This research is based on the Library Services for People with Disabilities Policy, which was approved by the American Library Association in 2001. The policy identified focus areas for libraries including library services, facilities, collections, and assistive technology. Library websites frequently convey this information to users. Our study examined and compared academic library websites for the differently able. What services do academic libraries offer to the differently able? Is there a basic level of services that libraries identify or should offer? Are websites for people with disabilities easily located from the library's home page?
Professional development is essential for academic librarians to keep current with skills, knowledge, and competencies in rapidly changing times. The authors surveyed distance librarians in academic libraries to determine their professional development needs. Respondents were asked to indicate which professional development activities they are currently participating in and those they are likely to engage in within the next fi ve years. Findings from the survey will inform library administrators, distance librarians, and professional associations of the professional development needs of distance librarians.
Distance librarians as engaged professionals work in a complex environment of changes in technologies, user expectations, and institutional goals. They strive to keep current with skills and competencies to support distance learners. This article provides a selection of continuing education opportunities for distance librarians, and is relevant for all practicing librarians. Suggestions include physical and virtual conferences, professional journals for reflective reading, short-term webinars about current topics and innovative approaches, blogs for sharing ideas, and discussion and interest groups for networking with colleagues about best practices, leadership, and serving academic populations.
As academic libraries and librarians experience an increasingly complex higher education environment, it is essential to market library resources and services effectively. One component of a library's marketing plan for distance learners can be an assessment of the needs of distance faculty. Teaching faculty are influential in affecting student perceptions and their use of the library. This paper reports on an assessment of the needs of faculty who teach classes in distance graduate degree programs. Results from the survey provide strategic direction for delivering and marketing services to distance learners and distance faculty.
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