Subject Guides Research Articles

Expanding the pathfinder’s purpose: A pedagogical approach to redesigning LibGuides

Online research guides are an important service in academic libraries. Many argue for an instructional design approach that prioritizes course or assignment focused guides; however, this does not address how to design effective subject or topic guides that often follow outdated pathfinder structures. This case study outlines one subject library’s approach to redesigning their guides with pedagogy and accessibility at the forefront, demonstrating how to apply best practices articulated for course-based guides to a general setting. It addresses how to design effective subject guides to better facilitate patron browsing, promote the collection, and supplement training for staff at service points.

Evaluating Medical College Lib Guides: A Usability Case Study

Many libraries have adopted usability testing as a standard practise for ensuring that their online presence is user-friendly and accessible. This study attempt to test usability of LibGuides platform at Shalamar Teaching Hospital, Lahore. The purpose of this qualitative research is to examine the usability, user experience (UX), and information architecture (IA) of LibGuides in the institutional context of Shalamar Medical & Dental College, Lahore, The research explored users’ views and was then extended to discuss the general utility of the Shalamar LibGuides. In this aspect, the study is remarkable because there is a paucity of literature on the subject. Keywords: user-centered design, subject guides, LibGuides, Pakistan, usability; research guides; Medical libraries

Exploring the Expectations and Preferences of Health Sciences Library Subject Guides Users

Using survey methodology, this study aimed to explore and describe health sciences library users’ subject guide expectations and preferences. Respondents showed an overwhelming lack of familiarity with the guides and expressed a preference for quick and easy access links as the most important feature. Most respondents also appeared to want some guidance about which resources to use within the guides, but less extensive learning or instructional content. The results of this study will inform both future guide development and research on best practices.

Adoption of LibGuides as a reference service in academic libraries: Insights from Aga Khan University, Uganda

Creative ideas and technology across the world for utilization have influenced the ways academic libraries present themselves to their users. Before digital era, librarians developed print subject guides and pathfinders to highlight important information resources in different fields, and the guides were brought online as libraries created web sites and started to depend on web resources.With the emergence of Web 2.0 technologies, librarians across the globe saw an opportunity to create more appealing and interactive online guides for the millennial patrons. These technologies simplified the creation and maintenance of guides such as wikis and FAQ's and subject guides to provide access to electronic resources.Academic librarians in the Sub-Saharan Africa as their counterparts in the rest of the world, are under pressure to offer relevant information services to satisfy varied client needs. Studies have shown that librarians believe that creating LibGuides enhances their knowledge of subject resources as reference service. According to Springshare (2020), 6100 libraries in 82 countries have implemented the LibGuides platform. There is however no clear indication of how many institutions in low middle-income countries have implemented libguides. This paper gives insight into the context of Sub Saharan Africa and lists the specific institutions that have adopted libguides. The Aga Khan University in Uganda prides itself as the pioneer of libguides implementation as a reference service. Since implementation in 2014, usage statistics have shown a gradual and steady improvement in access and use of e-resources such as journal and ebooks. This is largely attributed to the ease of reference and awareness aided by libguided. Many universities in Uganda have benchmarked with the Aga Khan University library and it is hoped that in the near future a number of other libraries will also implement libguides as reference service tools.

Sharing electronically and accessibly in library-led instruction.

The electronic information and technology accessibility project is a strategic overhauling of the digital instructional materials of the Health Sciences Library System (HSLS) to comply with the accessibility standards established in a 2020 University of Pittsburgh policy. Though these technologies have existed for quite some time, library instructors were not skilled in the actual creation and design of documents, web content, and presentations with accessibility in mind. Over the past year and a half, a team within HSLS developed detailed guidance and education on universal design and creating an inclusive online learning environment. These guidelines were developed in accordance with Section 508 and the WCAG2.1, with a focus on an improved experience for the D/deaf community and those with visual impairments. We initially made accessibility improvements to online subject guides, in-person presentations, and digitally shared class materials. The COVID-19 pandemic and complete shift to virtual instruction then necessitated the evaluation of platforms used in remote learning (such as Zoom and Panopto), where accessibility best practices needed to be incorporated. This article highlights going beyond in-program accessibility checkers and describes how library technology experts and content creators worked together to bridge the gap of accessibility in the information we share.

Recommendations Without Results: What We Learned About Our Organization Through Subject Guide Usability Studies

Many academic librarians spend significant time creating curated lists of databases, library materials, and other resources relevant to a discipline, often called subject guides. This case study examines the experience of a small team of librarians who conducted usability studies on James Madison University Libraries’ subject guides. We identified areas where our guides needed improvement and provided a list of recommendations to our liaison colleagues. While two of our key recommendations were adopted, others languished because we misconstrued our ability to initiate change beyond our small project team. Specifically, we underestimated how the absence of a content strategy for our subject guides and a lack of clear authority for creating or enforcing one would hinder our efforts. Other libraries might be able to learn from our experiences, especially from the mistakes we made.

Measuring Actual Practices: A Computational Analysis of LibGuides in Academic Libraries

This study investigates organizational patterns from 12,781 subject guides at 114 academic institutions, comparing practices evident on LibGuides with stated best practices from the literature of library and information science. Data from subject guide fields such as titles, tabs, and boxes were collected systematically from disciplinary guides at institutions in the United States that are described in Carnegie Classifications as “R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity,” and then analyzed according to two general methods. First, descriptive statistics were generated for quantitative aspects of the LibGuides data (e.g., the average number of boxes used per guide), to map both normal and atypical organizational practices. Second, word and phrase frequencies from text fields were compiled to explore differences in how fields such as guide titles and descriptions are commonly utilized. The findings suggest that the average range of guides tends to follow best practices, but that in the use of certain guide elements, especially tabs, most guides do not follow recommended guidelines. In addition, the data identify a number of guides that represent extreme outliers to typical practices: a single guide contained 144 tabs, for example, while another subject guide landing page was found to include 2,033 links.

PROTOCOL: Police stops to reduce crime: A systematic review.

PROTOCOL: Police stops to reduce crime: A systematic review.

LibGuide Standards: Loose Regulations and Lax Enforcement

ABSTRACT Springshare’s LibGuides product has become the preferred method for librarians to create online subject guides. In the spring of 2019 LibGuide authors and administrators at Greater Western Library Alliance (GWLA) member libraries were surveyed to learn more about how libraries use this ubiquitous library tool. The two surveys focused on procedures and standards related to the creation, revision, and appearance of LibGuides, and librarians’ general thoughts and perceptions about guides. Most authors surveyed felt that the creation of guides is useful, but many raised valid reservations. Results of the survey reinforce prior studies’ findings that guides are often created and then forgotten. Even at institutions with established standards and criteria for LibGuides, there is pushback on their enforcement. Lack of time is cited by both groups as a reason and justification for this behavior, as are problems keeping links and content current, and problems learning the technology. In addition to better enforcement of established rules and best practices, this study revealed a need for usability testing for guides and more training for guide authors.

Evolutional Librarianship: From Supermarket to Smorgasbord

This paper describes the journey of one library to ensure its service continues to present online information in an innovative mode that provides a competitive option for successful searching. Based on information about user search behavior and the concept of information clustering, a new online product was developed. Designed and presented as a “smorgasbord” of focused topic clusters or subject guides, the product enables users to draw on the high-quality, curated content of the library's large research database without doing the work of searching and selecting. Topics were selected based on the sectoral expertise of the library team and the user interface built within the current content management system. A review of usage three years after release resulted in a refresh of the topic structure and significant reduction in maintenance effort. The overall journey has resulted in a new collection and a new approach, evolving both the skillset and the mindset of the professionals involved.

Academic Library COVID-19 Subject Guides

ABSTRACT This study reviewed the coronavirus (COVID-19) resources available on the Times Higher Education top 50 research universities websites. Both general coronavirus resource pages and library subject guides dedicated to the pandemic were examined. The results were compiled into a list of 416 links which were then analyzed. The most common content creators (publishers/authors) were (1) government departments and agencies, (2) academic publishers, (3) international and nonprofit organizations, and (4) universities. The most common types of resources included (1) scholarly article collections (publisher databases or preprint collections), (2) consumer health information, (3) data sets including data maps, and (4) media resources. The examination of library subject guides and university COVID-19 resource pages revealed opportunities for collaboration with other university units in the creation of resource lists for different audiences and the creation of information literacy resources with an emphasis on data literacy.

Connecting with Faculty and Students through Course-Related LibGuides

Academic librarians face increasing challenges when trying to connect their services and resources with faculty and students, especially as courses move online and are taught by adjunct faculty. Online research guides, most commonly LibGuides, can be automatically inserted into course shells within Learning Management Systems (LMS) using Learning Tool Interoperability (LTI) protocols, but an alternative to automatic integration is for librarians to match and suggest appropriate subject guides to faculty for inclusion in their courses. Personally matching and recommending LibGuides to faculty can be an effective form of library outreach and relationship-building. This article describes a pilot project of suggesting specific LibGuides to faculty and its success in forging and strengthening several library-department connections.

An analysis of technical information for mechatronics research

Purpose Mechatronics is a very important area of research in industrial applications. The purpose of this study is to find some of the most important components of the literature on this subject. Design/methodology/approach The analysis is based on the use of the database Compendex; it was searched in the broadest way for documents related to mechatronics. In addition, subject guides from libraries of universities with mechatronics programs were studied to find resources available in those areas. Findings The literature of mechatronics is extensive and multidisciplinary. Based on the results from Compendex, the following data were found: most productive authors, list of leading journals and conference proceedings, publishers and grant organizations, authors’ affiliations and other minor details. Based on the analysis of subject guides, the following types of resources were found: research databases, reference books and ebook collections. Research limitations/implications Part of the analysis is based on a search performed in one technical database, Compendex; it was the database that generated the largest number of citations as compared to Inspec and the Web of Science. The results have a strong English language focus. It is possible that by using the results from multiple data bases, some additional sources could be obtained. Practical implications Mechatronics is a relatively new technological field comprising a number of scientific and engineering areas. The results obtained summarized a significant amount of bibliographic information. Originality/value The work is original; to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no other study has analyzed the literature on this subject.

A cross-discipline comparison of subject guides and resource discovery tools

Introduction. Academic libraries invest considerable resources in creating disciplinary subject guides, but patron use of such guides is rarely quantified in the literature. We analyse access data for subject guides and other electronic resource discovery tools to investigate disciplinary differences in resource discovery behaviour. Method. We analysed access data for resource discovery tools and subject guides that was collected over five weeks in the first term of the academic year at a public teaching and research university. Analysis. We analysed unique page views for subject guides, then calculated and compared access to electronic resources originating from the following resource discovery tools: Summon, subject guides, Google Scholar, and the database index. Results. Disciplines with high unique page views for subject guides were more likely to use subject guides or specific databases for resource discovery, while disciplines with low subject guide unique page views were more likely to use Summon or Google Scholar for resource discovery. Conclusions. The low unique page views for most guides suggests providing guides for all disciplines may not be an effective method for supporting students in resource discovery. This study also indicates a need for subject guide use to be evaluated in relation to other resource discovery tools.

Testing for Transition

This article describes multiple stages of usability testing that were conducted before and after a large research library’s transition to a new platform for its research guides. A large interdepartmental team sought user feedback on the design, content, and organization of the guide homepage, as well as on individual subject guides. This information was collected using an open-card-sort study, two face-to-face, think-aloud testing protocols, and an online survey. Significant findings include that users need clear directions and titles that incorporate familiar terminology, do not readily understand the purpose of guides, and are easily overwhelmed by excess information, and that many of librarians’ assumptions about the use of library resources may be mistaken. This study will be of value to other library workers seeking insight into user needs and behaviors around online resources.

Redesigning subject guides with usability testing: a case study

This study considers best practices in subject guide design on the LibGuides platform based on usability tests and semi-structured interviews conducted at a mid-sized university library. The study investigated student preferences for guide navigation and was then expanded to address the overall usefulness of subject guides to students. The results indicate that the choice between side and tabbed navigation is highly individual, with students sometimes using the same reasoning to explain opposite preferences. The findings also suggest that thoughtfully maintained subject guides remain relevant to students. The authors recommend that librarians should enlist help from faculty members to promote subject guides and reconsider the inclusion and presentation of subject librarian photos in their guides. They also recommend that librarians conduct their own usability testing to ensure that their subject guides are best serving their particular institutional context.

Effective Multidisciplinary Search Strategies for Assistance Animals: A Librarian's Perspective.

Successful search strategies are based on good background knowledge and a focused clinical research question. Due to the multidisciplinary nature of research involving assistance animals means there is no one universal database to answer all research questions. The topic of assistance animals can yield better results when creating subheadings based on discipline focus. Subheadings have been divided into ethicolegal, sociocultural, psychobehavioral, and medical/veterinary. Each subheading, or discipline, has their own specific databases that will yield higher relevant content than others. Contacting local academic librarians and utilizing search guides created by those librarians can lead to successful search strategies. The goal of this article is to create a template for successful search strategies in assistance animals. Eighty-nine subject guides curated by academic librarians are reviewed to identify strong databases for each topic of ethicolegal, sociocultural, pscyhobehavioral, and medical/veterinary topics in relationship to assistance animals. A live subject guide has been created and maintained at https://www.library.ucdavis.edu/guide/assistance-animals/

Using Subject Guides to Support Curriculum and Patient Care: A Multipronged Approach

Even though the library subscribes to numerous valuable health science resources, many e-books are not being used by clinicians, researchers, and students. Because these resources are bundled in various packages that often do not show up in federated searches, making them more discoverable is important. At the same time, the cost of textbooks is increasingly burdensome for students. Using authoritative lists and metrics to evaluate these resources while also seeking faculty input to include the best resources in subject guides may not only benefit the faculty and students but also aid in promoting library resources.

Play meets early childhood teacher education

Recent policy changes connect play in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings explicitly to learning, and to later school-learning outcomes, calling on early childhood (EC) educators to incorporate intentional teaching into their practice. Given these recent policy changes, the purpose of this propositional article is to raise awareness and promote discussion about the current place of play in initial early childhood teacher education programs in Australian universities and the vocational education and training (VET) sector. The article initiates dialogue by contributing a rhizomatically-informed analytical snapshot of publicly available information from course outlines and subject guides in EC initial teacher education (ITE) in 20 Australian universities and the VET sector. This rhizomatically-informed analytical snapshot showed that the word ‘play’ was absent or occurred at relatively low frequency in course and subject descriptive material. The least frequent occurrence was in materials from ITE degree-level courses. While the snapshot does not delve into the full course and subject content (and makes no claims to do so), the rhizomatic methodological approach used leads us to ask whether ‘play’ is being overlooked in the delivery of ITE and VET courses for ECE. Recent quality ratings of ECEC services in Australia support the idea that for beginning and experienced educators, the knowledge base may be less robust than assumed when it comes to combining intentional teaching with play-based learning and the achievement of child outcomes. At the very least, we propose that this warrants further investigation.

Cannabis on campus: gateway to student health literacy for academic health science librarians

Introduction: Effective July 1, 2018, the smoking of recreational cannabis will become legal in Canada, and Provincial legislation will soon follow. The objective of this paper is to determine how Canadian universities are responding to this new reality via provision of web-based education and awareness materials through campus health centres. The paper explores what framework might exist or be created to partner academic health sciences librarians with student health services in the provision of best practice research for students and clinicians. 
 Method: A scan of English Canadian university websites was undertaken to determine whether information on cannabis or marijuana directed at students was available, and whether identifiable resources in the area of health science librarians or subject guides were available. 
 Results: Results of a website scan indicated that only 10.4% of universities have material available on cannabis whereas some 62% have qualified professional librarians associated with health sciences who could provide guidance on such material.
 Discussion: Academic librarians and libraries already play a pivotal role in the retention and support of student academic goals through liaison, reference and instruction. There is precedent as well in some institutions for library partnerships with student services areas such as career services, accessibility and common book programs. This paper suggest that the complex factors related to cannabis education and health literacy in general present a unique opportunity for academic health science librarians to engage and partner with university health services and clinicians and grow the presence and influence of librarian support on university campuses.