Jay Bhatt

Science and technology libraries partnering with knovel

ABSTRACT The engineering library plays a critical role in initiating and maintaining the conduit between vendors of engineering information and the users of that information-faculty, students, and researchers. Likewise, vendors play a key role in supporting library, and faculty efforts, to promote science and engineering information resources, beyond just supplying content and interface. Science and engineering libraries, and vendors, can effectively work together to get the most from electronic resources for both large and small institutions. The case studies here show how Knovel Corporation, a sci-tech e-book vendor, has worked with librarians at large and small institutions, and with faculty members to promote awareness and usage of Knovels interactive library of electronic books for science and engineering education.ABSTRACT The engineering library plays a critical role in initiating and maintaining the conduit between vendors of engineering information and the users of that information-faculty, students, and researchers. Likewise, vendors play a key role in supporting library, and faculty efforts, to promote science and engineering information resources, beyond just supplying content and interface. Science and engineering libraries, and vendors, can effectively work together to get the most from electronic resources for both large and small institutions. The case studies here show how Knovel Corporation, a sci-tech e-book vendor, has worked with librarians at large and small institutions, and with faculty members to promote awareness and usage of Knovels interactive library of electronic books for science and engineering education.

Innovative approaches to information literacy instruction for engineering undergraduates at Drexel University

As information professionals, engineering librarians have the primary responsibilities of providing access to engineering information resources and giving instruction in how to use these resources. In the case of undergraduate engineering students, this extends to building their information literacy skills, an important component in helping them become lifelong learners; to be curious and independent, and to take greater responsibility for their own learning. The challenge in building information literacy in engineering students is to acquaint the students with the array of library resources available to them and to help them intelligently navigate the systems that contain the information. Too often, information literacy instruction is presented as a set of procedures for locating a hypothetical resource in the library. However, students are not interested in finding some resource randomly chosen as an example; they want to find resources that they perceive as being important and useful. During the 2005–2006 academic year, the engineering librarians at Drexel University took this into consideration and employed a new methodology for information literacy instruction: combining an online tutorial covering basic library skills with face-to-face consultations between student design teams and the engineering librarians. By utilizing varied instruction techniques aimed at different learning styles, with a strong active learning component delivered at the students point of need—when they have a concrete, perceived information need—information literacy instruction can be improved so that engineering students retain more and develop lifelong learning skills.

Blogging as a tool : innovative approaches to information access

Purpose – To describe new features and functionality of blogging and share a range of applications in the library environment.Design/methodology/approach – Demonstrates the range of applications and suggests that this is a new information medium that is likely to have a keen presence for a long while as more users engage in the related activities and depend on Blogs and RSS for their sources of information.Findings – Implementations in ways librarians never expected are now becoming common and the role of blogging and the challenges associated with tracking content on blogs remains of great interest. The wide spectrum of information sources and functionality of blogs proves to be ever‐changing.Originality/value – Provides library community new ideas in how to implement blogs that will serve users in creative, positive and meaningful ways.

JISC's Academic Database Assessment Tool as a Collection Development and Management Tool for Bibliographic Databases

The Academic Database Assessment Tool (ADAT) from the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) enables users to compile and compare journal title lists from many different suppliers. The makers claim that this tool can help identify overlap of coverage among comparable databases and platforms. This article provides an overview of the tools major features, including limitations, and how it can be used in academic libraries to make informed collection development and management decisions regarding electronic databases.

25th IATUL Conference Report

Gives an overview of the four main themes ‐ elements of library management, policy dilemmas with regard to traditional collection and e‐resources, public relations, and regional library co‐operation ‐ of the 25th conference of the International Association of Technical University Libraries held in Krakow, Poland at the end of May, 2004.

International Association of Technological University Libraries (IATUL) 2005 Meeting

Purpose – Aims to report on the 26th IATUL Annual Conference.Design/methodology/approach – The conference focused on three major themes: infrastructure, people and global innovation initiatives, which are summarised.Findings – This conference addressed many important and relevant issues to science and technological universities worldwide. Collaboration, partnership and further discussion not only within IATUL membership but with members of other organizations such as IFLA can further enhance the mission information dissemination of technological libraries. The conference highlighted several important issues that the information professionals worldwide need to continue to think, reflect and develop strategies to practically implement them for the benefit to not only to the information producing and disseminating organizations but the society as a whole.Originality/value – This conference provided ample opportunities to network with information experts in a variety of specialty areas such as Open Access Ini...