1 The Gateway to Information: Simplifying Access to Library Resources Fred Roecker Head Instruction The Ohio State University Libraries [email protected].

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The Gateway to Information: The Gateway to Information:

Simplifying Access to Simplifying Access to Library ResourcesLibrary Resources

Fred RoeckerFred Roecker

Head InstructionHead InstructionThe Ohio State University LibrariesThe Ohio State University Libraries

[email protected]@osu.edu

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Today’s presentation

Ohio State University Ohio State University environmentenvironment

Library Instruction Program Library Instruction Program

Development of The GatewayDevelopment of The Gateway

FutureFuture

QuestionsQuestions

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Ohio State People

40,000 undergraduates40,000 undergraduates

10,000 graduates10,000 graduates

7,000 faculty/administrators7,000 faculty/administrators

70 faculty librarians70 faculty librarians

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Print and Online Resources

• 6 million print volumes6 million print volumes

• 30,000 periodical titles30,000 periodical titles

• 350+ online databases350+ online databases

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Ohio State LibrariesOhio State Libraries

23 library buildings on campus23 library buildings on campus

ArchitectureArchitecture ArchivesArchivesBusiness Business Biological Sciences and Biological Sciences and Cartoons Cartoons Pharmacy PharmacyFine Arts Fine Arts Food, Agriculture, andFood, Agriculture, andGeology Geology Environmental Sciences Environmental SciencesJournalism Journalism Health SciencesHealth SciencesMusic and Dance Music and Dance LawLawRare BooksRare Books Science and EngineeringScience and EngineeringTheater ResearchTheater Research Veterinary MedicineVeterinary Medicine

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Language CollectionsLanguage Collections

East Asian StudiesEast Asian Studies(Chinese, Japanese, Korean)(Chinese, Japanese, Korean)

Eastern European and SlavicEastern European and Slavic

Latin American, Spanish, & Latin American, Spanish, & PortuguesePortuguese

Middle East StudiesMiddle East Studies

Western LanguagesWestern Languages((French, German, Greek, Italian, Latin, etc.)French, German, Greek, Italian, Latin, etc.)

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Research Can Be Research Can Be ChallengingChallenging

Many possible starting pointsMany possible starting points

Difficult to identify and locate Difficult to identify and locate relevant toolsrelevant tools

Time-consumingTime-consuming

Not sure where to get HelpNot sure where to get Help

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Information in Many Information in Many FormatsFormats

Print (books, journals, newspapers)Print (books, journals, newspapers)

Online (database, e-journals, e-text)Online (database, e-journals, e-text)

Web site (HTML format) Web site (HTML format)

VeryVery confusing to students confusing to students

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Help - Library Instruction Help - Library Instruction OfficeOffice

Each year over 24,000 students Each year over 24,000 students participate in:participate in:

In-Class instructionIn-Class instruction WorkshopsWorkshops Library ToursLibrary Tours Online coursesOnline courses

At least 26,000 receive At least 26,000 receive no formal no formal instructioninstruction

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Help - Libraries’ Web SiteHelp - Libraries’ Web Site

Does not help students understand where to find the best

resources

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Research Strategy Research Strategy DiagramDiagram

BackgroundInformation

BackgroundInformation

ArticlesArticles BooksBooks

Words Words

Quick Facts &

Statistics

Quick Facts &

StatisticsPeoplePeople Opinions

& Reviews

Opinions & Reviews

Further Research

Further Research

Students Students should find should find informatioinformation from n from each each areaarea

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Creating The Gateway to Creating The Gateway to InfoInfo

Goals:Goals:

1. 1. Help students identify, locate, Help students identify, locate, evaluate, and search important evaluate, and search important print, online, and Web resources on print, online, and Web resources on their topics following a search their topics following a search strategystrategy

2.2. Help students become successful, Help students become successful, independent information usersindependent information users

[without help from librarian][without help from librarian]

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Began in 1989Began in 1989

Funded by grants ($500,000 US)Funded by grants ($500,000 US)

Programmed in Macintosh Programmed in Macintosh HyperCardHyperCard

Common search interface for:Common search interface for: online catalogonline catalog CD-ROMsCD-ROMs

Helped users evaluate resourcesHelped users evaluate resources

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The Gateway todayThe Gateway today

Database of 1,000 titles resourcesDatabase of 1,000 titles resources

66 subjects66 subjects

Selected by librariansSelected by librarians

Follows a search strategyFollows a search strategy

Abstracts describe contentsAbstracts describe contents

Linked to online access or catalog Linked to online access or catalog recordrecord

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Follows the Search Strategy Follows the Search Strategy

1.1. Background InformationBackground Information

2.2. Words and DefinitionsWords and Definitions

3.3. Articles Articles

4.4. BooksBooks

5.5. Quick Facts and StatisticsQuick Facts and Statistics

6.6. PeoplePeople

7.7. Organizations and DirectoriesOrganizations and Directories

8.8. Reviews and OpinionsReviews and Opinions

9.9. Libraries and Reference HelpLibraries and Reference Help

10.10. Other Web SitesOther Web Sites

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Demo of The Gateway Demo of The Gateway

[Link to The Gateway][Link to The Gateway]

library.osu.edu/sites/thegateway

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[Find articles]

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[Find books]

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The Gateway DatabaseThe Gateway Database

Uses free softwareUses free software PirateSource (East Carolina University)PirateSource (East Carolina University)

web.lib.ecu.edu/piratesource/web.lib.ecu.edu/piratesource/

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The Gateway DatabaseThe Gateway Database

Over 1,000 resourcesOver 1,000 resources Other titles easy to add or updateOther titles easy to add or update

Uses free softwareUses free software PirateSource (East Carolina University)PirateSource (East Carolina University)

Create a new title

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The Gateway DatabaseThe Gateway Database

Over 1,000 resourcesOver 1,000 resources Other titles easy to add or updateOther titles easy to add or update

Uses free softwareUses free software PirateSource (East Carolina University)PirateSource (East Carolina University)

Create a new title

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Link toThe Gateway

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UsageUsage

1,400 hits per month1,400 hits per month1818thth most visited site on Libraries’ server most visited site on Libraries’ server

Used in student instruction sessionsUsed in student instruction sessionsEasy way to find information for research Easy way to find information for research paperspapers

Updated by Instruction OfficeUpdated by Instruction OfficeSuggestions from users and librariansSuggestions from users and librarians

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FutureFuture

Expand and update databaseExpand and update database

Publicize to studentsPublicize to students

Make available on online course Make available on online course pages pages

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Web SitesWeb Sites

OSU Libraries’ Web siteOSU Libraries’ Web site library.osu.edu/library.osu.edu/

The Gateway to InformationThe Gateway to Informationlibrary.osu.edu/sites/library.osu.edu/sites/thegateway/thegateway/

PirateSourcePirateSource - - (East Carolina University)(East Carolina University)

web.lib.ecu.edu/piratesource/web.lib.ecu.edu/piratesource/

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Contact me

Fred RoeckerFred RoeckerHead, Library InstructionHead, Library Instruction

The Ohio State UniversityThe Ohio State University

120N Mason Hall120N Mason Hall

250 West Woodruff Road250 West Woodruff Road

Columbus, OH 43210Columbus, OH 43210

(614) 292-5172 (614) 292-5172 [email protected]

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Thanks for Coming!Thanks for Coming!

Questions?Questions?