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April, 2010:

Reference Question Data Mining: A Systematic Approach to Library Outreach

Apr 7th, 2010
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Joshua Finnell and Walt Fontane

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This exploratory study investigated the feasibility of using reference questions as an important tool in the construction of study guides, instructional outreach, and collection development at a small, four-year university in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The premise for the study was based on the assumption that the content of the reference question and class from which the question came provide more valuable information than the metadata normally captured within reference classification systems (e.g., directional, research). (more…)

A Comparison of the Iter Bibliography and the International Medieval Bibliography: Tools for Researching the History of the European Middle Age

Apr 7th, 2010
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Daniel Newton and Jennalyn Tellman

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Librarians and researchers studying medieval history need a sophisticated understanding of the contents of relevant databases, including the Iter Bibliography and the International Medieval Bibliography, to develop effective research strategies. Such an understanding includes the strengths and usefulness of the individual databases and an appreciation of what materials are unique to each of the databases. (more…)

Ready Reference Collections: A History

Apr 7th, 2010
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Carol A. Singer

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Ready reference collections were originally formed, and still exist, because they perform a valuable function in providing convenient access to information that is frequently used at the reference desk. As library collections have been transformed from print to electronic, some of the materials in these collections also have inevitably been replaced by electronic resources. This article explores the historical roots of ready reference collections and their recent evolution. (more…)

“I’m Not Sure If That’s What Their Job Is” Consumer Health Information and Emerging “Healthwork” Roles in the Public Library

Apr 7th, 2010
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Roma Harris, Flis Henwood, Audrey Marshall, and Samantha Burdett

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Members of the public are expected to assume increasing responsibility for their own health and to keep themselves informed about health issues. Here we describe a study of library users’ and staff members’ expectations about the public library’s role in supporting citizens’ “healthwork.” (more…)

Booktalking for Adult Audiences

Apr 7th, 2010
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Barry Trott, Editor
Jennifer Baker, Guest Columnist

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More and more, librarians working with adult users are called on to talk to groups of readers about books and reading. Whether it is to a book discussion group seeking guidance in selecting new authors, a class on crime fiction, or a program through the library’s outreach services to seniors, booktalking is no longer solely the responsibility of children’s librarians. (more…)

How Scholars Work: Panning for Gold in Libraries

Apr 7th, 2010
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Marianne Ryan, Editor
Judith M. Nixon, Guest Columnist

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Numerous articles have been written about the impact of today’s simplified, remote access to information on the research habits of scholars, but few have probed the research process from the germination of an idea through the steps that bring it to fruition in this era. This article, part current study and part retrospective, does just that. (more…)

Reference Desk Consultation Assignment: An Exploratory Study of Students’ Perceptions of Reference Service

Apr 7th, 2010
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Lisa O’ Connor, Editor
Melissa Bowles-Terry, Erin Davis, and Wendy Holliday, Guest Columnists

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Librarians and writing instructors are longtime allies that share the goal of teaching information literacy (IL). The IL concept, however, has been undertheorized in its relationship to writing pedagogy. In a series of articles on writing and IL, Norgaard challenges librarians and writing instructors to engage in an “informed conversation between writing and information literacy as disciplines and fields of endeavor.” (more…)

Literary Resources: A Pathfinder

Apr 7th, 2010
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Neal Wyatt, Editor
Stefanie R. Bluemle, Guest Columnist

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Librarians responsible for the collection development of their library’s literary criticism section know that it is a difficult task to select the right book. Is the Oxford World’s Classic or the Penguin the best imprint of Jane Eyre? Which translation of War and Peace best captures Tolstoy’s language? (more…)

Hard Choices in Hard Times: Lessons from the Great Depression

Apr 7th, 2010
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Diane Zabel, Editor
Eric Novotny, Guest Columnist

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These are challenging times for libraries. Stories of budget cuts abound while librarians report rising demand for library services.1 As we slash budgets and defer expenses, we may wonder how libraries coped during the Great Depression. (more…)

We Must Think Strategically

Apr 7th, 2010
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Susan J. Beck, President

We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten. Don’t let yourself be lulled into inaction.—Bill Gates, The Road Ahead, 1996

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Bill Gates could probably have used even more extreme adverbs. (more…)