Print version (Adobe Reader required)
This study assessed student use of and satisfaction with the WebFeat federated search tool, which was implemented by the library at Sam Houston State University. Students voluntarily responded to an electronic survey, providing feedback on how often they conducted class research using the federated search tool, individual databases, and online search engines and how well each search tool satisfied their class research needs. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
This paper describes the experience of three sophomore English composition classes that were required to visit the reference desk for class credit. Student perceptions of reference consultations are analyzed to gain a clearer understanding of the students’ attitudes toward reference services. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
This study sought to determine the extent to which the Hesburgh Libraries of the University of Notre Dame meets the needs of its graduate students. It focused on how Notre Dame graduate students found research materials and how useful the Hesburgh Libraries’ collections were in their research and studies. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
According to a market survey showing that the public library is the first place many turn when seeking health information, librarians are the front-line workers in consumer health literacy. A consumer health literacy initiative has been undertaken throughout the Pittsburgh public library system to help librarians assure meaningful access to consumers seeking health information. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
In an attempt to determine and compare the nature of virtual reference services in both academic and public libraries outside the United States, we analyzed data compiled from webform transactions e-mailed to and from libraries via the Question-Point virtual reference service. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
In today’s climate of accountability in higher education, most colleges and universities—and therefore academic libraries—consider student learning the cornerstone of their missions. Reference service is one area in which libraries can demonstrate their commitment to support student learning. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
When asked about a hypothetical book containing racist beliefs, do people support removing the book from their public library or not? The study examined responses to this question from surveys conducted from 1976 to 2006. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
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). »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
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. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
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. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
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.” »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
Generation 1.5 students are those who appear fully conversant in American English and culture but are still in the process of learning English when they enter college. This study, based on the findings of a 51-question survey administered to 285 students in a first-year college composition course, examines the effect and role that public libraries have in the success of Generation 1.5 college writers. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
During the fall of 2004, the Head of Electronic Resources at the College of Mount St. Joseph’s Archbishop Alter Library conducted a survey using a paper-based questionnaire and administered it to several randomly chosen undergraduate courses. The goal of the study was to investigate the college’s undergraduates’ usage and attitudes toward electronic books. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
A major review of the reference collection in Bowling Green State University’s Jerome Library was made necessary by the decision to incorporate the materials from the reference collection in the science library. The process of planning and implementing this collection review is described, emphasizing how this process has been affected by changes in technology and the demands made by library users. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
This article considers the teaching role of reference librarians by studying the teachable moment in reference transactions, and users’ response to that instruction. An empirical study of instruction was conducted in both virtual and traditional reference milieus, examining the following three services: Instant messaging (IM), chat, and face-to-face reference. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
This article describes a content analysis of virtual reference transcripts taken from the NCknows virtual reference service. The analysis sought to determine why librarians consider some questions to be unanswerable at the time they are submitted by users. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
Graphic novel collection and use has beome a popular topic in the library community; most of the literature has focused on collecting in school and public libraries. The number of academic libraries that carry graphic novels has increased, but those collections and the few articles addressing graphic novels in academic librarianship have focused on serving the recreational reader or the pop culture historian. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
A content analysis of 298 statements describing books included in the University of Oklahoma Books That Inspire exhibit was conducted to identify the reasons members of the academic community found particular books inspiring. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
Using a scoring rubric based on RUSA’s “Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Service Providers” (RUSA Guidelines), librarians’ performance in 106 chat reference transcripts in which a patron was determined to be acting inappropriately were compared to 90 randomly chosen transcripts from the same time period in which no inappropriate behavior was identified. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
This paper explores ways in which academic libraries can partner with colleges of education to prepare teachers who can apply research to their practice. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
Illinois State University’s Milner Library conducted focus groups in the summer and fall of 2007 as part of its user-centered approach to implementing a federated search engine. The feedback supplemented the comments from usability testing conducted in the summer of 2006. The purpose of the focus groups was to learn about students’ use of and satisfaction with the federated search engine and to gather their ideas on how to incorporate it into the library website. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
Key documents guiding U.S. library service, including Reference and User Service Association (RUSA) guidelines and the American Library Association (ALA) Code of Ethics and Bill of Rights, focus on equitable public library service. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
This article examines the programmatic and philosophical changes that resulted from a collaboration between a librarian and a composition and rhetoric professor. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
With decreased funding and personnel reductions in many libraries across the United States, local librarians are searching for innovative methods to create sustainable partnerships in the community. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
This article examines Microsoft Power-Point use at library conferences. Through a survey of two hundred librarians, the first part explores librarians’ perceptions of PowerPoint use at library instruction conferences. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
The intellectual life of retired faculty members, whose numbers will skyrocket in the coming years, can be enhanced with adequate library support. This paper provides a descriptive study of the professional activities of emeriti faculty at one large public research university, assessing their needs for continued access to library resources and their knowledge of what library privileges they continue to have in retirement. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
In 2005, the authors tested the consistency and ease of use of a skill- and strategy-based reference question classification system published by Warner in 2001. Results of that test indicated that the Warner system was a significant improvement over the traditional resource-based system. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
Most academic libraries have limited budgets for promoting their reference services. Understanding which promotions best reach current and potential patrons is crucial to budgeting funding, as well as time, effectively. This article describes a study that sought to answer three questions »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
Using wiki technology in a credit library course, the authors created an online exhibit for students’ research titled the Digital Archive. The purpose of the Digital Archive is to showcase students’ final projects from the course and to demonstrate research skills developed during the semester. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
The merger of an academic library with the main branch of a large city’s public library in 2003 required a new method for determining customer–patron transactions. The Warner model, previously reported in RUSQ in 2001, was adopted and used to investigate the possibilities for developing tiered reference, adjusting staffing levels, and improving service in a merged reference unit. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
Has the move toward online resources had an effect on source material for the study of black feminist theory? The last forty years have witnessed a critical mass of literary and theoretical writings on the black feminist movement. This article evaluates the coverage of writings by a select group of forty “second wave” (1963–75) and pre– “third wave” (1976–90) black feminists in twelve major electronic-literary and women’s-studies indexing and abstracting services. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
During fiscal year 2006, the University of Connecticut Libraries spent almost two-thirds of its collection budget on electronic resources, making it essential that students, faculty, and staff can find and access these resources without assistance from librarians. To address ease-of-use issues, a cross-functional task team spent a year assessing the libraries’ database locator and worked to create a more functional system. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
This exploratory study investigated the help-seeking preferences of library users at two large urban universities in Toronto. Reference desk and virtual reference users were compared in terms of their perceptions of the options now available for obtaining reference help. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
Many library customers’ questions never reach designated service points such as circulation and reference desks. These questions may be addressed to personnel untrained in customer service such as student shelving staff in an academic library. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
Subject searching in the OPAC is the most problematic of all search types, causing far greater difficulty for patrons than keyword searching and known-item searching. This study combines two methodologies—transaction log analysis and user observation interviews—to examine the reasons for patrons’ failure to use subject searching effectively. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
This article describes a multiple-methods approach to examining and enhancing the quality of walk-in service points at a major university library. Selected methods included focus groups, benchmarking, surveys, transaction analysis, activity mapping, and secret shoppers. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
Volunteers have had a major impact on libraries throughout U.S. history. The rapid changes in the information world of the last decade serve as a catalyst for evaluation of library programs including those for volunteers. This article offers a brief history of volunteers in libraries and discusses some of the advantages and disadvantages of instituting a volunteer program as well as implications based on library implementation of new computer technologies. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
This study examines reference transaction quantities reported through the Academic Library Survey of the National Center for Educational Statistics to explore whether, and the extent to which, academic libraries are seeing a decline: the beginnings of a “deserted library.” »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
The United States has experienced increased immigration rates since 1990 and public libraries are faced with providing services to immigrants from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds. Which immigrants are the most likely to utilize public library services? »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
Dedication: Martha Portree died tragically on July 7, 2007, just days after she completed her work on revisions to this paper. Her enthusiasm and wicked sense of humor sustained us throughout this project, even during the most trying times, and her sly editorial pen lent much needed focus to this paper. »»
Shahla Bahavar and Judith A. Truelson
Shahla Bahavar is Reference Coordinator at USC Libraries, University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
Judith A. Truelson is Outreach Coordinator at USC Libraries, University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Submitted for review October 19, 2006; accepted for publication December 5, 2006.
In 2003, realignment of library services brought about formation of interdisciplinary teams and the coordination of Uni-versity of Southern California (USC) libraries’ core services. This article explores how the reference coordinators have used the “Preferred Futuring” planning process as a foundation for successful planning for reference services in this environment. A brief profile of reference services at USC is followed by an overview of the function and operation of Preferred Futuring and its application at USC. The article concludes with a summary of lessons learned in hosting preferred futuring workshops and with a checklist of planning and preparatory steps for conducting a Preferred Futuring workshop. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
Some library users come in the door knowing exactly where to go, with clearly defined and communicated needs. However, many more enter the library on an exploratory mission and often stop at the first service desk that catches their eye. In many libraries, this point of first contact is a security or general information desk, not a full-service reference desk. This opens the question, are users being served effectively and their expectations being met? »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
Studies indicate that a lean reference collection is the ideal, but how does a librarian determine what to pare? A small academic library did a five-year reshelving study to guide in collection management. Dots were applied to books as they were reshelved, with different colors for each year. Data indicate that, while many items were heavily used, many others were not used at all in five years. As a result of the study, reference staff are reconsidering the nature of the reference collection, beginning to develop a collection management policy, and determining the disposition of the good, but unused, items. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
The purpose of this study was to determine the effective behaviors of reference librarians during the chat reference interview, with particular emphasis given to whether the service users would feel more satisfied when librarians adopt the behaviors recommended in the revised “RUSA Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Services Providers.” The data analyzed for this study consisted of 422 chat reference transaction transcripts and corresponding user surveys obtained from a public library system that participated in a nationwide chat reference consortium. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
Interdisciplinary research offers increasing information challenges for researchers and scholars as well as for librarians. Quaternary research is an example of a highly interdisciplinary area incorporating research ranging from geochemistry and microbiology to planetary science. This study compares retrieval performance of eleven online indexes that can be used for Quaternary research, and discusses three others. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
Women living in a rural Canadian county were interviewed about how they locate health information. The experiences they described raise interesting questions about the efficacy of government sponsored e-health initiatives, particularly when such programs are intended to compensate individuals who live in remote communities for lack of access to health care services. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
This article presents a study of source citing in telephone reference service at the twenty-five largest public library systems in the United States and Canada. The results showed that in eighty-six out of the 125 total reference transactions analyzed (68.8 percent of the cases), respondents gave no sources for their answers. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
Electronic, full-text resources, and on-line forms have become more and more established in most libraries. As a result, foot traffic has decreased significantly, leading to fewer opportunities for personal contact between librarians and patrons. Innovative outreach efforts are required to counter this trend. In the past two years, some University at Buffalo (UB) librarians have set up office hours in the departments they serve to provide onsite reference and instruction services. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
Using a combination of surveys and interviews, this research project explores the relationship between educational and recreational outcomes of leisure reading, the importance of learning to the leisure reading experience, the role of learning in leisure reading, and the educational outcomes reported by leisure readers. »»
Print version (Adobe Reader required)
This exploratory study of unsolicited thank you messages from e-mail digital reference users analyzed the information provided in these messages for user perspectives on digital reference success, outcomes, and quality elements in answers. Digital reference interactions receiving thank you messages were also compared with nonthanked interactions. »»
RUSQ, Reference and User Services Quarterly, the journal of RUSA, Reference and User Services Association
©2006–2010 Reference and User Services Association, a division of the American Library Association.
buy for cheap buy xp windows symantec act software mappoint 2009 upgrade cheap accounting oem windows 2003 buy windows server 2003 r2 buy windows server 2003 enterprise software best price windows xp pro full version office 2007 academic professional norton 360 discount cheap microsoft office xp eom mappoint streets and trips windows vista business 64bit dvd download windows xp prof oem windows 2008 win xp prof windows xp familiale microsoft office publisher 2007 upgrade wordperfect office x4 upgrade windows software buy windows xp pro 64 bit windows buy buy cheap printers purchase adobe software cheap windows xp sp2 cheap adobe cs3 software how to buy a server microsoft office basic 2007 oem windows server 2008 standard price buy print shop windos xp profesional creative suite 4 web standard mac buy panda internet security 2009 discount computer program project oem windows xp pro full version oem buy pc software cheap norton antivirus 2009 windows office xp professional purchase software online microsoft office 2007 oem software buy roxio office pc security office xp small business edition 2002 microsoft windows xp professional 2003 sql2005 price microsoft xp profesional microsoft mappoint 2009 with gps locator download windows xp program cheap program xp home server discount microsoft file maker software windows xp retail version microsoft mappoint 2007 oem microsoft xp windows xp profesional sp1 software windows 2003 win xp home oem windows server 2003 prices windows xp ro windows office software office 2003 professional software microsoft windows xp software ms office professional 2007 oem buy mappoint microsoft expression academic software xp home windows xp home microsoft antivirus software xp cheap pro trend micro discounts cheap norton 360 discount windows xp professional cheapest microsoft office home and student 2007 buy a cheap pc vista ultimate 64 bit price backup exec pro ms publisher 2007 upgrade windows xp home edition purchase purchase xp home security discount