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Objective – The goal of this study was to better understand to what extent digital repositories at academic libraries are active in promoting the collection of non-traditional research outputs. To achieve this goal, the researcher examined the digital repositories of universities in the United Kingdom who are signatories of the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which recommends broadening the range of research outputs included in assessment exercises.

Methods – The researcher developed a list of 77 universities in the UK who are signatories to DORA and have institutional repositories. Using this list, the researcher consulted the public websites of these institutions using a structured protocol and collected data to 1) characterize the types of outputs collected by research repositories at DORA-signatory institutions and their ability to provide measures of potential impact, and 2) assess whether university library websites promote repositories as a venue for hosting non-traditional research outputs. Finally, the researcher surveyed repository managers to understand the nature of their involvement with supporting the aims of DORA on their campuses.

Results – The analysis found that almost all (96%) of the 77 repositories reviewed contained a variety of non-traditional research outputs, although the proportion of these outputs was small compared to traditional outputs. Of these 77 repositories, 82% featured usage metrics of some kind. Most (67%) of the same repositories, however, were not minting persistent identifiers for items. Of the universities in this sample, 53% also maintained a standalone data repository. Of these data repositories, 90% featured persistent identifiers, and all of them featured metrics of some kind. In a review of university library websites promoting the use of repositories, 47% of websites mentioned non-traditional research outputs. In response to survey questions, repository managers reported that the library and the unit responsible for the repository were involved in implementing DORA, and managers perceived it to be influential on their campus.

Conclusion – Repositories in this sample are relatively well positioned to support the collection and promotion of non-traditional research outputs. However, despite this positioning, and repository managers’ belief that realizing the goals of DORA is important, most libraries in this sample do not appear to be actively collecting non-traditional outputs, although they are active in other areas to promote research assessment reform.

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Objective – The purpose of this research is to examine the experiences of mentors and mentees in the formal mentorship program offered by the Visible Minority Librarians of Canada Network (ViMLoC) from 2018-2022. Findings from this research will help mentors and mentees understand how to establish an effective mentoring relationship. Professional library associations and libraries can also gain valuable insights to support the visible minority library professionals within their own mentorship programs.

Methods – Between 2018 and 2022, 113 mentors and 145 mentees participated in four sessions of the ViMLoC mentorship program. The ViMLoC Mentorship Committee designed and delivered a survey for mentors and a survey for mentees at the end of each session. Over four sessions, 81 mentors and 82 mentees completed the surveys, representing a 72% and 57% completion rate, respectively. Fisher's Exact Tests were performed to examine if there were significant differences between mentors and mentees in their perceptions regarding ease of communication, relationship, helpfulness of mentorship, likeliness of keeping in contact, and importance of having a visible minority partner.

Results – The mentees perceived mentoring support to be more helpful than the mentors perceived it themselves. The mentees were more likely to keep in contact with their mentors beyond the mentorship program while the mentors did not show as much interest. The mentees who had a positive experience from the formal mentorship program were found to be more likely to mentor others in the future, whereas the same effect did not hold true for the mentors. On the other hand, some findings were the same for both mentors and mentees. Both stated that effective communication would facilitate a good mentoring relationship, which in turn, would lead to positive outcomes and greater likelihood of keeping in contact beyond the mentoring program. There was also consensus of opinion about the most important areas of mentoring support and some essential skills for building a successful mentoring relationship.

Conclusion – This research contributes to the literature by using an empirical research method and comparative analyses of the experiences between mentors and mentees over four sessions of the ViMLoC mentorship program. The study focuses on the perceptions of participants regarding their communication, relationship, helpfulness of mentorship, associations between their past and present mentoring experiences, areas of support, importance of having a visible minority partner, and essential skills for building a successful mentoring relationship. Mentors and mentees differed significantly in how they perceived the helpfulness of mentorship support and how likely they would like to maintain the ties beyond the program. For both sides, effective and easy communication was found to be critical for building a good mentoring relationship and achieving a satisfactory experience.

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Objective – This study delves into the perspectives of teenagers regarding their desired teen space within a small rural public library in the United States.

Methods – To capture the richness of their thoughts, a visual data collection method was employed, wherein 27 8th-grade participants engaged in a drawing activity during an art class at a local middle school. Two additional teens were recruited for individual semi-structured interviews.

Results – Through this creative exercise, the study unveiled the various library activities, amenities, books, and visual designs that resonated with the teens, as they envisioned their ideal teen space.

Conclusion – The study’s findings hold practical implications for librarians working with this population, offering valuable insights to enhance and optimize teen services at the library. By aligning the library’s offerings with the desires of the young patrons, the potential for a thriving and engaging teen community within the library is enhanced.

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Objective - To compare Portland State University’s (PSU) local experience of using streaming media to national and international trends identified in a large qualitative study by Ithaka S+R. This comparison will help librarians better understand if the PSU Library is meeting the needs of faculty with its streaming media collection through a series of faculty interviews.

Methods and Intervention - Two librarians from PSU participated in a large, collaborative, two-part study conducted by Ithaka S+R in 2022, with 23 other academic institutions in the United States, Canada, and Germany As part of this study, the authors conducted a series of interviews with faculty from PSU’s Social Work and Film Studies departments to gather qualitative data about their use, expectations, and priorities relating to streaming media in their teaching. Ithaka S+R provided guided interview questions, and librarians at PSU conducted interviews with departmental faculty. Local interview responses were compared to the interviews from the other 23 institutions.

Results - PSU Library had a higher rate of faculty satisfaction than in the larger survey. Discussions raised concerns around accessibility of content, which was novel to PSU, and did not meaningfully emerge in the broader study. Local findings did line up with broader trends in the form of concerns about cost, discoverability, and lack of diverse content.

Conclusions - The data collected by Ithaka S+R’s survey, which was the first part of their two-part study, is useful as it highlights the trends and attitudes of the greater academic library community. However, the second portion of the study’s guided interviews with campus faculty reinforced the importance of accessibility, the Library’s provision of resources, and the relationships between subject liaisons and departmental instructors. It emphasized that Portland State University’s Library has built a good foundation with faculty related to this area but has not been able to provide for every streaming instructional need. Reasons for this include limited acquisitions budgets, constraints of staff time, and market factors.

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Objective – To demonstrate how user experience research techniques can be incorporated into technical services work. As proof of this concept, the author describes a case wherein a team of librarians, including one in a technical services role, deployed a user experience study to determine if students were able to successfully use LibGuides and the A-Z Database List to find subject-specific resources. The study also aimed to gauge the potential for several A-Z Database List interface redesign options.

Design – A case study of user experience techniques applied to technical services projects, including a classic usability test of existing tools and an A/B/C comparison of potential interface redesigns.

Setting – The library at the University of North Carolina Greensboro (UNCG), a public R2 university (doctoral university with high research activity).

Subjects – Eleven student participants recruited through convenience sampling.

Methods – The research team recruited study participants who were in the library at the time of the study, deselecting students from UNCG’s library school and those who were not currently affiliated with the university through an initial questionnaire. Eleven student participants were ultimately selected and led through a series of tasks related to finding subject-specific databases using the A-Z Database List and LibGuides. After the tasks for the A-Z Database List were completed, students were asked for their impression of two additional database list interfaces. Students were recorded throughout the tasks using the “talk aloud” method to provide researchers with insights on their thought processes and preferences. Following the study, researchers listened to the recordings, coding them as successful or incomplete and noting their observations for use in generalized findings.

Main Results – Eight of eleven participants used the library’s main search box to locate a general resource for their major on the library’s homepage. When shown the A-Z Database List, ten out of eleven participants used the list to find a database for their major, while one used the link to “Research guides by subject” from that page. Comparisons of three A-Z Database List interfaces showed that most students preferred the Springshare Content Management System that allowed for filtering by subject area. When asked to find a research guide for their subject or major from the library’s homepage, nine out of eleven students clicked on the link labeled “Research guides by subject.” Starting from their subject guide, ten out of eleven could find a tab listing article databases. Nine participants noted that the number of databases listed on the guides was daunting.

Conclusion – Results from the user experience study were used to support a redesign of the A-Z Database List using the Springshare Content Management System. The author regarded the experience as a whole as demonstrating how technical services librarians can become involved in user experience work and incorporate findings from usability studies into their management and design of tools that promote access and discoverability.

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Objective – To investigate the differences that exist between the users’ perception of virtual reference tools (chat, email, and texting) and how these virtual reference tools are used.

Design – Multimodal research that includes a descriptive summary of user perspectives of virtual reference tools and a descriptive and correlation analysis of question categories (complexity, reference interview, question category, and instruction) compared to the type of virtual reference.

Setting – A large university library in Montréal, Québec, Canada.

Subjects – A summary of in-person interview results from 14 virtual reference users and a sample of chat (250), email (250), and texting (250) transcripts.

Methods – The authors describe their research as part of a larger project. In Phase One, which was published in a previous report,1 the first author interviewed 14 users and collected their preferences among virtual reference tools and factors that impacted their use. Participants were interviewed in fall 2019. They were eligible if they used one or more virtual methods. In Phase Two, the users’ perceptions among virtual reference tools were compared to the analysis of question complexity in a sample of chat, email, and texting transcripts. Transcripts were collected from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2019. Text conversations were grouped as a single transcript. A total of 250 texts were collected and were matched in number with a random sample of chat and email transcripts; 750 transcripts were analyzed. The transcripts were coded by question type, question complexity, and the presence of reference interviews and instruction. The READ Scale was used to categorize questions by complexity and READ 3 and above were deemed to be complex. A codebook was used for consistency and intercoder reliability. A random 10% of transcripts were coded by both authors with an agreement of 84%. After discussion, agreement reached 100%. The remaining 90% of the transcripts were coded by the first author. The Chi-Square test of independence (X2) was used to determine if there was a difference in the frequency of the delivery method in the categories analyzed. Cramer’s V was used to determine the strength of associations.

Main Results – The authors state the main findings signify “dissonance between users’ perceptions of virtual reference methods and how they actually use them.” Results from the user interviews suggest that participants felt that chat and texts should be used for basic questions and that email be used for more complex ones. They appreciated the quick answer from text for things such as library hours, and the back-and-forth nature of the chat for step-by-step instruction but did not believe these were suited for complex questions. Participants expressed that an email to the library liaison rather than the library general email is the best for research questions. Of note, library liaison emails were not collected as part of the virtual reference tools for this research project. The results from the transcript evaluation revealed that chat interactions were used for complex questions as reflected by the READ Scale rating. Questions were categorized from READ 1 (requiring the least amount of effort) to READ 5 (requiring considerable effort and time) with the following results: READ 1 - 0% chat, 0% email, 13% text; READ 2 - 4% chat, 8% email, 43% text; READ 3 - 72% chat, 75% email, 38% text; READ 4 - 20% chat, 15% email, 6% text; and READ 5 - 4% chat, 2% email, 0% text. The authors demonstrated a moderate strength of association between the delivery method and the READ Scale (V=0.41), reference interview (V=0.43), question category (V=0.34), and instruction (V=0.21). There were significant differences between the delivery method and complexity, p< 0.001. The email and chat transcripts were more complex than text and the chat transcripts were marginally more complex than email. Chat transcripts were also more frequent in reference and instruction categories, p<0.001. The types of questions were divided into 10 categories: reference/ research, library systems, problem with access, interlibrary loan, known item, access policies, collection acquisitions, library physical facilities, hours, and other. The most popular question types for chat transcripts were reference/research questions (24%), library systems (17%), problem with access to e-resources (14%), interlibrary loans (14%), and known items (13%). The most popular question types for email were reference/research (18%), library systems 16%), problem with access (15%), and access policies (16%). The most popular for text transcripts were reference/ research (15%), library systems (18%), library physical facilities (18%), and hours (16%).

Conclusion – Mawhinney and Hervieux establish that disagreement exists between the users’ perception of and the use of virtual reference services. After researching the types of questions and level of complexity associated with each virtual reference tool, the authors were able to provide a list of practical implications of their research to improve documentation and workflow and make suggestions for staffing needs. They recommend multiple reference methods, training on the reference interview and virtual methods chosen, advertising virtual resources, and making chat available on the website in places of research. They found that their institution had a high number of questions categorized as access policies and they suggested that easier ways to report problems be considered.

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Objective – Understand how virtual reference services (VRS) impact students’ learning using the 5E model (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate) as a theoretical framework.

Design – Exploratory qualitative study.

Setting – Major university in Hong Kong.

Subjects – There were 10 participants between the ages of 18 and 35, including undergraduate and postgraduate students and one alumnus of the university.

Methods – Online synchronous semi-structured interviews of 30 minutes via Zoom. Interview data were transcribed and analyzed thematically according to the 5E learning model.

Main Results – WhatsApp was the preferred form of VRS, over Zoom, email, or phone. VRS can facilitate better awareness of library resources and supports resource exploration. WhatsApp VRS is particularly valuable for students who may find other modes intimidating, overly formal, or inaccessible due to time constraints. VRS has grown in importance since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusion – VRS provided via instant messaging is a valued service for students, but libraries, library websites, and librarians can all work to improve awareness of the option and possible uses. Future work is needed to understand how demographics may influence patrons’ attitudes and experiences of VRS.

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Objective – To learn about public libraries’ transition to virtual teams before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to uncover the benefits, as well as challenges, of using technology and tools for virtual teamwork.

Design – Qualitative, online, semi-structured interviews with thematic analysis of data.

Setting – Public libraries in the midwestern United States.

Subjects – Eight leaders of public libraries or library systems and a state library.

Methods – The authors conducted a snowball sampling technique to recruit participants in the midwestern United States. Through 30-60 minute Zoom sessions, the authors conducted interviews with the study participants. Each session was led by one interviewer and a note-taker and all interviews, with one exception, were recorded. Interviewers relied on an interview protocol, shared in the appendices of the paper, that addressed demographic questions as well as questions related to the study objectives. The authors comment that they reached data saturation after conducting interviews with eight subjects and decided to stop recruitment. Using the notes from the interview and Zoom session transcripts, the authors individually analyzed the data and then collectively discussed the themes as well as similarities and differences of participant responses.

Main Results – Study respondents were mid- to late-career professionals in medium to large organizations. All respondents were white and a majority were women (n = 6) with only two men. A majority (n = 7) had a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science, and one had a PhD in a related field. Thematic analysis of the eight interviews uncovered several broader themes, including changes to staffing structures during the pandemic, the adoption of new technologies, the impact and experiences of using new technologies, the implementation of remote work, and the changes in services during the pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, library staff were involved in a variety of teams at various levels, including within the library, among consortia, and even throughout community organizations. These teams continued to meet during the pandemic using various technologies. The COVID-19 pandemic created the need to create new teams quickly to address safety protocols and the continuation of library services. Many libraries closed their physical locations during the pandemic with many in-person services offered digitally or re-envisioned to comply with current safety protocols. Technology adoption varied depending on the size of the library and the ease of use and familiarity with certain tools. Many teams adopted video conferencing tools to continue to meet as a group, platforms to share documents, and messaging apps to enhance group communication. Some libraries applied for grant funding to expand their technology access or digital services. Though there was widespread adoption of technology, libraries prioritized communication among their teams, which resulted in less emphasis on technology security and privacy.

Benefits of the adoption of new technologies were enhanced participation and accessibility at team meetings and virtual programming, expansion in skill development and training for staff, and the ability to continue working while adhering to COVID-19 safety protocols. Teams were able to meet virtually across multiple locations, and the online format of meetings allowed for more equitable participation among attendees. Travel costs and travel time were eliminated, and the online meeting chat feature ensured that typically quieter participants could engage with the conversation. Additionally, libraries were able to host larger library programs online by eliminating travel cost and time. The COVID-19 pandemic created the need for rapid team formation in order to address safety protocols, ensure continuity of library services, and support the use of digital services. Challenges included a steep learning curve for some staff using new technologies, a lack of access to adequate devices or broadband for library workers living in rural areas, the development of virtual meeting fatigue leading to disengagement, and a lack of a sense of community. Though many libraries embraced remote work, front line staff were still expected to return to work physically. While remote work helped in some ways, it also presented a challenge for staff who did not have quiet spaces to focus, appropriate work setups at home, or consistent access to good internet.

Conclusion – The COVID-19 pandemic forced many libraries to adapt quickly to a new environment of digital and hybrid teamwork while still attempting to maintain community-oriented services. Library leaders explored how flexible working environments could enhance employee engagement by using technology and addressed many challenges in adopting new technologies and making them accessible for staff. As well, library leaders addressed staff morale by extending grace to staff members, providing professional development in new areas of librarianship, and creating scheduling shifts for remote and in-person work. Many organizations returned to physical meetings when it became safe to do so but also continued to offer hybrid work options and use some technology adopted during the pandemic. The pandemic required flexible and creative problem solving. The experience enabled library leaders to identify the benefits and challenges of adopting new technology, maintaining service continuity, emphasizing the need to think about information security, and adapting and creating teams as needed.

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Objective – Examine quantitative and qualitative data to determine the level of preparedness and capacity to provide key resources during the recent COVID-19 global pandemic with the goal of recommending measures to better cope with future similar situations.

Design – Online questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data, followed by a narrative analysis of the qualitative data.

Setting – Public libraries in Bangladesh.

Subjects – Heads of the libraries such as directors, librarians, or librarians-in-charge.

Methods – A survey was distributed to all 71 government public libraries in Bangladesh administered and governed by the Department of Public Libraries under the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. The survey elicited 50 valid responses, resulting in a response rate of 70%. A structured form questionnaire was prepared using Google Forms and included 12 closed-ended questions with multiple options and one open-ended question to collect librarian views on handling services and key functions post pandemic. Telephone interviews were conducted with eight librarians from the district public libraries.

Main Results – The data revealed that all the libraries reported having some level of preparedness for pandemics and disasters. However, few libraries reported high levels of confidence in this regard. For example, 82% responded that they either had a “low” or a “minimum” preparedness for dealing with a pandemic. The survey revealed that none of the responding libraries were fully open to provide user services during the COVID-19 pandemic while 100% were open for administrative functions. Additionally, 72% reported having some sections open but others closed, while 22% indicated that the library only provided specified services, most of these in an online environment. Only 12% indicated that they provided access to mobile library services.

The libraries responses to crisis management included creating public awareness through social media campaigns (50%), supporting other government bodies to mitigate the pandemic (46%), providing counseling services for particular users (40%), promoting authoritative and authentic national and global strategies on the pandemic for the public (34%), providing pandemic-related information via phone or email on demand (32%), and distributing relief to affected people (30%). Other activities included organizing online social and cultural programs to reduce public anxiety with special reference to vulnerable groups (24%), online staff training (22%), monitoring and supervising government programs (20%), and providing research data on the pandemic (10%).

The response to needs regarding redesigning library programs and services for the post-pandemic world revealed that 90% of libraries identified a need for a dedicated online service platform, 80% saw the need to create policies related to health and safety, while 72% indicated a need for more emphasis on digital content. The responses indicated 56% were in favor of introducing innovative online services.

Conclusion – In response to the results of their study, the authors make several recommendations regarding helping the libraries of Bangladesh to cope with consequences of future pandemics similar in scale to COVID-19. The first recommendation is to move away from “providing services in a traditional manner,” while developing dedicated online platforms running on high-bandwidth Internet connections (Begum et al., 2022, p. 183). These include introducing a secure cloud-based library automation system to provide a robust and stable information gateway. The development of digital resources should also be a priority. This includes both the digitization of library resources and more widespread access to an increasing number of subscription databases.

The data indicated a strong desire among librarians to introduce innovative library services which the authors identify as digitized content delivery, remote access to online resources, online chat reference, current awareness services, online programming mirroring face-to-face programming, home delivery service for books, strategic disaster policy development, online information literacy programs, online career counseling, and leadership along with online training, workshops, and seminars. The authors conclude that:

libraries face challenges, such as transitioning to virtual services, breaking long-established service models, funding for digital resources and its impacts on library operations in the future, enforcing social distancing measures, creating social awareness, and the lack of formal pandemic plans and policies …. (Begum et al., 2022, p. 179)

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Objective – To determine online instructors' satisfaction with and level of use of library services during the year following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design – Survey questionnaire and follow-up interview.

Setting – The University of Memphis (UofM) is a medium-sized, public, urban, R2 (doctoral university with high research activity) university. At the time of publication, UofM employed 930 full-time faculty and—through UofM Global—the option to earn degrees entirely online.

Subjects – Survey respondents (n = 56) were online instructors at the University of Memphis.

Methods – A confidential survey was distributed to all deans and department chairs at the UofM with instructions to disseminate the survey to all instructors teaching online course(s). Respondents were invited to participate in a follow-up interview.

Main Results – Three common themes identified from the data were 1) respondents would have used the enhanced library services but were not aware of them; 2) respondents were very grateful for the services offered, in particular library instruction, Kanopy, and interlibrary loan; and 3) respondents did not feel like their courses would benefit from the library or its offered services.

Conclusion – Based on the research results, the author concludes that the UofM Library must focus efforts on increasing visibility and communication, embedding the library in course design and assessment, as well as improving hybrid library instruction and offering purchase-on-demand collection development. The author has begun work on a follow-up study looking at ways to enhance the embedded librarianship service and increase communication between the UofM librarians and online teaching faculty.