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Browsing Libraries by Subject "academic libraries"
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- ItemOpen AccessBleak House: The death of in-class undergraduate instruction in academic libraries(2019-05-22) Popowich, Emma; Vokey, SherriThe nature of the university is changing, with increased commodification of teaching and research. This paper dissects the milieu responsible for shifting library priorities, evaluating core tenants like university vision statements and strategic plans to show how libraries are compelled to reassess the staff dollars they spend on in-person instruction.
- ItemOpen AccessCollective Agreements and the Freedom for Librarians to Research(2018-04-23) Babb, MaureenThe ability to conduct and disseminate research on any topic, even a politically sensitive one, is a component of academic freedom. The collective agreements, which govern the rights and responsibilities of librarians, of twelve Canadian universities were examined to determine the state of academic freedom and the expectations and provisions for research at these institutions.
- ItemOpen AccessDeveloping Data Services Skills in Academic Libraries(Association of College & Research Libraries, 2022-05) Fuhr, JustinResearch data services are increasingly offered by academic libraries. As a result, librarians may need to upskill to provide data services and build capacity. This study measures the current level of data services skills of academic librarians and explores preferred methods of continuing education. An online survey was circulated asking respondents to self-assess data skills in four categories. The results capture a baseline of self-assessed data skills and show statistical significance between the percentage of time a librarian provides data services and higher levels of technical skill sets. The findings support the hiring of data librarians in academic libraries offering data services and providing training for librarians who provide any level of data services.
- ItemOpen AccessDeveloping Librarian Data Services Skills: An Assessment of Current Levels of Competency and a Plan for the Future(Medical Library Association Annual Conference, 2021-05) Fuhr, JustinIntroduction: Research data services are increasingly offered by academic libraries. Librarians may need to upskill to provide sufficient services or to build capacity within their institution. This study measures the current level of data services skills of academic librarians and explores their preferred method of continuing education to support data services.Methods: A twenty-two question online survey was circulated. Respondents self-assessed their data skills in four categories: general data services, programming languages and software, library instruction, and soft skills. Likert-scale questions were also used to measure how important various professional development initiatives were to respondents. Results: There were 120 responses to the survey. There is statistical significance between percentage of time providing data services and higher levels of technical data services skill. Conclusion: Academic libraries that plan to or currently offer technical data services should hire dedicated data librarians. In addition, training should be provided for librarians who provide any level of data services, with respondents preferring workshops, communities of practice, and mentorship with peers.
- ItemOpen AccessE-preferred approval books at the University of Manitoba: A comparison of print and ebook usage(University of Alberta Learning Services, 2017-06-01) Horner, Jan C.Objective – To compare the usage of print and ebooks received on University of Manitoba’s e-preferred YBP approval plan as well as to examine cost per use for the approval print books and ebooks. Methods – Usage data was compiled for books received on approval in 2012/2013 to December 31, 2014. Counter reports were used to determine use and non-use of ebooks, while vendor reports from EBL and ebrary were used for the cost per use analysis. Print usage information was drawn from SIRSI and then ALMA when UML switched systems at the beginning of 2014. Results – Ebooks received more use than p-books overall, but when examined by subject discipline, significant differences could not be found for the “STM” and “Other” categories. With ebooks, university press books tended to be used more than those from other publishers, but the same result was not found for print books. Ebrary ebooks tended to be used more often than EBL, EBSCO, and Wiley ebooks, and single-licence books tended to be somewhat more used than multi-user ones. Cost-per-use data was much lower for print books, though the comparison did not look at staffing costs for each medium. Conclusions – This study finds that of approval books matching the same profile, ebooks are used more, but print books receive more substantial use. Both formats are needed in a library’s collection. Future comparisons of cost per use should take into account hidden labour costs associated with each medium. Usage studies provide evidence for librarians refining approval plan profiles and for budget managers considering changes to monographic acquisition methods and allocations.
- ItemOpen AccessEmpower: Association of Architecture School Librarians Conference Report(2022-06-29) Huot, AshleyThis conference report summarizes the content and conversations of the Association of Architecture School Librarians’ 2022 virtual conference titled Empower. This topic was engaged through thematic groupings of presentations including Exploring Intersecting Modalities for Research and Instruction, Amplifying Historically Marginalized Voices, and Highlighting Collections Through Collaboration which reflected empowerment in a myriad of ways, such as support of information organization, teaching, learning, and research.
- ItemOpen AccessMoving from In Person to Online: Effects on Staffing in a Large Academic Library System(Association of College & Research Libraries, 2020) Popowich, Emma; Vokey, SherriThe University of Manitoba (U of M) is a research-intensive medical and doctoral-level university and a member of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities, which includes fifteen of Canada’s top research universities. In support of the U of M’s strategic priorities, distributed campuses, and over 100 programs, the University of Manitoba Libraries (UML) comprises eleven libraries that are distributed over two campuses within the city of Winnipeg. While most of the libraries’ general operations, physical collections, and staff are located at the Fort Garry campus, the Health Sciences library is housed at the downtown medical campus. In 2015–2016, the UML reported a staffing compliment of 180 librarians and support staff. Organizational changes were instituted in June 2016 that affected many areas within the libraries, and they were felt acutely in public services where support staff positions were reduced. Traffic, circulation, and reference trends at the UML closely mirrored those reported widely within academic libraries: services and resources are increasingly moving toward online environments, and after several years of consistent decreases in face-to-face informational and circulation transactions, frontline service staff in academic libraries are being reduced and redeployed. A sweeping reorganization of the UML’s public services staffing model was instituted in an effort to be responsive to these trends. In addition to the layoff of support staff across multiple units that left managers struggling at times to keep libraries adequately staffed and open, remaining service desk staff were expected to refocus their priorities. Support staff, who for so long were evaluated on and lauded for their commitment to public service suddenly felt devalued and questioned their future in academic libraries. At the same time, librarians who were endeavouring to support new faculty services and library-based initiatives were left clamouring for support from library assistants who were now in short supply.
- ItemOpen AccessReview of Approaches to Liaison Librarianship: Innovations in Organization and Engagement(Journal of New Librarianship, 2021) Fuhr, JustinReview of Canuel, R., & Crichton, C. (Eds). (2021). Approaches to liaison librarianship: Innovations in organization and engagement. Association of College and Research Libraries.
- ItemOpen AccessReview of Library Next: Seven Action Steps for Reinvention(Association of College & Research Libraries, 2022-03) Fuhr, JustinBook review of Catherine Murray-Rust's Library Next: Seven Action Steps for Reinvention.
- ItemOpen AccessWho Thinks What About Research? Academic Librarian Research According to Librarians, Faculty, and Collective Agreements(2018-05-31) Babb, MaureenResearch is an important component of academic librarianship. Often required for promotion and tenure, research is integral to the practice of evidence-based librarianship. This session will review a study of the perceptions of librarian research according to librarians and non-librarian faculty, as well as the provisions for librarian research in collective agreements at universities across Canada. Surveys and semi-structured interviews were used to solicit insights from participants on the nature of librarian research, the ability of librarians to conduct research, and the awareness and perceived value of that research. Librarian research was rated as critical and valuable, though awareness of librarian research was found to be relatively low among non-librarian faculty. When this awareness was increased, interdisciplinary communication, trust, and engagement with faculty improved. Formalized support for research was often lacking, even at institutions that require research of their librarians.