Researchers’ Use of Academic Libraries and their Services

While this report is nearly a year old I think it is particularly relevant to the discussions that are taking place on our campus today around the renovation of our Science and Engineering Library.

Researchers’ Use of Academic Libraries and their Services, published April 2007 by the Research Information Network (RIN) and the Consortium of Research Libraries (CURL) highlights the results of a survey of 2250 researchers and 300 librarians. It addresses challenges, themes and new roles/responsibilities for libraries in the 21^st century.

CHALLENGES

The authors note shifts in the way researchers work due to the development of e-Research; an increase in collaborative/Interdisciplinary work and increases in quantity of digital output. As a result, libraries are facing significant “pressure points” including inadequate funding.

THEMES

Library as place: The survey identified a “sharp fall over the past five years in the number of researchers who visit their institution’s library regularly”. This is most pronounced in the sciences where the authors predict that it “may be a rare occurrence to see a science researcher in a library in five years time”.

Changes in researcher behavior: Researchers “seem to be becoming more limited in the range of tools they use as Google becomes better at delivering a result they see as satisfactory…..over 70% of researchers use it routinely to find scholarly content.” Librarians support is needed in the “last mile” to achieve access once the item is “discovered” online.

Demand for electronic resources is on the rise while print use continues to decline. The report found that “when presented with a locally-held option in print or microform researchers are also more likely to abandon their quest than to pursue it.” This is particularly true in the sciences where “if the article cannot be read – or at least located and requested – within minutes, it remains unread”

While e-books are still in their infancy, spending on e-books is predicted to rise to 20% of monograph collection by 2011

Collaborative/Interdisciplinary Research: Technology is facilitating collaborative/interdisciplinary research involving different researchers, at different institutions, in different locations geographically and in different disciplines. Posing a challenge to libraries who want to provide adequate and equitable support.

e-Research: “Rapid growth in the volume of digital research outputs in many different forms; these are likely to create new challenges for librarians in data management, storage and preservation.” . How do we manage all of the data needed/being generated?

NEW ROLES FOR LIBRARIES AND LIBRARIANS

In five years time researchers identified the following as roles for academic libraries: custodian (print and digital collections); manager of institutional repositories; administrator (purchasing/delivery of information services); subject-based information experts; teacher of information literacy and related skills; manager of datasets; and technology specialist. Many other researchers added copyright and intellectual property rights issues as well as support for facilitating the process of e-learning.

In essence, “the business and service model [of libraries] is evolving from acquiring, cataloguing and circulating physical collections to synthesizing, specialising, and mobilising Web-based services”

Generation Y most active users of libraries

Happy new year!

The results of a recent study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project has found that the biggest users of libraries are the “tech-loving group known as Generation Y”.   See:  http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN2849864420071230

The co-author of the report is quoted as saying:  “Internet use seems to create an information hunger and it is information-savvy young people who are most likely to visit libraries”

Many academic libraries have seen dramatic increases in the use of our physical spaces by students.   Gate counts have risen dramatically despite the availability of online resources.

At McMaster this has certainly been true for us at the Mills Library (Social Sciences and Humanities) where we just reported (yet again) an increase in gate count.  I attribute the increases to improvements we’ve made including the learning commons; our laptop loan program; and a recently renovated “laptop room”.

Interestingly, the use of Thode Library for Science and Engineering declined between 2006 and 2007 by 3%, which is substantial in terms of volume.  However, we anticipate that the changes we are planning, which are reflective of how students use libraries today, will draw students back into the library where we will be able to better engage them in support of their academic activities.

It’s good to know that we are producing a generation of students that value access to information and the services we provide for them in our libraries.

UL appointed co-chair to Provost’s task force on teaching and learning

I’m pleased to say that I’ve been appointed to co-chair the new Provost’s task force on teaching and learning.  The mandate, which is below, is quite broad and has potential to have a significant impact at our institution.   Watch this space for more information as we move forward with the work of the task force!

TASK FORCE ON TEACHING AND LEARNING 

Context
Recognized as one of Canada’s most innovative and most research intensive universities, McMaster has a long standing record of excellence in teaching and learning.  The “McMaster model”, a student-centred, problem-based, interdisciplinary approach to learning has been adopted by universities around the world.  As one of the top 100 universities in the world McMaster University is graduating students who will become the  leaders of tomorrow. 

However, we cannot afford to rest on our past success, hoping that the McMaster name alone will  propel us into the future.  McMaster is not unique among Canadian universities in the challenges it faces  including competition:  for students, for faculty and for the financial resources needed to excel.

It is therefore timely that we re-examine the effectiveness of teaching and learning practices across the university as a whole.  We must take stock of our current strengths and weaknesses, identify the ‘ideal’ teaching and learning environment we would like to develop at McMaster, and devise strategies and directions to help us achieve that ideal.    

Our current environment offers many opportunities for such self-examination and growth – we have many new leaders to help direct and implement change including a new Provost, new Deans of Engineering and Graduate Studies, a new VP research, new Teaching Professors and new directions for our library system.   We also face many challenges at McMaster including the enhancement of effective teaching and learning practices during a period of growing student enrollments and severe budget constraints.  

The Provost’s Task Force on Teaching and Learning (TOTAL) will explore and develop  new strategies and approaches to teaching and learning that will enable McMaster to  “move beyond it’s current position among the more innovative universities in Canada …(and).. take its place on the world stage as one of the most important centers for the creation of new knowledge” (capital campaign video)

Terms of Reference

The Task Force on Teaching and Learning has  been charged by the Provost with the following four goals:

1)      Documentation of the Current State:  Where are we now?

a.      Gather data and analyze current factors that have an impact on effective teaching and learning at McMaster

b.      Identify current and emerging best practices and strategies that support student and instructor success

 

2)      Identification of the Ideal Future State:  Where should we be?

           a.      Analyze emerging issues and explore desired future state

3)      Design Strategies: How do we get there?

a.      Recommend ways in which we can enhance the quality of teaching and learning at the undergraduate and graduate levels,

b.      Develop a culture of scholarship in teaching and learning

c.       Develop a culture of innovation

            4)      Implement, Evaluate and Disseminate  

Themes

Throughout this process the task force will organize along the following cross-cutting themes:

Theme 1:   The Student Focused Organization (defined learning outcomes, policies on teaching excellence, technology, advising/writing/tutors, disability services, honors, internships, international)

 

Theme 2:  Effective Teaching Organization (rewards, recognition, support for teaching, integration of research/teaching, etc)

 

Theme 3:  The Supportive Organization (administrative structure, budget reflects teaching/learning priorities, data collection/access, policies/procedures that support teaching/learning, governance, etc)

 

Theme 4:  The Future Focused Organization (planning for the future, assessment/evaluation, IT planning, physical campus, development)

 

Theme 5:  The Engaged Organization (partnerships, Hamilton/Burlington community, etc)

 

Timeline

Our timeline includes both short-term  and long-term goals and deliverables.

Throughout the process the task force will communicate with the campus through interviews, surveys and focus groups.  A task force website will provide up-to-the-minute information regarding the process.  The task force will also communicate updates through the Daily News.

November 2007 – Provost commissions task force

November – December 2007 – Task force members meet to plan process

Phase I:  Current State:  Part one, structural/organizational

January – February 2008 – Identify data needs

March – April 2008 - Gather data (including SWOT analysis) including

-          Structure/organization

-          Physical (classrooms, IT)

Phase II:  Current State:  Part two, strategies/best practices (at McMaster)

March - May 2008 – gather data on best practices and strategies at McMaster

-          Student issues (content, skills, abilities, )

-          Faculty issues (development, recognition, innovation)

May – June 2008 – Summarize data and draft first interim report for Provost

 

Phase III:  Future State

June - August 2008 – Committee conducts audit of best practices

June – August 2008 - Site visits, on campus consultants/speakers

August - September 2008 – Summarize data and draft second interim report for Provost

September 2008 – First town hall – release findings of current and future state

 

Phase IV:  Strategies and best practices

September -  December 2008 – draft recommendations for strategies to address gaps/needs/new initiatives

January – February 2009 – Summarize data and draft third interim report for Provost

 

            Phase V:  Implementation, evaluation and dissemination

Implementation, evaluation and dissemination will occur at different stages throughout the review.  The task force will make some recommendations quickly to address immediate needs.  Other recommendations will require longer term planning and implementation.

Membership

The Task Force on Teaching and Learning consists of faculty representatives from each of the faculties, the libraries, Centre for Student Development, Center for Leadership in Learning,; graduate students, and undergraduate students.

1.       Co-chairs: 

a.       Dr. Carolyn Eyles, Faculty of Science

b.      Jeffrey Trzeciak, University Librarian

 

2.      One full-time faculty member from each of the six faculties at McMaster including a minimum of one of the new teaching professor positions:

a.       Social Sciences:  Sue Vajoczki  

b.      Humanities:  Alexandre Sevigny

c.       Health Sciences:  Geoff Norman

d.      Engineering: Yaser Haddara

e.       Business:  Milena Head

f.       Science:  Doug Boreham

 

3.      One full-time librarian

a.       Karen Nicholson

 

4.      One staff member from CLL and CSD

a.       CLL:  Erika Kustra

b.      CSD:  Peter Walsh

 

5.      Two students representing undergraduate and graduates:

a.       Arati Sharma, VP MSU

b.      Ryan Kealy, Graduate student

 

More good press from the Spec

A story in yesterday’s Spectator mentions our Peace and War in the 20th Century digitization project.  Congratulations to all involved in the project!

Virtual World Librarianship

Great new continuing ed courses from UIUC and Illinois Alliance Library System:

The Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Illinois Alliance Library System are pleased to offer a series of non-credit continuing education courses for librarians, educators, and others interested in libraries, learning, and teaching in virtual worlds such as Second Life.

Spring 2008 Courses
NEW Second Life 101
Instructor: Barbara (Puglet Dancer) Galik

Introduction to Virtual World Librarianship
Instructors: S. (Hypatia Dejavu) Thompson, Rhonda (Abbey Zenith) Trueman, Lori (Lorelei Junot) Bell and JJ (JJ Drinkwater) Jacobson.

NEW Survey of Librarianship in Virtual Worlds
Instructors: Tom (Maxito Ricardo) Peters, Lori (Lorelei Junot) Bell and Kelly (BlueWings Hayek) Czarnecki.

NEW Technical Skills for the Virtual World Librarian
Instructors: Shannah (Anji Juran) Miller and Bernadette (HVX Siverstar) Swanson.

Intermediate Virtual World Librarianship - Programming and Planning
Instructors: Tom (Maxito Ricardo) Peters, Rhonda (Abbey Zenith) Trueman, Christy (Violet Portola) Confetti Higgins, and JJ (JJ Drinkwater) Jacobson.

Libraries and Immersive Learning in 3D Virtual Environments
Instructors: S. (Hypatia Dejavu) Thompson, JJ (JJ Drinkwater) Jacobson.

NEW Working with a Class in Second Life
Instructor: Dr. Bryan (Bryan Mnemonic) Carter.

NEW Setting Up an Educational Presence in Second Life
Instructors: Lori (Lorelei Junot) Bell, Rhonda (Abbey Zenith) Trueman, Tom (Maxito Ricardo) Peters

Please visit http://www.lis.uiuc.edu/programs/cpd/VW/ for additional information and to register. If you have questions, contact Marianne Steadley, steadley@uiuc.edu or 217-244-2751.
Marianne Steadley
Continuing Professional Development Program Director
501 E. Daniel St. Champaign IL 61820
217/244-2751
Fax: 217/244-3302

UK study tour

I have just returned from a two-week visit to the UK with more than 20 of my Canadian colleagues. I hope you will take a few minutes to read this brief message as it outlines the trends that we saw in academic libraries in the UK. These trends have important implications for our libraries at McMaster as well.

Once every three-four years the directors of the Canadian research libraries conduct a study tour abroad. The purpose of the tour is to meet our international colleagues and discuss the approaches we are all taking to the challenges faced by academic libraries today. This year more than 20 directors took part in a tour of many of the major academic libraries in England. Included in the sites we visited were: The British Library, University of London, Oxford, Cambridge, Manchester, and Warwick. Also included were visits with JISC (Joint Information Systems Committee) and SCONUL (Society of College, National and University Libraries).

The visit included tours of the various facilities as well as sessions for information exchange. Our counterparts were given a list of topics that the Canadian library directors were prepared to present and asked to put together an agenda based on their interests. I was honored to be asked by my colleagues to give the “Canadian perspective” at the SCONUL annual conference, which was at the conclusion of our tour. For the purpose of my presentation I focused on the development of Web 2.0 initiatives and the role of the library in supporting innovations in teaching and learning.

Over the course of our visit there were several apparent trends taking place in the UK. From my experience in the US I would add that these really are universal issues for academic libraries in the 21^st century. Clearly, academic libraries are changing significantly from what we all remember from our own academic experience. My favorite quote came from the JISC presentation: “When simple change becomes transformational change, the desire for continuity becomes a dysfunctional mirage”.

The trends included:

1) Re-inventing physical spaces

At Oxford, Sarah Thomas, the Bodley’s Librarian and Director of University Library Services, made the statement “libraries are not just about books anymore”, which set the stage for the remainder of our visit. The academic library of the 21^st century is a mix of comfortable space, social space, performance and exhibition space, collaborative work spaces, technology, restaurants and coffee shops, classrooms, group study rooms, multi-media production suites, and centers for faculty development. Challenging traditional assumptions, these academic libraries are leading the movement away from “library as warehouse” to “library as learning space”. Major renovations have been completed or are well underway at these institutions. Books have been relocated to storage. Book stacks have been replaced by technology, performance spaces, exhibition spaces, and comfortable seating for individual or group study.

Images from my visit

2) Emphasizing the undergraduate experience (recruitment, retention, skills, employability, widening participation, achievement, etc.)

As more research at the graduate and faculty level takes place electronically, fewer are visiting the library physically on a regular basis. Therefore, libraries are focusing space on enhancing undergraduate education. The physical changes are reflective of the changing role in libraries from one of service (checking out books or answering a reference question) to a culture of learning (understanding how students learn, behave, and interact).

At all of the UK institutions students were visiting the libraries in greater numbers than ever before. However, their reasons from coming in are different than those of previous generations. Technologically adept and highly social, these students prefer spaces where they can engage in intellectual discourse as well interact socially with their peers in an environment that integrates current technologies with the resources and services they need to be successful.

While this is clearly the most technologically competent/skilled generation to date, where these students do need the libraries is in the development of “21^st century fluencies” (information fluency, numeracy, visual fluency, media fluency, and geospatial fluency). Many of the institutions we visited partnered with or developed their own writing centers, data centers and other services emphasizing the development of 21^st century skills associated with these fluencies. The libraries focused on the development of 21^st skills either online, in the library, or in the classroom.

 

3) Partnering with faculty/graduates in teaching, learning and research

The greater emphasis on facilitating access to e-content has lead to a shift in libraries’ focus with the faculty and graduate students to:

 

<· Building infrastructure to preserve and provide access to locally generated research including the development of institutional repositories, data repositories, and local journal publishing;

· Building content by working nationally on commercial journal purchases but also working collaboratively with faculty to migrate their personal research and teaching materials from print/analog to digital;

· Collaborating in teaching and learning with faculty by teaching undergraduate students skills associated with 21^st century fluencies; by providing access to emerging learning technologies (blogs, wikis, etc); by creating library environments that enhance the classroom experience; and

· Collaborating in and supporting faculty research by developing virtual research environments that facilitate innovations in research.

4) De-emphasizing print collections

While all of the libraries we visited had recently completed additions, major or minor renovations, none of them emphasized print collections in the traditional sense of “book stacks”. (Some, like Oxford, were concentrating on the movement of collections to new storage facilities.) Instead, the focus was on the development of new spaces for teaching and learning.

JISC, in partnership with the major research libraries in the UK, has just launched an E-book initiative called the National E-Books Observatory. Comparable to Canada’s national licensing of journal literature, this program provides e-book licensing to all of the major research libraries in the UK. Currently the program only covers business, management studies, engineering, media studies, and medicine but there are plans to expand. The program has been so successful that the UK research libraries are anticipating that within 5 years their book budget will be evenly split between print and e-book purchases. There was even some speculation that with 10 years the percentage spent on e-books could be close to 100%.

It is interesting to note that UBC has recently closed two of their libraries: Math and Agriculture. Rising costs associated with services and maintaining the space along with decreased use of the print collections prompted the move of the entirety of both collections to closed storage facilities.

 

5) Mass digitization

While all of the libraries were engaging in some level of digitization, the British Library and Oxford in particular were focusing on mass digitization, the digitization of large portions of their collection through the use of advanced, automated scanning technologies. Oxford has entered into a partnership with Google while the British Library had chosen instead to work with Microsoft. Cambridge implied that an announcement was forthcoming regarding a partnership they were launching. Again, the preference by users for electronic access and the increased visibility of their collections through “discovery” via Google and other search engines is driving the move to digitization.

Technological change has had a profound impact on library resources and services over the past 20 years. While McMaster’s libraries have, until recently, been slow to change we now have an opportunity to learn from others as we move forward. Clearly academic libraries are moving from an emphasis on traditional library spaces and services to organizations supporting teaching, learning and research in the digital era. While it is still not clear to many of us what the future will hold for academic libraries it is certain that the older model of “library as warehouse” is no longer needed or sustainable.

 

Laptop friendly room added to Mills Library

We are pleased to announce a newly refurbished study space in Mills Library, a “Laptop Friendly” study area, located on the third floor near the main elevators.We realize that many visitors to the library require different types of learning spaces. To that end, we have made significant efforts to provide more group study rooms, silent study rooms, and now, a laptop friendly study space.

Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the Mills Learning Commons, this unique space was designed with the laptop user in mind. It is equipped with an abundance of new electrical outlets (12 outlets for every 6 feet of table), new tables at a more appropriate height for laptop users, new chairs, and wireless internet access. It can accommodate up to 50 laptop users. The new space addresses two areas of priority identified by library users: it increases the overall number of laptop friendly stations in the library and helps to reduce laptop noise in areas designated for silent study.

Within minutes of opening the space on Monday, December 10th, a dozen laptop users were already making themselves comfortable.

Stay tuned for a re-purposing of many of the large tables across from the main circulation desk on the first floor of Mills to provide lots of power outlets for use by laptop users sometime early next year.

nice post

Nice post from Lorcan Dempsey about the article in the University Affairs.

I’ve been traveling in the UK and will post something here about my trip when I return.  We had an opportunity to visit a number of major UK research libraries.  Pictures are up on my flickr site (but my metadata is awful so I’ll try to fix later)

One week, three major news outlets

You can’t see me but I’m doing a little dance as I type this. (quite difficult actually to type and dance!) We’ve had three major news stories about the libraries in just under a week! Essentially we hit all of the major publications that the university community sees including:

Hamilton Spectator: “Mac Libraries Turn the Page”

Globe and Mail: “Bringing the Reading Room into the Digital Age”

University Affairs: “Reference this! A new breed of librarians shakes up the shelves”

I’m very pleased that the McMaster University Library is receiving the (very well deserved) attention that it deserves. It’s an indication to me that we are moving forward in the right direction for a 21st century university library.

I especially want to thank all of the staff who have been working extremely hard to make all of these things possible. I know it’s obvious that they’re responsible for the change but it’s not said enough. Thank you!

eIFL 2007 Belgrade, Serbia

The eIFL organization has a great tradition of givint tshirts to their keynote speakers and then taking a photo for flickr.  Here I am! eIFL 2007 Belgrade, Serbia.