Library Web Pages Research Articles

“Discovering” what's changed: a revisit of the OPACs of 260 academic libraries

PurposeThis paper aims to determine the current usage of next generation online public access catalogs (OPACs) and discovery tools in academic libraries in the USA and Canada.Design/methodology/approachUsing the same random sample of 260 colleges and universities in the USA and Canada from their original study, the authors revisited each institution's library web page to ascertain whether the OPAC interface(s) offered were the same or different than in their initial data collection. Data was collected and analyzed in October and November 2011.FindingsDiscovery tool use has practically doubled in the last two years, from 16 percent to 29 percent. A total of 96 percent of academic libraries using discovery tools still provide access to their legacy catalog. The percentage of institutions using ILS OPACs with faceted navigation has increased from 2 percent to 4 percent. Combining the use of discovery tools and faceted OPACs, at least 33 percent of academic libraries are now using a faceted interface. Discovery tools that aim to be the “single point of entry for all library resources” are the most recently popular.Research limitations/implicationsAbout 16 percent of the institutions (n=43) in the sample either did not have web sites or did not provide access to their online catalogs. Thus, some data might be underreported.Practical implicationsThe findings identify trends that may inform academic libraries in the quest to providing next generation interfaces to their varied resources.Originality/valueThis study gives a timely update of next generation catalog (NGC) and discovery tool usage in academic libraries in the USA and Canada.

A Comparison of Searching Functionality of a VuFind Catalogue Implementation and the Traditional Catalogue

As of spring semester 2010, Georgia Southern University began using a VuFind implementation as the default access to the library catalogue on the library Web page while maintaining a secondary link to the traditional Voyager "classic" catalogue. VuFind is an open-source product that has been adopted and adapted by all the state universities and colleges in the state of Georgia. For approximately ten years, Georgia libraries have used Voyager as their catalogue, and it remains available to users as the "classic" search option. This report examines the local VuFind implementation compared to the more traditional Voyager implementation, emphasizing the differences in the searching capabilities of each.

Introducing podcast in library service: an analytical study

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the application of podcast in academic and public libraries, focusing on its purposes and characteristic features. It seeks to measure the degree of adoption of podcast in different types of libraries across the continents.Design/methodology/approachA content analysis method was used for data collection. Convenience sampling method was followed to select four samples of population, one from each of the four continents. Data were collected along the checkpoints developed by Nguyen and Tripathi and Kumar, and subsequently modified by the researcher. Microsoft Excel was used to analyze data.FindingsThe analysis revealed that library podcasts have some basic features and are implemented for specific purposes. It also revealed that adoption of podcast varies along the geographical regions. The study found that extension of implementation of podcast is high in North American libraries whereas intension of adoption of podcast is high in Australian libraries. However, the reason of disproportionate use of library podcast may be attributed to the differential internet penetration rate along the regions. The paper also identifies areas where podcast is being effectively used by libraries across the world.Research limitations/implicationsThe present study was limited to North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, and the survey was completely internet‐based, conducted on web sites available in English only. A combination of questionnaire and interview method may enable future researchers to measure the impact of podcast on users' and librarians' attitude and perception, which in turn, will determine the extent to which podcast is capable of motivating and engaging users to harness library facilities.Originality/valueBased on the research findings, the scope of the present study may potentially be expanded with the inclusion of different dimensions to gain a comprehensive understanding on the practicability and usefulness of podcast in different libraries belonging to diverse socio economical levels. The findings will also guide future librarians and web developers alike in designing library web pages so that traditional library services could be provided in an innovative way to meet the expectations and information needs of the users.

Access and Availability:

AbstractArt museum libraries provide unparalleled resources to the interested user. While specialized researchers have long been aware of these collections, the general public has not necessarily known of their existence and accessibility. With the advent of the web and the digitization of collections, institutions have the opportunity to increase a collection's visibility. However, increased visibility does not inherently translate into increased accessibility or use. New patrons may not be aware of the norms associated with special research collections and may be intimidated by the process of accessing information. Using a codebook to perform content analysis, this study quantitatively evaluates use and visiting policies on art museum library web pages. By studying the existence of these policies, the author hopes to explore one aspect of library accessibility and provide librarians and museum professionals with a framework for understanding the utility of making these policies publicly available.

ENGLISH

The present article is a web survey of Library web pages of different Universities as well as Institutesof National Importance web sites of the state of West Bengal regarding application of Web 2.0 technologyand tools to enhance library services to patrons. Brief introduction to different Web 2.0 tools such as Blog,Wiki, RSS, Podcast, etc. is given. Based on the analysis of collected data, a few questions are raised to bedug deeper into the malady of present condition. doi: 10.14429/djlit.32.2.1594

Updates on the Veterinary Dermatology Wiley Online Library webpage

Updates on the Veterinary Dermatology Wiley Online Library webpage

Invisible: The Online Presence of Medical Library Web Pages on Hospital Web Sites

The purpose of this study is to determine the Web presence of the hospital medical library on the public Web sites of the 10 top-ranked hospitals in the United States, with a focus on the top-ranked hospital, Johns Hopkins Medicine. The navigation elements of the top 10 U.S. hospitals were examined, particularly the navigation bars, menus, and site search engines. Results indicate that links to the Web pages of hospital medical libraries were largely lacking from the primary navigation systems on the home page and first-level Web pages of hospital Web sites. Phrase searches conducted with the hospitals' site search engines revealed that links to the hospital medical library are often located at the third level (sub-subsection) of the hospital Web site, which limits their visibility to hospital Web site visitors. To improve visibility, hospital librarians must assume a proactive stance. Hospital departments commonly involved in managing the hospital's public Web site are the information technology (IT) department and the corporate communication department. Hospital medical librarians should work closely with their hospital's Webmaster and Communications Department to ensure that links to the medical library Web pages are consistently represented in the primary navigation systems of their hospital's public Web site.

A Study of a Popular Library Resource for Bedside Nurses: Theoretical Reflections and Implications for Practice at Blessing Health Professions Library

Blessing Health Professions Library staff analyzed usage reports and discovered certain electronic resources were underutilized. In contrast, a new resource, Nursing Reference Center, was showing substantial growth. An institutional review board (IRB)-approved study was designed to investigate usage of this database. A 10-question survey was put on the library Web page and e-mailed to hospital personnel. The theoretical framework for the study was Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations. Results, analyzed in SPSS 19, showed plain language searching and a simple interface were key components for the staff nurses. Additional findings verified that their network of peer-to-peer dialogue was the most influential in choosing resources.

Digital Ethnography: Library Web Page Redesign Among Digital Natives

Presented with an opportunity to improve Wesleyan University's dated library home page, a team of librarians employed ethnographic techniques to explore how its users interacted with Wesleyan's current library home page and web pages in general. Based on the data that emerged, a group of library staff and members of the campus’ information technology staff worked together to redesign the library home page to present library resources in a more logical design to meet the needs and expectations of current students and faculty.

Finding Articles and Journals via Google Scholar, Journal Portals, and Link Resolvers

Finding journal titles and journal articles are two of the toughest tasks on academic library webpages. Challenges include choosing the best tools, using terms that make sense, and guiding the user through the process. In addition, the continued development of Google Scholar raises the question of whether it could become a better tool for finding a full-text article than link resolver software or journal portals. To study these issues, researchers at James Madison University analyzed results from two usability tests. One usability test focused on the library homepage navigation and had two tasks related to finding articles by citation and journals by title. The other test asked participants to find citations in three web interfaces: the library’s journal portal, Google Scholar, and the library’s link resolver form. Both usability studies revealed challenges with finding journal titles and journal articles. The latter study showed Google Scholar provided more effective user performance and user satisfaction than either the journal portal or the link resolver form. Based on the findings from the two usability studies, specific changes were made to the library webpages and to several library systems, including the catalog and link resolver form.

Electronic Collection Management Forms, Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines Manual with CD-ROM

Electronic Collection Management Forms, Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines Manual with CD-ROM

Assessing library web page usability: how benchmarking can help

This article looks at how the 'Mystery Shopper' methodology used by a consortium of universities was adapted to assess the usability of the library web pages of all four universities. Using a methodology refined from a previous web usability exercise, the various elements in the process are described. The outcomes of the project are briefly discussed, along with lessons learnt from the process.

A Simulated Electronic Availability Study of Serial Articles through a University Library Web Page

Availability tests as traditional collection evaluation and library performance measures and their application to electronic resources are explained in this article. A 500-item sample of serial citations was drawn from scholarly journals in 50 disciplines, evenly divided among the sciences, social sciences, humanities, professional fields, and interdisciplinary areas to simulate the needs of Indiana University- Bloomington researchers. It was found that 65.4 percent of the items were electronically available through the library Web page. The electronic availability rate was highest for professional fields, items in the English language, and items published since 2000. The majority of instances of nonavailability occurred because the journal title was not accessible through the Web page.

A Simulated Electronic Availability Study of Serial Articles through a University Library Web Page

Availability tests as traditional collection evaluation and library performance measures and their application to electronic resources are explained in this article. A 500-item sample of serial citations was drawn from scholarly journals in 50 disciplines, evenly divided among the sciences, social sciences, humanities, professional fields, and interdisciplinary areas to simulate the needs of Indiana University- Bloomington researchers. It was found that 65.4 percent of the items were electronically available through the library Web page. The electronic availability rate was highest for professional fields, items in the English language, and items published since 2000. The majority of instances of nonavailability occurred because the journal title was not accessible through the Web page.

States of Transition: Slavic Studies Research Guides and Information Literacy

This article describes the Slavic studies research guides found on the library Web pages of the 17 universities that received funding under the United States Department of Education's Title VI National Resource Centers program for Russia and East Europe in 2006 and 2007. It compares and contrasts the guides' overall approach, organization, scope, content, and degree of interlinking to guides at other institutions. Based on this comparison, it explores how the guides relate to information literacy efforts in general, and to Slavic studies in particular, and suggests future directions for the guides, highlighting the possibilities for greater collaboration in the profession.

Free Books: Loading Brief MARC Records for Open-Access Books in an Academic Library Catalog

Mbooks are open-access, digitized books freely available on the Internet. This article describes the Auraria Library's experience of loading brief MARC records for Mbooks into its online public access catalog and looks at some of the issues that arose from the record-loading project. Despite the low quality of the records, librarians in Auraria Library thought that loading them into the catalog was advantageous because of the rich content in the collection and because many of the records could be improved using the global update functionality in the catalog. Making the records available through the catalog, as opposed to merely linking to the entire collection from the Library's Web page, was considered to be valuable because of the aggregation a catalog provides and because the Mbooks collection helped fill gaps in the Library's physical collections. As more open-access, digitized books become available, libraries will need to plan and manage how best to provide access to them.

A Graphic Interface to Online Reference Sources

Librarians at the Arnold Bernhard Library of Quinnipiac University were at a crossroads with electronic reference books. At first they had added the titles to the library's web page, generated records to individual titles in the online catalog, and even established links to their content using the link resolver in the online catalog. It was still felt that the collection was not living up to its potential. In 2007, the automation librarian began a project to add one more level of access to these titles – a graphic interface that simulated the process of walking into a reference room and picking out a title – all of this done with no programming beyond basic HTML. Early usage reports beginning in the Fall of 2007 prove that the concept has found an audience.

The structure of the hyperlink network formed by the Web pages of Japanese public libraries

AbstractThis article analyzes the structure of the hyperlink network formed by the Web pages of Japanese public libraries and its relationship with the network formed by Inter‐Library Loans (ILLs), the traditional system of cooperation among public libraries. Our results indicate that (a) the hyperlink network is effectively connected in the sense that each library is reachable from other libraries by clicking a few links and (b) the network has many groups of libraries that cooperate with each other. Most of the cliques consist of prefectural libraries or libraries in the same prefecture. The hyperlink network shows two of the same tendencies as the ILL network: (a) The connection among libraries that are geographically close to each other or in the same administrative unit is strong, and (b) prefectural libraries occupy the central position. There are differences between them, however, in terms of the amount of ILLs and cliques. We conclude that Japanese public libraries have formed a network on the Web that is strongly affected by traditional cooperation, but also incorporates some new types of cooperation from the perspective of cliques.

Retaining Intellectual Capital

The intellectual life of retired faculty members, whose numbers will skyrocket in the coming years, can be enhanced with adequate library support. This paper provides a descriptive study of the professional activities of emeriti faculty at one large public research university, assessing their needs for continued access to library resources and their knowledge of what library privileges they continue to have in retirement. The results of a brief survey of all public Association of Research Libraries (ARL) webpages to determine what peer institutions are providing for their retired faculty are also presented. The paper concludes with a set of policy recommendations for how academic libraries can better serve the needs of their emeriti faculty.

“Just-in-Case” Answers: The Twenty-FirstCentury Vertical File

“Just-in-Case” Answers: The Twenty-FirstCentury Vertical File