Academic Library Association of Ohio
27th Annual Conference October 26, 2001
John C. Myers Convocation Center
Ashland University

Backlog Busters: How to Keep the Ship Afloat When the Crew Takes Permanent Shore Leave. Mary S. Konkel, College of DuPage; Karen Plummer and David Prochazka, The University of Akron

When three members of the cataloging department opted to participate in the university's early retirement program, we found ourselves with a loss of a third of our workforce, including our audiovisual cataloging team. At the same time, the head of the department resigned due to career advancement and family relocation.

Through successful partnerships with outside vendors, careful outsourcing decisions, cataloging prioritization, closer worker relationships with other library departments, interim team management of the department, and most importantly, a dedicated and hard-working cataloging staff, we achieved our goal of continued service to our users without interruption or loss of quality.

Bookworms and Geeks: Collaborating to Create a New Library. Kate Hickey and Christopher Fulkerson, Elon University

Chaos and change describe library life at Elon University these past three years as we planned, built, and moved into a new facility one year ago. The great success of this building - usage has more than doubled - is at least partially due to the ongoing collaboration between traditional library, media, and computer staffs, all of whom are housed in the new Belk Library. Not only did we share the planning-and the joys and disasters of the building project-but we now share the staffing of the information desk and the ongoing responsibility for the facility.

Building a Strategic Information Literacy Program. Trisha Mileham and Richard AmRhein, Valparaiso University

Valparaiso has developed strategic partnerships to integrate teaching methods between the library and departmental faculty which benefit the campus as a whole. Two members of the Library Instruction Team will describe specifically how they identify key courses in each discipline, target them for inclusion in an overall instructional model, and partner with disciplinary faculty to create assignment-based instruction. This strategic framework allows the library and faculty to collaborate in the development of the research and critical thinking skills that will serve the immediate and lifelong learning needs of students.

Camp as a Catalyst for Change. Deborah Carter Peoples, Tom Green, Paul Burnam, and Joy He, Ohio Wesleyan University

Ohio Wesleyan University Libraries reference staff felt a disconnect between a rapidly evolving information environment and a reference service paradigm which was remaining static. Although they are overworked and understaffed, they stopped everything and "went to camp" The idea was simple. Get away. Think about what we are doing. Talk about what we are doing. Learn about other ways to do it. Think about how we'd like to do it. Talk about it. Brainstorm about it. Talk about it some more. Elaborate some objectives. And do it. Simple, but radical. For three days during the summer of 2000 reference staff discussed, debated, and supported concepts of reference services. Clear and honest communication, a level playing field, and a degree of trust not normally shared were hallmarks of this experience.

Carpe Diem! Librarians on the Brink of Greatness. Deborah Robinson, United States Naval Academy

While many academic librarians despair in the face of endless change, just-in-time-learning, and the general chaos wrought by technology in our professional lives, others see this as a time of unparalleled opportunity. Never before have so many campus initiatives converged on the doorstep of the library at one time. Information literacy, distance learning, accreditation, critical thinking, and the emergence of faculty enhancement centers are but a few of the hot initiatives sweeping college campuses today. Libraries are at the potential heart of all of these initiatives, but at many institutions librarians sit passively by waiting to be invited to participate. Don't let these remarkable times pass you or your library by. Learn how to proactively embrace these and other new initiatives and to insert your library and its services where it belongs - at the heart of change. Leading your library to greatness is easier than you think. Carpe diem!

The Changing Professional Development Needs of Teaching Librarians. Rebecca Albrecht, Purchase College and Sara Baron, University of Massachusetts Boston

New pedagogical demands on librarians are forcing our profession to think critically about our accredited graduate education programs and professional development opportunities for librarians in the field. The phrase "information literacy" is widely used in academic library discourse. Scholarly research, competency standards, regional and state mandates for higher education, and the nature of information today have contributed to the rise of library instruction and information literacy librarians. With new standards, we must also develop skills to assess our teaching and our students' learning. Our study examines whether or not the library profession is taking pedagogy seriously through qualitative analysis of instruction training in SLIS programs and instruction librarians around the country and quantitative analysis of the academic library job market.

Confessions of a Serial Killer: Managing Print Journals in an Online World. Robert D. Ault, Youngstown State University

This informational session describes the creation of a closed reserve system for the entire collection of unbound serial titles (except newspapers), at a medium-sized academic library. The rationale, procedures, obstacles and benefits from restricting undergraduate access to paper while concurrently expanding e-journal access will be discussed.

Chaos has ensued as a downsized serials staff grapples with escalating subscription rates and demands for online services. The serials closed reserve system has created new electronic data to address these concerns, while increasing personal interaction between patrons and staff.

Creating and Implementing a For-Credit Information Literacy Course. Aimee deChambeau, Roger Durbin, James Nalen, Diana Chlebek, and Peter Linberger, The University of Akron

In the Spring 2001 semester we implemented our first single-credit information literacy course for undergraduates. Our presentation will outline the various stages of creating and implementing a credit course, including: developing support among library faculty for the initiative; collaborating with other academic units; and, promoting the course to undergraduate students and to other faculty. We will discuss the successes and obstacles that we encountered in designing and teaching the course, and share some of our students' experiences.

Creating Digital Collections with Cross-Departmental Teams. Rob Withers, Bob Schmidt, and Jenny Presnell, Miami University

Digital collections enable libraries to make held resources more prominent and accessible at the reference desk and on the Internet. Creating digital collections requires individuals with many different specializations, including subject knowledge, collection development, technical skills, knowledge of copyright, and publicity. Finding a cohesive group with this combination of specialties can be challenging. This paper describes how two groups at Miami University created two digital projects dealing with local history. The five to six member groups consisted of librarians and library staff from three different facilities. Because both products were time sensitive, each had to be completed within four to six weeks of the formation of each group. The result was dramatically expanded access to information resources which had previously remained difficult to access and underused.

Diversifying the Profession: Recruiting Undergraduate Students. Haipeng Li, Heather Smith, and Julie Weir, Oberlin College

Recruiting students from diverse backgrounds into the library profession has always been a challenge for libraries and librarians. This presentation will discuss how a liberal arts college library has successfully implemented a Library Diversity Intern Program at the undergraduate level, funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The history and development of the idea of the Library Diversity Intern Program, the process by which the program was implemented, the program's impact on the library and the interns, and the structure and future of the program are discussed.

Diversity And All Of Its Dimensions. Miriam Conteh-Morgan, The Ohio State University and Michael P. Butler, Executive Director, OHIONET. -- Sponsored by the Diversity Committee.

While many people view diversity as a black and white issue, race is just one of the components of diversity. It is our goal to make you aware of allaspects of diversity. We will cover various areas of diversity that our often overlooked, including age, sexual orientation, religion, and many others. Miriam Conteh-Morgan, Chair of the ALAO Diversity Committee will begin the session by introducing members of the committee and providing a brief update of current and future committee projects. Following the update, Michael P. Butler will give his presentation on Diversity And All Of Its Dimensions.

Facing the Challenges of Information Literacy Assessment. Lisa O'Connor, Carolyn Radcliff, Julie Gedeon, Kent State University

Around the country librarians are flocking to an information literacy framework for their library instruction programs, yet we have little real evidence that information literacy skills improve students' academic success and graduation rates. This presentation will outline the current status of information literacy assessment in the U.S. and discuss the difficulties inherent in such assessment. It will also describe how Kent State's Project for Information Literacy Assessment (PILA) is overcoming those difficulties by developing a standardized instrument, based on the ACRL information literacy standards, that can be administered longitudinally and across institutions.

Finding Hard-to-Find Books Via Internet Booksellers. William P. Kane, Alibris Library Services

Acquisitions and collection development librarians and staff who are routinely challenged to find out-of-print, out-of-stock, out-of-stock indefinitely, and otherwise hard-to-find books are fairly suddenly faced with a variety of e-commerce sites from which to source such materials. What will be the effect of the competition for this niche market? Will these materials become more expensive and difficult to acquire? Will there ultimately be fewer sources? How are e-books likely to impact the OP market? How can web sites specializing in OP materials partner with traditional library booksellers to the library s advantage? Throughout the discussion, a variety of web sites will be demonstrated, discussed, and put to the test.

Full Text First: The Case For Giving Students What They Want. Mark McCullough, Minnesota State University

Students like full text periodical databases. As academic reference and instruction librarians, we understand the limitations of students' preference for full text databases. But what about the times when full text periodical databases will suffice? Are we doing everything we can as librarians to make our students aware of our libraries' full text capabilities? Some might contend that if we spend too much time showing students full text databases they will never learn about other useful resources and that librarians will become unnecessary. The presenter outlines the case for directing students to full text periodical databases as often as possible, exploring topics such as customer service, library good-will, teaching vs. content delivery, and library databases vs. student-direct document suppliers. He contends that by embracing a "full text first" philosophy, academic librarians will not only be serving students better, they will also be enhancing their libraries' role as indispensable partners in the educational process.

Hide and Seek: Observations of Novice Web Searchers. Laura K. Brendon, The Ohio State University

Information-seeking literature that examines web users' search strategies tends to focus on clientele familiar with the web or who, by virtue of age, are part of the "digital generation." However, colleges and universities increasingly seek out nontraditional students, particularly those who are older. Information service providers are aware that our clientele includes people who come with expectations, assumptions, and life experiences that 20-year-olds do not share.

This presentation discusses the web as an information resource through observations of women who are novice web users. This work extends theories of Carol Kuhlthau and Janette Hill by examining data in light of their work and uses feminist standpoint theory to determine questions asked and ways of analyzing data. The study highlights important areas for future research and suggests possible design and service considerations for web-based information assistance.

Humor in the Library? You Must Be Joking! Leah Black and Denise Forro, Michigan State University

When was the last time you had a really good belly laugh at work? Many U.S. companies have begun to embrace humor in the workplace in an effort to improve profits and productivity for the employer and the quality of worklife for the employee. Humor is thought to be a means to promote teamwork, reduce stress, stimulate creativity, and improve communication, morale, and productivity. This presentation offers information on appropriate and potentially helpful applications of workplace humor to enhance the work atmosphere in libraries from both management and personal perspectives.

"Is The Journal of Tree Frogs Online?": Access to Online Journals. Ken Irwin, Wittenberg University

The proliferation of online journal sources has greatly expanded patron access to periodicals but can make it difficult to know what journals are actually available and where to go to find them. This presentation will explore at least two solutions leading to similar results: a comprehensive list of which journals are available in print or electronically from the library, with direct links where possible. The "free" but more labor intensive homegrown solution has been in use at Wittenberg University since 1998; commercial alternatives have been more recently developed. The advantages and disadvantages of each will be discussed, along with a brief "how-to" for the homegrown implementation. Discussion will also address OhioLINK's current projects in this area.

Library Education: Equipping Academic Librarians for Change? Don A.Wicks, Kent State University, School of Library and Information Science

If academic librarians in Ohio are to be leading change, schools of library and information science must foresee developments in the field and prepare people accordingly. Institutions of library education not only serve future librarians through their degree programs but also provide continuing education and consulting services to the profession. While placing the discussion in the broader context of changes in library education over the past decade, this paper will specifically examine the response of Kent State University's School of Library and Information Science, to the information revolution. Using evidence from the 1990s in such areas as course and workshop offerings, faculty hires, facility and technology infrastructure, program planning and outcomes measures, and involvement in distance education, the presentation will assess the degree to which the school has met the challenge of change. Particular attention will be paid to the way in which the factors mentioned relate to preparation for academic library work in Ohio.

Reality Check: Students' Self-Assessment of Their Internet Searching Skills. Linda Rich, Collen Boff, and Kelly Broughton, Bowling Green State University

The authors present data gathered from a campus-wide survey that measures students' Internet searching skills. Our hypotheses are that (1) lower-level college students have a significant gap between their self-assessment of their Internet knowledge and searching skills and their actual knowledge and skills, and (2) this gap narrows as students progress through their college career and gain experience and face frustration using the Internet for class assignments and scholarly research. Do upper-level undergraduates more fully understand the Internet's limitations and searching complexities and begin to assess themselves at levels that more closely match their real knowledge of Internet searching?

Virtual Chaos: Reference Chat. Carol Singer and Kelly Broughton, Bowling Green State University

This presentation will discuss fulfilling the academic library's informational and educational mission by providing online, real-time reference service over the web. We began with chat software and have now moved to using web customer contact center software to answer reference questions and teach remote users to search research databases over the web. We will discuss problems encountered - particularly with staffing a new service and using a new and very different mode of communication. Attendees will learn what to consider when initiating such a service in their own libraries as well as possible solutions and strategies for overcoming these problems.

Virtual Orange Barrels: Building a Comprehensive Instruction Program Without Disrupting Traffic. Ruth Connell and Marcy Milota, John Carroll University

Five years ago, Grasselli Library's instruction program started on the road to building cohesiveness. This road has not been straight nor without potholes. Now, we have a clear (though not static) vision of what we want and we must work to implement all the changes while continuing to operate smoothly. This session will focus on our planned route for our instruction program (the creation of our cornerstone session and additional offerings of course specific instruction as needed); the detours we have had to take (preparing for our next university accreditation and addressing the library's need for greater visibility in the academic life of the campus); and the lanes we would like to add (incorporating ACRL's information literacy standards into our program). We would like to share our progress and to open a dialogue with other interested librarians on instruction pitfalls and best practices.

Virtual Reference Service: Our Real-Time Experience. Leela E. Balraj and Tom Klingler, Kent State University

Today's college students are conducting much of their academic research outside the physical confines of the traditional library building, using networked connections in labs, residence halls, apartments, and homes. This convenience has its drawbacks, particularly in terms of obtaining traditional reference assistance. Students anywhere can still benefit from the guidance that reference librarians are able to provide in retrieving relevant, accurate, and authoritative information. One new initiative at Kent State University is to provide virtual reference service to students at remote locations using real-time videoconferencing. This session will discuss the practical as well as the technical aspects of our experiences.

Wireless Laptop Lending Program. Phyllis O'Connor and Susan DiRenzo, The University of Akron

Presenters will describe the implementation of a wireless laptop lending program in the main library. The program began in Spring Semester 2001 with 60 laptop computers, but by Fall 2001 will grow to at least 120 laptops in response to the closing of most of the public, open computing labs on campus. The program is part of a university-wide wireless project, which will be summarized and reviewed. The presenters will share with the audience what we have learned about staffing, security, hardware, and software in this environment and report the results of laptop user surveys collected and analyzed using a simple but effective online survey instrument.

The Year of Living Dangerously: Our Initial Experience with Web-Based Library Technology Courses. John Burke, Raymond Walters College, University of Cincinnati

Continuing education is crucial to the success of library employees. A growing number of distance learning programs are providing continuing education opportunities for librarians and support staff alike. This presentation will describe our experiences in teaching library technology courses over the web. It will discuss students' reactions to the classes, issues involved in designing web courses, and successful approaches to teaching and learning online.

INTEREST GROUP PRESENTATIONS

The Fruits and the Pits: Using Focus Groups and Surveys for Collection Development. Linda Brown, John Forsyth, and Floris Wood, Evron Collins, and Julie Rabine, Bowling Green State University. -- Sponsored by the Collection Management Interest Group.

Focus groups and survey research have become ubiquitous in American society. Yet, they have not been used much for collection development purposes. BGSU collection development librarians will describe some of the fruits and the pitfalls of their efforts to study faculty and student information resource needs and to apply results to the re-structuring of the collection development budget.

Model Partnerships: Testimonials on Course- Integrated Instruction. Colleen Boff, Bowling Green State University and Lisa Santucci, Miami University. -- Sponsored by the Instruction Interest Group.

The co-chairs of the ALAO Instruction Interest Group would like to facilitate a panel discussion addressing the topic of faculty-librarian collaborations to promote the implementation of course-integrated information literacy in higher education. We would like to present two partnerships, one from "The Five Ohio Colleges Mellon Grant Project" and another from an Ohio institution without a grant funded project. Presenters will talk about how their partnership evolved, their research-based course-integrated assignment, along with the strengths and weaknesses of the project. Each will have twenty minutes to present with 10 minutes for questions at the end of the two presentations.

In providing such a program, IIG will be focusing on their mission as an interest group to address common concerns of instruction librarians. We will also be contributing to statewide efforts made by other groups such as OhioLINK and Ohio Immersion to promote further programming on this critical issue of information literacy.

OCLC's Metadata Strategy: New Directions for Cataloging. Marty Withrow, OCLC. -- Sponsored by the Technical Services Interest Group.

The Director of Metadata Services at OCLC will discuss the implementation of OCLC's new strategy in relation to cataloging access. He will talk about the timeline planned for phasing out Passport software, for enhancement of the Cat ME, and for implementation of OCLC's future web interface.

Reach for the S.T.A.R.S.: Stress Tamers and Relaxing Suggestions. Gaynelle Predmore, Bowling Green State University. -- Sponsored by the Support Staff Interest Group.

This program gives tips and suggestions for dealing with daily and long term stress on the job. The audience will share techniques that have worked for other support staff all around the State of Ohio. A SSIG business meeting will follow.

Understanding the Entry Year Educator. Marguerite Vanden Wyngaard, Ohio Department of Education, Office of Professional Development. -- Sponsored by the Curriculum Materials Center Interest Group.

The speaker will provide an overview of the entry year experience for educators and explain how the puzzle pieces of entry year, including mentorship and performance-based assessment contribute to the "Big Picture."