Association Of Research Libraries Libraries Research Articles

Viewing Legal Online Pornography by Adults in ARL Libraries: Website Policies and Guidelines

This article uses document analysis to review the content of the policies available on the library websites of 119 academic member institutions of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) for policies that address viewing legal visual (video or images) pornography on computers within library spaces. The authors seek to answer the question: How do ARL member libraries address the viewing of legal online pornography by adults in their library spaces as noted in policies or guidelines on their website?

IT Assessment in ARL Libraries

With the rapid pace of change and the high cost invested in information technology, it is important for academic libraries to evaluate the information technology solutions they use in their institutions to determine whether they are meeting the needs of their students, faculty, staff, and other users of their libraries and resources. This study presents the results of an online survey of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) academic library members to benchmark the assessment strategies that they used to evaluate their IT activities. This article compares their responses with earlier studies to identify trends and make recommendations for effective assessment practices.

Chat References in “Big 12” and ARL Libraries: An Analysis of Training, Policy, and Guidelines

Public and internal library chat policies serve to set expectations for library patrons, as well as the library professionals who provide chat reference. These policies, or their absence, shape how academic libraries train for and assess their chat services, as well as how they provide chat instruction. In a post-pandemic environment, academic librarians can expect increasing use of distance services including chat reference. This case study reviews the public chat policies of “Big 12” and Association of Research Libraries (ARL) libraries across 12 categories. It also reviews the chat transcripts of two subject librarians from August 2017 through May 2018 and again from March 2020 through December 2021, the latter coinciding with the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study provides a look at the purposes and efficacy of internal and public chat reference policies.

Libraries and Diminished Patron Privacy During the COVID-19 Health Crisis

The COVID-19 health crisis has ushered in an era of great change in the way individuals and institutions function. With the contagious and deadly nature of COVID-19, libraries geared their efforts to increase access to and use of digital collections. With the introduction of stay-home orders, the option of adopting full virtual services became the go-to solution as a way of protecting library staff and users. Collaboration with third-party vendors that provide online library services heightened like never before. As libraries reopened at a later point in the global pandemic, library staff were asked to conduct health screenings for patrons entering the library and actively monitor whether patrons were socially distanced in the library. The drastic change to library operations due to the pandemic resulted in the increased collection of patrons’ personal information ranging from health information to location data coupled with library records. Much as librarians are traditionally and professionally committed to protecting their patrons’ privacy, undertaking activities like health screening in the absence of data transparency practices can potentially impact library users’ privacy. In this study, we investigated whether the 25 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) members with the largest number of titles held developed or modified their privacy policies in response to the increase in data collection during the COVID-19 health crisis. Privacy policies are living documents that should evolve with the times and thus should be updated or modified to reflect the current realities. We also examined whether pre-pandemic privacy policies, if any, of the surveyed 25 ARL member libraries are aligned with the privacy requirements outlined in the American Library Association (ALA) Privacy Toolkit (ALA 2014). Our results show that of the surveyed 25 ARL libraries, none of them developed a new library privacy policy or modified an existing one to reflect their data practices with specific regard to the new realities presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. The disregard for such adjustments to their privacy policies violated the principle of data transparency. Our results also show that, at the time of the survey, 4 of the surveyed 25 ARL members did not have library privacy policies.

Special Collections on a Shoestring: A Survey of Non-ARL Libraries Servicing Rare Book Collections

This article reports the first national survey that creates a baseline for documenting the experience of working with rare books in libraries without Association of Research Libraries (ARL) membership: a group of libraries that make up about half the field of librarians working with rare books. Scarcely studied despite decades of comparable studies of their ARL library colleagues, librarians working in non-ARL rare book collections have comparable demographics, professional training, and standards for their work as their peers in ARL libraries. Their experiences doing the work in non-ARL libraries demonstrate a significant disparity in resources for acquisitions, security, staffing, and fundraising. These experiences of half of the special collections professionals in the field require further study, reintroducing their narratives into our understanding of “what rare books librarianship looks like.”

Privacy concerns and the prevalence of third-party tracking cookies on ARL library homepages

PurposeThe integration of third-party resources on library websites may be inadvertently contributing to surveillance technologies without user knowledge. This study set out to determine the prevalence of third-party tracking cookies on Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member homepages, the entities that are tracking users and for what purpose and what control users have over their cookie preferences.Design/methodology/approachHomepages from the 124 ARL member libraries were visited. Evidence of a privacy or cookie statement was collected and cookie logs were captured. This data were compared against the Disconnect list of known trackers and analyzed to determine the extent to which third-party tracking cookies were used across ARL sites, who was setting the cookies and for what purpose, and whether this use differed with regards to a library's identifying features.FindingsIt was determined that many ARL libraries do contribute to the ability to track a user's activity across the web, with one-third containing third-party tracking cookies. A user's contact with tracking cookies is influenced by various traits defining the institution. Users are given very little control over the cookies logged on their machines.Originality/valueThis study explores library efforts to protect user privacy, adopting an introspective approach that focuses on library websites. It will provide discussion points for librarians to question not only what third-party tracking cookies are present on their sites and why, but also how to educate their users about privacy issues.

Are Ada, Katherine, Sally, and Sophie on-Shelf?: Holdings of Award-Winning Juvenile STEM Works in ARL Libraries with a Special Focus on Female-Themed Titles

PreK-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) books are vital resources for student teachers in college-level Education programs. This study takes a best-case scenario approach by exploring the holdings of recent Outstanding Science Trade Books (Books identified by the National Science Teaching Association annually for K-12 students.) at twenty academic libraries. Even among large-budget, research-oriented university libraries chosen for our study, there is considerable variability in the number and types of titles owned. The works most likely to be present in Association of Research Libraries (ARL) libraries include those that have won multiple awards. Titles about female scientists were among the most frequently held and were just as popular as works about males in STEM.

The State of Academic Liaison Librarian Burnout in ARL Libraries in the United States

This study investigates the incidence and acuteness of occupational burnout in full-time Association of Research Libraries (ARL) liaison/subject librarians in the United States, using the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Areas of Worklife Survey . Findings show that lack of personal agency is the primary contributor to a sense of burnout and that, while many liaisons feel significant levels of overwork and lack of fair treatment, positive correlation between institutional and personal values runs high regardless of gender, time as a liaison, or time spent at a particular institution. This values relationship, along with a strong sense of personal efficacy, may moderately offset burnout symptoms. Still, findings indicate a need for further study of burnout in the overall academic librarian population, as well as a significant need for change in liaison librarians’ professional experiences to ease their reported levels of burnout.

Realigning liaison with university priorities: Observations from ARL Liaison Institutes 2015–18

Since 2015, the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) has designed and delivered eight2 one-to-two day liaison institutes to participants from a dozen ARL libraries across North America. Modelled on the 2015 institute held at Cornell University,3 institutes are designed for liaison librarians, functional specialists, and managers who engage regularly with faculty, students, and academic administrators. Participants work in small groups to understand the changing landscape of librarian-faculty engagement by examining possible future scenarios for research libraries by placing themselves “in the shoes” of specific user groups to understand their needs and challenges. Through those insights, they consider new and needed ways to advance teaching and research excellence at their local institutions.

Is There a Racial Wage Gap in Research Libraries? An Analysis of ARL Libraries

Racial equality has been of great importance to the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), as seen through various initiatives. However, in recent years, little research has been done regarding the racial wage gap in ARL libraries. Researchers used thirty-five years of raw ARL salary survey data to examine the wage gap between racial minorities and nonminorities (whites). Using this data, researchers created a model that controlled for institution, years of experience, years of experience squared, position, law or medical library, and sex to better understand the nature of the racial wage gap. This model shows that the gap has gradually closed over the years and that there is no longer a statistically significant wage gap between racial minorities and nonminorities in ARL libraries today.

The Effect of Gender and Minority Status on Salary in Private and Public ARL Libraries

The purpose of this study was to identify pay disparities within gender and race using private and public Association of Research Libraries (ARL) libraries as a lens. In this study, 44 ARL libraries participated, leading to 1099 usable responses to our survey. The findings indicate that race and gender pay disparities are larger at private libraries than at public libraries. However, disparity levels at both public and private ARL libraries are smaller than the national averages for all professions and continue to shrink.

Assessment committees: good practices from ARL libraries

Purpose Assessment activities in academic libraries continue to grow as libraries explore assessment endeavors. Ranging from basic stats gathering and reporting to surveys, focus groups, and usability studies and beyond. Many practitioners are finding it necessary to create new processes and programs, with little guidance. The purpose of this paper is to paint a broad picture of assessment activities in Association of Research Libraries (ARL) university libraries with the goal of creating a resource for libraries developing or improving their assessment programs. Design/methodology/approach A survey was developed that asked questions about assessment personnel, activities, mission, and website. A total of 113 surveys were sent to academic library members of ARL. Survey results were analyzed to compile a list of recommended good practices for assessment and working with assessment committees in academic libraries. Findings The investigators had a response rate of 43 percent. The open-ended nature of the survey questions allowed for the respondents to specifically narrow down the problems and opportunities inherent in library assessment committees. Originality/value This study takes the temperature of the current state of assessment programs in ARL libraries, demonstrating the growth of assessment programs. It begins to document the practices of these libraries, particularly in regards to the sometimes informal and hard to track use of committees and other in-house collaborations, as a first step toward developing best practices for the field. The results illuminate productive areas for further study, including investigating how to measure a culture of assessment and maximizing impact of assessment information presented on assessment websites.

The Impact of Off-Site Storage on Core Special Collections Activities

A Review of:
 Priddle, C., & McCann, L. (2015). Off-site storage and special collections: A study in use and impact in ARL libraries in the United States. College & Research Libraries, 76(5), 652-670. doi:10.5860/crl.76.5.652
 
 Abstract
 
 Objective – To measure the use of off-site storage for special collections materials and to examine how this use impacts core special collections activities.
 
 Design – Survey questionnaire containing both structured and open ended questions. Follow-up interviews were also conducted.
 
 Setting – Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member institutions in the United States of America. 
 
 Subjects – 108 directors of special collections. 
 
 Methods – Participants were recruited via email; contact information was compiled through professional directories, web searches, and referrals from professionals at ARL member libraries. The survey was sent out on October 31, 2013, and two reminder emails were distributed before it closed three weeks later. The survey was created and distributed using Qualtrics, a research software that supports online data collection and analysis. All results were analyzed using Microsoft Excel and Qualtrics.
 
 Main Results – The final response rate was 58% (63 out of 108). The majority (51 participants, or 81%) reported use of off-site storage for library collections. Of this group, 91% (47 out of 51) house a variety of special collections in off-site storage. The criteria most frequently utilized to designate these materials to off-site storage are use (87%), size (66%), format (60%), and value (57%). The authors found that special collections directors are most likely to send materials to off-site storage facilities that are established and in use by other departments at their home institution; access to established workflows, especially those linked to transit and delivery, and space for expanding collections are benefits. 
 
 In regard to core special collections activities, results indicated that public service was most impacted by off-site storage. The authors discussed challenges related to patron use and satisfaction. In regard to management and processing, directors faced challenges using the same level of staff to maintain two locations instead of one. Also, the integration of new workflows required additional oversight to ensure adequate control at all points of process. Static staffing levels and increased levels of responsibility impacted preservation and conservation activities as well. A central concern was the handling of materials by facility staff not trained as special collections professionals. In regard to the facilities themselves, a general concern was that commercial warehouses do not always provide the kind of environmental control systems recommended for storage of special collections materials. 
 
 Of the total sample group, 12 participants (19%) said their institution does not use off-site storage for special collections. When asked if this may occur in the future, four directors (33%) said they anticipate off-site storage use within the next five years. Lack of space was listed as the primary motivation. 
 
 Conclusion – Study findings provide evidence for what was previously known anecdotally: planning, coordinating, and managing off-site storage is a significant professional responsibility that will only grow in the future. As primary resources are integrated into research, teaching, and learning activities, the acquisition of special collections materials will continue to grow. Discussions regarding off-site storage workflows and strategic planning will continue as professionals seek compromises that meet the unique needs of acquisition, preservation, and public service.

Funding, Time, and Mentoring: A Study of Research and Publication Support Practices of ARL Member Libraries

ABSTRACTThis study is an exploration of how Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member institutions encourage and support their librarians engaged in research and publication. Using an online survey sent to members of the ARL library directors’ listserv, the authors gathered information about the role of research and publication in the respondents’ evaluation systems, the approaches used to support this activity, the respondents’ own records of research and publication, and their opinions about which approaches have the most impact. The results indicate that funding, time, and mentoring are the most frequently used approaches to promote research and publication productivity.

Teaching Outside the Box: ARL Librarians’ Integration of the “One-Box” into Student Instruction

This article reports the results of a survey that targeted reference and instruction librarians who work at libraries that are members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). Respondents were asked to indicate whether or not they teach students to use the one-box tool, and why or why not. Based on the responses of the 352 librarians who participated in the study, the researchers found that most reference and instruction librarians at ARL libraries are “teaching outside the box.”

Making It Look Easy: Maintaining the Magic of Access

Given the continued rise in both cost and complexity of electronic resource management, the authors have researched how Association of Research Libraries (ARL) in the U.S. and Canada are tracking the effectiveness of managing ongoing access to electronic resources. This research describes the various methods ARL libraries are using to track and manage access, both proactive and reactive, through survey and case study analysis. Based on a survey of ARL librarians, the authors conclude that the current state of electronic resource troubleshooting is almost entirely reactive and often unevenly coordinated. Some of the reasons for the reactive and uncoordinated approaches to troubleshooting include relying on a range of disparate systems for managing and storing electronic resource information that make tracking and resolving problems difficult, staff members working across Technical Services departments organized on print-based models, and workflows that have grown in response as new electronic resources (ebooks, streaming media) have been acquired.

Administrative Metadata for Long-Term Preservation and Management of Resources: A Survey of Current Practices in ARL Libraries

An institutional repository is, among other things, a means to preserve an organization's scholarly output or resources in a variety of digital media and across disciplines. Administrative metadata are critical to the of these digital resources. This study, which surveyed fifty-four Association of Research Libraries (ARL) institutional repositories about their administrative metadata, was designed to create a snapshot of current metadata practices. It revealed no true consensus of administrative metadata accommodated and collected by the repositories. Moreover, responses throughout the survey indicate that in general, organizations are neither accommodating nor recording administrative metadata to any significant extent. If research libraries are to provide permanent, organized, and secure repositories for institutional scholarship and special collections, they must identify core metadata in the context of repository objectives, explore barriers to collection of administrative metadata, and strategize as to how those barriers might be mitigated or overcome. ********** An institutional repository is a central digital repository for an organization's scholarly output across media and disciplines. It is organized and secure, and the digital objects (scholarly resources) it houses are intended to be permanently preserved. A scan of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) repository websites shows that many libraries make explicit this preservation promise to depositors and other users. Administrative metadata, which describes the technical characteristics of the digital file and any original physical source object, actions, and relevant intellectual property rights and access permissions, is critical to the of digital resources. (1) Ten years ago, early in the development of institutional repositories, lack of and administrative metadata was cited as the biggest obstacle to successful long-term preservation. (2) Six years ago, the Audit & Certification Criteria and Checklist developed by the Research Libraries Group-National Archives and Records Administration (RLG-NARA) Task Force on Digital Repository Certification addressed metadata again, and suggested preservation metadata is best addressed by members of the designated communities. (3) These communities have responded to the call by developing numerous standards to support the and management of digital objects. A review of these standards reveals that administrative metadata are detailed and voluminous, and for good reason. Most librarians and archivists would agree that the more information that is known about a resource, the more effectively it can be managed and preserved. Unfortunately, the gathering, recording, and management of detailed metadata is expensive; indeed, a 2002 report by RLG stated that creation of detailed technical metadata alone was possibly beyond the human resources of most institutions. (4) Ten years later, this is still the case. To further complicate matters, the array of standards, best practices, and models fail to form a cohesive whole. As if the sheer volume of detailed administrative metadata were not daunting enough, the overlap and gaps between the related standards make them difficult to implement within any repository system. There are metadata standards meant to apply to all formats but which lack the specificity needed for any one. (5) There are technical metadata standards intended for a specific format but which lack corresponding metadata for the original (usually analog) source material. (6) Those technical metadata standards that do include source metadata are often only applicable to one format. (7) Moreover, boundaries between metadata types are not clearly delineated. Some standards include rights metadata, (8) but some do not. Finally, there are standards that were not designed to record detailed administrative metadata, but which have nonetheless been extensively used for this purpose. …

Lack of Annual Reports Make it Difficult to Analyze Library Strategic Credibility

Objective – To investigate whether libraries achieve strategic credibility by assessing if strategic planning goals match the achievements described in annual reports.
 
 Design – Content analysis of annual reports and strategic plans from a sample of Association of Research Libraries (ARL).
 
 Setting – Academic libraries in Canada and the United States of America. 
 
 Subjects – A random sample of 12 Canadian and 16 American academic libraries. All libraries were members of ARL.
 
 Methods – The researcher contacted the directors of 28 ARL libraries and asked for copies of their strategic plans and annual reports. She also visited the websites of libraries to obtain the reports. The contents of the strategic plans and annual reports were analyzed, and trends in the Canadian and American strategic plans were identified.
 
 Main Results – This study found that only 39% of ARL libraries produce annual reports, making it difficult to assess if libraries have strategic credibility, as their strategic plans cannot be assessed against annual reports. The strategic plans gathered in this study were analyzed and emerging themes were identified. These included physical library space (renovations, expansions or new buildings); offsite storage; assessment (both of the libraries’ services, and of information literacy training); development activities such as fundraising and marketing; and personnel issues. Cultural differences also were found in the strategic plans, with American libraries being more focused on trends such as digitization and institutional repositories, and Canadian libraries’ plans being more focused on users’ needs. Trends in annual reports were not reported due to the small number of annual reports in the sample.
 
 
 Conclusion – This study gives a snapshot of the trends in strategic plans of ARL members. It shows that many ARL members do not produce an annual report, and that it is therefore difficult to assess if their strategic plans are implemented successfully. The article hypothesizes that the communication of achievements may now be part of development and marketing efforts, rather than traditional annual reports.

Foreign LIS degrees in contemporary US academic libraries

Purpose – The purpose of this case study is to summarize a task force's efforts to change the educational degree requirements for open librarian positions at a large university in the Midwestern USA.Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews the literature on degree requirements in academic libraries and the nature of LIS degrees from countries outside the USA. It analyzes 136 position advertisements for academic librarians by required terminal degree and the type and Association of Research Libraries (ARL) status of the institution.Findings – The paper concludes that, while most position advertisements do not specifically address foreign Library and Information Science (LIS) degrees, many advertisements, especially those at ARL libraries, contain flexible language that allows for degrees that are “equivalent” to the American Library Association (ALA) accredited LIS degree.Research limitations/implications – The data collected from the relatively small sample of 136 job advertisements for academic li...

Web Usability Policies/Standards/Guidelines (PSGs) do not Influence Practices at ARL Academic Libraries

Web Usability Policies/Standards/Guidelines (PSGs) do not Influence Practices at ARL Academic Libraries