Home January 2002 Vol 63 No 1 abstracts

College and Research Libraries
January 2002, Vol. 63, No. 1

Abstracts

Tour Trends in Academic ARL Libraries
Lori Oling and Michelle Mach
PDF version
This study explores tour trends in academic Association of Research Libraries (ARL), specifically examining the prevalence of several tour formats, including guided, self-guided, and virtual Web tours. Results from a survey conducted in November 2000 include statistical information about tour administration, audience, and structure, as well as perceptions of librarians in the field. Although tours are still a standard service in most academic ARL libraries, few libraries have formalized methods of testing the efficacy of each format. With the exception of guided tours, librarians’ perceptions of tour effectiveness are dramatically inconsistent with the types of tours they choose to offer.

Conflict Resolution: A Case Study about Academic Librarians and Faculty Status
Pat Weaver-Meyers
PDF version
The University of Oklahoma librarians underwent a dramatic challenge to their faculty status in the 1990s. This article chronicles that challenge and documents the events that led to the retention of faculty status by the librarians. The event is analyzed in the context of conflict resolution research. Conclusions suggest that a strong sense of service may help to unify academic librarians in future conflicts about their ambiguous status within the broader academic community. Third-party intervention and alternative options are also strategies discussed.

Instant Messaging Reference in an Academic Library: A Case Study
Marianne Foley
PDF version
Most academic libraries offer some form of digital reference service through e-mail or Web forms. Now many libraries are moving toward an almost-immediate form of digital reference: instant messaging. During the 2000—2001 academic year, the General Libraries of the University at Buffalo conducted a pilot project to assess the feasibility of providing reference through instant messaging. The libraries used the popular “chat room” format and America Online’s Instant Messenger software. This article describes the project, its implementation, the software used, staffing issues, and publicity efforts. It also discusses the results of the project in terms of user demographics, satisfaction levels, usage statistics, patron comments, and librarian feedback. Finally, the article offers conclusions about offering instant messaging reference in a large academic library.

A Constituency-based Support Model for Delivering Information Services
Christopher D. Barth and Janet R. Cottrell
PDF version
An information services organization based on individual constituent groups, instead of defined physical collections and technologies, encourages a broader, more effective, and innovative use of varying information and technology services for academic libraries. Such a model also provides more focused and clearly defined positions and procedures to ensure high-quality support to all constituents.

The Effect of the Web on Undergraduate Citation Behavior: A 2000 Update
Philip M. Davis
PDF version
This paper provides a 2000 update to the 1996–1999 citation analysis of undergraduate term papers by Philip M. Davis and Suzanne A. Cohen.1 The total number of bibliographic citations continued to grow from a median of ten in 1996 to thirteen in 2000. However, this growth is entirely explained by the addition of traditionally nonscholarly materials (Web and newspaper citations). A significant improvement in the accuracy of Internet citations was found when term papers were submitted electronically. In 2000, the first year of electronic submissions, 65 percent of the citations pointed directly to the cited document, up from 55 percent in 1999. Internet citations aged six months in both 1999 and 2000 bibliographies were still irretrievable anywhere on the Internet 16 percent of the time. If more scholarly citations in term papers are to be seen, professors must provide clear expectations in their class assignments. Students should be required to submit an electronic copy of their paper so that Internet citations can be scrutinized for accuracy and plagiarism.

Long-term Retention of Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Thomas H. Teper and Beth Kraemer
PDF version
This paper examines the increasing trend of universities to pursue electronic thesis and dissertation (ETD) programs. Although the goal of most programs is similar, procedural variations impact a program’s long-term success. As primary research generators, responsibility for providing long-term access to unique materials must be borne by universities. However, this responsibility is in conflict with many ETD program goals, such as increased access and ease of production.

University Library Directors in the Association of Research Libraries: The Next Generation, Part Two
Peter Hernon, Ronald R. Powell, and Arthur P. Young
PDF version
Using the Delphi technique, this paper continues to develop a set of attributes that ARL directors of today and the near future (next ten years) will need to possess. The research reported here drew upon the viewpoints of both directors and their immediate deputies. The questions remaining are: How does the list of attributes change in other organizational settings? and Where can each attribute best be acquired?