Claire McGuinness

Keeping ahead of the curve: : academic librarians and continuing professional development in Ireland

Purpose – This paper aims to present the results of a qualitative study of the continuing professional development (CPD) activities of academic librarians in Ireland. The benefits of CPD, the methods and strategies of engagement, and the role played by professional organisations are examined, with particular emphasis on the attitudes of librarians towards CPD. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 25 academic librarians were interviewed in depth from four universities in the greater Dublin region. A qualitative approach was chosen to allow the collection of data which was rich and informative. Findings – Academic librarians engage in CPD in multiple ways, both formal and informal, but it falls primarily to the individual librarian to find, participate in, or even create such opportunities, which raises the question of personal motivation and drive. Support from employers and professional organisations is key. Barriers to participation in CPD include time, financial restraints and lack of encouragement f...

Information skills training practices in Irish higher education

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a national survey of information skills training (IST) practices in Irish higher education institutions, which was carried out during 2006‐2007 with the aim of documenting current practice and identifying areas in which change or innovation may be warranted. Despite an emerging picture of information literacy (IL) practice worldwide, a lack of published research has made it difficult to gain an accurate overview of IL activity in the Republic of Ireland. This paper aims to partly fill this gap.Design/methodology/approach – An invitation to complete a 26‐item questionnaire was sent out to librarians in all publicly‐funded higher education institutions in the Irish Republic in November 2006. Out of 154 librarians, 77 responded, giving a response rate of 50 per cent.Findings – Results showed that, while librarians spend a significant portion of their time engaged in IST activities and are enthusiastic about developing and promoting their progra...

The QUAIL Framework: Quality Assurance for Information Literacy Projects

Successful transfer and sharing of knowledge rely mainly on social attitudes, behaviours and networks, rather than ICT-based networks. The availability of Information and Communication Technologies ICTs facilitates the management of projects in general. ICTs are central to both managing Information Literacy projects and providing access to learning resources and opportunities for collaborative learning. In this paper, we propose a framework for quality management of information literacy projects. Learning from the field of Information Systems Quality Management the proposed framework encompasses Demings PDCA Plan, Do, Check, Act Cycle and Kitchenhams Process Improvement model. From the Information Literacy field the SCONUL model provide the dimension of standardisation. The framework is customisable to prioritise aspects based on the likelihood, proximity and impact of risks. The success of Information Literacy programmes and projects depends on the availability and use of ICTs and in this paper we argue how the Information Literacy Project success can be enhanced by using our framework.

Chapter 5 – Judgement Day

This important chapter invites you to consider the meaning of quality when applied to information resources found on the Web. You will be challenged to explore your own perceptions of good and bad information sources and to think about your decision-making around the selection of resources in any given context. We also examine some evaluation models for digital information, focussing on the criteria for assessing the quality of the different kinds of information that you find on the Web, from webpages to videos to infographics.

Fact or Fiction? Negotiating New Learning Spaces

This final dilemma addresses potential concerns about online learning as you transition from an environment that uses technology only marginally to a learning experience that may be highly mediated by technology. We explore learning management systems, e-tutorials, collaborative authoring tools, podcasts and many more e-resources, as well as ways to organize digital learning, such as personal information management. Importantly, we consider how approaches to learning online may differ from the traditional classroom environment and how we can use this environment in our university learning.

Chapter 1 – The Digital Landscape, Scholarship, and You

This chapter welcomes you to university learning and the potential power of digital tools and resources in higher education. We consider the transition to the university environment and digital dilemmas students routinely face as they complete academic tasks. We explore the skills that you may acquire from this textbook, which will enable you to become a savvy digital detective . An overview of each chapter is provided to help you work through the textbook as a whole, as well as to help you dip into chapters to focus on specific dilemmas as they may arise in your academic work.

It’s Only Words…

This chapter takes a close look at scholarly databases and similar resources, such as Web-scale Discovery Services, and considers the important ways in which they differ from the vast resource databases that constitute web-based search services, such as Google and Bing. We compare databases to the Web in terms of the suitability of the information for college work, the essential differences in how these resources are constructed, and the implications of database structure for searching. The importance of creating effective search strategies is also discussed, including Boolean logic, advanced searching, and other useful tricks of the trade.

In Too Deep

This chapter introduces you to the Deep Web and reveals to you how the full texts of scholarly and formally published information resources may not show up in general Internet searches because they are locked behind subscription paywalls or are otherwise inaccessible to general Internet users. In addition, in this chapter we demonstrate how the use of scholarly search engines, such as Google Scholar and Microsoft Academic Search, can be used effectively to locate academic information, follow citation trails, and identify key authors. We conclude by exploring the concept of open access, which is a movement to ensure that research data are disseminated cost-free on the Web.

Aladdin’s Cave

This chapter explores the power of Internet search engines for academic work and focuses specifically on Google, since this is often peoples first port of call when confronted with a problem, query, or academic task. This chapter shows you how to adopt a clever, strategic approach to your searching so that you can ensure the items you retrieve from Google are suitable for the task at hand. It also goes behind the scenes of Google to explain how search results are ranked and how searches are becoming increasingly personalized for individual users.

Wiki or Won’t I?

This chapter acknowledges the ubiquity of Wikipedia as the go-to information source of our time and its popularity among students when researching for scholarly assignments. However, students may receive conflicting messages about the suitability of Wikipedia as an academic source and may feel uncertain about using it. Here we explore the general issues surrounding the use of freely available, collaboratively authored sources such as wikis for academic work, and we advise students on how to ensure that the sources they select are appropriate for the task at hand.