ACRL College & Research Libraries News

Association of College & Research Libraries

ACRL NATIONAL CONFERENCE: Learning to make a difference: Coverage from ACRL’s 11th National Conference, Part 2

This is the second of half of the report from the ACRL National Conference in Char- lotte. Part one appeared in the June issue. C&RL News thanks the many volunteers who provided session reports.

A survey of chief academic officers on diversity

Mark Winston (Rutgers University) began the contributed paper session “Diversity and Organizational Success: A Survey of Chief Academic Officers” with the profound statement that there is “little in the way of research and data” relating to diversity in the LIS literature. Most of the literature is comprised of case studies and opinion pieces but not true research. As a re- sult, his research with co-author Haipeng Li (Oberlin College) is based on published research primarily in the pri- vate sector. Winston and Li surveyed vice presi- dents of academic affairs and academic deans to determine the extent to which diversity is an or- ganizational priority and the ways in which per- formance related to diversity is evaluated in their institutions. In particular, they focused on the relationship between diversity and organizational success concerning the library.

A look at the 169 exhibitors who displayed their products and services in the exhibits hall.

Winston stated that numerous research studies indicated that “companies that are the most diverse as measured by several factors, including minority employment at all levels and spending with minority suppliers, have also been identified as more successful.” Additionally, he noted that colleges that tend to be more diverse tend to be more successful.

While “in many academic institutions, libraries were seen as leaders in the areas of diversity,” Winston notes that this is somewhat scary considering the demographics of our profession.

Overwhelm- ingly, 86.8 percent of those surveyed indicated that di- versity was a high priority, but many failed to provide sufficient means to achieve this goal. Winston and Li conclude that chal- lenges to enhance organizational suc- cess include getting administrators to recognize that diversity is important and influencing them to pro- vide resources needed to ensure success.—Angela Gooden, University of Cincinnati, angela‚gooden@uc.edu

Addressing plagiarism

“Is plagiarism really a problem?” began moderator Rebecca Jackson (Iowa State University) in the session “What Do You Say When They Come to You?” Citing statistics, she concluded that the Internet seems to make plagiarism more of a problem lem than it was in the past, but she also believes most students don’t know what plagiarism is and recommends that librarians are the ideal partners for faculty in confronting this issue.

Lisa Janicke Hinchcliffe (University of Il- linois) discussed the fundamental values of aca- demic integrity. She suggested that what is needed is an ethical framework for dealing with plagiarism and based her presentation on informa- tion obtained from the Cen- ter for Academic Integrity’s Web site (http://www. academicintegrity.org). She made the distinction between error in writing and citation (as has recently been the case with some notable histori- ans) and purposeful misrep- resentation of authorship.

Camille McCutcheon (University of South Caro- lina-Spartanburg) talked about so-called “paper mill” sites and pointed out how easy it is to find a myriad of both free and subscription sites. Phrase searching in dif- ferent academic databases, in addition to using search en- gines such as Google, were among the recommended methods for tracking down occurrences of plagiarism.

ACRL President Helen H. Spalding with Conference Chair Larry Hardesty.

Fran Ebbers (St. Edwards University) spoke about her efforts to form a senate task force on academic integrity at her university and emphasized the importance of administrative support as well as faculty involvement in this endeavor.

Christina Peterson (San Jose State University) closed the session with the results of her investigation into plagiarism detection software using turnitin.com as an example. Her conclusion was that this type of software detects some instances of plagiarism (although not in scholarly bibliographic and full-text databases) and it may serve as a psychological deterrent, but ultimately it does not detect all plagiarism nor does it address the more complex issue of prevention.—Robin Imhof, University of the Pacific Library, rimhof@uop.edu

A more accessible Web

During the panel session, “Making the Online Li- brary Environment Accessible to All: Strategies for Change,” Judith M. Dixon (Library of Congress) presented tips on making Web pages more accessible for the disabled; Suzanne Byerly (University of Colo- rado) described results of a survey completed by data- base vendors; Bryna Coonin (East Carolina University) provided an overview of e- journal accessibility; and Axel Schmetzke (University of Wisconsin) identified guidelines for Web accessi- bility policies.

While demonstrating fea- tures of screen readers, Dixon explained that font size is not an obstacle to ac- cessibility; image maps and scrolling text bars may im- pede access; all images need

ALT TEXT attributes; file names should be mean- ingful; and a “skip to main content” feature (so users can bypass repetitive navigation bars) is help- ful. She recommended installing adaptive tech- nology on different computers because of con- flicts with video drivers.

Byerly said that 11 database vendors replied to her survey; all thought accessibility was important and planned to make improvements. She explained that a main barrier to e-journal access is document delivery in PDF format. While some vendors are providing HTML full-text and TIFF access, many are waiting for Adobe to solve this accessibility problem. She discussed how vendors need to include a product accessibility policy on their corporate Web sites, train sales representatives, and conduct usability tests. She urged librarians to demand better accessibility.

Coonin provided a Web address (http:// www.jimthatcher.com/sidebyside.htm) that compared Section 508 accessibility standards with Priority 1 Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) checkpoints. She noted that a specific company policy for accessibility is needed to prevent accidental or intermittent com- pliance, dependent on the Web designer. Bryna also mentioned Ron Stewarts “Usability Study of Research Databases” (http://tap.oregonstate.edu/ahg) and encouraged librarians to get accessibility wording incorporated into license agree- ments.

Schmetzke emphasized the need for accessibility policies at all organizational levels and identified policy components (e.g., standards used, resources affected, responsible parties, consequences for non-compliance, enforcement and implemen- tation measures). His site on resources for designing accessible Web pages is avail- able at (http://library.uwsp.edu/aschmetz/accessible/pub_resources.htm) and he encouraged librarians to join AXSLIB-L, an electronic list dedi- cated to accessibility (http://www.rit.edu/~easi/ lib/axslib-l.html).—Allison Ondrasik King, Univer- sity of Central Florida-Cocoa, aking@mail. ncf.edu

Attendees check out the cutting-edge technology in the Virtual Village Communications Center at the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County during the All-Conference Reception.

The revised “Research Agenda for Library Instruction and Information Literacy”

During the panel session “Put Instruction in your (Research) Agenda,” speakers and participants examined the revised “Research Agenda for Library Instruction and Information Literacy,” authored by the ACRL Instruction Sections Research and Scholarship Committee. Melissa Becher, committee chair, served as the moderator. Elizabeth Depuis (University of California-Berkeley) described the document’s purpose. John Riddle (Pennsylvania State University-Fayette), and Cynthia Levine (North Carolina State University) followed with comments on the four major sections.

Since the most recent agenda was published over 20 years ago in C&RL News (April 1980), changes in the profession and technology warranted a complete revision. Dupuis stated the committee hopes “to create a network of researches where we study similar questions and move forward in the profession.” She gave five aspects of ways to conduct better research, emphasizing the need to communicate with others in the profession. Riddle noted the differences in the focus of instruction and in language from 1980 to the present as he reviewed the “Learners” and “Teaching” sections.

The shift from an inward focus on ourselves as librarians to an outward focus on our learners and their perceptions challenges our instruction programs and goals. Perhaps the most noticeable change is the infusion of technology throughout the document; the 1980 version never mentions a computer. Levine concluded by examining the “Organizational Context” and “Assessment” sections. Small discussion groups spent the remainder of the session brainstorming ways to use the agenda at individual institutions.

The complete agenda is available at: http:// www.ala.org/ Content/ContentGroups/ACRL 1 / IS/ISCommittees/Web_pages/Research/ Research_Agenda_for_Library_Instruction_and_ Information_Literacy.htm.—Jennifer Little, University of South Carolina-Aiken, JenniferL@usca.edu

An all-electronic journal collection

In the wake of massive print journal cancellations due to financial cutbacks in 1998, the library at Drexel University embarked on a major project to migrate to a primarily electronic journal collection. According to Carol Hansen Montgomery (dean of libraries at Drexel), by 2003, the library’s print journal collection had been reduced from 1,700 titles to 370 titles, and the electronic journal collection had grown from 200 journals to over 12,000 titles.

This rather quick migration was made easier by the fact that Drexel is a very technology-oriented university, with a strong infrastructure already in place, and had a heavily computer literate user population. Patron acceptance was immediately obvious; determining the cost savings and effectiveness of retrieved materials required more detailed analyses. With help from IMLS funding, Montgomery and Donald W. King (research professor at the University of Pittsburgh) conducted a cost and use study, examining the research habits of faculty and doctoral students. Key findings indicated that the “amount of reading remained high and outcomes from reading continued to be favorable, particularly from library-provided ar- ticles” in the electronic journal collection. Use increased proportionally as the age of the article increased.

The study also provided evidence that there is a cost savings with electronic journals, although not as much as initially expected. The operational costs per use for print proved to be the highest because of bound volume storage costs. Full-text aggregators, such as ProQuest, were the most cost effective. However, man- aging an electronic collec- tion proved to be more complex and volatile, with many variables requiring a more skilled staff and greater reference support than a print collection.— Susan B. Markley, Villanova University‚ susan.markley@villanova.edu

James Neal, vice president for information services/university librarian at Columbia University, and Susan K. Martin, ACRL’s parttime visiting program officer for scholarly communication, enjoying themselves at the Chairzs Reception.

Providing research instruction to distance learners

Shirley Lankford and Kristin Nielsen described the development of the University System of Georgias Online Library Learning Center (OLLC), an initiative intended to provide library instruction for a diverse group of dis- tance learning students, in the program “Virtually a Librarian: Providing Re- search Instruction to Distance Learners.” Diver- sity was also reflected in the 34 institutions to be served, which ranged from two-year colleges to comprehensive urban research universities, and everything in between. Their challenge was to devise a tutorial that could be used by all in con- junction with the State of Georgia’s Distance Edu- cation programs.

The effort was delayed when the original coordinator left. The new coordinator, who had a background in editing and educational design and a shorter timeline for production, enabled them to focus and accomplish the work.

Rethinking who their users would be helped the six librarians on the project clarify the wide variety of experience and abilities of the students. The final result integrates the questions and an- swers students frequently pose into the tutorial in such a way that the diversity of the institutions is accommodated. It is Web accessible, anyone may use it, and it allows students to proceed through the tutorial step-by-step, as well as access just-in-time information at their point of use.

The presentation described the processes and some of the pitfalls encountered by the team as- sembled to write the tutorial, providing valuable information for anyone who is involved in pro- ducing a tutorial. The result is at http://www.usg.edu/galileo/ skills/.—Frances A. May, University of North Texas Libraries, fmay@library. unt.edu

Digital video

“Digital Video: The Next Step in Reference and Edu- cation,” was authored by Susan Lessick, Kathryn Kjaer, and Heather Tunender (University of California-Irvine). The UCI libraries’ Digital Video Research and Plan- ning Team, composed of librarians, programmers, and various liaisons was es- tablished in 2002 to pilot, evaluate, and recommend digital video for reference, user education, and meet- ing teleconferencing. Digi- tal video technologies are now affordable and widely available, and Irvine has the required technical infrastructure to sup- port digital video. The potential value of use in- cludes enhanced reference services and access to subject specialists, backup coverage, and expanded branch library hours. Further, since cues and progress can be seen and heard, patrons may be more patient.

Phase I of the project, fall 2002 to winter 2003, involved planning video reference and videoconferencing. The team integrated Polycom and Tandberg videoconference appliances with the 24/7 Reference software. They planned space for video reference workstations and identified library meetings and groups for videoconferencing. The team trained staff on selected equipment, developed or refined policies and transaction protocols, and documented staff and user behavior and key issues. Assessment is based on the academic version of the Patron Satisfaction Survey.

During Phase II, spring 2003, the team planned to pilot the model at a remote branch and make recommendations about integrating the service. Phase III, projected for summer to fall 2003, will involve applying and testing the tech- nology for group instruction over the Web by of- fering live classes to remote viewers and 24/7 access to stored or archived classes. Video and voiceover IP may be next in e-reference.

In response to questions, presenters commented that staffing works the same as the live desk. Further, confidentiality is maintained since transcripts are not archived and users can turn off their video portion. Advertising has not yet been attempted.—Marilyn Ochoa, University of Florida, mochoa@mail.aflib.ufl.edu

Teaching portfolios for librarians

What is a teaching portfolio, and how might librarians benefit by creating one? These questions, plus many others, were discussed at the workshop entitled “Teaching Portfolios for Librarians: Making a Difference in Learning,” presented by Judith Arnold (Marshall University), Joan Ruelle (Hollins University), and Beth Woodard (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign).

A teaching portfolio is a selective compilation of materials that represents ones teaching strengths, accomplishments, improvements, and performance. Portfolios might include a personal teaching philosophy, course syllabi, assessments and evaluations, letters from faculty, awards and honors, and professional development, among others.

Teaching portfolios have been used in education for over 20 years, partly as an alternative means of assessing student achievement. For librarians, portfolios create a context to relate what they do to the mission and goals of their library and institution. They might provide evidence to faculty that librar- ians do have a teaching role at their institution, raising the visibil- ity of librarians on campus. The port- folio might also be used as a vehicle in revamping an indi- vidual course or in- struction program, a resource for new librarians, or a tool for recruitment.

Poster sessions offered attendees the opportunity to chat informally about issues important to them.

Individual uses and benefits might include personal reflection, charting growth and development, an archive or reference of past classes taught, the demonstration of a process used rather than a product, and documentation for promotion or annual reports.

Create a teaching portfolio as a “new lens for the things you’re already doing,” and help establish a culture where teaching portfolios are a part of instruction librarianship.—Cassandra E. Osterloh, University of New Mexico, osterloh@unm.edu

Motivational techniques

“Will Work for Candy: Motivational Techniques That Work” was presented by librarians from the State University of New York (SUNY) campuses. Trudi E. Jacobson, coordinator of user education programs, and Lijuan Xu, user educational/reference librarian, are from the University at Albany. Stephan Macaluso is the learning librarian from New Paltz.

Xu set the foundation by describing the differences between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. With extrinsic motivation, students focus on attaining something tangible, such as a grade or piece of candy. Intrinsic motivation is self-motivated and the reward comes from a personal achievement. She also referred to John M. Keller’s ARCS (attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction) Model, different learning styles between generations, and effective teaching behaviors.

Jacobson proposed that course design elements be active, have a range of challenges, and possess an element of discovery. Autonomy is also key in Jacobson’s design. Providing choices makes the class more relevant to the student and builds his or her confidence.

Macaluso illustrated the application of Xu’s and Jacobson’s examples by sharing the outcomes of his portfolio build- ing information lit- eracy class. He used the “portfolio as a motiva- tor,” where students can reveal their apti- tude, growth, inquiry, and works in progress.

Other instruction tips and motivational techniques mentioned: Don’t give too much information. Never rush out without sum- marizing your lesson. Build a community in your classroom. Use various teaching meth- ods and activities. Do a course that is meaningful to your students. Enthusiasm is contagious.

The PowerPoint presentation, bibliography, and abstract can be found at http:// www.albany.edu/~cg219/candy.html.—Anna Liza Posas, University of California-Santa Barbara, lposas@ library.ucsb.edu

Keynote speaker Bill Ferris, coeditor of the Encyclopedia of the South, takes some time to talk to conference attendees following his presentation.

Personalized library instruction programs

“The Librarian as Teacher: Personalized Library Instruction Programs” illustrated four library instruction programs to improve undergraduate retention rates. Libraries varied by locality and type. All four presentations stressed the link between student library involvement and faculty-graded assignments.

Carol Hedlin (director, University of Alaska-Southeast) related a “historical footnote” of the origin of the personal librarian and set the presentation tone. Expecting a robust student response, librarians mailed 1,000 outreach postcards to first-year students; instead, they netted only one reply. The sympathetic murmur of the audience shifted to laughter as the recipient of that one student’s reply, the panel’s next speaker, Rita Dursi Johnson, quipped, “Flush with success, I left the state.”

As director of the DeTamble Library in North Carolina, Johnson continued to develop personalized librarian concepts at St. Andrews Presbyterian College. This 1999–2000 program incorporated desired student information competencies into a library skills packet.

Bonnie Viegland, reference librarian, and Stephanie Willen Brown, database services librarian (Hampshire Col- lege, Massachusetts), showed how their pro- gram, developed over a three-year period, in- volves students at a “teachable moment” linked directly to an as- signment. Library pedagogies include stu- dent tutorials, course Web sites, and faculty and teacher’s assistant training.

Vicki Coleman (di- rector of Clemons Li- brary, University of Virginia) described a program with unique elements of customer service and factory production methodology. The program focuses on students as customers and sup- plies “one-stop shopping” research assistance, “just in time, just enough and just for me.”

Audience questions that applied personal librarian concepts to transfer and graduate students confirmed this presentation’s value.—Caroline Russom, California State University-Northridge‚ Caroline.russom @csun.edu

Professional and personal development

The session “Leading by Example: Practical Professional and Personal Development” provided an overview of professional development and mentoring as well as gave the audience an opportunity to submit practical feedback for subsequent posting on the Web. The presenters were Corey Williams Green (Cornell College), Naomi Sutherland (University of Tennessee-Chattanooga), and Trisha Mileham (Valparaiso University).

Green introduced the topic by emphasizing the need to develop leadership skills in newer librarians at a time when many members of the profession are approaching retirement. She said that professional development should be an ongoing, collaborative effort.

Sutherland then talked about mentoring and mentorship. In order to effectively provide guidance, a potential mentor should exhibit several characteristics, including being someone the protege respects and trusts, being excited about learning and actively involved in the protege’s learning, and being an individual who sets high standards and serves as an example to others. In most cases the protégé informally initiates the mentoring relationship, although in formal mentoring programs, mentors and proteges may be assigned to one another. Among the ben- efits of mentoring are personal growth, im- proved performance and interpersonal skills, greater retention of talented employees, and the potential for a more-defined career path. Sutherland said, “mentoring is all about life- long learning.”

Mileham mentioned other aspects of de- velopment across the professional lifespan, in- cluding the need for librarians to maintain a personal commitment to their own professional development and that of newer colleagues. Consult http://www.valpo.edu/home/fac- ulty/pmileham/acrl for notes from the pre- sentation, a bibliography, and audience contri- butions.—Martha Tarlton, University of North Texas Libraries, tarlton@library.unt.edu

Integrating information literacy

“Practical Ways to Integrate Information Lit- eracy into the Curriculum on a Shoestring Bud- get—Three Community College Approaches” was presented by Inger Curth (Jefferson Com- munity College), Deborah Moore (Glendale Community College), and Karen Topham (Brookdale Community College). They have de- veloped an informative Web site at http:// www.glendale.edu/library/libins/ACRL/ ACRLpres.htm, which contains their presentation, handouts, and useful links.

Each presenter gave highlights of instruction at the different campuses, emphasizing that there is more than one information literacy (IL) model, while collaboration and assessment are essential. Each college has funded its efforts through the operating budget or grants.

Jefferson Community College librarians teach library classes and train faculty on how to incorporate a library-created IL tutorial into assignments. Blackboard, a Web-based course management tool, is used to provide library pathfinders, resources, and assignments. Curth demonstrated a scoring evaluation tool, written in Microsoft Access. A faculty survey found that student research papers improved because of library instruction.

Glendale Community College offers course-integrated IL sessions and a credit-bearing course. It also offers skill workshops, which are required or recommended by more than 50 classroom instructors. They have proven that students who attended had significantly better course outcomes than those who did not.

Brookdale Community College librarians are involved in student appointments, workshops, course instruction sessions, and a three-credit course. Students receive a certificate upon completion of each workshop, which is used as proof of attendance for their professors. Information on the colleges core competency integration and assessment model was also shared.—Ann M. Tenglund, St. Bonaventure University, ateng@ sbu.edu ■