In 2004, Dupuis, Ryan, and Steeves stated that " [o]ne of the most difficult tasks facing librarians today is deciding how to present information to users in a meaningful way" (271).They were certainly not the first to express this sentiment, nor will they likely be the last. For decades, librarians have struggled to find a user-friendly medium to convey the depth, breadth, 2 Our special collections must be democratized, must overcome their exclusionary origins in the monastery or aristocratic library, must shed their image of aloofness and preciosity, must get their precious treasures and scholarly ephemera into the sometimes dirty hands of potential users, must place a higher priority on access to unprocessed material, and must build a wider audience including the traditional scholar (whom we've always tried to serve), the innovator in new uses of old stuff, and most importantly for survival, the inquiring student (2). showed that the sites were "being used primarily for promotional purposes" and not for access to digital content. (221) Normore (2003) investigated 24 institutions of varying size in the U.S. to determine how special collections were represented on the Web. The study's criteria included the existence of online finding aids, the availability of collection databases, accessibility to digitized special collections content, and the presence of Web exhibits. The results indicated that most of the institutions provided "some form of online access to selected parts of their collection or selected collections" (para. 31). Referencing Neal and Schreyer that the growing online accessibility of special collections harkens the "golden age of usability," Albanese (2005) discussed the opportunities presented to and challenges faced by special collections librarians as their content moved online (40).In the past few years, librarians also began exploring the development and evaluation of special collections Web sites from the user's perspective. Donlen (2005) contextualized Web sites that provide background information, related resources, scholarly essays, and similar types of material to inform and orient their visitors to the topics presented in digital format. In other words, they are striving to create meaningful presentations of their content. While a full review of these sites would be a tremendous endeavor, three sites provide
2013 Griffin, Lewis, and Greenberg. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons-Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike License 2.5 Canada (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-ncsa/2.5/ca/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly attributed, not used for commercial purposes, and, if transformed, the resulting work is redistributed under the same or similar license to this one. AbstractObjective -In an environment of shrinking budgets and reduced staffing, this study seeks to identify a comprehensive, integrated assessment strategy to better focus diminished resources within special collections repositories.Methods -This article presents the results of a single case study conducted in the Special and Digital Collections department at a university library. The department created an holistic assessment model, taking into account both public and technical services, to Evidence Based Library and Information Practice 2013, 8.2 226 explore inter-related questions affecting both day-to-day operations as well as long-term, strategic priorities.Results -Data from a variety of assessment activities positively impacted the department's practices, informing decisions made about staff skill sets, training, and scheduling; outreach activities; and prioritizing technical services. The results provide a comprehensive view of both patron and department needs, allowing for a wide variety of improvements and changes in staffing practices, all driven by data rather than anecdotal evidence.Conclusion -Although the data generated for this study is institutionally specific, the methodology is applicable to special collections departments at other institutions. A systemic, holistic approach to assessment in special collections departments enables the implementation of operational efficiencies. It also provides data that allows the department to document its value to university-wide stakeholders.
The authors of this chapter interviewed librarians from fifteen academic institutions who participated in a selection process for a discovery service. The pool of academic institutions engaged in the interviews represented universities and colleges of varying sizes in order to capture a variety of approaches to selection. Institutions were further chosen based on their use of a defined selection process that resulted in a recommendation and implementation of a discovery service. These interviews informed the identification of best practices and challenges faced in the selection process. The methodology and a summary of the interviews are described. The challenge of pursuing best practices is also discussed.
Purpose -This paper seeks to explore the utility of Springshare's LibGuides platform for special collections repositories and to evaluate the collection guides built by Special & Digital Collections at the University of South Florida in LibGuides. Design/methodology/approach -This paper explores how academic libraries have used LibGuides previously and provides a case study that suggests new ways for special collections repositories to make the most of the product. Findings -The simplicity and easy-to-update functionality of LibGuides works well for USF's Special & Digital Collections collection guides. The flexible API allowed SDC to embed digital content, enable user comments, advertise events, and measure the impact of various services. Practical implications -LibGuides provides an intuitive, simple, and cost-effective method to create dynamic and frequently updated guides to special collections. Originality/value -This is the first paper to explore the use of LibGuides in a special collections repository.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.