Evaluating and Marketing Electronic Reference Collection ER&L 2010 February 1 – 3, Austin, Texas The College of New Jersey Jia Mi
Jan 17, 2015
Evaluating and Marketing Electronic Reference Collection
ER&L 2010 February 1 – 3, Austin, Texas
The College of New JerseyJia Mi
Information Retrieval Landscape
Students/Faculty have very different approaches to information retrieval ◦ OCLC report “Perceptions of Libraries and
Information Resources” (2005)◦ Ithaka’s studies “Key Stakeholders in the Digital
Transformation in Higher Education ” (Aug. 2008)◦ Simon Inger Consulting report “How Readers
Navigate to Scholarly Content” (Sept. 2008)◦ University of Washington study “Lesson Learned:
How College Students Seek Information in the Digital Age.” (Dec. 2009)
They all prefer online resourcesLibrary is not the first place to start their research
Researchers vs. Librarians
Researcher’s Perception Librarian’s Perception
Online Major Reference Works Librarians: 86% Online
Online Handbook Series Librarians: 75% Online
Online MonographsLibrarians: 57% Online
92% :CRITICAL to Access Fundamental knowledge [BOOKS] on each discipline
Sources: Global Faculty eBook Survey 2007 (E-brary); Global ScienceDirect user survey, S.M.S. Research 2009, 450 Librarian Responses
“My faculty and students prefer electronic format, so I am moving most of my reference books to e-format.
My print material is not being used, it sits on the shelves.”
Librarians say…
# o f R e s e a r c h e r s
Researchers say…
Researchers vs. Librarians
Online
No Preference
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
400
250
150
Studies on Print Reference Usage
1990 Eugene Engeldinger
5-year study at University of Wisconsin
Result: more than half of the reference items (51.4%) had been used no more than one time
2005 Jane T. Bradford 2-year study at Stetson University
Result: Only 9.7%of the print reference collection was being used
2007 58% 33%
Survey of 145 Librarians @ALA
Print reference was dead or on its way out
It is not dead
Affordability41%
Accessibility15%
Patron Demand14%
Easy License Agreement
10%Easy to Use Interface
Content7% Space
6%
Source: 2009 SMS Research/Elsevier Survey Responses from 450 Librarians Worldwide
Impact Factors for Librarians
Before eBooks Purchasing
Source: 2009 SMS Research/Elsevier Survey Responses from 450 Librarians Worldwide
Acces
sibilit
y
Multip
le S
imulta
neou
s...
Quick
Bro
wse&Se
arch
Cost
Patro
n Pr
efer
ence
Discov
erab
ility/Usa
ge
Ease
of U
se0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
69%
26%
20% 19%
13% 13% 11%
Series1
Librarians ‘ Consideration After eBooks Purchasing
The College of New Jersey
A highly selective, Comprehensive Undergraduate College with a strong liberal arts core
Approximately 6,000 FTE 992 faculty membersOver 564,000 monographsOver 46,165 journals95% Freshmen are on
campus
Evaluate eReference Collection
Searchability
Navigability
Results Linking Citation Tool
Browse Uncluttered design
Clearly resented
Linking to Other DBs
Instruction on Citation
Basic Search
Minimal clicks to search
Search Terms Highlighted
Linking to Library Catalog
Citation Tool
Advanced Search
Clear Site Navigation
Relevancy Ranking
Inter-operability
Multimedia
Metasearch Plain Language
Ease of working
Persistent links to the item level
Help
eReference Usage in 2009Sess
ions
Searc
hes
FTSess
ions
Searc
hes
FTSess
ions
Searc
hes
FTSess
ions
Searc
hes
FTSess
ions
Searc
hes
FTSess
ions
Searc
hes
FTSess
ions
Searc
hes
FTSess
ions
Searc
hes
FTSess
ions
Searc
hes
FTSess
ions
Searc
hes
FTSess
ions
Searc
hes
FTSess
ions
Searc
hes
FT
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
3,379
3,185
Encyclopedia of Women in World HistoryEncyclopedia of Popular Music, 4th Ed.Oxford Islamic Studies Online Oxford English DictionaryOxford Reference Online Grove ArtGrove Music
Where did Users Access From?
Entrance Sources
Linking, Linking and Linking
Link to Other Databases
Also linked to ARTStor (ARTStor)Literature Online (Proquest)Classical Music Online (Alexander’s)RILM (EBSCO)
Link to Library Catalog
Course Management Systems
● Library Resources– Add the link to your Browser
– Direct link as a banner – Direct link to a search box – Linking directly to subject homepages– Linking directly to book homepages ● Incorporate eReference into CMS● Subject Specific Guides (LibGuide)● Embedded librarians (SOCS)
Marketing Resources in theCourse Management System
Jackson, P. A. (2007). Integrating Information Literacy into Blackboard: Building Campus Partnerships for Successful Student Learning. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 33(4) p.454-
461.
RSS Feeds in SOCS (CMS)
● Deliver dynamic content● Low maintenance ● New Books● Database listings● Canned database
searches● Can be re-purposed
RSS: French Studies Guide
http://www.tcnj.edu/~library/moulaison/FrenchStudies.htm
RSS: Italian Studies Guide
http://www.tcnj.edu/~library/moulaison/ItalianStudies.htm
22
RSS Feeds in Library Subject Guides
RSS Feed in Other Spaces
LibGuide: Marketing Resources
User Centered Example: Connect to Student Portals
● MyMonash– Reading lists– Past exams– Search the library catalog– Checked out materials– Links to library databases– Podcasts (Online Lectures)– Library SMS Notifications
● For more information, see Simon Hugard's 2007 EndUser
presentation available from:http://
users.monash.edu.au/~simonh/enduser2007/
User Centered Example : Course Reserves in the CMS
Course Reserves in the CMS. Yale University Library is dynamically including course reserves from Voyager in u-Portal and Sakai. (Thanks to Kalee Spraugue for the screenshot and details)
Conclusions
● Making students and faculty more aware of the library's role in providing access to the high-quality resources they need.
● Continue to find more effective ways to integrate our resources and services with the Course Management Systems
Patrons don't come to the library firstPatrons don't start the search from the library website
● Go to the patrons in the online environment● Work with vendors to improve the product
quality
Thank You