Interested in performing better research as a librarian practitioner? Want to learn how to inform decision making in your library with research and evidence? Then join the ACRL ULS Evidence Based Discussion Group at ALA Annual. We will be hosting a discussion on Sunday 30 June from 8:30 am –...
Author: Felice E. Maciejewski, University Librarian, Rebecca Crown Library, Dominican University Having worked in academic libraries for almost thirty years I have had many an opportunity to serve on search committees, both as Chair and committee member. I have also been a member of the audience as a candidate gets...
Authors: Mary Axford, Elisabeth Shields, and Crystal Renfro Libraries have been thought of as buildings that hold collections, conduits to the access of intellectual information, spaces for doing scholarship and places to find individuals with expertise in accessing those intellectual collections. Librarians have organized the knowledge itself, but haven’t been...
Author: Stewart C Baker Yet another Instruction Session The problem of keeping students engaged during library instruction sessions is a common one. Presentation software may only compound the problem: as slide after slide appears on the screen, with bullet point after bullet point, students’ eyes (as well as instructors’) may...
Author: Nastasha Johnson Everywhere we turn there is talk about STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math disciplines. In February 2012, President Obama’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) issued a report, “Engage to Excel: Producing One Million Additional College Graduates with Degrees in STEM.” In the report, it...
Author: Beth Filar Williams As a distance learning academic librarian, I am apt to find ways to virtually connect and collaborate. In the past year I have had some fabulous experiences with very distant, virtual librarianship. Last spring I hosted a completely virtual intern who lived in Uzbekistan through the...
At the meeting of the Evidence-Based Librarianship Discussion Group of ULS at ALA in June 2012, one major discussion point was to define “evidence-based librarianship.” To follow up on that discussion, three committee members and I have committed to reading a series of articles on different aspects of evidence-based librarianship....
Author: John M. Jackson Although my subject expertise is in Medieval Studies, I often call myself a renaissance librarian for, like many of my colleagues, my job description serves as a set of loosely-defined and sometimes unheeded guidelines. According to my business card I am a cataloger, but I live...
Author: Melissa Engleman University of Minnesota Morris menglema@morris.umn.edu From the reference desk to the circulation desk to the weekend grocery run, I find myself constantly promoting information literacy. And while I enjoy the chaos of happenstance, I know that the ideal approach on an academic campus is planned and coordinated....
The Future of Universities Prepared by Marilyn Myers, Chair The universities of which our libraries are a part are experiencing disruptive change. The attention of university decision makers is focused on what must be done now as well as what should be done long-term. Judith Brown, former university administrator and...