PurposeThe purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which academic libraries participate in and assess initiatives to increase or maintain student enrollment levels at colleges and universities in the US.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey of academic library directors in the US was conducted. The 31 question survey was distributed via email to 321 librarians in the sample population. The survey response rate was 42.7 percent. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS 19.0 and qualitative data were coded according to recruitment or retention strategy.FindingsRegardless of institution type or size, libraries in the sample population were just as likely to participate in recruitment and retention initiatives. However, some libraries stood out as particularly active in recruitment and retention initiatives. Indicators of active library participation were identified.Research limitations/implicationsThe response rate for the survey did not generate a statistically significant sample size, given the population. However, the data generated here contribute significantly to the relatively scant literature on academic library participation in retention and recruitment activities. The findings also suggest the need for the profession to focus on creating assessment tools to measure library impact on recruitment and retention.Originality/valueNo other studies have surveyed the academic library field to document the extent to which they participate in and assess recruitment and retention initiatives.
This article reports on collaboration between an information literacy (IL) instructor and a special collections librarian to create a hands-on special collections experience for entry-level IL students within the context of a credit-bearing class. Data collected during this experience found that exposing students to these materials can increase their enthusiasm for and engagement with the library and improve their IL and research skills. This article explains the methods for designing such class sessions and reports the results with students. 24[ARTICLE]
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When the AssociAtion of ReseARch LibRARies (ARL) released the results of its 1998 survey of special collections, the backlog of unprocessed and uncataloged collections emerged as one of the most serious and daunting issues facing the profession. An increasingly enthusiastic professional discourse about the "hidden collections" problem, as it became known, has developed as a result. The ARL Special Collections Task Force, convened in 2001 and dissolved in 2006, focused on exposing hidden collections as a top agenda item, and produced the much-cited white paper, "Hidden Collections, Scholarly Barriers." This active discourse has also induced a flurry of articles and professional meetings discussing strategies for increasing cataloging and processing productivity in special collections and has even led to the creation of a major funding source for exposing hidden collections: the Council on Library and Information Resources "Cataloging Hidden Collections and Archives" grant, offered annually since 2008.Hidden collections are not a new problem by any means. Most who work with special collections can share frustrating experiences related to inadequate access. Beyond the fundamental problem caused by hidden collections-that researchers who may be interested in the materials often have no way of knowing about them-many tangential issues arise from lack of access. Collections with limited access receive limited use, and collections that receive limited use are usually low priorities for preservation and digitization. As more institutions begin to focus on exciting new directions for special collections materials, such as large digital projects and increased incorporation into undergraduate curriculum, the lack of existing metadata for materials has become an even more acute problem, often reducing the potential value of materials simply because they are not adequately arranged and described.In this article we consider whether this recent focus on an old problem has motivated special collections professionals to find innovative solutions in the specific area of rare books. The many recent articles on backlog projects have included very little information on whether there has been widespread creation and adoption
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