Newton Gresham Library
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11875/2
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Item Off the Shelf: Trends in the Purchase and Use of Electronic Reference Books(Taylor & Francis (Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship), 2009) Korah, Abe; Cassidy, Erin Dorris; Elmore, Eric; Jerabek, AnnWhat is the future direction of reference books? What types of policies are libraries implementing regarding the purchase of electronic reference books? Are libraries still buying hard copy reference items when an electronic equivalent is available? This paper discusses a national survey of libraries regarding the purchase and use of electronic reference books by information professionals and patrons.Item Students and Federated Searching: A Survey of Use and Satisfaction(Reference and User Services Association of the American Library Association, 2010) Korah, Abe; Cassidy, Erin DorrisThis study assessed student use of and satisfaction with a WebFeat brand federated search tool implemented by the library at Sam Houston State University. Students voluntarily responded to an electronic survey, providing feedback on how often they conducted class research using the federated search tool, individual databases, and online search engines and how well each search tool satisfied their class research needs. The study found a high rate of federated search use but only moderate satisfaction; for most students, federated search did not replace individual databases and online search engines, which also saw frequent use for class assignments. Federated search use was highest among lower-level undergraduates, and both usage and satisfaction declined as student classification rose. Classification—which can be seen as the amount of experience in an academic environment—played a larger role in federated search use and satisfaction than did age or subject area of study.Item Higher Education and Emerging Technologies: Student Usage, Preferences, and Lessons for Library Services(Reference and User Services Association of the American Library Association (Reference & User Services Quarterly), 2011) Cassidy, Erin Dorris; Britsch, James; Griffin, Glenda; Manolovitz, Tyler; Shen, Lisa; Turney, LindaThis study examines the utilization and preference of popular Internet and communication technologies among students at Sam Houston State University (SHSU), a Carnegie Research Doctoral university in East Texas. The researchers wished to study the local relevance of various technology trends reported in librarianship literature and then to use the survey data to inform decisions regarding library service development. A survey was conducted to investigate student ownership of electronic devices and student usage of technologies such as text messaging, Twitter, RSS, podcasts, social networks, SecondLife, and others. Survey results indicated that, while students do not wish to experience an overwhelming library presence on all social networking and Internet media, most do wish to have basic library services easily accessible through a few of the most popular social networking and Internet technologies. The investigators did identify some unique trends in usage among their local population and have adjusted certain library services and plans in accordance with their findings. Other libraries are encouraged to study their own users and develop new services based on those users' needs rather than popular trends or surveys which may be based on radically different user groups.Item Head First into the Patron-Driven Acquisition Pool: A Comparison of Librarian Selections Versus Patron Purchases(Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship (Taylor & Francis), 2011) Shen, Lisa; Cassidy, Erin Dorris; Elmore, Eric; Griffin, Glenda; Manolovitz, Tyler; Martinez, Michelle; Turney, LindaAlthough many recent studies have been conducted on the implementation and results of patron-driven acquisition (PDA) initiatives at academic libraries, very few have focused on whether, or how, patrons’ selections vary from selection choices librarians would have made. This study compares titles selected by patrons during a PDA pilot program against titles chosen by subject librarians from the same PDA list. The findings may serve as a starting point for other researchers interested in the impact of user-oriented selection initiatives on a library’s collection development.Item Not in Love, or Not in the Know? Graduate Student and Faculty Use (and Non-Use) of E-Books(Elsevier (Journal of Academic Librarianship), 2012) Cassidy, Erin Dorris; Martinez, Michelle; Shen, LisaThis study focuses on usage of electronic books (e-books) among advanced researchers, including graduate students and faculty, at a four-year academic institution. The researchers aimed to highlight differences in behavior, perception, and attitude between users and non-users of e-books. The survey findings suggest that, while a majority of these researchers do not necessarily favor e-books over print books, they do appreciate the convenience of the electronic format. Moreover, the results also indicate that many researchers may be entirely unaware of the library e-books available in their areas of study or may not fully realize all the features already being offered by some of these e-books, such as highlighting, note-taking, accessibility options, and downloading. These findings provide timely and practical applications for librarians interested in increasing library e-book usage with focused marketing plans targeting the needs of specific patron segments.Item Faculty-Librarian Micro-Level Collaboration in an Online Graduate History Course(Elsevier (Journal of Academic Librarianship), 2013-11) Hendrickson, Kenneth E.; Cassidy, Erin Dorris;This paper describes a micro-level faculty-librarian collaboration implemented at the authors' state university to address students' information literacy deficiencies in a graduate-level history research methods course. The setting, implementation, and evolution of the partnership are described in detail to suggest a model for other instructors. Additionally, consideration is given to issues of working in an online course environment and the benefits of micro- versus macro-level librarian support. Consideration is given to future steps for strengthening the partnership and measuring its impact on student outcomes.Item Student Searching with EBSCO Discovery: A Usability Study(Taylor & Francis (Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship), 2014) Cassidy, Erin Dorris; Jones, Glenda; McMain, Lynn; Shen, Lisa; Vieira, ScottThe researchers conducted task-based usability testing of the EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) with 20 students. While most participants felt positively about EDS, a few usability issues emerged. Confusion arose regarding source types and icons, facets/limiters, relevancy ranking, integrated search connectors and more. Students encountered difficulty with spelling corrections and a failure to understand terminology, and they demonstrated an unwillingness to view additional pages of search results. Findings indicate the need for changes to the local implementation of EDS as well as to features and structures under EBSCO’s control.Item So Text Me—Maybe: A Rubric Assessment of Librarian Behavior in SMS Reference Services(Reference and User Services Association of the American Library Association, 2014) Cassidy, Erin Dorris; Colmenares, Angela; Martinez, MichelleAssessment has become a persistently hot topic in the library world, particularly when it comes to establishing value for academic library services. In an effort to assess performance and develop training tools to improve text/SMS reference services for an academic library, we used the Reference and User Services Association’s Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Service Providers as the framework for an analytic rubric. We then used the rubric to assess academic librarian responses collected over a three-year period as part of text/SMS reference service. Results include implications for librarian friendliness, response time, attentiveness, and follow-up, as well as patron return rates. Comparative trends in text reference and the physical reference desk response times are also examined.Item Higher education and emerging technologies: Shifting trends in student usage.(Journal of Academic Librarianship (Elsevier), 2014-03) Cassidy, Erin Dorris; Colmenares, Angela; Griffin, Glenda; Manolovitz, Tyler; Shen, Lisa; Vieira, ScottThis study serves as an update to a previous study by Sam Houston State University librarians about the use and preferences of Internet, communication, and educational technologies among students. Since the previous study was initiated in 2010, the iPad has made its debut and significantly altered the educational technology landscape. In this new landscape, this study investigates student usage of such technologies as instant messaging, cell phones, e-readers, social networking, RSS feeds, podcasts, and tablets. In addition, this study aims to determine which technologies students prefer the library to utilize for a variety of services, such as reference assistance or book renewals, and which technologies may not be worth the investment, such as geosocial networking. The information gained from this survey is intended to provide guidance for libraries looking to provide services utilizing the most popular technologies with the most efficient use of resources. Survey results show an increasing use and dependence on educational technologies and a desire for basic library services to be available on a variety of platforms and technologies.Item SHSU Recreational Reading Survey(2014-04-02) Landry Mueller, Kat; Meyer, Linda; Martinez, Michelle; Hanson, MichaelThis online survey was sent to Sam Houston State University students, faculty, and staff on April 2, 2014 on behalf of several SHSU librarians. The purpose of the survey was to gain insight into recreational reading habits and preferences of the University communityItem Ready, Set, Hire! Perceptions of new technical services librarian preparedness(Library Leadership & Management, 2015) Mueller, Kat Landry; Thompson, Molly; Valdes, ZachPrevious studies have investigated technical services librarian job availability and preparedness, but have not compared library administrators’ and librarians’ assessments of entry-level technical services librarian preparedness. In this study, the researchers explore the perceived preparedness of entry-level technical services librarians upon graduating from a Master of Library Science/Information Science (MLS/IS) degree program, and assess library administrators’ employment projections for technical services librarians, including hiring, retiring, position consolidation, and elimination. An electronic survey was distributed to library administrators and technical services librarians from public and academic libraries located across the United States. The researchers identified discrepancies between how prepared entry-level technical services librarians felt upon graduating, and how prepared administrators perceived them to be. Data gathered from both administrators and entry-level technical services librarians suggests the majority of respondents feel entry-level technical services librarians are adequately to exceptionally qualified for their first entry-level position upon graduating from a MLS/IS degree program. However, both groups felt current MLS/IS degree programs do not fully prepare technical services librarians for their first professional jobs, yet the desired skills and areas of knowledge which were identified as lacking varied between the two groups. The researchers discovered employment data which indicate relatively low turnover or consolidation for technical services librarians, and which support projections of low to moderate growth for this area of librarianship over the next decade.Item Biz of Acq - LibGuides: Changing the Game for Technical Services Procedures & Policies(Against the Grain, 2015-09) Mueller, Kat Landry; Thompson, Molly; Flinchbaugh, MichelleWhile librarians are stereotypically excellent at preserving and ensuring access to library materials for patrons, there tends to be noticeable lack of instructions when it comes to documenting their own workflows and procedures. Librarians at Sam Houston State University’s Newton Gresham Library are trying to “change the game” when it comes to efficient and effective documentation of Technical Services department’s policies and processes. Springshare’s LibGuides has thus far been an beneficial system for documenting SHSU Library internal practices and systems. As with most technical documentation structure, continued success depends upon routine updates, maintaining access, and widespread adoption by personnel.Item Are Serials Worth Their Weight in Knowledge? A Value Study(Journal of Academic Librarianship (Elsevier), 2015-09) Jones, Glenda Flanagan; Cassidy, Erin Dorris; McMain, Lynn; Strickland, Susan; Thompson, Molly; Valdes, ZacharyThe researchers aimed to use qualitative measures to define value as applied to print and electronic serial publications held at Sam Houston State University. Researchers examined faculty key activities—namely, Research, Publishing, Course Preparation and Development, Service, and Personal Interests—and also asked about the perceived extent of support that library journals provided for these key activities. The results of a survey sent to the faculty of two major colleges, Education and Criminal Justice, emphasized the importance of electronic over print serials for research, publishing, and teaching. Many respondents reported that they never used print serials for key activities but have recently used electronic serials. The print serial collection was reported to provide only minor support for the key activities whereas the electronic serials collection was reported to support those to a major extent. Most faculty respondents reported that they would drop subscriptions to personal interest journals if the Library obtained electronic access.Item To Whom Are We Listening? Measuring the Pulse of Geography Education Research, 2010(Gilbert M. Grosvenor Center for Geographic Education, 2017) Albert, Donald Patrick; Cassidy, Erin DorrisThis study analyzes citations from thirty-six articles published in volume 34 (2010) of the Journal of Geography in Higher Education (JGHE). This is one of the dominant publications in the suite of international journals focusing on geography education. Our purpose is to explore the question, to whom are “we” – the geography education community – listening? Citations from these articles were categorized as originating from the journal subject categories geography education, geography, or non-geography. Simple count and percent summaries of citations from individual journals within subject categories, and overall across categories were extracted from the thirty-six articles. The quality of these citations were assessed using each journal’s SCImago Journal Ranking (SJR) score and quartile standing for 2010. Weighted citation values were calculated to rank the leading contributing journals to the JGHE. The results indicated that the JGHE is underpinned by a diversity of high-impact journals from all three categories including the Journal of Geography in Higher Education (self-cites), Science Education, Progress in Human Geography, and The Professional Geographer. Our data revealed that this volume of JGHE cited articles from a diverse range of journals with 47.5% from geography (30.3% geography education and 17.2 percent geography) and 52.5% from non-geography journals. Education journals comprised 62.5% of the citations from the non-geography category. These statistics suggest the scholars in geography education are reaching within and across the discipline to enhance and propel their research activities.Item Patron Preferences: Recreational Reading in an Academic Library(The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 2017-01) Mueller, Kat Landry; Hanson, Michael; Martinez, Michelle; Meyer, LindaResearch background and method In 2014, Sam Houston State University Library librarians distributed a survey to students, faculty and staff to better understand how the university community was using library materials for recreational reading. The survey found that patrons had preference for print materials with a growing interest in other formats. A significant number of respondents did not view the library as a source of recreational reading materials; those who did read across a broad swath of genres. Greater understanding of patron recreational reading preferences empower the library to expand the library collection to meet all patron demands.Item Collecting Sex Materials for Libraries(Taylor & Francis Group, 2017-02-21) Martinez, Michelle; Landry Mueller, Kat; Cassidy, Erin Dorris; Shen, Lisa; Thompson, Molly; Valdes, ZachThis article analyzes data gathered over a year-long survey of library employees’ opinions of sexually related materials in library collections. Surveys generally examine patron attitudes rather than the attitudes of library employees, whose attitudes and beliefs can have a strong effect on the collection. The researchers discovered themes in the data such as: varying definitions and differences between pornography and erotica, legality issues and misconceptions, differing perceptions of censorship dependent on library type, and a possible unacceptance of non-heteronormative material. The survey and analysis serve as a contribution to the ongoing discussion of the appropriateness of sexually related materials in librariesItem Open Education, Open Opportunities(2017-03-09) Cassidy, Erin DorrisItem Where’s the EASY Button? Uncovering E-Book Usability(2019) Mueller, Kat Landry; Owens, Erin; Valdes, Zachary; Williamson, ColeE-book platforms have multiplied among vendors and publishers, complicating not only acquisitions and collection development decisions, but also the user experience. Using a methodology of task-based user testing, the researchers sought to measure and compare user performance of eight common tasks on nine e-book platforms: EBSCO eBooks, ProQuest Ebook Central, Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL), Oxford Reference, Safari Books Online, IGI Global, CRCnetBASE, Springer Link, and JSTOR. Success and failure rates per task, average time spent per task, and user comments were evaluated to gauge the usability of each platform. Findings indicate that platforms vary widely in terms of users’ ability and speed in completing known-item searches, navigation tasks, and identification of specialized tools, with implications for library acquisition and user instruction decisions. Results also suggest several key vendor design recommendations for an optimal user experience. The study did not aim to declare a “winning” platform, and all the platforms tested demonstrated both strengths and weaknesses in different aspects, but overall performance and user preference favored ProQuest’s Ebook Central platform.Item What Do You Want from Us? Evaluating Student Interest in Technology-Based Services in Academic Libraries(College & Research Libraries, 2019) Elkins, Susan; Hwang, Soo-yeon; Kim, Dianna; Manolovitz, Tyler; Mueller, Kat Landry; Owens, ErinFollowing two previous studies in 2010 and 2013, this study intends to identify current trends of Sam Houston State University students’ technology and communication needs and preferences regarding library services and resources. Drawing comparisons to two previous local studies and national datasets, such as those from Pew Internet Research and the EDUCAUSE Center for Analysis and Research (ECAR), the findings revealed, among other things, a decline in tablet usage and interest, continued need for library computers, and a complex relationship between social media usage and engagement with the library. The results of this survey will inform and guide the library and the profession to most efficiently and effectively offer desired library services and engage students on appropriate social media platforms.Item Beyond Citation-Counting: Metrics and Altmetrics for Demonstrating Scholarly Impact(2019-03-19) Owens, ErinAs librarians, we understand how a citation shows the influence of one scholarly work on another. But citations are only one way to gauge the impact that scholarship has in its field and in the wider world. Starting from the context of traditional citation-based metrics, this session will explore a variety of alternative metrics that offer new and diverse ways for researchers to tell the story of their scholarship.