The first section of this article reviews the literature on the changing face of reference, beginning with a discussion of the national decline in reference transactions, its causes, and the likelihood that online reference services might one day halt or reverse the decline. It then analyzes definitions of the term "reference," pointing to a…

Open access (OA) journals promote the opportunity for peer-reviewed journal articles to be freely accessible. In recent years, the number of OA journals has exploded in all disciplines. Previous studies have identified print-based pedagogical discipline-specific journals outside the field of Library and Information Science (LIS) for librarians to…

This article considers Open Access (OA) training and the supports and structures in place in academic libraries in the United States from the perspective of a new librarian. OA programming is contextualized by the larger project of Scholarly Communication in academic libraries, and the two share a historical focus on journal literature and a…

PubMed Central Canada (PMC Canada) represents a partnership between the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the National Research Council's Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (NRC-CISTI), and the National Library of Medicine of the US. The present study was done to gauge faculty awareness about the CIHR Policy on…

It is no secret that collegiality matters in academe regardless of the size and type of institution. When it comes to promotion, reappointment and tenure, the invocation of collegiality occurs. This paper aims to examine the perception and issues surrounding collegiality in the academic library setting. The data, based on the survey results of the…

Three surveys from the College and University Library Division (CULD) of the Arkansas Library Association (ArLA) from the past six years representing forty-four academic institutions were studied to determine the number of students per librarian on campus, salary, faculty status, contract-length, and maternity/paternity leave for librarians.…

Objective: The goal of this study was to examine the methodologies used to study librarian-faculty relationships and to use the Key Mediating Variable model (KMV) of The Trust and Commitment Theory of Relationship Marketing to assess the quality of the librarian-faculty relationship as it has been portrayed in the literature. Relationship…

The paper analyzes problems of theorizing and evaluating a short series of "Library Academy" events within a Carnegie Corporation-funded project to improve library service to researchers in six South African universities. (Contains 1 table.)

Library instruction serves a critical function in the operation of the contemporary academic library environment. Librarians are asked to provide instruction and information literacy training using a range of tools and modes of delivery. The current literature presents an array of instruments used for assessing student learning and for delivering…

This case study analyzes the use of library school interns on subject-based teams for the social sciences, humanities, and sciences in the San Jose State University Library. Interns worked closely with team librarians on reference, collection development/management, and instruction activities. In a structured focus group, interns reported that the…

Although liaison librarians have two important professional identities--librarian and subject specialist--the library literature has paid scant attention to their membership and participation in non-library professional organizations. This article analyzes a study of ten librarians who joined non-library associations and concludes that membership…

Focus group methodology was used to investigate graduate students' cross-campus technology, space and service needs. Although the library provides valued services and spaces, graduate students need enhanced and more equitable support for their roles as teachers and scholars. Librarians can provide leadership and act as advocates for graduate…

Results of a multi-campus survey compare self-assessment of online skills and frequency of use to satisfaction with services. Students who rated skills as high also reported satisfaction with library services. Lower self-assessed skills are associated with lower satisfaction and non-use of services. Librarians may consider using self-assessed…

The objective of this study was to reveal how the national economic recession has affected the nature and extent of support for tenure track librarians at Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member institutions. The authors surveyed 43 ARL Deans and University Librarians to discover the criteria for achieving tenure and the current…

Librarians are using learning styles as a tool to engage students and enhance their teaching. However, a review of the literature reveals that learning styles theory is complex and problematic. It is important to base our practice on sound pedagogy. This critical examination of learning styles explores the issues surrounding them and what they can…