Archives des mots-clés : Academic Librarians

Perceptions of Scholarly Communication Among Library and Information Studies Students

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Author: Christopher Hollister

INTRODUCTION

Professional discourse concerning scholarly communication (SC) suggests a broad consensus that this is a burgeoning functional area in academic libraries. The transformed research lifecycle and the corresponding changes in copyright applications, publishing models, and open access policies have generated unprecedented opportunities for innovative library engagement with the academy and its researchers.

Accordingly, the roles for librarians have shifted to accommodate new responsibilities. Previous research on SC librarianship is mainly focused on the provision of services, administrative structures, and the analysis of relevant job descriptions. Little has been written regarding the implications of SC on the preparation of new library professionals, and no research has been produced on the relative perspectives of library students.

METHOD

The author surveyed MLIS students who were completing semester-long courses on SC at three universities to elicit their perceptions of that subject matter in terms of their library education and career pathways.

RESULTS

All respondents qualified SC as interesting and important subject matter, and a majority indicated relevance to their professional pursuits. Student perspectives are given on the viability of SC librarianship and the perceived bearing of this specialty area in different types of libraries.

DISCUSSION

Survey data suggests a possible correlation between SC courses and relative career appeal. The data may warrant attention among MLIS curriculum planners, given the academy’s recognition of the need for SC specialists.

CONCLUSION

The transformed research lifecycle necessitates new professional competencies for library practitioners. Implications for library education are discussed, and areas for future research are proposed

URL : Perceptions of Scholarly Communication Among Library and Information Studies Students

DOI : http://doi.org/10.7710/2162-3309.2180

Academic Libraries and Copyright: Do Librarians Really Have the Required Knowledge?

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Authors: Juan-Carlos Fernández-Molina, João Batista E. Moraes, José Augusto C. Guimarães

A solid professional performance on the part of academic librarians at present calls for adequate knowledge about copyright law, not only for the development of their own tasks without infringing the law, but also to guide and provide pertinent advice for library users (faculty and students).

This paper presents the results of an online survey of Brazilian academic librarians, the objective being to determine the level of knowledge about basic questions on copyright related to their professional activities.

The case of Brazil is especially relevant, as it is one of the few countries still not including library exceptions and limitations in its copyright law. Our results make manifest important gaps in knowledge about copyright, underlining the need for a training program to remedy the situation.

Moreover, because training is needed for current as well as future professionals, it should be implemented in both the professional and the educational sector.

URL : http://crl.acrl.org/content/78/2/241.abstract

Exploring the Value of Academic Librarians’ Participation in Journal Clubs

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Authors : Megan Fitzgibbons, Lorie Kloda, Andrea Miller-Nesbitt

Journal clubs are meetings where participants engage in discussion or appraisal of professional literature and research. This study investigates the perceived value of librarians’ participation in journal clubs.

Using a hermeneutic dialectic process, we built a construction of the value of journal club participation based on interviews with academic librarians.

In the construction, we demonstrate that librarians and their organizations benefit from the informal professional learning that takes place in journal clubs, by developing professional knowledge, building and strengthening communities of practice, increasing research capacity, and closing the research-to-practice gap.

URL : http://crl.acrl.org/content/early/2016/08/22/crl16-965.short

Transforming Roles: Canadian Academic Librarians Embedded in Faculty Research Projects

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Academic librarians have always played an important role in providing research services and research-skills development to faculty in higher education. But that role is evolving to include the academic librarian as a unique and necessary research partner, practitioner and participant in collaborative, grant-funded research projects.

This article describes how a selected sample of Canadian academic librarians became embedded in faculty research projects and describes their experiences of participating in research teams.

Conducted as a series of semi-structured interviews, this qualitative study illustrates the emerging opportunities and challenges of the librarian-researcher role and how it is transforming the Canadian university library.

URL : http://crl.acrl.org/content/early/2016/03/22/crl16-871.abstract

Evaluating an Open Access Publishing Fund at a Comprehensive University

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Introduction

As the open access movement has fostered a shift from subscriber-funded journals to author-pays models, scholars seek funding for the dissemination of their research. In response to this need, some libraries have established open access funds at their institutions. This paper presents an evaluation of an open access fund at a comprehensive university.

Description of program/service

Wanting to learn how faculty have benefitted from an open access publishing fund, Grand Valley State University Libraries surveyed recipients of the fund. The survey asked authors why they chose an open access publishing option and whether the fund influenced this decision. Authors were also asked whether they perceived that selecting an open access option broadened exposure to their work and about their likelihood of choosing open access in the future.

Next steps

This article shares the results of this small survey and explores next steps in promoting and evaluating the fund and opportunities for focusing educational efforts across campus.

URL : Evaluating an Open Access Publishing Fund at a Comprehensive University

DOI : http://doi.org/10.7710/2162-3309.1204

Changing Role of Academic Librarians in Open Access Environment

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Application of information and communication technology is supporting various ways of scholarly communication. The transition from print to electronic and paid resources to open access resources has a great impact on information society and resulted open access movement. This paper enumerates various declarations on open access and discusses the impact of open access on libraries particularly on the role of academic librarians. On the basis of existing literature, an attempt has been made in this paper to understand transforming role of academic librarians and suggest new responsibilities in open access environment.

URL : Changing Role of Academic Librarians in Open Access Environment

Alternative location : http://irjlis.com/changing-role-of-academic-librarians-in-open-access-environment/

Donor Funded Open Educational Resources: Making the Case

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PURPOSE

This paper aims to explain the concept of Open Educational Resources (OER) and how libraries can make a good case to donors to fund these types of projects.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

The literature reveals that donors have been willing to support projects that save students money on textbooks. Course reserves have traditionally been a popular model. More recently, libraries have found funding for OER initiatives. These types of initiatives are discussed and several case studies of donors currently funding OER projects are examined.

FINDINGS

Donors, internal and external to the library and to the university, have shown an interest in funding projects that reduce textbook costs for students. They have funded course reserves in the past and have begun to fund OER projects. There are both qualitative and quantitative methods to induce donors to fund these types of projects.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

Libraries have traditionally supported the mission of access to information and for academic libraries that has sometimes included access to textbooks. Course reserves are a limited solution, whereas when an OER replaces an expensive textbook, it is a viable solution for all students.

SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS

OERs have strong social implications. Any person, whether associated with an institution of higher learning, or not, can access the information in an OER and learn the associated content.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

There is some literature on specific OER projects. This paper aims to fill a gap in the literature, specifically on how to approach donors regarding OER initiatives.

URL : http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/handle/1957/57920