This study aims to report on the findings of a detailed analysis of the collection development tools of use to subject bibliographers in meeting the challenges of the ongoing…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to report on the findings of a detailed analysis of the collection development tools of use to subject bibliographers in meeting the challenges of the ongoing changes within the broad discipline of area studies.
Design/methodology/approach
Select online and print resources are examined for their treatment of specific area studies subjects.
Findings
This study identifies the benefits of subject resources, points out inconsistencies with the use of the controlled vocabulary and notes subject access limitations.
Practical implications
The analyzed resources will assist library professionals in identifying and selecting relevant sources.
Originality/value
The detailed analysis of how this subject is treated by numerous resources is unique to the field of library science.
Details
Keywords
Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) represents a new approach to understanding the process of human communication. Developed by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in the early 1970s…
Abstract
Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) represents a new approach to understanding the process of human communication. Developed by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in the early 1970s, it is derived from linguistics, psychology, neurophysiology, kinetics, and cybernetics. NLP is designed to help its users—whether they are therapists, salespersons, or teachers—more quickly gain rapport with their subjects.
Improving the means of document delivery has been a traditional concern to library administrators. Two other concerns have been the speedy identification of and the locating of…
Abstract
Improving the means of document delivery has been a traditional concern to library administrators. Two other concerns have been the speedy identification of and the locating of materials of interest to patrons. Current advances in computer technology are helping librarians meet all three concerns.
This paper aims to provide an alternative method of building quality collections for Jewish Studies collection development professionals in small and medium‐sized academic…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to provide an alternative method of building quality collections for Jewish Studies collection development professionals in small and medium‐sized academic libraries with highly restricted budgets.
Design/methodology/approach
Sources of Jewish Studies literary awards were identified and a detailed analysis of awarded books' subjects and the publishing sources was conducted.
Findings
The results show that awarded books cover a vast variety of subjects of interest to Jewish Studies collections. Since many of them are also published by academic presses, the use of identified Jewish Studies book award sources should be considered by bibliographers responsible for building Jewish Studies collections in non‐sectarian college libraries with very limited budgetary resources.
Practical implications
The “one stop” access to all award sources and awarded books provides an easy access to otherwise dispersed information.
Originality/value
The comprehensive list of awards, nominated and winning titles, as well as the subject analysis presented herein, is the first of its kind. This can be used by Jewish Studies bibliographers to build and improve their collections and can also serve as a model for building other interdisciplinary subject collections.
Details
Keywords
Medical and mental health professionals are in general agreement that the occurrence of anorexia nervosa and bulimia has increased dramatically during the past ten years. The…
Abstract
Medical and mental health professionals are in general agreement that the occurrence of anorexia nervosa and bulimia has increased dramatically during the past ten years. The revelation that public figures such as Karen Carpenter and Cherry Boone were victims has demonstrated that these debilitating illnesses occur more frequently than previously supposed. Not only has the number of relevant professional communications in psychology, psychiatry, and medicine multiplied, but popular periodicals, newspapers, and television have brought these psychiatric disorders to the attention of the general public. As a result, wards and clinics specializing in the treatment of eating disorders have opened in cities of even modest size. Support groups for sufferers and their families are becoming more common as the magnitude of these mental health problems is recognized.
In the early 1980s, Luis Alvarez and his colleagues added a new dimension to Darwin's theory of evolution. With evidence from studies of the earth's crust between the cretacious…
Abstract
In the early 1980s, Luis Alvarez and his colleagues added a new dimension to Darwin's theory of evolution. With evidence from studies of the earth's crust between the cretacious and tertiary layers, they postulated that the traditional slow, gradual mutation of species over eons was also punctuated with occasional major changes, often catastrophic, that caused leaps in evolution in relatively short “moments” of history. The extinction of the dinosaurs and half the other animal species alive between the cretacious and tertiary periods of earth's history was one such momentous change, forever altering the evolution of animal species.
As document supply grows in volume and importance it becomes more necessary to measure its performance. Nearly all measures are relative — over time, across countries, and between…
Abstract
As document supply grows in volume and importance it becomes more necessary to measure its performance. Nearly all measures are relative — over time, across countries, and between systems; they should therefore be consistent and comparable. The main measures are: fill rate (broken down by subject, form and date); speed (broken down into the various processes involved in document supply); user satisfaction (because users' needs may not be articulated); and costs. There may be trade‐offs between different measures (eg speed and costs). Any measurement system must be practical. Most data will be collected by sampling, but well designed automated systems in future should enable better measures to be calculated with less effort.
James T. Mellone and David J. Williams
The purpose of this paper is to examine the best practices in web site redesign the authors established for its two interconnected parts, the web development process and web…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the best practices in web site redesign the authors established for its two interconnected parts, the web development process and web design. The paper demonstrates how best practices were applied to coordinate a library web site redesign project and to engineer the web site for optimum usability, resulting in the creation of a new improved web site.
Design/methodology/approach
A problem‐solution approach was used to analyze how the Queens College Libraries (QCL) fell behind in web technology and how it revitalized its web operations. The paper presents a detailed exposition of a three stage project, and provides reasons for adopting best practices in redesigning each web site area.
Findings
In a resource‐challenged mid‐sized academic library, like QCL, it is still possible to create a fully functional easy‐to‐use web site.
Practical implications
The QCL experience has lessons for other libraries in similar circumstances. A mid‐sized academic library adopting a best practices approach to web redesign can successfully coordinate an open and inclusive development process and use public web standards to engineer a functional web site responsive to user needs.
Originality/value
Unlike other case studies of web redesign projects at academic libraries, this paper focus on both the web development process and web design, explicating the establishment and application of best practices for both areas.