring “everything was on the Internet, so why did our students need a new, big library building?” (7). Herring responded by publishing a brief and highly popular list, “10 Reasons Why the Internet is No Substitute for a Library.” 1 Six years later, Herring transformed that list into a book, Fool’s Gold: Why the Internet is No Substitute for a Library (McFarland 2007). Both the list and book outline in passionate detail Herring’s view that the Internet’s many flaws make it inferior to the library. “Not everything is on the Internet” writes Herring, and “quality control doesn’t exist. . . . The Internet is ubiquitous but books are portable.” 2 His latest book, Are Libraries Obsolete? An Argument for Relevance in the Digital Age , revisits points made in his earlier works. Thirteen years after Herring’s original list was published, has the Internet made the library obsolete? Herring says no.
TL;DR: This paper discusses how the Viewshare web application was used to generate and customize unique, dynamic views of data about faculty members in a large public university, specifically their areas of research and other data such as PhD granting institutions, location of the PhD granting institution, Virtual International Authority File (VIAF) authority records, and gender.
Abstract: This paper discusses how the Viewshare web application was used to generate and customize unique, dynamic views of data about faculty members in a large public university, specifically their areas of research and other data such as PhD granting institutions, location of the PhD granting institutions, Virtual International Authority File (VIAF) authority records, and gender. Viewshare, as a visualization platform, enabled the author to discover the departments’ strengths and consider how the results could be used to benefit the library, students, and specific departments. Viewshare also enabled the author to show patterns and trends with graphics instead of volumes of text.
TL;DR: This issue introduces the e-only Library Resources and Technical Services, a new publication model for LRTS that removes page limits required for print and will enable full color copy (perfect for viewing LRTS covers and illustrative matter that accompanies papers).
Abstract: Welcome to the inaugural issue of the e-only Library Resources and Technical Services ( LRTS )! We are starting the year with a new publication model for LRTS . The content and quality of the journal will remain constant, as will the submission criteria and review process. The difference is that you will no longer receive a print copy of the journal, and it will instead be delivered directly to your e-mail. Transitioning to e-only provides new opportunities. It removes page limits required for print and will enable full color copy (perfect for viewing LRTS covers and illustrative matter that accompanies papers). It will also enable us to explore new publication models used by other e-only scholarly journals. I am confident things will proceed smoothly under the watch of Tim Clifford of ALA Production Services, LRTS ’s production editor, and Christine McConnell of ALCTS, LRTS ’s manager. Tim has handled other ALA journals’ transition to e-only, and Christine has addressed issues related to subscriptions and publicity. I rest assured it will be a seamless transition.