The political process behind the Uniform Computer Information Transaction Act (UCITA) and the implications for higher education are described. The negotiation, acquisition, and…
Abstract
The political process behind the Uniform Computer Information Transaction Act (UCITA) and the implications for higher education are described. The negotiation, acquisition, and delivery of digital information to students and faculty are core services of academic libraries. UCITA is a proposed USA state contract law intended to regulate commercial transactions of intangible digital goods, such as computer software, online databases, and other digital information resources. UCITA may weaken the ability of libraries to negotiate balanced contracts. Group theory is used as a conceptual framework for explanation and analysis. Conclusions are: higher education institutions need to be aware of their role as economic entities in public policy formation, and librarians need to educate college and university administrators regarding the significance and institutional impact of digital information public policy.
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Massive bar coding projects require a great deal of planning and preparation, and usually involve most of a library's staff. The swift and efficient execution of the project is…
Abstract
Massive bar coding projects require a great deal of planning and preparation, and usually involve most of a library's staff. The swift and efficient execution of the project is paramount. While a large‐scale bar coding project can be intimidating, detailed planning can prevent hours of anxiety and the need for crisis management. This article attempts to provide a comprehensive overview of the relevant issues for a successful bar coding project. Selecting bar codes, planning and structuring a project, calculating time estimates, and maintaining staff morale are presented in detail. A selected bibliography provides access to more information.
Carolyn Radcliff, Mary Du Mont and Jeffrey Gatten
Discusses the challenge Internet presents to the reference servicein academic libraries. Sees text education as an issue of high prioritybut also recommends inclusion of the…
Abstract
Discusses the challenge Internet presents to the reference service in academic libraries. Sees text education as an issue of high priority but also recommends inclusion of the acquisition of electronic journals, local archiving of retrieved data and the provision of bibliographic access through the local library catalogue to resources available in the Internet in a model of new age library services.
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Rajinder Garcha and Jeffrey N. Gatten
A study was undertaken to compare library skills and attitudes oftraditional and non‐traditional students entering Kent State Universityduring the Spring semester of 1989. It was…
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A study was undertaken to compare library skills and attitudes of traditional and non‐traditional students entering Kent State University during the Spring semester of 1989. It was discovered that non‐traditional students present a challenge to library instruction due to a lack of familiarity with and commitment to the academic routine, and a lack of library experience overall. Freshmen students were administered a questionnaire prior to receiving any formal library instruction. Chi‐square tests were used to test significant differences between the two groups regarding the variables of library skills and library attitudes. Because of the sample size, the study was limited. However, some observations were made that merit further study and may have implications for library instruction programmes which will be designed to address the growing population of non‐traditional college students in the 1990s.
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Academic librarians have long been concerned with facilitating the teaching of information seeking and critical thinking skills among the undergraduate student population. In this…
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Academic librarians have long been concerned with facilitating the teaching of information seeking and critical thinking skills among the undergraduate student population. In this sense, librarians are very much interested in facilitating student development. This article briefly describes the two major theories of student development, places these theories in the context of academic librarianship, and offers suggestions on how librarians can apply (map) these theories to practice when interacting with students. The goal is to enhance programmatic library interventions in order to further develop students’ information research skills.
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I. Hoffman and J.S. Koga
Provides a bibliography of CD‐ROM for librarians, covering casestudies, costs, product evaluation guidelines, databases, CDI,downloading/copyright and CD vs. online, for use when…
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Provides a bibliography of CD‐ROM for librarians, covering case studies, costs, product evaluation guidelines, databases, CDI, downloading/copyright and CD vs. online, for use when making decisions about the adoption of CD‐ROM.
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Rosanne M. Cordell and Nancy A. Wootton
Libraries of all types are in the midst of attempting to acquire the equipment and connections necessary to provide patron access to the Internet. The 1994 survey of public…
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Libraries of all types are in the midst of attempting to acquire the equipment and connections necessary to provide patron access to the Internet. The 1994 survey of public libraries by the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science indicates that 87.3 percent of all public libraries surveyed do not currently provide public access terminals; yet, informal surveys of library and information science literature, popular literature, and attendance at conferences and workshops indicate there is considerable interest in acquiring connections to the Internet, and many libraries are making concrete plans to do so. Still, libraries involved in the acquisition stage of Internet connectivity may have temporarily set aside consideration of policy issues relating to that access. However, the Internet is far more than merely another format, such as libraries dealt with when deciding to collect videos or CDs; the Internet is a new publishing format, communication tool, repository of information, and art form. It challenges our assumptions and policies regarding censorship, confidentiality, intellectual property, the reliability, stability, and verifiability of information—even our view of (virtual) reality! Providing public access to the Internet can affect every aspect of library policy making and demand new definitions and decisions.
This paper aims to determine the percentage of reference errors and type of errors in four library and information science (LIS) journals.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to determine the percentage of reference errors and type of errors in four library and information science (LIS) journals.
Design/methodology/approach
Research articles from issues published in 2007 were selected for analysis. The references were compared to online freely available tables of contents. The errors identified were categorised into six elements: journal title; author(s); article title; publication year; volume; and page numbers.
Findings
The highest percentage of reference errors was 49.1 percent (Information and Management). The overall error rates were: author (56 percent), page number (22 percent), article title (15 percent), volume (3 percent), publication year (2 percent) and journal title (2 percent).
Research limitations/implications
The tables of contents (ToCs) used to compare the article references may not have correctly recorded the article details. Not all journal references could be reviewed as not all journal ToCs are available online. This one year, 2007, may not accurately reflect the citation accuracy of the journal in other years. This study did not differentiate between errors that would prevent the location of the article and those that could still be located with perseverance.
Practical implications
Error rates in these LIS journals are considerable. The current method of authors being responsible for the references is not resulting in accurate bibliographic information.
Originality/value
Based on the findings, possible solutions are suggested that could improve the accuracy of references.
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Anna Marie Johnson, Claudene Sproles and Robert Detmering
The purpose of this paper is to provide a selected bibliography of recent resources on library instruction and information literacy.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a selected bibliography of recent resources on library instruction and information literacy.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper introduces and annotates periodical articles, monographs, and audiovisual material examining library instruction and information literacy.
Findings
Information about each source is provided. The paper discusses the characteristics of current scholarship, and describes sources that contain unique scholarly contributions and quality reproductions.
Originality/value
The information in the paper may be used by librarians and interested parties as a quick reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.