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Capturing business intelligence required for targeted marketing, demonstrating value, and driving process improvement

Title may not seem relevant to us, but the highlights are of interest:

â–º Students using library resources more frequently perform better academically on average. â–º Inexperienced students tend to gain more than their experienced counterparts. â–º Males use electronic resources less, but benefit more than females when they do use e-resources. â–º Many students never borrow print material. â–º Print material has a lesser impact on academic performance than electronic.

Published in: Library & Information Science Research   Volume 34, Issue 4,  Pages 247-332, October 2012

 

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The case for partnering doctoral students with librarians: a synthesis of the literatures

Colleen S. Harris, (2011) “The case for partnering doctoral students with librarians: a synthesis of the literatures”, Library Review, Vol. 60 Iss: 7, pp.599 – 620 Abstract

The paper demonstrates an obvious need for focus of library instruction on graduate students, and doctoral students in particular. The paper poses a number of research agendas that can be taken up by practitioners in the field, including various models for implementing instruction for doctoral students.

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Single Search: The Quest for the Holy Grail

While it is abundantly clear users want a single, Google-like search interface to the diverse digital information that a cultural institution such as a library provides, it is not yet clear what the optimal approach to providing such integrated searching is. For example, what’s best: a single system such as an ILS, harvesting metadata from multiple systems to a central repository, federated searching of multiple systems, or a centralized search index of multiple systems? Should the employed system be open source or commercial? This concise report presents a summary of the discussions of a working group of nine single-search implementers that was facilitated by OCLC Research about this increasing important topic.

Prescott, Leah, and Ricky Erway. Single Search: The Quest for the Holy Grail. Dublin, OH: OCLC Research, 2011.

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Knowledge management project and job descriptions in USAID RFAs

The Knowledge Management Working Group is seeking descriptions of Knowledge Management (KM) activities and jobs from USAID RFAs. We are looking for the KM sections of RFAs or RFPs, and another KM job description. Some RFAs may list KM activities under “Communications” or “Advocacy,” as in the third example.
The purpose of collecting these descriptions is to determine how KM is defined and the types of KM activities undertaken in USAID-sponsored projects and programs. Please send the relevant portion of any USAID RFAs that you have, or information about ones you know about, to Cornelia Lee at clee@fhi360.org. We will compile the responses and send them out via HIPNet [hipnet@my.ibpinitiative.org] listserv.

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Mixed uptake of social media among public health specialists

Public health organizations are starting to use social media. Some specialists say they hold untapped potential for public health.  In the WHO Bulletin, November 2011, p.784ff

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American Libraries Launches E-Content Blog

American Libraries has launched an “E-Content” blog (http://americanlibraries.org/e-content) that provides information on e-books, e-readers, e-journals, databases, digital libraries, digital repositories, and other e-content issues. The blog complements the new section on e-content that appears in the weekly e-newsletter American Libraries Direct and focuses on similar issues.

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Social Media: A guide for researchers

Claims to provide the information needed to make an informed decision about using social media and select from the vast range of tools that are available.  One of the most important things that researchers do is to find, use and disseminate information, and social media offers a range of tools which can facilitate this. The guide discusses the use of social media for research and academic purposes and will not be examining the many other uses that social media is put to across society.

Social media can change the way in which you undertake research, and can also open up new forms of communication and dissemination. It has the power to enable researchers to engage in a wide range of dissemination in a highly efficient way.

Available online PDF [48p.] at:

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College Librarians Value Role in Information Literacy, but Faculty Demur

An overwhelming majority of directors of academic libraries consider teaching information literacy skills to undergraduates to be a very important role for their libraries, but faculty members are considerably less enthusiastic, according to surveys conducted by Ithaka S+R, a consulting firm that specializes in online teaching and scholarship issues.

More than 250 library executives at four-year colleges and universities completed the Ithaka S+R Library Survey, which was conducted late last year to identify the directions in which administrators want to take their libraries. Ithaka researchers compared the results of the library survey to those of a 2009 poll of attitudes of faculty members and found areas of broad agreement as well as divergence.
For more information, visit www.ithaka.org and click on “Library Survey 2010.”

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Finding hidden gems in Washington: The Brewmaster’s Castle

One of Washington’s best-kept secrets, The Brewmaster’s Castle  is the most intact late-Victorian home in the country, and a Landmark on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1892-1894 of poured concrete and reinforced steel by German immigrant, local brewer and philanthropist, Christian Heurich, it is also the city’s first fireproof home. Heurich was Washington’s second largest landowner, the largest private employer in the nation’s capital, and as the world’s oldest brewer, ran his brewery until his death at 102.

It is maintained by a private foundation and a dedicated director lives on site. The house is large, but the tours have an ‘initmate’ feel.  You can schedule a private tour on a Wednesday or walk-in at their scheduled times Thursday, Friday or Saturday (11:30 and 1 each day, with an added 2:30 tour on Saturday).

For years I drove past this mansion (located at the intersection of 20th and New Hampshire in northwest DC) on the way to my hotel in Georgetown and never knew what it was. Finally this summer I planned a visit.  It is within easy walking distance of Dupont Circle.  If you enjoy historic homes, this is a real treat. The history is fascinating, including romance and tragedy. The local DC brewery was located at the site of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts  (another gem, but not hidden).  A blog post on the brewery has some interesting anecdotes.  And a little bit about the beer can be found at Foggy Bottom.com .

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Finding hidden gems in Washington

Many APLIC members are local to the DC area and I am sure they have suggestions on places off the beaten track that are worth checking out.  I have traveled often to DC from the Northeast for business and have stayed to visit the major and some minor attractions of the area.  

I thought it might be fun for the membership (locals and tourists) to share information on some of the un-ordinary and sometimes extra-ordinary sights that APLIC visitors to DC might want to check out when they attend the conference in DC next March. [APLIC 44th Annual Conference in Washington, DC, March 28 – 30, 2011] 

I will plan on posting a new location each week.

The membership will be able to add new places of interest as a comment to my posts or as new blog posts.  New blog posts should use the category: APLIC conference


All the “gems” will be collated for a handout at the conference.

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