"Responding to the New in Sci-Tech and Engineering Libraries"
Wednesday June 6, 1:00pm – 2:30pm
Convention Center 405
Sponsored by Nature Publishing Group

Acknowledgements
Table of Contents
Introduction
Additional Bibliography

PDF Document

Electronic Books: Search and Download in the Life Sciences?

Barb Greenman, Associate Faculty Director
Science Library
University of Colorado at Boulder
Barbara.greenman@colorado.edu

Abstract

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Slide Presentation: PowerPoint Document

With electronic books knocking more forcefully at the academic doorstep, vendors are asking librarians their opinions concerning e-books, but what do we actually know? Have we, as information professionals, asked our patrons how e-books are used? Are e-books a valuable point of reference for our users? How should an e-book be presented? Perhaps we can assume a greater value on the dollar when purchasing reference sets in an electronic format, but the question arises as to whether the e-book should resemble the print version or should each part become a discrete, stand alone unit? From ipod music downloads, to information mined from Google, selections from both technologies are independent from the ‘whole’ whether that is CD, book, or journal. A question recently posed on If:book A Project of the Institute for the Feature of the Book, asked, “…what does handling a book mean in a digital, networked context?” Before we can answer that we need users’ observations, including potential usage of e-books and their place of importance in academic research. This paper will review the current literature on e-books in the life sciences, share the results of an e-book survey administered to the life science faculty, and discuss the ramifications of e-books in the context of the academic research process.

Tracking Climate Change in the 21st Century: Supporting Research with Historic Photographs and Google Earth

Allaina M. Howard
Lisa M. Ballagh
Gloria J. Hicks
Donna J. Scott
National Snow and Ice Data Center
University of Colorado
Boulder, Colorado

Abstract

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Slide Presentation: PowerPoint Document

Libraries and information centers that specialize in science, technology, and engineering understand change in a very real way, facing new information technology on an almost daily basis. The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) is one such organization and has responded to the many new technologies in a definitive pro-active manner. NSIDC’s various customer-oriented departments have tackled one such change: the advent of Google Earth, combining this newest Google product’s mapping strategies with NSIDC’s recently digitized historic glacier photographs.

Although no longer a new innovation, NSIDC has used digitization as one method for preserving its collection of approximately 10,000 historic glacier photographs from the 19th and 20th centuries. To support all of our national and international customers unable to visit NSIDC to utilize these photographs, NSIDC began to digitize the photographs and provide online access to the digital images. To date, there are over 3,000 images in the digital collection, and thanks to the funding from the NOAA Climate Database Modernization Program (CDMP), it continues to grow. This use of digitization not only helps preserve the original prints, it also makes possible the utilization of newer technology such as Google Earth.

Making It Theirs: Online Information Literacy Tutorials Designed Specifically to Introductory Science Courses

Eric Resnis, Engineering Librarian
Jen-chien Yu, Electronic Information Services Librarian
Miami University
Oxford, Ohio

Abstract

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Slide Presentation: PowerPoint Document

A common problem facing librarians today is convincing students about the world of information beyond Google. Traditional library instruction is a reasonable answer, but tends not to be effective in introductory science courses at Miami. First, introductory science courses are usually far too large for instruction, with enrollments of between 300 and 800 students. Secondly, many students at this stage fail to see the relevancy of the library instruction because they have not made the connection between good information seeking skills and improved assignments. Finally, students may not see the importance of the instruction because it is not geared towards their current situation. One example of this is E-learn, an online tutorial developed several years ago by the Miami University Libraries. However, the examples used in E-learn were too general to be of great help to science students.

In this era of customization and personalization, several librarians at Miami University decided to create an online tutorial that was designed specifically for students in specific introductory science courses. The result is: Smart Searching: Finding, Citing, & Evaluating Information (http://e-learn.lib.muohio.edu/science/eas and http://e-learn.lib.muohio.edu/science/bmz). Librarians worked closely with faculty in the Engineering and Life Sciences departments to create this set of tutorials for the introductory Engineering (300 students) and Life Sciences (800 students) courses.

The Smart Searching tutorials have several features which make them unique and applicable to students in these courses. The tutorials are designed to address information seeking skills needed for assignments in each course. Examples used in the tutorials are topics which will be encountered during the course. Secondly, a blog is built in to the tutorials to ease communication between the librarians and students. The tutorial was also created with a customizable back-end interface, so that changes (and new course tutorials) can be completed with ease. While each tutorial is customized to one course, it has also been designed to be used as a refresher for students once they leave the course.

This paper will document the process of creating Smart Searching from initial idea to implementation and revisions. Some topics to be discussed in the paper include the faculty/librarian partnership, determining content and features of the tutorial, ways to implement the tutorial, and successes/challenges associated with such a project. Those reading this paper will not only learn more about the project, but will also come away with practical knowledge needed to create such a tutorial at their respective colleges and universities.