27 minute read
Sarah Howard
love to see this reflected in Open Access mandates. The incentives structure around publishing needs to change and that is down to funders, too.
I also see an important role in working with private funders. My home country, Germany, for example, has a large number of private foundations that support the publication of academic knowledge. However, not all of them have “caught the wave” of digital publishing. For example, some of them still have a reference to the weight of the paper in their application forms. I am sure we will get there, but it takes a while.
ATG: AreallyourOAbooksfundedorare there otherbooks which are notsupportedby the OA funding model which are published regardless?
AB: Yes, there are. We take special pride in supporting women in science through our program of the same name. Open Access in general helps to remove barriers and allows everyone to access valuable information, but particularly in this program we do not want to exclude talent for any reason. The goal for the program is to charge zero APCs. The interest in publishing in this program is high, but we cannot cover all the costs. In order to allow
for the highest number of publications and the highest visibility of women in science, we are looking for sponsorship from foundations and companies. But librarians can also pledge to Phone: 201-673-8784) <dparker@alexanderstreet.com> reality/augmented reality, is understood by its advocates and its newest adopters to mean different things: 360 video, Google cardboard attachments for mobile devices, browser-based, interactive simulations, headset-and-haptic enabled, software-driven virtual environments and immersive caves offer a continuum of experiences and opportunities for adoption. And if one attends an academic conference in a field that is leading in the adoption of virtual reality for learning, such as nursing, medicine, architecture or engineering, examples of each of these technologies will be on display.
From the perspective of the library and the “virtual reality expert librarian,” virtual reality often connotes a physical space (3D Printers, Makerspaces) and/or an expertise in procuring, managing and educating users in the use of software, hardware and various other devices. Organizations that serve the institution and the library specifically, such as ProQuest where I am employed, are engaged with supporting the curation, acquisition, hosting and delivery of virtual reality content, although our decision to license, curate and deliver hinges on the degree to which our customers are coalescing around a content type, e.g., 360 videos. What will the role of the educational technology company be that exists to serve the library as virtual reality becomes more widely deployed across universities and classrooms? This question led me to the positing of a hypothetical continuum of provisioning and deploying, with the library/patron/institution taking up a space on the continuum deploying the virtual reality technology and the educational technology company, such as ProQuest, providing virtual reality content and platform services. To begin exploring the efficacy of the concept of a continuum of provisioning and deploying, I reached out to Sarah Howard of QueenslandUniversityofTechnology and conducted the following interview. the program via Knowledge Unlatched.
ATG: As you look outover the nextthree to five years, what role do you see for OA monographs in the world ofscientific publishing? What changes and innovations do you anticipatein thatworld? Andhowdo you seeIntechOpen contributingto thosechanges and innovations?
AB: Already we see that academics interact with single figures, or datasets, as well as with articles or chapters rather than the whole package as we have created it. In the future, publishers will move further into curating knowledge by connecting different aspects of research using new technologies and with machine learning. Publishing already sees itself as a service industry but we will move even further into this, working with academics and digital development to serve our communities in new and more technological ways. I think we will see many changes in how content will be created, how people will work together, what a publication even IS and how we will review it. There’s a reason why AI is a buzzword: it will play a major role in both the creation of and validation of content. I would like my company to give itself room to experiment with these new ways to arrive at new knowledge, even if not financially successful in the beginning. I think it is generally important to allow yourself a dosage of experimentation.
ATG: We like to end our interviews by asking what you like to do in those rare moments of downtime. Do you have any favorite hobbies or leisure activities that you particularly enjoy?
AB: I really like to do things that make me look at and think about things differently — wine tastings, for example, where you pair wine and salty chocolate. Try it! It has surprising results. I like classical, but “crazy” music. If you have ever heard John Adams’ “Harmonielehre” then you know what is awe-inspiring to me, but possibly not inspiring for everybody’s ears. I also, honestly, still do enjoy a good academic talk with a good hypothesis and sharp conclusions. In general, I like to leave a talk, a concert or a wine tasting thinking “oh gee, I was not aware that this was possible.” Either that or to swim, where it’s just me and the water.
ATG: Thank you for taking time out of what we know must be a busy schedule to talk to us.
AB: It was a pleasure. Thank you for the
Blurring Lines — The Rise of Virtual Reality/ Augmented Reality and the University Librarian
AnInterviewwithSarahHowardofQueenslandUniversityofTechnology
Column Editor: DavidParker (Senior Director Product Management, Alexander Street, a ProQuest Company;
Virtual reality, as an educational technology, is still in its infancy. The term itself, virtual
questions.
Sarah, please describe yourrole andyour library, particularly as concerns support for virtual reality in support ofcourse learning.
SH: I am the Liaison Librarian at the
Queensland University of Technology
Library (QUT) (Brisbane, Australia) and I support the School of Nursing and the School of Optometry and Vision Science in the Faculty of Health. The three main areas of support I offer to the Schools is in information and digital literacy, research, and collection development.
I am also currently the Council of Australian University Librarians (CAUL) Digital Dexterity Champion for QUT. This new exciting role enables me to be part of the CAUL community of practice whereby I share resources and develop skills, whilst also leading the promotion of digital skills within the QUTLibrary team. In 2017, in addition to my Liaison Librarian role at QUT, I was extremely fortunate to lead a project entitled
Virtual Reality Content for Higher Education Curriculum. A collaboration between QUT Library and ProQuest, the project aimed to explore Virtual Reality resources and the use of it in higher education.
How did you become interested in virtual reality for learning?
SH: I have had a passion for the use of mobile technology in education for almost 10 years. It started when I first discovered the numerous possibilities a mobile device, such as the iPhone, could provide. Beginning with QR Codes, I was fascinated how such a simple tool could connect students with print and online information. I then discovered Augmented Reality and learnt how AR provided a more advanced option of layered information. 360 videos and basic Virtual Reality also emerged for me around this time, and I just couldn’t get enough of these exciting innovations. The possibilities for the use of AR, 360 videos and VR in higher education was very exciting for me all that time ago, and still is to this day.
Please describe an early implementation ofvirtual reality/augmented reality at QUT:
SH: I am unaware of the very first instance of implementation at QUT, but I do know that the Faculty of Health, the Faculty of Science and Engineering, and the Faculty of Creative Industries have been ultising this technology for some time. For example, the School of Clinical Science within the Faculty of Health have explored and used Virtual Reality and 3D technology for over five years. Academics and researchers in the area of medical imaging have utlised fully immersive VR programs to assist students with their radiographic technical skills.
Does the metaphor ofa continuum ofadoption hold true for QUT? Can you give examples ofincreasing complexity ofvirtual reality deployment in courses at QUT?
SH: It certainly does. Personally, I have seen a steady rise in the uptake in the use of VR, AR and 360 videos within QUT courses and research over the past two years. QUT Library initially had one VR headset for staff and students to use, and one small set of plastic headsets for mobile phone use; but with the increasing demands across all Faculties, the Library has needed to expand the collection of hardware to meet the growing needs of our staff and students. We are currently seeking to expand the collection of headsets even further, as our headsets are constantly booked out. Requests for VR content, and advice on what VR content to use, has particularly increased in the past 12 months. Librarians are working with their academics to seek appropriate content that can be used within curriculums. The variety of platforms that VR can be found within can be limiting, as particular hardware may be required to support that specific content e.g., Microsoft HoloLens. Libraries and/or universities may not yet have the variety of hardware to meet the needs of the content required.
Using VR headsets within large lectures or workshops can be frustrating for both the academic and the students, as VR headsets are currently designed for individual use. QUT Library can assist academics to project VR content within large lecture theatres (using a high-powered VR headset, Oculus Rift, and gaming laptop, Alienware) but academics understandably want their students to have a more immersive experience. QUTLibraryhas purchased a number of basic plastic headsets (Merge) and created four “class sets” for academics to borrow and distribute within a lecture/tutorial; however more often than not students have to share the headset as even four class sets are not enough for a large group. Students need to also have their own mobile device and a reliable WiFi connection to view content such as 360 video.
Please describe a selection ofthe key vendors you have worked with in supporting faculty with their virtual reality requirements.
SH: QUT Library reached out to the numerous publishers and vendors we already have established associations with over the past couple of years, to seek their interest and projected development of content in this area. The majority advised us that although they were interested they were not yet established in this area. Having said this, QUTLibrary has worked with not only ProQuest but also with Pricontinued on page 56 SPECIAL OFFER New subscribers benefit from a deep discount on a one-year trial *
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malPictures (Anatomy.TV). We are aware of other companies such as OVID that also offer AR and virtual simulation content.
QUT Library owns a growing collection of VR headsets to support VR content, such as Oculus (Rift and Quest), PlayStation, and 80 pairs of basic plastic headsets for mobile phones. We use the Oculus, PlayStation and Steam platforms and associated content to mainly support VR requirements.
What do you see as the specific opportunities for library services companies in supportofvirtualreality? Indexing/metadata standards, platforms, aggregation, curation, others?
SH: When an academic seeks advice from their librarian for VR content, it can be a frustrating experience for both parties. The librarian, for example, will need to explore a variety of platforms to seek the content, and even when content is located, the supporting hardware (VR headset) needs to be available. For example, I was recently approached by one of my nursing academics for VR anatomy content. She was particularly interested in a specific resource, but it turned out to only be available for the Microsoft HoloLens headset, of which we don’t have within our library collection. We offered her other VR content, anatomy content that was available on the platforms supported by the headsets we have in our collection, but unfortunately the content did not meet her needs. It would be ideal for library service companies to understand what the specific content need is and to create content that can be used across all, if not many, headsets. To make the content easily found and available at an affordable price would be the cherry on top!
Where will QUT be in five years, in ten years as concerns learning and virtual reality?
SH: The interest and use of VR in various curriculums within QUT has rapidly increased over the past couple of years, and I know it will continue to grow as content options increase and expensive headsets become more affordable.
Our new Pro Vice-Chancellor (Digital Learning), ProfKevinAshford-Rowe, joined QUT earlier this year and has a tremendous interest in Virtual and Augmented Reality. ProfAshford-Rowe has already enabled many opportunities for academics and professional staff to progress in this innovative area and supports ongoing advancement. With the support of our leaders and the ongoing increasing interest in this space, I believe VR will be an important part of our learning and teaching at QUT for years to come.
What closing advice do you have for educational technology services companies interested in the opportunity virtual reality presents?
SH: VR is currently viewed as something new and exciting to use. I hope that in the future VR will be an ordinary tool to select and use within learning and teaching, just as eBooks, journals and videos are today. There will also be a wide range of content available for all levels of education, and it will be accessible to all and via any headset (which will be affordable to all!). My advice is to continue to seek feedback from academics and professional staff from around the world regarding content requirements. What do they need? What is available now that they want to use but can’t (platform, cost, accessibility issues etc.)? Making the required content available on a platform that can be easily found and used would be ideal.
Booklover — Summer Reading
Column Editor: DonnaJacobs (Retired, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425) <donna.jacobs55@gmail.com>
Summer is over. It has been a HOT one. The world is spinning a little off its axis. Reading choices have been a little intense.
Colson Whitehead was featured on a July episode of CBSSundayMorn ing. The discussion of his new novel The Nickel Boys stuck with me. I had the opportunity to be in Vermont this summer, where the air was just a bit cooler than the humid steamy environment of the South Carolina Lowcountry. While wandering through BearPond Books in Montpelier, Vermont, I noticed that Whitehead’s book was the staff pick. I bought a signed first edition. It is a powerful read based on a real story about a reform school. Will cause you to pause. Seek it out.
Social conflict and turmoil must be the theme as I had already decided to read a poem written by Wole Soyinka entitled “Civilian and Soldier.” Soyin ka, “who in a wide cultural perspective and with poetic overtones fashions the drama of existence,” won the 1986 NobelPrize in Literature becoming the first African to win the prestigious award. He used the opportunity afforded by the Nobel ceremony to deliver an acceptance speech dedicated to the atrocities of apartheid in South Africa and to Nelson Mandela who devoted his life to not only exposing the ills of apartheid but also to diligently seeking a better opportunity for his people. One biographical sketch suggests that Soyinka’s acceptance speech moved the world to reason with his words and the ultimate release of Mandela.
AkinwandeOluwole“Wole”Soyinka was born in 1934 in Abeokuta, Nige ria, the second child of SamuelAyodele and GraceEniolaSoyinka. His father was the headmaster of St. Peters School and this position afforded the large family the luxuries of electricity and radio. He attended primary school in his hometown where his facility with literary composition was initially recognized and awarded. He continued with secondary education at Government College in Ibadan, at the time one of the elite Nigerian secondary schools. Soyinka moved to Lagos once his studies were complete and worked as a clerk while writing radio plays and short stories. From 1952-1954, he attended University College in Ibadan and then relocated to the University of Leeds to continue studying English literature under the mentorship of Wilson Knight. Soyinka immersed himself in academic pursuits, social justice causes and political affairs in his country, theater, and writing — all of which he pursued with a passion that won him fellowships, academic positions, awards, literary acclaim and imprisonment. His works of drama and poetry are written in English and reflect the influence of his Yoruba culture.
I leave you with “Civilian and Soldier”:
“My apparition rose from the fall of lead,
Declared, ‘I am a civilian.’ It only served
To aggravate your fright. For how could I
Have risen, a being of this world, in that hour
Of impartial death! And I thought also: nor is
Your quarrel of this world.
You stood still
For both eternities, and oh I heard the lesson
Of your training sessions, cautioning -
Scorch earth behind you, do not leave
A dubious neutral to the rear. Reiteration
Of my civilian quandary, burrowing earth
From the lead festival of your more eager friends
Worked the worse on your confusion, and when
You brought the gun to bear on me, and death
Twitched me gently in the eye, your plight
And all of you came clear to me.
I hope some day
Intent upon my trade of living, to be checked
In stride by your apparition in a trench,
Signaling, I am a soldier. No hesitation then
But I shall shoot you clean and fair
With meat and bread, a gourd of wine
A bunch of breasts from either arm, and that
Lone question – do you friend, even now, know
What it is all about?”
Reader’s Roundup: Monographic Musings & Reference Reviews
Column Editor: Corey Seeman (Director, Kresge Library Services, Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan; Phone: 734-764-9969) <cseeman@umich.edu> Twitter @cseeman
Column Editor’s Note: Since this is the Charleston Conference issue, there may be new readers. If you are a new reader — hello, greetings and salutations. If you are a repeat visitor, then I send my surprised thank you for sticking with me!
Since the last issue, we have combined two different columns into one. On the one hand, it could be like a wonderful BOGO offer. On the other hand…well, let’s not go there. This column was formerly just the Monographic Musings column in Against the Grain. But as of now, we have also included reference reviews in this column as well (though I do not have any with this batch —should be next time). So, I have decided with this change in focus (or an expanded one), maybe a change in title might be in order. And so, it is with great pleasure that I introduce you to the second Reader’s Roundup column. This will continue to feature an interesting mix of titles that cover a variety of librarian topics, but also new reference works for your collection as well. Hopefully, each column will feature both library-focused works (in Monographic Musings) and reference works (in Reference Reviews). The title reflects that we have both types of reviews in a single location.
Thanks to my great reviewers for getting items for this column: Jennifer Matthews, Michelle Polchow, Steven W. Sowards, and Katherine Swart.
As a reminder, I have introduced a standard rating reference. Being a big fan of Ebert and Siskel (may they both rest in peace), I loved the way that they presented a clear way to show if something was worth watching. RogerEbert used four stars (for his newspaper reviews in the Chicago Sun Times) to let you know quickly if this is something worth the time and money. So to that end, I have created the ATG Reviewer Rating that would be used from book to book. I came up with this rating to reflect our collaborative collections and resource sharing means. I think it helps classify the importance of these books. • Ineedthis book on my nightstand. (This book is so good, that I want a copy close at hand when I am in bed.) • I need this on my desk. (This book is so valuable, that I want my own copy at my desk that I will share with no one.) • Ineed this in my library. (I want to be able to get up from my desk and grab this book off the shelf, if it’s not checked out.) • Ineedthis available somewhere in my sharednetwork. (I probably do not need this book, but it would be nice to get it with three to five days via my network catalog.) • I’lluse my money elsewhere. (Just not sure this is a useful book for my library or my network.)
If you would like to be a reviewer for Against the Grain, please write me at <cseeman@umich.edu>. If you have a book you would like to see reviewed in a future column, please also write me directly.
Happy reading and be nutty! — CS
Burgess,JohnT, and EmilyJ.M.Knox, eds. Foundations of Information Ethics. Chicago: ALA Neal-Schumann, 2019. 978-0-8389-1722-0, 168 pages. $54.99 pb.
Reviewed by Steven W. Sowards (Associate Director for Collections, Michigan State University Libraries, East Lansing MI) <sowards@msu.edu>
Information ethics (IE) provides a philosophical system to explore the “domain of information” in order to “provide normative, or morally guiding, principles” (p. 3). Intended primarily as a textbook for MLIS classes, this book starts with concepts and applies them to difficult cases. This clear and intelligent presentation has potential value for many information professionals, for whom ethical analysis may begin and end with a casual endorsement of “MelvilDewey’s library faith, the belief that access to high-quality reading material is intrinsically good and will have positive effects …” (p. 7).
While a universal ethics remains the ideal, the book begins with four “Western ethical frameworks” — while recognizing their limitations and origins in a colonial-era past. Chapter 10 covers “cognitive justice and intercultural information ethics” as a remedy and counterpoint. As a framework, deontology relies on piety; consequentialism examines outcomes; character ethics considers personal ethical practice; and contractual ethics looks for collective moral guidelines. Journalistic ethics, computer ethics, and library and information science ethics also contribute to the foundation of IE.
Thirteen chapters are grouped in three clusters. The first cluster is an overview and history of information ethics in a context of ethics at large. Chapters in the second cluster take up specific topics. Information access includes First Amendment concepts, but also hard cases such as dissemination of information about bomb-making technology. Privacy becomes a concern as we see access to information grow into unfettered digital surveillance. Information discourse promotes a place at the table for all parties. Intellectual property (IP) issues pertain to copyright and patent law. Data and big data capacities have implications for other topics such as privacy. Cybersecurity includes discussion of “ethical hacking.”
The two chapters in the third cluster bring in global and intercultural perspectives, and the concept of global digital citizenship. The final chapter identifies emerging challenges: algorithmic bias; social media behavior; precision marketing; technological unemployment; disinformation and fake news; open data; 3-D printing and its regulation; and predictive analytics. Each chapter ends with several dozen citations to books, articles, government publications, data tables, online news, legal texts, and web sites.
In passing, three dozen “major thinkers” from Aristotle to Robert Hauptman (who wrote the Foreword to this book) are introduced in summary paragraphs. Readers see three primary source documents: Universal Declaration of Human Rights, an excerpt from John Stuart Mill’s essay “On Liberty,” and an 1890 legal text on privacy. Sixteen case studies offer real life situations, with questions for discussion.
The contributors are primarily American academics, including MLIS faculty. The content is aimed at librarians, faculty and students in MLIS programs, and information science professionals. All readers can be ethical advocates in a 21st-century environment that often asks “can we do it?” rather than “should we do it?” Readers are assumed to be in the United States: for example, legal discussions cite specifics like 17 USC 107.
Given the complex subject of the work and growing importance in the everyday lives of librarians, tools are added to make this a more useful. A glossary and list of acronyms could have helped define terms such as ICT (information and communication technologies) and IIE (intercultural information ethics). There is also a short glossary about IP.
There is no equivalent recent publication. Robert Hauptman’s Scope of Information Ethics (2019) goes beyond LIS topics and is not aimed at students. Ethics is only one of the Six Issues Facing Libraries Today, from John Budd (2017). Luciano Floridi’s Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Information (2016) covers a wider range of philosophical topics. continued on page 58
ATG Reviewer Rating: I need this in my library. (I want to be able to get up from my desk and grab this book off the shelf, if it’s not checked out.)
Diamant-Cohen,Betsy. Mother Goose on the Loose: Updated. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2019. 9780838916469, 208 pages. $69.99 ($62.99 for ALA Members).
Reviewed by Katherine Swart (Collection Development Librarian, Hekman Library, Calvin University) <kswart20@calvin.edu>
Mention JeanPiaget to any educator, and you will receive knowing nods and maybe even a mention of his theory of cognitive development, which mapped out the stages of learning from infancy to adulthood. As one of the forerunners in child development studies, Piaget was soon met with L.S.Vytgosky’s work promoting, among other things, the importance of parents and teachers in early childhood development. Around the same time we have HowardGardner introducing his research on multiple intelligences, and the little-known BarbaraCass-Beggs writing about the importance of music to infant development.
Librarian BetsyDiamant-Cohen took her son to one of Cass-Beggs’ “Your Baby Needs Music” classes and was so convinced by its efficacy that she then studied under Cass-Beggs to become certified in her “Listen, Like, Learn” method. Diamant-Cohen went on to develop her own music-based early childhood development program called “Mother Goose on the Loose” (MGOL). A long-time children’s librarian at the Enoch PrattFreeLibraries in Baltimore, MD, Diamant-Cohen perfected her program over time, presented at many conferences, and eventually spread the program to other public libraries with her first Mother Goose on the Loose book in 2011. In subsequent years the program has proven popular and effective not only at public libraries but also at children’s hospitals, museums, and elementary schools.
A few years ago the American Library Association asked Diamant-Cohen to update her original book, and Mother Goose on the Loose: Updated was published in 2019. In this revised edition Diamant-Cohen retains the core of her time-tested program, but updates the book with new research supporting early literacy skills, methods of adapting her program for children with special needs, and ways to include digital media in her program. The result is a magnificent tool for librarians and educators who work with infants and toddlers.
Essentially, “Mother Goose on the Loose” is a 30-minute group activity for parents and children ages 0-24 months. A librarian follows a script of short nursery rhymes and uses simple visuals on a felt board. Parents and children repeat the rhymes using hand and body motions, music, scarves, and other props. All of this structured play helps children build essential skills that will enable language development, early literacy, and school readiness, not to mention a slew of other benefits.
This book provides an introduction to MGOL, research that backs up the effectiveness of the program, and detailed instructions for planning, running, evaluating, and adapting MGOL sessions. The book ends with five ready-to-present programs, templates for the felt board pictures, and a complete index of rhymes. Throughout the text Diamant-Cohen adds hints about “what to say when...,” as just about anything can happen when working with small children. The author also suggests ways to adapt traditional Mother Goose rhymes that might sound offensive to some audiences (e.g., removing the word master from the Baa Baa Black Sheep rhyme).
Diamant-Cohen shares loads of research going back to Piaget and up through present scholarship. It’s almost overwhelming at times just how much documentation she provides for why every detail of the MGOL program is proven to be beneficial. The near over-documentation is, perhaps, my only criticism of the book, though. While writing the review, I was delighted to find supplemental resources available at https://mgol.net. In case you still aren’t convinced that the program works, Diamant-Cohen floods her website with even more research citations, video testimonials from parents, and a monthly newsletter. As a visual learner, I found the videos especially helpful — both clips of Diamant-Cohen’s conference presentations and samples of actual MGOL sessions. This book is going to be most useful for children’s librarians at public libraries, but I will also be sharing it with early childhood education faculty and students at my college.
ATG Reviewer Rating: IfI were (or worked with) a children’s
librarian... I need this on my desk. (This book is so valuable, that I want my own copy at my desk that I will share with no one.)
Edwards,Kimberleyand MichelleLeonard. Assessment Strategies in Technical Services. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2019. 9780838918579, 272 pages. $69.99.
Reviewed by JenniferMatthews (Collection Strategy Librarian, Rowan University) <matthewsj@rowan.edu>
Technical services work has seen a plethora of change over the last several decades. This is particularly true when one examines the movement from an entirely print-focused operation to one that revolves more around electronic resources. Accordingly, the way that technical services staff can assist in the assessment of resources, budgets, workflows and more can play a critical role in the efficiency of any library’s overall spending and proof of value, especially as university budgets continue to tighten.
This collection of topics on assessment covers a wide array of areas starting with the basics such as electronic resource budgets, workflows, vendors, and collaborative initiatives and moves on to using multiple data sets for assessment, preservation assessment, ways to save with your serials, how to build a data warehouse and benchmarking techniques for improving the metadata process. Each instance is told from a real-life case study by a variety of authors.
The editors are KimberelyEdwards, Information Analyst for Technical Services at George Mason University. Edwards received her MLIS at the University of Kentucky and has taught and presented on collection analysis and assessment tools and techniques at a variety of conferences. MichelleLeonard is a tenured librarian at the Marston Science Library, George A. Smathers Libraries, at the University ofFlorida. She was the co-author of Implementing and Assessing Use-Driven Acquisitions (2010) and has also presented on assessment and collection-building at numerous conferences. Together they have pulled together a group of authors with a wide array of experiences in assessment to share. One of the particularly strong chapters was written by Kristen Calvert (Head of Content Organization and Management at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC) and WhitneyJordan’s(Acquisitions Librarian at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC). In their chapter on “Serials and Continuing Resources,” Calvert and Jordan provide many interesting measures to consider when reviewing serials including both individual and big deal packages. Their experience was particularly well noted during their case study and post assessment review that is in the book. The lessons learned, particularly the questions they asked, were thoughtful and they included a section on Human Resources. So often libraries are so absorbed in the necessary target dollar amount that they may not also consider the human cost and we should. This reminder is a poignant one as a large cutback in print titles could mean staff retraining and examining reclassification guidelines at your location. In conjunction with this as one assesses the collection for retention or not one may have to assess their staff for skill sets and retraining.
Nina Servizzi’s (Associate Dean for Knowledge, Access, and Resource Management Services at the Division of Libraries, New York University) chapter “The Future of Technical Services: Data Governance and Analysis” discussed the need for building a data warehouse. continued on page 60
