The teaching of mathematical modeling to undergraduate students requires that students are given ample opportunity to develop their own models and experience first-hand the process of model building. Finding an appropriate context within which modeling can be undertaken is not a simple task as it needs to be readily understandable and seen as…

As the importance of information literacy has gained increased recognition, so too have academic library professionals intensified their efforts to champion, activate, and advance these capabilities in others. To date, however, little attention has focused on advancing these essential competencies amongst practitioner advocates. This paper helps…

Over the last few years, there has been a wealth of materials written and presented on next-generation library catalogs. These next-generation interfaces strive to turn "standard" integrated library systems (ILSs) into more nimble and robust search platforms that offer more user-friendly 2.0 enhancements for users. Rather than abandoning…

As new models of scholarly communication emerge, librarians and libraries have responded by developing and supporting new methods of storing and providing access to information and by creating new publishing support services. This article will examine the roles of libraries and librarians in developing and supporting open access publishing…

The analysis of user searches in catalogs has been the topic of research for over four decades, involving numerous studies and diverse methodologies. The present study looks at how different types of users effect queries in the catalog of a university library. For this purpose, we analyzed log files to determine which was the most frequent type of…

Keeping abreast of professional literature and the latest trends is critical for academic librarians to be successful, but in a time of information glut, are librarians achieving this? Over seven hundred academic librarians responded to this survey and inform us about their use of both traditional methods and new technologies to stay current.

Library literature publishes hundreds of articles on information literacy, many emphasizing the importance of collaboration and faculty outreach. A systematic search of fifty-four non-library journals that publish pedagogical articles reveals that some librarians are reaching out to faculty in disciplinary publications. However, this method of…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the use of ebrary's e-books at Staffordshire University. Design/methodology/approach: Details are provided of the history of Staffordshire's involvement with ebrary as a supplier of e-books as well as methods of searching for information in the ebrary collection as well as other e-book collections…

The academic library in the 21st Century must find innovative ways to remain central to the mission of the institution that it represents, and the people that it serves. Some of those ways involve what traditionally has been the province of student services. After hours events with music and art, poetry slams, and electronic gaming are a few of…

"Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries" has long been an important tool for librarians making collection development decisions. This study examines the holdings and usage for books reviewed in "Choice," books designated by "Choice" as Outstanding Academic Titles, and the general collections of the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries.

Citing her own difficulties in gaining access to digital repositories that would have made her research on "New Women" much less time-consuming, the author argues here that the digital divide between the ivory-tower haves and have-nots will be a defining one for the current generation of scholars. The inequity in ease of access, she asserts,…

Science and Technology Novelty Search (S&TNS) is a special information consultation service developed as part of the Chinese Sci-Tech system. The author introduces the concept of S&TNS, and explains its role, and the role of the university library in the process. A quality control model to improve the quality of service of the S&TNS at…

One hundred fifty-two undergraduate students at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania were surveyed to determine if the involvement of their liaison librarian in theater productions and orchestra had an effect on their relationship with the library. The study shows positive and statistically significant results for students who participated in…

The purpose of this report is to document the procedures and methodologies employed during the Academic Library Survey of 2000. This report is designed to provide guidance and documentation for users of the public-release and restricted-use data files. Information about the universe of academic libraries and how to access this information is…

Hugh C. Atkinson, at the University of Illinois/Urbana, guides a library with one of the richest, most comprehensive research collections and one of the largest staffs in North America. (LLS)