This study examines the evolving roles and responsibilities of entry-level academic reference positions, as stated in recent job advertisements posted on the American Library Association’s JobLIST Web site and other sources. Findings from a content analysis of these advertisements indicate that current entry-level reference positions in academic libraries incorporate a strikingly diverse and complex range of responsibilities. The study provides valuable insight into the expectations and priorities of hiring institutions in regard to entry-level reference work, offering a broad perspective on the reference job environment to library science students, first-time job seekers, and libraries seeking to recruit entry-level candidates.

Taking an interdisciplinary approach that draws on narrative theory, composition scholarship, and investigations into the affective dimensions of the research process, this article discusses stories written by college students about their experiences locating, evaluating, and using information in the context of academic research. These narratives provide insight into how students conceptualize the research process and perceive their often tenuous roles as researchers. A textual analysis of a selection of student narratives is included, demonstrating how narrative not only enhances our understanding of the research experience but also enables students to raise larger questions about authenticity and power in the classroom.

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The purpose of this paper is to analyze the literature on information literacy and library instruction from 2001-2010 published in the annual, comprehensive topical bibliography published in Reference Services Review. Design/methodology/approach -The authors examined 3,527 articles contained in the annual bibliography from 2001-2010 and identified 2,052 which appeared in peer-reviewed journals. Using the 2,052 articles identified as peer reviewed, the authors then determined the location of the primary author, the journal that published the article, whether the journal was from the discipline of library science, what type of research the article contained, and the key themes present. Findings -The number of articles in peer-reviewed journals has grown substantially over the ten-year period. Most articles (70 percent) were published by authors residing in the USA, but articles from Asia and Africa are now being seen on a more consistent basis. Reference Services Review has published the most articles on this topic during the period, but information literacy has also branched out into other non-library-specific disciplines. Empirical or theoretical research articles make up less than 50 percent of the total articles published, while case-study type descriptions of programmatic or teaching initiatives continue to be the most published article type. Key themes continue to be collaboration, assessment, and the application of technology to instruction efforts.Research limitations/implications -The findings are limited to peer-reviewed articles published in English-language journals. Originality/value -While other articles have examined aspects of the body of information literacy literature, this study encompasses a more comprehensive and thorough data set.

Graduate students across disciplines feel pressure to publish their scholarship, but they are often unsure how to go about it, partly due to a lack of explicit training in this area. This article discusses the collaborative development of a semester-long Publishing Academy, designed to promote knowledge of scholarly publishing and increase the library's impact within the graduate student community. Demonstrating how librarians can draw on their unique skills to build a niche service addressing unmet needs on campus, the project also puts into practice a broader conception of scholarly publishing literacy, which can be linked to the Association of College and Research Libraries Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education.

Purpose -The purpose of this article is to describe the ongoing process of weeding, streamlining, and transforming a very large, print-based reference collection at the University of Louisville's William F. Ekstrom Library, focusing in particular on the various issues involved in developing a more timely, focused, and electronic-oriented collection. Design/methodology/approach -Over the years, the Ekstrom Library reference collection evolved into a large, neglected, print-based collection that ignored current space needs and user preferences for digital sources. To address this, the reference department developed a new, cooperative approach to reference collection development and weeding to improve the user experience and address serious space issues. Findings -To achieve a more usable reference collection, the reference department needed to rethink the philosophy behind the collection and completely rewrite the collection development policy. These changes have facilitated the creation of a smaller, more user-friendly collection that embraces the digital environment. Originality/value -The article highlights problems and approaches to refocusing a reference collection in a time of transition, as physical library spaces continue to evolve and the value of a traditional reference collection appears increasingly uncertain.