Pamela Howard

Google Scholar Usage: An Academic Library's Experience

Google Scholar is a free service that provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly works and to connect patrons with the resources libraries provide. The researchers in this study analyzed Google Scholar usage data from 2006 for three library tools at San Francisco State University: SFX link resolver, Web Access Management proxy server, and ILLiad interlibrary loan server. Overall, the data suggested that Google Scholar had become a very useful resource in the library and was a significant addition to the librarys collection of research databases. SFX data revealed requests from Google Scholar grew ten-fold from 2006 to 2011, and that Google Scholar became the top-ranked SFX source for requests in 2011. Library patrons favored Google Scholar over San Francisco State Universitys federated search tool, MetaLib, and it has become an important source for interlibrary loan requests. Analysis of San Francisco State University usage data will assist other libraries in their decisions about the implementation of Google Scholar.

An Exploration of Academic Reading Proficiency at the University Level: A Cross-Sectional Study of 848 Undergraduates

ABSTRACT Academic reading proficiently is characterized by the ability to perform cognitive tasks associated with interpreting text. Researchers developed an externally validated Informal Academic Reading Proficiency Test to gauge undergraduates’ academic reading proficiency. A cross-sectional study of 23 classes completed the reading test in 2014. This convenience sample totaled 848 undergraduates. Academic reading proficiency did not vary significantly by class level. Students who earned high school diplomas in the United States had greater academic reading proficiency than students who did not earn their diplomas in the United States. The results of a cross-sectional, undergraduate academic reading proficiency test of 848 students reveal that students do not necessarily improve their reading as they progress toward college graduation and that many struggle with a common set of reading tasks across all class levels.

Academic Reading: Comparing Students’ and Faculty Perceptions of Its Value, Practice, and Pedagogy

This cross-sectional study at a four-year college explored the alignment between students’ and faculty perceptions and behaviors regarding academic reading. Constructs from the academic reading literature were used to create a 10-item survey, modified slightly for faculty and students to respond to the same prompts. A convenience sample of 848 students and a snowball sample of 63 faculty examined the value of academic reading, academic reading practices, and attitudes toward academic reading pedagogy. Differences in agreement between students and faculty were statistically significant for all items. Students and faculty agree that undergraduate education should make students proficient academic readers, although the faculty mean is significantly higher than the students’. The expert-novice, Dunning-Kruger effect, and disengagement compact are three theories proposed to explain results.

DIGITAL LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION ACCESS: RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES. Chowdhury, G. G., and Schubert Foo, Eds. Chicago: Neal Schuman, 2012, 256 pp.,

The authors begin by giving local governments recognition for the work they do and the services they provide while dealing with the strain of small budgets. They delve into research showing that cost is typically a primary factor for communities investigating the possibility of privatization, but they also note that these moves tend to start in city councils and rarely at the level of the library or the community at large. The second chapter outlines the steps of the privatization process, which really just sets the stage for the case studies that follow in Chapter 3. In that chapter, five case narratives are presented with a variety of outcomes. In cases where libraries were transferred to private control, positive outcomes included stability in management and the establishment of library services where none had existed before. In other cases, privatization had negative results, such as creating issues with staff pensions. Libraries in two case studies made strong arguments against the move to privatization and retained control by demonstrating their worth and educating government players about the ins and outs of libraries. The chapter provides a suitable overview of good, bad, and neutral outcomes in plain and objective language. The book concludes with a chapter discussing key issues for libraries facing privatization. It covers the impacts that privatization might have, but more importantly, it discusses how to respond when the issue comes up. The appendix is a reprint of the 2011 ALA report, Keeping Public Libraries Public: A Checklist for Communities Considering Privatization of Public Libraries, which is also available online as a free PDF. Given that fact, some might prefer to skip this book. However, considering what is at stake for the designated audience, it is worth the cost, especially for the case studies. In all, this is an excellent resource for public librarians whose institutions are in crisis and may be facing the possibility of privatization.

99.95, ISBN-13: 978-1-55570-914-3.

The text is easy to follow and is broken down by various projects, so it is easy for the reader to jump from one section to another if already familiar with some of the features in GIMP. It offers hands-on, step-by-step instructions to explain different features available in the program. Many of these features can be combined or used in an alternate situation to create a different effect than the one described. Some of the layering effects noted in the book could be used to blur the background while maintaining a focus on select individuals. This would allow the library to use images for those that have given consent for use of their image in press releases and on the library Web site, while protecting the privacy of those caught in the background of the image or not willing to give their consent, when cropping the image is not a feasible option. While I recommend GIMP to anyone interested in learning photo editing software, I would strongly recommend this book to go with it. It gives the best overview of commonly used features with hands-on learning as well as a short list of online resources for continuing support. This book is an update of a previous edition from 2006, so if you have worked with the previous edition it may not offer much other than basic layout changes; many of the files are still the same ones used in the first edition.

A Review of “An Overview of the Changing Role of the Systems Librarian: Systemic Shifts”

A Social Networking Primer for Librarians is small in physical size, but the book is thorough in its coverage, including practical advice that comes from real-life situations, recommended resources, and suggestions for further reading. A glossary with basic definitions for social networking terms is also provided. Beyond the physical book, up-to-date information on this title and all of the books in the Tech Set is available from a wiki at http://www.techset.wetpaint.com. A podcast from the author may also be found at http://techset.wetpaint.com/page/Tech+Set+Author+Podcasts. Cliff Landis’s blog is at http://clifflandis.net. Paula Barnett-Ellis Health and Sciences Librarian Houston Cole Library Jacksonville State University Jacksonville, AL pbarnett@jsu.edu