Discusses active learning techniques in elementary education and postsecondary education and describes the successful conversion of a research methods lecture to an active learning session at the University of Nebraska library. Ideas for increasing student participation in university library instruction are suggested, and effects of active…

Discussion of staff loyalty to library directors highlights guidelines for directors to sustain loyalty and support, including choosing the appropriate management style, developing trust, and supporting staff by encouraging input and helping them reach their professional potential. Results of a survey of Missouri state academic libraries that…

Describes a peer coaching program implemented at Temple University's Reference and Information Services Department to provide staff with support in fine-tuning and maintaining certain reference desk skills. The discussion covers the origins of the program, coaching basics, and the applicability of peer coaching to the academic library setting. (12…

Describes a search strategy method for bibliographic instruction in academic libraries that includes the major types of bibliographic tools and the prescribed sequence in which to use them. The strategy begins with dictionaries and encyclopedias, progresses through bibliographies and subject guides, and ends with periodicals and books. (five…

Results of a study conducted at Arizona State University West revealed that nearly 36% of reference questions asked were from non-affiliated patrons and approximately 70% took five minutes or less to answer. While longer questions took a disproportionate amount of time, this study shows that the time spent answering affiliated and non-affiliated…

Describes the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI) professional-development program that is designed to provide institutional teams of librarians and information technologists with the tools they need to work collaboratively on projects of mutual interest and need. A workshop is described and future development is considered. (Author/LRW)

Discussion of methodologies for libraries to use when selecting an integrated library system focuses on the benefits of using a Request for Proposal (RFP), based on experiences at the University of Rochester. A copy of the system vision statement which describes the purpose of the RFP is appended. (LRW)

Discusses the use of the College Student Experiences questionnaire (CSEQ) as an effective instrument to measure differences in the academic library experiences of two different racial groups. Results of a study indicate that African-American undergraduate students used the academic library services more frequently than did white students.…

Discusses key themes from research funded by the British Library that investigated electronic communication in academic libraries in the United Kingdom. Highlights the intra-organizational use of e-mail, and discusses the development of effective networked communities. Contains 51 references. (Author/LRW)

Describes a statistical method developed by the University of Colorado at Boulder libraries to identify and correct internal salary inequities among its faculty. The process measures scholarly productivity, years of experience, and most recent annual evaluation rating, and is then charted against current salary. (Author/LRW)

Reports on a study designed to identify the authors of academic library home pages and to investigate the nature of their training and their use of newly-acquired Web-design skills. Considers professional identity, length of service, current job title, prior education, and institutional support. Contains 34 references. (Author/LRW)

Examines journal articles published by academic librarians in Illinois. Findings show that women are publishing close to their numbers in the profession, more articles are being written collaboratively, they are published primarily in library and information science journals, and librarians at large universities are more likely to publish than…

Reports on two reengineering projects at Mount Holyoke College (Massachusetts) that led participants to conclude that business process reengineering (BPR) in higher education involves a magnitude of cultural change that differentiates it significantly from BPR in the corporate world. The two projects involved redesigning a library department and…

Examines the age demographics of ARL (Association of Research Libraries) members in the larger context of North America's trend toward population aging. Discusses how the baby boom affected hiring in higher education by creating a need for increased staffing and by having a large number of baby boomers as librarians. (Author/LRW)

Describes the development of electronic finding aids for archives at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign that used XML (extensible markup language) and EAD (encoded archival description) to enable more flexible information management and retrieval than using MARC or a relational database management system. EAD template is appended.…