Allison V. Level

Peer mentoring: one institution's approach to mentoring academic librarians

Purpose – Aims to describe a peer‐mentoring program in one academic library and to provide suggestions and recommendations for setting up a similar program in other libraries.Design/methodology/approach – Formal one‐on‐one mentoring for tenure‐track librarians is a standard component of many professional development programs. This qualitative article describes the development of a newer method, the peer‐mentoring group.Findings – Information about several peer‐mentoring programs and the importance of mentoring as a component of professional development in libraries is provided.Originality/value – A list of recent articles on peer‐mentoring programs is provided along with selected articles about mentoring in libraries and higher education. The focus is for academic libraries, but public libraries may still be interested in this newer model of mentoring.

Creating and evaluating a subject‐based blog: planning, implementation, and assessment

Purpose – This paper seeks to outline the creation of a subject‐based blog and to suggest unique evaluation techniques for library blogs.Design/methodology/approach – The methodology involved an online survey, web tracking software, RSS feed tracking, and the use of blog search engines.Findings – A successful blog was launched and statistics show a marked increase in visitors in the second semester when it was available.Research limitations/implications – This article reports on a survey which is not statistically valid. The results, however, provide some insight into users of the blog.Practical implications – The paper outlines several methods of evaluating library blogs and outlines successful planning for a library subject‐area blog.Originality/value – The paper provides information about setting up a relevant information service, and using web tools to evaluate the success of the service.

Information‐seeking behavior for recreational activities and its implications for libraries

Purpose – Seeks to prove that studies conducted over the past several decades repeatedly indicate that information‐seeking behavior by members of the general public involves consultation of a variety of potential information sources, including libraries.Design/methodology/approach – This article focuses on information seeking with regard to recreation activities in wilderness areas including, but not limited to, hiking.Findings – The study results indicate that respondents do turn to the internet for some of their information needs. Web sites providing information on three hiking areas were also analyzed to determine their accuracy and access to information. The study concludes that information‐seeking behavior on the internet represents investigation of sources that existed in the pre‐internet era but that access has altered from earlier mechanisms, such as paper mail, telephone, or on‐site visits, to electronic investigation.Originality/value – Libraries continue to represent a potential information sou...

Developing a Metadata Best Practices Model: The Experience of the Colorado State University Libraries

ABSTRACT The Metadata Best Practices Task Force (MBPTF) at the Colorado State University (CSU) Libraries developed a core set of metadata elements and an accompanying data dictionary to facilitate a coordinated metadata management approach for a central digital repository of diverse digital objects. This article describes the rationale for the Task Force and the process used for its work following a look at the background of digitization and past metadata practices at CSU. The article includes a literature review on institutional metadata projects and examples, and it ends with a description of the Task Forces ongoing work and plans for future assessment.

How to Drink From a Fire Hose Without Drowning: Collection Assessment in a Numbers-Driven Environment

As collection budgets have dwindled, library acquisitions has become a data-driven field that relies on hard numbers. Libraries are struggling with the demands of adapting to a numbers-driven environment, both from a personnel and a data management perspective. This article includes a literature review, survey results, and practical advice that can be applied to most library environments. A model of transferable outcomes is introduced that encourages libraries to create a data pool of statistical information that can be applied to collections decisions in a variety of ways to quantify the impact of library resources to the broader community.

Information Literacy Across the Disciplines: Using the Science Information Literacy Wiki as a Collaborative Tool in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Science Librarianship

The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Science and Technology Section (STS) wiki was launched in 2008. This article discusses the STS wiki development, content, publicity, and its application across the science disciplines. Information about assessment and future plans for the wiki is also provided. Some of the information included in this article was presented in a panel for the 2010 United States Agricultural Information Network (USAIN) Conference.

Standing on the shoulders of others : Taking an agricultural bibliography project into the 21st century

ABSTRACT As family farms disappear from the landscape, most Americans do not have contact with the agricultural roots of the country. More than ever, the historical literature that helps in telling the story of American farming needs protection. The Preserving the History of United States Agriculture and Rural Life Project, administered by Cornell University, calls for states to identify and list important agricultural literature for preservation purposes. Because Colorado began to participate after approximately half of the states had completed bibliographies, staff could access already-tested methodologies for scope descriptions, subject headings, and other “how-to” processes. By using the lessons learned by others, staff were able to expand the scope, capture extra records, and design a nuanced Web site as a portal to the bibliography.

Creating internal Web tools for collection development

Collection development activities are an important and ongoing component of every library. The historically paper‐driven environment of this work is changing. With intranets and Web authoring tools, digitizing your collection development workflow enables libraries to have an increased level of efficiency and accessibility. This article outlines the creation, development, and implementation of Web accessible collection development tools. These tools integrate procedures, forms, policies, and library organization Web sites. Information about project revisions, modifications, and suggestions for future projects is included. A coordinated collection development Web site may consist of online tools, Web resources, work‐flow processes, instructions and other information for selectors and library staff, as well as information for library patrons.

Tapping Technology: Creating Web-Based Tutorials for Master Gardeners

ABSTRACT Many successful Extension programs depend on the knowledge and expertise of volunteer Master Gardeners. It is important that Master Gardeners take advantage of research-based information and tips and tricks to finding quality information on the Web. This article outlines a successful cooperative project in which segments of a traditional classroom instruction session for Master Gardeners were modified into tutorials. The tutorials were then offered via the Web and used as part of the Master Gardener training.