Trying it on for Size

ABSTRACT

Most colleges are continuing to see growth in their online education programs. Academic libraries are attempting to strike a balance between traditional library offerings and new online resources and services. Determining how to allocate funds is complicated by the fact that many students in online classes today live near enough campus to come to the library. Should libraries at institutions where most online students live near campus devote scarce resources to providing services such as online reference? One community college library is attempting to answer that question by testing online reference with Elluminate vClass in a limited way.     

Developing a Chat Reference Training Program

ABSTRACT

In the last few years, chat reference services have been implemented by public, college and university libraries. One important aspect of the chat reference service is library staff training. Literature shows that this is a vital step in offering a chat reference service. Library staff need to be well-trained in areas of chatting, reference interviewing in a digital environment and using electronic resources, such as the Internet and databases. This article discusses the chat reference training program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The following text provides an outline for establishing a chat training program including planning, organization, implementation and assessment. Areas of discussion include the chat reference interview, chatting and patron management techniques.     

Applying Learning Style Theory to Web Page Design

ABSTRACT

Library Web sites can be instructional tools, especially for those patrons who utilize library resources from their homes. Many libraries are developing online tutorials, but there is an opportunity for Web instruction on another level. The organization and design of a Web site can act as an instructional tool in itself. This paper is a call to library Web designers to assess their work in terms of learning style preferences. Learning style theory is based on how people process information and learn new material. Applying these ideas to Web page design can make library resources more accessible and improve the patron's comprehension of how the library works.     

Policy Aspects of Web Page Development

Abstract

Web page creation involves many decisions beyond Hypertext Mark-up Language (HTML) coding. Developers need to consider numerous factors such as identifying the person responsible for the project, maintaining content, and establishing criteria for the evaluation and selection of resources. Other areas of consideration include identifying the target audience for the project, establishing guidelines on confidentiality and copyright issues, and coordinating a backup/disaster recovery plan. These aspects and others of Web page development are discussed. Examples are included from libraries which have loaded policy statements online as part of institutional home pages. The Uniform Resource Locators (URL's) of the library policies are listed as is a selected bibliography of publications about Web page development.     

Embedding Library Reference Services in Online Courses

SUMMARY

The University of Wyoming has a long tradition of providing library services to distance education students. As technology changed and enhanced the delivery mode of distance education courses, the library altered the ways in which it offered services to distance learners. The institution was an early adopter of Web courses, so offering library support in this new environment was a natural expansion of our services. This expansion supports the goals of the ACRL Guidelines for Distance Learning Library Services and the goals of the University. This article will describe the integration of library reference services into online courses.     

Integrating Library Reference Services in an Online Information Literacy Course

SUMMARY

The Internet Navigator, an online information literacy course developed by a team of academic librarians in Utah, offers a model for teaching independent research skills to remote students. The course uses an online textbook that doubles as a self-paced tutorial, and a set of assignments that take students step-by-step through the research process. Assignments are submitted by e-mail and evaluated by reference librarian/instructors. Questions on the assignments follow the pattern of a reference interview helping instructors guide students to use useful research strategies and information sources. Other methods of integrating reference services with online learning are discussed.     

A Comprehensive Website Meets the Serials Librarian's Back Issue Needs

Abstract

The author describes USBE's Website, which meets virtually every back issue need of the serials librarian. An online catalog of over 17,000 scholarly journal title holdings, order page, membership application, and a fee-free out-of-print book search service are some of the features of the USBE site. The USBE Web pages also include instructions on how to donate surplus periodicals to the nonprofit organization, as well as special offers and other news pertinent to serials librarians. Includes interview comments by USBE President, John Zubal and USBE Operations Manager, Jean Marie Zubal.     

Internet Reference Services for Distance Education

SUMMARY

Published guidelines for distance learning library services provide a framework for distance education librarians to use in planning services for off-campus students. Other literature in the arena of distance education librarianship provides concrete examples of how reference services have been offered in real settings. This paper attempts to synthesize these two types of literature in order to offer models of reference service for distance learners.     

The S.A.G.E. Project

ABSTRACT

This paper describes the process and creation of a library resources and services Web page within WebCT, a course authoring program that is being used to deliver complete course content over the Internet in a distance education program at The Ohio State University. A librarian at the Prior Health Sciences Library was asked to join a faculty team to teach and provide library services for a series of three courses. The students are working health professionals who cannot attend regularly scheduled classes. Illustrations are included of the WebCT course page and the library resources and services page. The initial process and planning are described, and recommendations for future research are identified.     

A Historical Overview of Internet Reference Services for Distance Learners

SUMMARY

The advent of library services and collections on the Internet revolutionized reference services to students enrolled in distance learning programs. Prior to the Internet, reference librarians who supported distance learning programs had few methods, and many of them costly, to provide the equivalent library services advocated by the ACRL Guidelines. Through the Internet, these librarians were able to approximate the services and resources that had always been available to students who came into the library. This article describes the development of reference services on the Internet in a variety of libraries that support distance learners.     

Nursing Student Library Usage Patterns in Online Courses

ABSTRACT

This study looked at patterns of online library usage of a sample of undergraduate nursing students (n = 82) from a medium-sized southeastern university. Specifically, information-seeking behaviors of nursing students related to electronic or remotely accessible resources (i.e., electronic databases) compared to physical library resources (i.e., reference books) were examined. Additionally, this study further investigated students' preferred methods for seeking additional assistance and information about library research, as well as overall satisfaction and usage patterns relating to library tools and assistance by librarians or other school personnel. Results indicate that these undergraduates preferred electronic resources (with particular emphasis on electronic databases) to traditional, in-person research. Other relevant findings and suggestions relating to electronic access and training with library tools are provided.     

Designing and Developing Internet Reference Services to Support Firefighter Distance Learners in Illinois

SUMMARY

This article discusses issues surrounding the development of a small special library's Internet reference services to support firefighter distance learners for the University of Illinois Fire Service Institute's (IFSI) online Firefighter II Certification Program, the first of its kind in the nation. Planning for the Internet reference services involves consideration of user needs, funding, staff management, and collection development. In addition, this article explores how the IFSI Library has established a collaboration and partnership with the online course and Information Technology teams, and local public and community college libraries.     

R U There? How to Reach a Virtual Audience Through Affordable Marketing Strategies

ABSTRACT

Virtual reference is a vital service component of many libraries. Whether serving college students or the general public, a real-time reference service demands highly trained staff and quality resources. What can administrators do to make sure their users make the most of this cutting-edge service? The University at Buffalo (UB) was one of the first universities to establish a virtual reference service. Known as Instant Librarian, the chat room thrives as a major public service without placing a drain on staff or budget. This article discusses the marketing strategies UB applies to chat reference, including advertising, use of icons, and user surveys for assessment.     

Does Anyone Need Help Out There?

SUMMARY

In order to provide online help for distance students, as well as the increasing number of on-campus students who regularly access library resources, a team of librarians from the Marshall University Libraries created an online library assistance site (HELP). This site brings together traditional print handouts, FAQs, online subject guides, course-specific guides, learning modules, and instructional videos in one central location where users can get assistance with library-related questions at their point of need. This article discusses the rationale for developing the site, the process of creating it and incorporating user input, ongoing content development, the impact upon the Libraries' Web site, and future development plans.     

A Mightier Pin: Creating a Credible Reference Library on Pinterest at Murray State University

This case study shows how the reference librarians at Murray State University use Pinterest as an added component in reference services. Statistics were collected in an attempt to monitor the number of items shared with the number of people who actively follow each board. This study will help interested reference librarians gain an understanding of how this social media site can be used to promote online resources, both those owned by the institution and those available freely on the internet. It will also serve as an example of how reference librarians can build a reference library within the confines of social media.     

Developing Skype-Based Reference Services

ABSTRACT

Internet voice and video calling have demonstrated a dramatic rise in quality in the past several years and have quickly become communication technologies with a disruptive impact on society. Librarians, who regularly adopt such technologies in outreach and public services, should evaluate Web-calling programs as potential sources of innovative reference programming. This article describes the development of Skype video and Internet telephony pilot reference services at the Ohio University Libraries and considers the utility of Skype and VoIP in a library setting.     

Centralizing Information About Library Services and Resources

SUMMARY

The School of Information Resources and Library Science at the University of Arizona (UA) has a mix of local and distance students in its program. The librarian at the UA Library who works with this program developed a Web site that centralizes information about several library services and resources that benefit distance learners: online orientation and research guides, chat reference, document delivery, and more. Bringing together this information with a focus on distance learners provides a platform for delivering the library to all users, whatever their distance from the library.     

Ask a UT System Librarian

SUMMARY

University of Texas System libraries initiated a chat reference program to support distance learners enrolled at University of Texas component institutions, including the UT Telecampus Digital Library. Librarians at several geographically distant campuses staffed the collaborative chat reference service.

Librarians assisted students at other UT System campuses, in effect becoming “distance librarians” who must have thorough knowledge of both their own library resources and the resources available at other campus libraries.

Librarians at The University of Texas at San Antonio share their experiences with this collaborative chat reference service.     

Using the World Wide Web for Art and Humanities Reference Services

Abstract

This paper describes what the World Wide Web is and what is needed in order to access its information. It discusses the future of art and humanities reference resources and presents criteria for evaluating Web sites. A review of the literature related to “Generation X” and their information expectations was done. There is an annotated list of specific World Wide Web resources related to African Diaspora, American Poetry, Comparative Literature, Gay and Lesbian Literature, and Outsider Art. This list provides examples for evaluation and is not meant to be exhaustive.     

The Walden University Library

SUMMARY

Although it is a unit of the Indiana University-Bloomington Libraries, the Walden University Library serves only Walden students and faculty. It is a true virtual library, one that has no print collection but only online databases. Because it is located far from Walden students, faculty, staff, and administration, library personnel put forth great efforts to overcome the negative effects of distance. This article will describe how the library fits into the IUB and Walden institutional structures, and how its librarians and staff proactively connect with the people they serve as Walden experiences fast-moving growth and change.