Academic Library Internet Information Provision Model: Using Toolbars And Web 2.0 Applications To Augment Subject Reference

This paper proposes a model that explains the way academic libraries provide information via the Internet. The model was developed by examining the way that researchers are required to conduct research using academic library web sites. A survey supporting the model was conducted of ARL member institutions. The survey examines usage of electronic resources by libraries. Another model is proposed for Google as a popular information provider. Differences between the two models are contrasted. Fundamental differences between the two models led to the development and deployment of resources that better fulfill the needs of academic researchers. Topics to be discussed include subject specific toolbar applications, web 2.0 tools, and widgets. The tools that have been developed enable research and simplify use of library resources. The faculty, graduate and undergraduate students at the Russ College of Engineering at Ohio University have been quick to adopt these new resources and utilize them for research. They have been consulted on the usage and implementation of resources and continue to make suggestions for improvements. Download and usage statistics indicate the usefulness of these tools. Developing an Academic Research Model There has been a lot of research about usability, design, and redesign of the library home page. In contrast there has been a dearth of research on the process of navigating the home page. What steps do libraries require researchers to take in performing the tasks of research? Jay Shorten analyzes academic libraries of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) 1 and the actual structure that is utilized in academic library home pages to provide electronic resources on the Internet. The statistics that Shorten found differ from the results of the survey conducted for this paper this is to be expected however due to the time difference and the nature of the two surveys. The creation of a process flow diagram explaining all the steps researchers are required to undertake to retrieve the information they need is a daunting challenge. Shorten found that there were 26 different electronic resources that the 114 surveyed libraries provided. An actual diagram detailing all the steps and processes would be unwieldy. There are too many components involved to create an accurate, useful diagram. It is easy to distill the components into fundamental sets of resources and group them into categories that academic libraries provide to their patrons through the home page. The reference services that are focus on for the purposes of this model are the catalog, databases, services, and guided reference. The survey was conducted for this paper used a random set of 88 member institutions of ARL with a population of 114 possible ARL P ge 14154.2 institutions that are college and university libraries. This gives a 95% confidence level and a confidence interval of 5%. The focus of the survey was electronic resources that are provided by libraries for research that relate to the catalog, databases, and guided reference. Catalog and database components were checked to see if they were on the first tier of the library’s home page. Guided reference was checked as an independent component. Other services (interlibrary loan, collections, digital collections, research guides, etc.) were not really measurable as all ARL member institution libraries provide some form of these. The survey found that 100% of ARL institutions provide links to the catalog with 82.95% providing some method to search the catalog directly on the home page. The catalog is used to look for books, journals, electronic journals and many other resources. Some libraries have consortial catalogs which can be used to access items in the consortia. This adds an additional level of complexity to the catalog search. ARL libraries provide direct links on their home pages to proprietary databases 95.45% of the time, and 44.32% provide direct searching methods. Database lists are provided 94.32% of the time and are found as hierarchical subject lists and alphabetic lists. Both styles of lists are large in scale as there are numerous databases that academic libraries are providing. Researchers are required to navigate these lists in three ways: 1. Alphabetic listings which require foreknowledge of the specific resource. 2. Hierarchical subject based lists require navigation by subject. 3. Searching a database that indexes research databases. Guided reference involves services that are provided by libraries for patrons to receive direct assistance. Researchers pick the service that is comfortable to them and contact the library using it. A majority of ARL member libraries surveyed were providing e-mail (100%) and telephone reference (94.32%). This is not to say that telephone reference does not exist for 5.68% of ARL libraries; it just indicates that they do not advertise it as a service on the Internet. Chat-based reference is provided by ARL institutions in 89.77% of library web sites. There were four specific types of chat that were offered by member libraries. Client-based chat was in use at 34.09% of surveyed libraries; this service requires patrons to input data before it can be used. Widget-based chat used by 51.30% was divided into two types with 23.86% of libraries providing a wide assortment of proprietary widgets and 27.27% utilizing Meebo an Internet-based chat provider. Account based chat involves the use of AOL Instant Messaging, Yahoo, Google, ICQ or other specific messaging accounts for chat; 4.55% of ARL libraries were providing this service exclusively. Protected chat was provided by 3.41% of libraries and involves using a university or a college based ID and password to access the service. A lot of libraries provide account based chat services in addition to clients and widgets. Miscellaneous services include everything from interlibrary loan, subject guides, writing guides, additional collections, etc. The problem with these resources is that there are a lot of them; they are dissimilar from each other, and hard to classify. Including these Page 14154.3 resources on the home page increases the magnitude, scope, and complexity of the library's website. Proper arrangement of these pages is necessary to ensure usability. One thing that is not included in the model is the 10.23% of ARL member institutions that are utilizing a true style of federated searching for resources. These federated searches allows for a broad based search of the catalog as well as other resources that are found within databases and other electronic collections provided by the institution. While federated searching is becoming a more viable search model it is not being utilized enough to be included in the proposed model. Another resource not included is text messaging or SMS services. It was found that 13.64% of ARL libraries are providing this service.