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Publication date: 24 July 2014

Anne C. Barnhart, Jean M. Cook, Jessica Critten, Angela Pashia, Andrea G. Stanfield and Dean Sullivan

Traditional interviewing techniques often fail to fully assess the “soft skills” required for a potential hire to succeed in a particular organizational culture. This case study…

Abstract

Traditional interviewing techniques often fail to fully assess the “soft skills” required for a potential hire to succeed in a particular organizational culture. This case study presents an alternate framework for evaluating candidates to determine their ability to effectively collaborate with existing team members. The authors report the process used in hiring two faculty librarians in 2011 and the ways the process was revised to fill two newly created positions in 2013. A review of management literature on interview techniques supports using practical exercises and strategically designed questions to assess a candidate’s fit within a given organizational culture. The experiences reported in this case study bear that out. The process of strategically designing the interview structure enabled the department to gain a better vision of its priorities and values, while the interviews enabled the team to select additional members who work well in a collaborative environment with the personalities already in place. Readers can use this to redesign their interview procedures to more effectively select candidates who will contribute to the vision and positive culture of their workplace. This model was successful in this instance and readers can modify these procedures to adapt to their own workplace cultures in any type of library. Building on strategies used in various industries, this chapter translates the use of practical exercises and strategically designed questions into an academic library context.

Details

Advances in Librarianship
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78350-469-5

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Article
Publication date: 7 June 2013

Anne C. Barnhart and Andrea Stanfield

187

Abstract

Details

Reference Services Review, vol. 41 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0090-7324

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Article
Publication date: 7 June 2013

Anne C. Barnhart and Andrea Stanfield

With Complete College America and renewed interest in performance‐based funding models for higher education, colleges are focused on improving retention, progression and…

1096

Abstract

Purpose

With Complete College America and renewed interest in performance‐based funding models for higher education, colleges are focused on improving retention, progression and graduation rates. Many schools bring lower‐achieving students to campus for a pre‐first‐year program called Summer Bridge to give them an introduction to college. These summer programs have varying levels of library involvement. The authors aim to compare the level of library involvement at their institution with that of libraries where similar programs exist.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors searched for schools with summer bridge programs, read through their program descriptions to find ones that were similar to their own situation (e.g. not STEM‐focused or Upward Bound), and sent a survey to 103 libraries. In total, 42 responded.

Findings

Of the responding libraries 88 percent have face‐to‐face instruction with the summer bridge participants, however only 33 percent of the libraries did any assessment of this contact. Ten of the respondents teach credit‐bearing information literacy courses, but none offers this to the summer bridge students.

Practical implications

Many states require institutions to demonstrate student success in order to compete for limited state funds. Libraries have an important role to student success and librarians should strategically place themselves within that conversation. This article provides some possible means to help with summer bridge students.

Originality/value

A search through library and education literature reveals that little has been written about library involvement with programs that are not Upward Bound affiliated. This case study and its survey respond to a gap in the literature of both fields.

Details

Reference Services Review, vol. 41 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0090-7324

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Article
Publication date: 15 February 2011

Anne C. Barnhart and Andrea G. Stanfield

Owing to the growing number of online and commuting students at the University of West Georgia, the Instructional Services department at Ingram Library experimented with offering…

2188

Abstract

Purpose

Owing to the growing number of online and commuting students at the University of West Georgia, the Instructional Services department at Ingram Library experimented with offering online synchronous library instruction. This paper aims to describe how it approached this problem and the findings from the initial attempts.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors wanted to provide library instruction to online graduate students at the university. They worked with the staff development department to develop a pilot program for an online library instruction course using WIMBA web‐conferencing software.

Findings

It was found that due to the limitations of technology, the authors had to reduce the amount of information they deliver in the same amount of time. It was also discovered that it is easy to be distracted by the technology and forget that clear communication with the users (students and faculty) are the key to any successful instruction program regardless of the delivery method.

Originality/value

Most libraries offer face‐to‐face library instruction and rely on tutorials to reach their distance education and non‐traditional students. Few libraries are using distance education tools to teach information literacy skills. As librarians begin to explore this avenue, they need to re‐evaluate how and what they teach students to better leverage the technology while reaching the same information literacy objectives.

Details

Reference Services Review, vol. 39 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0090-7324

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Article
Publication date: 7 June 2013

Maggie Gallup Kopp

Academic institutions struggle to differentiate themselves in the eyes of prospective students. Schools use their institutional missions to communicate their unique purposes and…

1440

Abstract

Purpose

Academic institutions struggle to differentiate themselves in the eyes of prospective students. Schools use their institutional missions to communicate their unique purposes and goals with core constituencies, but often the mission is not shared during recruitment. Academic libraries can assist in recruiting students by communicating the institution's mission through their collections. This paper aims to focus on the efforts of Brigham Young University's L. Tom Perry Special Collections.

Design/methodology/approach

This case study examines the approach of Brigham Young University's L. Tom Perry Special Collections, which has worked with its campus admissions office by serving as a stop on campus tours for high‐priority academic and athletic recruits.

Findings

These tour sessions are more than just quick show‐and‐tell sessions; they are opportunities to discuss the university's unique “Aims of a BYU Education”.

Originality/value

The case study provides new perspectives on how academic libraries can demonstrate value by tying their services and collections to recruitment efforts and to the mission of their parent institutions.

Details

Reference Services Review, vol. 41 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0090-7324

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Article
Publication date: 7 June 2013

Ma Lei Hsieh, Susan McManimon and Sharon Yang

This study aims to examine the instruction of basic information literacy (IL) skills taught to the socio‐economically disadvantaged students in the Educational Opportunity Program…

1446

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the instruction of basic information literacy (IL) skills taught to the socio‐economically disadvantaged students in the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) at Rider University in summer 2011. The study set out to determine how the beginning IL levels of EOP freshmen differ from those of other freshmen, their learning outcomes, and retention of IL as a means to improve future research instruction.

Design/methodology/approach

Faculty of a speech communication class and two librarians collaborated in integrating IL in the class assignments of the 2011 summer EOP program. The assessment tools include identical pre‐ and post‐tests, a second post‐test with different multiple correct answer questions, a survey about students' perceptions of their IL training, and the teaching faculty's observations of EOP students' research skills.

Findings

EOP freshmen are equivalent to the peer freshmen in their low levels of IL skills. The findings suggested that EOP freshmen complete IL instruction with stronger IL skills. The second post‐test revealed that many students were confused about some basic IL concepts. Faculty's observation of students' information literacy skills concurs with the pre‐ and post‐tests.

Originality/value

This study fills a void in the literature on recent research of information literacy skills of socio‐economically disadvantaged college students. The multi‐correct answer questions employed are valuable but rarely employed in studies or discussed in the literature. The collaboration of faculty and librarians in assignment design is valuable as an increasing number of faculty are utilizing librarians to teach the necessary IL skills needed in today's curricula.

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Article
Publication date: 7 June 2013

Miriam Sweeney

This paper seeks to position ready reference technologies as cultural artifacts that have meaning and value beyond pure functionality as a reference tool. The case study aims to…

807

Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to position ready reference technologies as cultural artifacts that have meaning and value beyond pure functionality as a reference tool. The case study aims to assert that locally created reference tools and technologies have much to offer as artifacts that encode cultural knowledge about the community, institution and profession.

Design/methodology approach

This case study consists of semi‐structural interviews with six library reference staff members about their experiences and interpretations of a collaboratively created ready reference technology that is used in their reference practice at a public library.

Findings

The results demonstrate there is value is exploring technologies as cultural artifacts in that they reveal otherwise hidden or obscured institutional values, labor practices, tensions associated with changing times in the profession, and the community culture throughout time.

Practical implications

There is benefit in exploring locally created ready reference tools as cultural artifacts to uncover hidden cultural knowledge about institutions, communities, and professional practices.

Originality/value

While there are studies of ready reference tools, they largely focus on the transition of these materials from print‐to‐digital. There was a gap in the literature about the meaning of the ready reference tools to their librarian creators/users. This study is a contribution to ready reference literature and starts to address this gap.

Details

Reference Services Review, vol. 41 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0090-7324

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Article
Publication date: 7 June 2013

Alison Graber, Stephanie Alexander, Megan Bresnahan and Jennie Gerke

Reference data collection tools facilitate the collection of in‐depth data about reference interactions. Since this information may influence decisions, library managers should…

883

Abstract

Purpose

Reference data collection tools facilitate the collection of in‐depth data about reference interactions. Since this information may influence decisions, library managers should examine how these tools are used and assess how these data entry behaviors may impact the accuracy of the data. This paper aims to analyze reference staff perceptions and data entry behaviors using a reference data collection tool.

Design/methodology/approach

The two‐year mixed method study analyses reference staff perceptions and data entry behaviors related to the reference data collection tool used at the University of Colorado Boulder Libraries. The authors identified six distinct data entry behaviors for analysis in this study.

Findings

The survey results indicate that staff consider the tool to be both easy to use and useful. These findings, under the technology acceptance model, indicate technology acceptance, which influences adoption and use of the tool. Though rates of adoption and use of the tool are high, the authors' analysis of behaviors indicate that not all users record reference interactions in the same way, and this inconsistency may impact the accuracy of collected data.

Practical implications

Inconsistency in data entry behaviors should inform the design of staff training sessions, best practice guidelines, and the tool's interface.

Social implications

If data are used to justify changes to services and collections, decision makers need to be confident that data accurately reflect activity at library service points.

Originality/value

Previous studies related to reference data collection mention the importance of consistent data entry practices, but no studies have explicitly evaluated how inconsistencies in use may impact the accuracy of data.

Details

Reference Services Review, vol. 41 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0090-7324

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Article
Publication date: 7 June 2013

Melissa A. Hubbard and Amber T. Loos

The purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which academic libraries participate in and assess initiatives to increase or maintain student enrollment levels at…

2356

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which academic libraries participate in and assess initiatives to increase or maintain student enrollment levels at colleges and universities in the US.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey of academic library directors in the US was conducted. The 31 question survey was distributed via email to 321 librarians in the sample population. The survey response rate was 42.7 percent. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS 19.0 and qualitative data were coded according to recruitment or retention strategy.

Findings

Regardless of institution type or size, libraries in the sample population were just as likely to participate in recruitment and retention initiatives. However, some libraries stood out as particularly active in recruitment and retention initiatives. Indicators of active library participation were identified.

Research limitations/implications

The response rate for the survey did not generate a statistically significant sample size, given the population. However, the data generated here contribute significantly to the relatively scant literature on academic library participation in retention and recruitment activities. The findings also suggest the need for the profession to focus on creating assessment tools to measure library impact on recruitment and retention.

Originality/value

No other studies have surveyed the academic library field to document the extent to which they participate in and assess recruitment and retention initiatives.

Details

Reference Services Review, vol. 41 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0090-7324

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Article
Publication date: 7 June 2013

Vickie Lynn Mix

This paper's aim is to examine the value of library participation in institutional governance in the implementation of a comprehensive model for student success at a research…

1709

Abstract

Purpose

This paper's aim is to examine the value of library participation in institutional governance in the implementation of a comprehensive model for student success at a research university.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides a case study comparing the historical and current governance structure in a high research university, the relationship between a new governance structure and the implementation of a comprehensive student success model and the inclusion of the library in creating, implementing and participating in student success initiatives.

Findings

Participation in university shared governance enhances the library's role in contributing to student success, retention, progression and graduation.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the discussion of the value of academic libraries to student success efforts in retention, progression and graduation for university students.

Details

Reference Services Review, vol. 41 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0090-7324

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