Annual Report 2008-2009
Shadek-Fackenthal Library
Martin Library of the
Sciences
Submitted by
Pamela Snelson
College Librarian
Each year the LibraryÕs Annual Report contains
highlights of the year, detailed accomplishments in department reports, staff
activities, and 5-year statistical data. In 2008-09 I have an additional opportunity
to reflect on the year and answer the question – Is the Library doing a
good job? In March 2009 the Library participated in LibQUAL+, a nationally devised
and administered survey. Over 300 faculty, students and professional staff
completed an online questionnaire designed to reveal gaps between the library
services, collections and spaces they feel they need, and what the library
provides. IÕm pleased to say that overall the Library meets the minimum desired
need in all areas for all populations. However, when one drills down into
separate groups on campus, both areas of excellence and areas that need
attention are revealed.
The LibQUAL+ survey measures three areas – Affect of Service, Information Control and Library As Place:
Affect
of Service.
Reliability and trustworthy service, knowledgeable
and empathetic staff – these are the qualities reflected in the section
called Affect of Service. Faculty are highly satisfied with library staff and
service, giving the Library positive scores on 6 of the 9 questions in this
section: giving users individual attention, employees who are consistently
courteous, readiness to respond to usersÕ questions, employees who have the
knowledge to answer questions, employees who deal with users in a caring
fashion, and willingness to help users. Students perceived library staff and
service to be comfortably above their minimum need except for one area –
dependability in handling usersÕ service problems.
During 2008-09 library departments began a program
of staff cross training to ensure continuous and reliable provision of services.
All librarians and most professional staff participated in professional
development activities to enhance our overall knowledge base and improve
information skills. We continued with successful outreach activities such as
faculty lectures at the Library, house calls, and the Celebrating Scholarship exhibit and reception.
Information
Control.
Questions measuring whether access to information
tools and provision of collections are sufficient to complete oneÕs work are
found in this section. As in Affect of Service the Library did not receive a
negative adequacy number – the Library meets the minimum expectations of
both students and faculty. However, for faculty our electronic resources and
journal collections are barely adequate to meet their needs. The LibraryÕs mix
of electronic resources, journals, and print collections satisfies much more of
our students needs.
The LibraryÕs online collection continued to grow
in 2008-09. Over 70 percent of our
current journal subscriptions are delivered electronically. We implemented a
decision from Fall 2008 to renew journals from selected publishers as online
subscriptions. Librarians continue to work with new programs in their liaison
areas to provide a portion of the resources needed to support the growing areas
of the curriculum. Eleven grants were awarded to faculty in support of new
courses.
Librarian interactions with students were both
numerous and successful. Research appointments where students meet individually
with librarians increased 36%. In the 2008-09 academic year the percentage of
First Year Seminars with a research workshop was the highest in 3 years. Data
from the National Survey of Student Engagement, reported in Fall 2008, indicate
that students developed the ability to obtain and effectively use information.
Library
as Place.
The questions in this section look at the physical
space of the Library. Here we find
large differences between faculty and student perceptions. Where faculty
desires for quiet individual study space, a comfortable and inviting location,
and group learning and study space are met very well, these areas are among the
features of the library where students perceive the greatest gap between need
and reality.
LibQUAL+ also provides information about library
use. Over 75% of our students report weekly use of the library; 28% visit daily.
Faculty use is less common with over 40% of the faculty using the library
weekly. The more regular use by our students likely results in their more
critical view of library facilities especially compared to other new public
spaces on campus.
The ÒBig ShiftÓ in the Shadek-Fackenthal Library,
and several weeding and smaller shifting projects were completed this year.
Adding two ranges of shelves to the art section provided much needed growth
space – at a small cost to public seating. The LibraryÕs Strategic
Planning process in 2009 included a review of the LibQUAL survey data. Based on
both survey results and respondent comments, we designated the upcoming
academic year, 2009-10 as ÒYear of the Building.Ó We will pay particular
attention to issues related to noise, group study and hours, and hope to engage
students in finding solutions to problems.
Plans
for the Future.
Library collections – books, journals and databases
– will continue to be developed to meet changes in the curriculum, as
budgets allow. Expanding access to needed resources remains a top goal. There
is a plan to update and improve the LibraryÕs web site, and emulate the look
and flavor of the overall college web site.
We expect to see a positive response to our modest
changes to the LibraryÕs physical environment. The return of space to library
purpose in the Martin Library of the Sciences has already facilitated gift
acceptance and processing. Planning and implementing renovations to meet the
needs of students and the needs of the collections – in both Shadek-Fackenthal Library and the Martin
Library of the Sciences – will remain a high priority for the future.
LIBRARY
DEPARTMENT REPORTS
ACQUISITIONS
Budget
In FY 08/09 year we
acquired well over 10,000 paid volumes, exceeding our target level by nearly
137 such volumes. The average cost
per paid volume increased by 5.2% finishing over the fifty-dollar level for the
third time in the last five report years.
Acquisition of other mediums beside books has increased dramatically
(for example, 606 paid DVDÕs were accessioned in this 08/09 report year, a
13.9% increase over the 07/08 report year). These purchases, along with increased online
electronic resource management (ERM) activities (3,089 such occurred this past
08/09 report year) continue to provide a challenging, diversified experience
for Department staff as we execute the Collection Development program in
providing access as well as ownership of scholarly materials.
Books
Average
Period Purchased Spent Cost
7/08 – 6/09 10,337 $
541,338 $
52.37
7/07 - 6/08 10,445 $
519,960 $
49.78
7/06 – 6/07 10,245 $
513,636 $
50.14
7/05
– 6/07 10,847 $
530,918 $
48.95
7/04
– 6/07 11,124 $
556,533 $
50.03
The Library was fortunate to have $2,037,603 with which to underwrite
library materials acquisition, access and preservation within its three primary
materials budgets and a group of Òin addition toÓ endowment budgets. Preliminary closure data indicates that
$2,008,648.10 (or 98.6%) of these monies was spent. A preliminary review of the budget closing for book
indicates that we closed this budget with a cash balance amount of only
$1,835.57, or thirty 1,000ths (0.0029502) of one per cent of the FY08/09
allocation. As always, much thanks
goes to our faculty and Library selectors who insure that our collection
activities mirror the academic objectives of the College. For periodicals, our preliminary
closure in this budget reveals a cash balance of $24,358.50 that represents
approximately 2 per cent of the FY 08/09 allocation. For preservation,
$2,760.50 or 2.4 per cent of the FY 08/09 allocation. Finally, not including Friends of the Library support, the
Library benefited from seven major endowments for library materials acquisition
and access whose total cash draw for FY07/08 was $64,250 - all of which was
spent.
Program
This
Report Year 2008/09 was permeated with a variety of unexpected and labor
intensive, detailed activities chief among which were the ERM tasks involved
with a continuing movement toward electronic content for periodical and other
serials holdings as well as data gathering and communication with librarian
selectors regarding ongoing commitments (aka standing orders) for traditional
material in print. This later
dialogue and report generation places the Library in an informed position
should reduction in materials acquisition volume be necessary due to the budget
scenario unfolding for FY2009/10.
Overview
This
past year has been one of great progress for the Archives and Special
Collections. Several major
initiatives have been accomplished including the development of the Wohlsen
Construction Archive, the acquisition of several unique rare books and
manuscripts through gift and acquisition, and the completion of the F&M
ÒPathways to HistoryÓ project.
Bibliographic instruction remained level with 14 classes and 15 research
appointments. In addition, the
Franklin & Marshall College Library became more involved in the membership
of PACSCL (the Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries),
and continued to play a leadership role in guiding the LCDP (Lancaster County
Digitization Project.)
College
Archives
Efforts in the archives
this year focused on processing and outreach. With regard to processing, the department added 21 cubic
feet of new material, while continuing to integrate archival material from
records storage. The Wohlsen
Archive Collection was established to house the corporate records of Wohlsen
Construction, Inc. To coincide
with the paper archive, a digital photograph collection was established in
Scholars Square and an oral history program started with Bob Wohlsen Ô50. In terms of outreach, the archives were
heavily utilized by alum Jay Susasin Ô87 for a grant funded ÒPathways to
HistoryÓ program. Jay selected and
reproduced college archival material for display in four prominent campus
buildings.
Electronic records
continue to explode on campus, with the growth of digital photography, and the
electronic archiving of many F&M campus publications and committee minutes.
For the fifth year, senior honors theses were collected in both paper and
electronic form. F&M purchased the LDAP authentication service for DSpace
in 2008 and is waiting for ITS to activate the service.
Usage remained strong
with the archival collections being heavily utilized for a number of important
projects including campus landscape master planning, building renovations,
alumni programming, donor cultivation, and the 40th anniversary of
coeducation. Recently archived
records from both the RegistrarÕs Office and Deceased Alumni (Advancement)
continue to be heavily requested by the administration.
Special
Collections
One important new
manuscript collection was acquired and processed this past year, and six
existing collections were reprocessed to include new donations and/or
digitization into Scholars Square.
As always, web based finding aids and MARC AMC records were created for
each new and updated collection.
The Johannes Schwalm collection received yet another donation of
materials from the society.
Rare
Books
Many fine acquisitions
have been added to our Rare Book collection this past year through gift and
purchase. Major gifts and
purchases included a two-volume set of the Voyage
of the Jeannette (1883), a first edition of KeverbergÕs Du Royaume des
Pays-Bas (1834), and two limited
edition miniature artistsÕ books.
Several new publications from Pennsylvania private presses were also
added, as were a number of imprints relating to Lancaster history.
Conclusions
While
this past year has been marked by solid progress in all areas, the
establishment of the Wohlsen Construction Archive and completion of the F&M
ÒPathways to HistoryÓ project have been our greatest achievements. To date, the repository holds 1,314 items
in eleven collections. Thanks to
the hard work of Michael Lear and student interns Kenneth Whitebloom and
Jonathan Dunkle, the F&M Honors Theses Collection, F&M Buildings List,
and ÒF&M VoicesÓ Oral History Collection have been overhauled, preserved,
and updated. Work remains on
digitizing the PA German Broadside collection, submitting further examples of
FPS scholarship, and establishing LDAP authentication.
Statistical
Analysis and Trends:
The
appended year-end statistical report suggests the following trends –
CATALOGING
Overview
This past year the
Catalog Department saw an increase in the number of all materials cataloged:
monographs, DVDs, electronic databases and journals; the exceptions being
compact discs, video cassettes, and CD-ROMs. As in the previous year, the
number of videocassettes cataloged was minimal - 10 compared to 615 DVDs. The increase in bibliographic records
can be attributed to an increase in the cataloging of US government documents,
gift books, and electronic resources.
In the past year with the assistance of the
Systems Librarian the enhancement of language searching in iLink for books and
AV materials was completed.
The revised cataloging statistics form was revised
to reflect the number of items cataloged more accurately, e.g. WWW sites
replaced by Òelectronic resourcesÓ.
Statistics
During FY 08-09 total
new cataloging records increased from 11,488 to 11,647. This minimal increase can be
attributed to fewer library materials purchased and fewer hours of student
workers cataloging.
There was a 77% decline
in the number of compact discs cataloged due to more material available
on-line, e.g. Classical Music Library.
The number of monographs
added to the Science Library declined by 23% [FY 07 08: 1568 books || FY 08
– 09: 1210 books]. There is a greater emphasis on electronics.
Cataloging
of Electronic Resources
Overall in the library
world there is an increasing emphasis on electronic resources. The total number
of electronic resources cataloged increased by 44% [FY 07 – 08: 1313 ||
FY 08 – 09: 1888]. Significant electronic resources cataloged include Oxford Music Online, SciFinder (CAS), Dance Education Literature and Research Descriptive Index, Encyclopedia of Latin American History and
Culture, Oxford Dictionary of Art and
Artists, and the Oxford Guide to US
Supreme Court Decisions.
Conclusions
Just as in past years
the Department continues to produce a large output of work. Personnel remained
unchanged. Cataloging of newly purchased materials is current. The part-time
Catalog Assistant contributed to the OCLC database by inputting original
records for both compact discs and DVDs.
Our quest for accuracy continues with constant
updates to the catalog, so that iLink truly reflects the LibraryÕs
holdings.
CIRCULATION
The
total number of people entering both libraries decreased slightly. However, circulation to students
increased over 10% and total transactions increased. During the 2008/2009 fiscal year, the library had 8,325
registered borrowers, with 3,221 borrowers actively using the library. This year, 1,600 students and 112 faculty
members were active borrowers.
During FY 2007/2008, 1,778 students and 141 faculty were active
borrowers. The total number of active borrowers increased by 449. Details are
provided in Table 1.
Items placed on Reserve
increased to 799 items this year (6%).
Circulation at the Reserve Desk decreased, but the amount of items that
were used increased by 6%. E-Z
Borrow, a patron-initiated interlibrary loan service, experienced continued
success with the F&M Community. This year, the amount lent to other schools
increased, and the requests made by F&M increased by 7%. Our patrons have requested over 11,000
items since July 2004.
The end-of-semester 24
hours opening started the last four days of classes and continued during exam
week. During the last days of the
semesters the average overnight attendance was 243. Exam Days averaged an overnight attendance of 274. During the 24-hour opening, the Library
is open an additional 136 hours per year.
|
|
2004/05 |
2005/06 |
2006/07 |
2007/08 |
2008/09 |
Change |
|
Gate
Count |
327,692 |
346,889 |
320,433 |
333,454 |
318,933 |
-2.5% |
|
Shadek-Fackenthal |
223,496 |
213,025 |
194,152 |
195,693 |
196,284 |
0.3% |
|
Martin Library |
104,196 |
133,864 |
126,281 |
137,761 |
128,778 |
-6.5% |
|
Total
Transactions |
85,311 |
76,946 |
73,147 |
66,112 |
69,312 |
4.8% |
|
Student |
37,871 |
34,502 |
34,086 |
28,514 |
31,745 |
11.3% |
|
Reserve Desk |
5,682 |
4,400 |
3,594 |
2,668 |
2,455 |
-8.0% |
|
FPS |
17,517 |
18,051 |
17,499 |
17,448 |
16,744 |
-4.0% |
|
Other |
7,278 |
5,927 |
5,644 |
5,545 |
5,541 |
0.1% |
|
In-house books/jrnls |
16,030 |
13,289 |
11,650 |
11,505 |
12,401 |
7.8% |
|
In-house microfilms |
933 |
777 |
674 |
432 |
426 |
-1.4% |
|
ATS |
4,853 |
4,406 |
3,842 |
2,710 |
2,136 |
-21.2% |
|
E-Z
Borrow Lent |
2,534 |
1,921 |
2,072 |
2,023 |
2,599 |
28.5% |
|
E-Z
Borrow Borrowed |
1,442 |
2,132 |
2,140 |
2,577 |
2,755 |
6.9% |
Several collection
issues continued to be planned, discussed and implemented this year. The highlights were: completing and
fine-tuning the shift of the book collection in Shadek-Fackenthal; making
decisions on newspaper cancellations; initiating the Philosophy subject-based
approval plan; a review of departmental standing orders; another successful
book sale; and receipt of a large number of gifts - over 4,000 items.
After last summerÕs Big
Shift of the book collection in Shadek, there were several more modest weeding
and shifting projects undertaken this year. The Big Shift had run out of space on the Mezzanine so that
was the target area for most of the weeding this year. In the spring several students
began shifting those books (and this project will be completed before the Fall
2009 semester begins). The other
area of activity was in the NÕs – the separate range of stacks for Art
books along the back of Level 2.
Two new ranges of shelves were purchased and installed and that gave us
an additional 72 shelves in that very crowded area. Louise Kulp weeded duplicate copies and older editions and
consolidated the Art Oversize books, and then that collection was shifted to
allow for several years of growth.
One other area in the stacks was addressed this year: the oversize books
on Level 3. Shelves were adjusted
so that the oversize books could be better distributed and we now have ample
space for more oversize transfers from the regular stacks.
The library received
4,317 items as donations this year.
While this did not come close to last yearÕs record high of 7,046 items,
it still generated a lot of work.
The gifts came from several major sources. The widow of the late Professor Brian Steffy (BOS) donated
835 books and journals, mostly in the area of business and management, with an
eclectic mix of literature, philosophy, sports, and travel thrown in. Both the BOS and Government faculty had
to clean out their offices in preparation for their move to the new Harris
Center and the library received many gift books as a result. Alums of the college were also
frequent donors, most notable Andrew M. Rouse, Class of 1949, who gave us over
400 books. Finally, retired
Armstrong executive Bill Adams donated a set of the Harvard Classics that will
be given to the new Brooks House on campus for its common room.
A different sort of
donation arrived this year – a Òcomplex giftÓ from Bill Hutson,
Distinguished Artist in Residence at the college. His gift consisted of his personal art and a vast collection
of books, catalogs, manuscripts, and other items dealing with African-American
artists. This collection is
currently being appraised while the library is temporarily housing the books,
catalogs, etc.
The library held its annual
book sale in the library lobby and along the stairway hall on the
Mezzanine. The sale ran from
December 1 through December 8 and was very successful. This year we experimented with a
special Òpreview dayÓ for the F&M community before opening the sale to the
hordes of book dealers and the general public. That procedure seemed to work well. After the sale, Marty Gordon offered
the use of his truck and two loads of our excess books were donated to the
Lancaster County Library System for their spring book sale.
After several years of
planning and deliberations, a Philosophy subject plan was finally implemented
within the University Press approval plan through BlackwellÕs. That plan started in January 2009 and
the Acquisitions Department changed some of its procedures to more efficiently
handle the flow of approval books.
Renate Sachse set up a ÒslipÓ plan for foreign language books with one
of our vendors, Cassilini. In
anticipation of a possible budget reduction, I surveyed the librarians about
their preferences for retaining specific publishers in the University Press
plan.
Eleven grants were
awarded to faculty in support of new courses in Biology (4), BOS (2),
Chemistry, Classics, Economics, Government, and TDF. No new programs had an
impact on budget planning this year, and last yearÕs special funds were
generally well spent. The fund for
Latin American politics fully spent the portion allocated for books, but did
not initiate any new journal subscriptions. The funds for Arabic Language, Bioinformatics, Chinese
Language, and Environmental Studies were only partially spent. The fund for Computer Science was not spent
at all. A decision was made to
cancel additional print newspaper subscriptions: Boston Globe, Guardian Weekly, and Jerusalem Post; and the microfilm subscription for the London Times and the New York Times. A review of departmental and reference
standing orders was begun and the librarians reported back with recommendations
for cancellations. Many ÒdeadÓ
titles were discovered in this process.
In an effort to refine and control the video orders, a new criteria that
would link a video order to a specific course was approved and will be
implemented for 2009-10 orders.
In
Progress
Work is continuing on
revising the collection policy statements for non-print materials, newspaper
resources, and the libraryÕs browsing collection.
INFORMATION LITERACY
First-Year
Students
First-Year
Seminar Student Research Workshop Survey
First-year seminar students who attended a library
research workshop were surveyed regarding their workshop experience. New this year were several comments
from students referencing high school experience with databases and concern
that F&M's databases are not familiar or are not the same
"versions." One student
shared ÒI used ÔGalegroupÕ in my high school and I was able to read the article
right off my computer and it saved a lot of time.Ó Another student inquired ÒIn general, which search engine is
the most efficient way to find general articles on every subject?Ó Similar to previous years' survey
responses, many students requested to be shown the exact location in the
library of books pertinent to their
courses. The following
comments illustrate the wide variety of responses to the workshop
content—from ÒThe workshop was helpful, but not much was new to meÓ to ÒI
had no idea that one could find resources on the college website. É[it is]
comforting to know that the library has my needs under control!Ó
First-Year
Seminar Faculty Survey
All first-year seminar professors were surveyed
regarding their studentsÕ course performance. Fifteen of the eighteen professors completing the survey had
arranged at least one library workshop for their seminar. Seven respondents were satisfied with
the breadth and depth of sources students consulted and featured in their
bibliographies. Four professors
noted significant gaps in performance among students—Òsome students had
wonderfully diversified bibliographies, while others offered up a short list of
monographs.Ó Three professors were
deeply dissatisfied with their students, commenting that despite the relevance
and timeliness of the library research workshops, students consulted inappropriate,
non-scholarly sources (e.g. Òdot-com sites,Ó Òweb blogs,Ó popular magazines,
etc.) and seemingly ignored faculty comments on preliminary bibliographies. When asked if the librarians could more
effectively support first-year student learning and performance, fifteen
professors expressed gratitude and/or praise, with several commenting they are
not certain what else could be done for the students. The two respondents who had no workshop(s) for their
seminars indicated they provided
research resources to their students.
National
Survey of Student Engagement
As a member of the Liberal Arts Information
Literacy Consortium, the library supported four information literacy questions
on the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) administered to
second-semester first-year students and graduating seniors in the spring of
2008. The information gathered
referenced students' "current school year," 2007-2008, and was
reported in the fall of 2008. Data
specific to the library indicate that while first-year students learn about or
discover library resources and facilities with some degree of success, the same
is not evident for student engagement of librarians. As perceived by the respondents in regard to the larger
institution, the latter excelled at Òdeveloping critical thinking and
analytical abilities,Ó and with nearly as much success, the institution
developed in students Òthe ability to obtain and effectively use information
for problem-solvingÓ and knowledge of Òethical use of information
sources.Ó When compared to
responses from the Liberal Arts Information Literacy Consortium, F&M is
nearly identical to the other institutions.
Research
Practices Survey
Created by a consortium of liberal arts colleges,
the Research Practices Survey (RPS) gathered data about the research
experiences, dispositions and proficiencies of first-semester first-year
college students during the "past academic year"--the final year of
high school. The 31-question survey was structured in four sections: ÒExperiences with Research,Ó ÒAttitudes
and Beliefs About Research,Ó ÒFamiliarity with Research Terms and Strategies,Ó
and ÒApproach to Evaluating Sources.Ó
The survey data indicate the following about the entering class of 2012:
they have experience using high school libraries but not much experience
consulting with librarians; they have great ease searching the Internet, less
ease searching library catalogs and indexes; they are confident when citing
sources, confused when selecting and assessing sources; and 75% of survey
respondents desire instruction in "research skills." Also of note from the data: the individuals
most frequently consulted for assistance during the research process were
teachers, then friends or classmates, followed by parents or adult family
members, with librarians being consulted with the least frequency.
First-Year
Seminars
Considering the aforementioned student and faculty
survey data, promoting the role and expertise of librarians, and providing
library research instruction to first-year students, are likely more important
endeavors then previously understood.
This past year, 27 of 37 First-Year Seminars featured at least one
library research workshop (five seminars featured two or more.) Two librarians
collaborated with professors on creating seminar assignments and for one
additional seminar the librarian reviewed research paper bibliographies prior
to their submission to the professor.
Approximately 1/3 of the seminars with library workshops had
process-based course assignments, requiring multiple components be submitted
throughout the semester. Workshop
content and format is adjusted every year to accommodate expressed learning
desires and changing research behaviors of students.
ÒCoffee & Conversation @ the Library: Student Research
PracticesÓ
Two events were held for faculty prior to the
beginning of the fall and spring semesters. Four new professors joined four current professors and three
librarians for the fall discussion, which centered on student preparedness for
research and strategies for effective assignment design. The new faculty members were surprised
to learn the degree of difference between their expectations for students and
the research performance reality their colleagues shared. During the spring discussion, six
professors and three librarians lamented the difficulty students have
transferring basic research practices from one course or discipline to any
other. Two professors expressed
concern for studentsÕ understanding of source citation—that citing
sources is not just a means of avoiding committing plagiarism. Another topic of discussion was the
process nature of research and how best to have students understand and engage
in a process-based approach. One
professor noted she is now Òbreaking it all downÓ for her students in her
assignments, as she continues to ÒadaptÓ to the studentsÕ knowledge and
skills. Several suggestions were
offered by faculty for addressing the situation on an institutional level: the librarians should somehow tell
faculty what they know our students
do not know; have a Foundations course, or as recommended First-Year Seminar
content, an ÒIntroduction to ResearchÓ component; "piggy-back" on the
Writing CenterÕs 8-workshop series on crafting effective writing assignments;
map out where the librarians think students should be after each year, then work
with faculty to map out a 4-year plan.
Library Research Workshops
Ten librarians taught 118 workshops for 104
courses across 25 departments, teaching a total of 1,944 students. The number of workshops for first-year
seminars increased slightly, while the number of research appointments
increased significantly. Workshops
for two courses were held in response to professors' concerns about
plagiarism--the workshops covered only source citation, paraphrasing, quoting
sources, etc. A review of the year
shows research papers continuing to be the most frequently assigned work,
followed by annotated bibliographies and group projects (many featuring
multi-media presentations).
INTERLIBRARY LOAN (ILL)
Interesting patron
behaviors and multiple technology challenges were the significant factors of
the year for Interlibrary Loan (ILL).
ILL staff members continued to track F&M faculty and student
requests for journals already held locally (in print and/or electronic formats)
and reported minimal change in requesting behavior despite a new requirement to
Òconfirm holdings before requesting.Ó
A 200-level Biology course assignment required students in its six
sections to submit at least one ILL request for material not held locally. While many students were successful in
determining local holdings, a significant portion of the students provided
either incorrect or incomplete citation data, rendering the requests moot. ILL
staff members implemented policy changes to accommodate student requests for
costly textbooks and faculty requests for recently published material not yet
available for borrowing. One
student requested an ILL book renewal well after the deadline for renewal
requests had passed. An ILL staff
member successfully negotiated a special renewal with the lending
institution. Shortly after the
negotiation, the student returned to announce the renewal was not necessary as
his mother had Òtaken care of itÓ by committing to purchasing and shipping the
book to him.
ILL staff members rely
upon a complex web of communications, electronic delivery and statistical
management software programs to manage relationships and transactions with the
global ILL community. This past
year, several failures prompted temporary and permanent changes in procedures,
and close collaboration with Information Technology Services (ITS). Implementation of RapidILL, a
specialized, proprietary software program to expedite digital article delivery,
was delayed because of continuing technological incompatibilities, and the
scheduled September 2009 release of an enhancement to the program.
Several F&M faculty
sent messages of gratitude for ILL services and staff. In the acknowledgements for his book Reinventing Richard Nixon, Daniel Frick,
Director of the Writing Center, thanked Mary Shelly for being
Òever-resourceful.Ó
F&M maintains its
status as a net lender of materials, even as F&M borrowing of materials
increased and F&M lending decreased.
Electronic receipt and delivery accounted for 35% of all fulfilled ILL
transactions (article copies and book loans), and 59% of article copy
traffic. ILL packaging and
shipping of EZ Borrow materials increased, reflecting the overall increase of
EZ Borrow activity for the year.
Total
items BORROWED: 5,736
Format: loans: 1,597; copies: 4,139 (59% [2,441] delivered electronically)
Total
items LOANED: 6,978
Format: loans: 3,541; copies: 3,437 (59% [2,029] delivered
electronically)
TOTAL
TRANSACTIONS: 12,714
2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09
Borrowing:
7,253 5,788 5,333 5,285 5,736
Lending:
9,294 9,253 8,105 7,991 6,978
TOTAL:
16,547
15,049 13,438
13,276 12,714
IDS
(Interlibrary Delivery Service) shipping by ILL for ILL and EZ Borrow:
2005 2006 2007 2008
2009
(*open –9/30/09)
4,496 4,466 4,387 4,793 *3,821
MARKETING
The second full year of library
marketing activities had librarians and library staff hosting and/or
participating in twenty events and activities for approximately 1,400 students,
faculty, professional staff, parents, alumni and members of the greater
Lancaster community. Librarians
participated in the following events in support of other campus
departments: the College House
SystemÕs New Student Orientation ÒScavenger HuntÓ; the Bonchek HouseÕs ÒBagel
BreakfastsÓ; the Office of AdmissionÕs ÒA Closer LookÓ; the Alumni Relations
OfficeÕs ÒWake Up @ the LibraryÓ for Homecoming and Reunion weekends; and the
Office of the Dean of the CollegeÕs ÒBeginningsÓ program. Three library programs were
collaborations with other campus departments. Through the Office of International Programs, librarians
provided a ÒLibrary OrientationÓ for new international students. The libraryÕs annual ÒCelebrating
ScholarshipÓ reception also served as the welcoming reception for the Center
for Liberal Arts & SocietyÕs inaugural Emerging Scholars Symposium. Bonchek House co-hosted ÒAsk Andy @
Bonchek HouseÓ evenings. Two
library events introduced last year have proven popular and are now held
semiannually: ÒCoffee &
Conversation @ the LibraryÓ (for faculty regarding student research
performance) and the lecture series ÒFaculty @ the Library.Ó Librarian House
Calls, Friends Of The Library lectures, and the Library Book Sale, all
well-established and successful events, continue contributing to the success of
the marketing program. New this
past year were two specialized marketing communications: the first to Spring Option and spring
transfer students; the second to spring semester Independent Study
students. Students new to campus
for the spring semester will continue to receive specialized library communications,
and we will offer same to fall and spring Independent Study students next year.
MARTIN LIBRARY OF THE SCIENCES
The Science Library
continues to focus on collection maintenance and development,
building/furnishings upkeep and public service.
Collection analyses,
recording of periodical use statistics and fiscally responsible collection
development; particularly with selected journal publishers are examples of
collection maintenance and development efforts. Of great significance is the
weeding of 2,914 government documents; a concerted effort to withdraw outdated
and no longer relevant information from the collection.
ÒThe buildingÕs carpet,
paint, casual seating, and furniture laminate show signs of significant wear.Ó
[Annual Reports 06/07 & 07/08] Carpeting has holes and seam gaps, several
carrels and tables have exposed particleboard, devoid of any laminate. We
continue to communicate with Facilities and Operations on these issues.
The Science Library
continues to offer the only information support services after midnight,
whether in-person or online. Several displays were presented in the lobby, one
in particular celebrating the 200th anniversary of Charles DarwinÕs
birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species that coincided
with a Darwin Day Lecture by Prof. Dan Ardia.
Attentiveness to
security includes improved and ongoing student worker training and the
availability of laptop security cables for checkout.
The Science Library
remains a busy place, the gate count is the second highest in three years. This
is despite the availability of an increasing number of alternative
student-centric spaces like the WritersÕ House, Klehr House and International
House. ItÕs also important to mention the increased prominence of the House
System and its corresponding Commons. Libraries continue to serve as both study
and social spaces.
This yearÕs gate count
is the second highest in three years, still significant considering last yearÕs
jump of well over 11,000.
Reference questions grew by more than 130, while remaining steady at 51%
of the types of questions asked. A
1% decrease in research questions is offset by a 2% increase in questions asked
directly of the Science Librarian. Students may be seeking out the librarian
initially for more difficult questions. Overall patron contacts increased by
8%. Peak reference activity continues to occur in the early afternoon.
In stark contrast to
last yearÕs lowest in-house book and journal use in 7 years the usage returned
to 2005 levels and an increase of 33% above last year. Perhaps more emphasis is
being placed on content regardless of format, print or electronic, although
increased importance on electronic access will remain in the sciences.
The fulfillment of
mediated and patron initiated interlibrary loan requests fell 10%. Perhaps
student satisfaction with and reliance on full-text resources accounts for the
decline.
The
most active collections proportionate to size relate to: psychology, medicine,
agriculture, anatomy and botany. Circulation remained stable or increased in 14
of 17 classifications and circulation increased 42% overall compared to last
year.
Challenges
to be addressed in Ô09/Õ10 are worn furnishings, increasingly limited seating,
maintaining optimal hours and service with current levels of staffing, and
creative space planning while assessing and considering space constraints in
campus libraries. Opportunities include being fiscally responsible in
economically troubled times.
REFERENCE SERVICES
This year was one of
continued strong departmental activity in Reference Services. After a dramatic increase in user
activity from 2003 to 2007, the number of reference transactions dropped in
2008 and 2009. This general drop indicates a need to rethink or more strongly
market how the face to face services are delivered, while the rise in the use
of some of our virtual reference services is probably due to the increase in
our marketing of our email, IM and texting services.
In general, use of our
electronic resources again grew over last year. The campus continued steady use of our FirstSearch, Wilson and
Lexis/Nexis and JStor products. PsycArticles
and Web of Science searches increased again after major increases in recent
years. Use of America –
History and Life, ArtStor and WestLaw Campus Research doubled for each over
last year. Other highlights include major increases in the use of resources
from American Chemical Society, Credo Reference, Oxford Music Online and the
Oxford Language Dictionaries collection.
Over the course of
08/09, 15 other possible online resources were trialed and formally considered
for addition to our collection. Major additions to our electronic resource
collection this year included The Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography,
ISIÕs Journal Citation Reports, and Lexis-NexisÕ Statistical Data Sets.
We are nearly finished
with a complete review of reference standing orders. A title by title weeding
of the paper reference collection was continued, and we have completed about
55% of the collection. The practice of removing older paper editions and
searching for new paper and online alternatives was continued. Our Reference
Services Assistant contributed greatly to this and other developments: the
administration of the 2009 LibQual+ survey on campus, use of a Reference
Services blog that allowed staff to communicate news and tips between different
departments and shifts; and the management of questions about and billing for
GoPrint, the print management system on campus. By efficiently managing
incoming office traffic, the Assistant continued to support the Reference
Services Librarian, offer refinements in reference service, and enable other
librariansÕ additional time for larger library projects. Upcoming departmental
projects include the insertion of our virtual reference services into the
BlackBoard course management system, completion of a reference collection
development policy that covers electronic resources, and additional marketing
of our face-to-face and virtual reference services.
SYSTEMS
Two minor
integrated library system (ILS) upgrades occurred over the last year, Symphony
3.2.1 in July Ô08, and Patch Cluster 2 in December. After seven years of
constant use, our ILS server was replaced in June. Through much of the spring,
key ILS users beta-tested a new product. While Symphony 3.3 is set for a July
release, we will most likely wait until January 2010 to upgrade.
After five
years of steady use, all computers in the SFL classroom were replaced. ITS
purchased 19 iMacs, which moved all public machines into ITS warranty coverage,
significantly saving the Library from repair costs. A speedy HP4515x printer
was added to the LibraryÕs heaviest printing environment, and 6 new iMacs were
purchased for staff upgrades.
GoPrint continued to save
the Library and ITS from printing waste and management hassles. Overall
printing reached an all-time high, 1,682,675 pages. This represented a 9% increase over the previous year. We will conduct the first
major GoPrint upgrade in July, which should provide both operators and users
with a more useful interface.
The Library homepage
count grew dramatically this year, 311,542 hits, a 60% increase over the
previous year. Some of this increase can be attributed to our new public
machine login scheme. After five years of having patrons log into their eDisk
space, we can now have them launch into a much more easily managed local
desktop, where the browser homepage can be set.
Microform
printing dropped significantly by 54%. Our 4 reader-printer units produced 10,937
pages. We freely acquired two microform reader/printers from the Land Transfer
Company, Lancaster. Microform machines can cost over $10,000 per unit. The
donated reader/printers will either be configured to suit our needs, or serve
as parts machines.
VISUAL RESOURCES
Overview. 2008-2009 has been a year of progress
and development for Visual Resources and auxiliary interdisciplinary services.
á
The ArtistsÕ Books Collection (housed in
Archives and Special Collections) grew larger both in number and visibility,
and more focused in content.
Significant acquisitions included three Judaic-themed books to
commemorate the opening of the Klehr Center for Jewish Life; a work related to
this yearÕs Conrad Nelson Fellows, Christo and Jeanne-Claude; and examples to
support courses in Mathematics and Studio Art. A presentation on the artistsÕ books genre was organized for
students in a first-year seminar and library staff.
á
Library and research instruction grew
significantly in non-art areas and included two semester-long librarian/faculty
collaborations, as well as service to students undertaking directed readings,
Hackman research, and travel grants.
á
Franklin & Marshall was represented
nationally by participation in an Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS/NA)
workshop and regionally by membership on the Association of College Libraries
of Central Pennsylvania (ACLCP) Program Committee.
á
The Visual Resources Collection proper
continued to flourish under the very able direction of Visual Resources
Assistant, Susan Walker, who worked with increasing autonomy especially
regarding policies, procedures, and supervision of student assistants.
á
Scholars Square, F&MÕs institutional
repository, continued to be the most viable option at this time for an
institutional digital asset management system, with the caveat that before the
collegeÕs licensed visual resources can be committed to it, the
restricted-access module (ÒLDAP bindingÓ) must be installed.
Collection. Image-and-metadata records committed to
the Visual Resources Collection in Scholars Square nearly doubled from the
previous year and were selected from three separate gifts of 35-mm slides from
the personal collections of current and retired Art and Art History
faculty. Thanks to Susan Walker
and student assistants Sarah Beckhart and Zoe Dolan, approximately 500 slides
with previously purchased digitization rights were scanned and stored. They join more than 900 individually
licensed digital images, acquired at faculty request, that await institutional
access via Scholars Square (please see the last point in Overview, above).
Visual Resources staff devised a temporary procedure to make the latter
group available on discs by Òsign-out,Ó but that option is available only to
Art and Art History faculty.
Nevertheless, Visual Resources is fortunate to be part of an
institutional repository that has—among other things—demonstrated
its effectiveness at bringing scholars from outside Franklin & Marshall
together with unique holdings in our college collections. Finally, after a lapse of several
years, membership in the Visual Resources Association was reestablished,
enabling staff to more easily monitor developments in the field, particularly
at similar institutions.
Conclusion. Increased collaboration with faculty in
planning multiple library instruction sessions per course, along with more
persuasive suggestions to students to Òmeet with a librarianÓ at various points
during semester-long research projects, resulted in research-skills instruction
and tutorials with greater continuity and fewer Òonce and doneÓ instances. It is hoped that the fine work
accomplished by out-going Visual Resources Assistant, Susan Walker, has laid
the groundwork for her replacement to resume the assistance to Art and Art
History that was established during her two-year tenure.
Statistical
Analysis and Trends.
á
Compared to the previous year, overall
there was a 79% increase in individual research appointments and an 86%
increase in library instruction sessions.
Most significantly, research appointments for Sociology students were up
275% and library instruction classes for Sociology students increased from zero
in 2007-2008 to six in 2008-2009.
Interdisciplinary research and instruction services—that is, for
courses containing significant art or sociology content but that are listed
with departments such as Mathematics, Spanish, and Anthropology—were up
as well.
á
In the Visual Resources Collection proper,
there was a 27% increase in in-house image digitization requests and a 45%
decrease in in-house slide-production requests from Art and Art History
faculty. These numbers reflect a
predictable trend as additional faculty adapt to teaching with digital media.
á
Scholars Square remains the most viable way
to make licensed, curriculum-related visual resources (digital images)
accessible to FPS across campus, but only if restricted access, which is
required to protect licensed content, is enabled. The current backlog of 1,400 images awaiting this legally
necessary protection is daunting.
Librarian Activities
Andy Gulati Instruction: ART245, IST200, TDF105, TDF171, MUS107, TDF157,
TDF165, BOS480, IST200; Research appointments 11; CTY basic instruction 10;
Bonchek House 16. Professional meetings
and workshops: SIRSI
SuperConference, COSUGI SIG/RUG Officer-at-large College committees and workshops: Advisor for CRA
(Catastrophic Relief Alliance) and Cycling Clubs, CRA disaster relief efforts
in Texas – January 2009 and Lancaster – May 2009, Administrative
Computing Advisory Group Lectures and
publications: SirsiDynix National Conference session, ÒSirsiDynix Software
Technology Review.Ó
Thomas A. Karel Instruction:
BOS 215, BOS 480, ENV 172, ENV 372, FND 111, GOV 100, GOV 130, GOV 223, GOV
250, GOV 305, GOV 309, GOV 373, GOV 388, GOV 425, GOV 470, SOC 310; research
appointments - 46. Professional meetings and workshops:
ACLCP Collection Development Retreat; ACLCP Fall Meeting; Federal Depository
Library Conference; Drexel Scholarly Communication Symposium; ACLCP Collection
Development Retreat (hosted) College
committees and workshops: Local Economy Center Board; moderated student
presentations at the CollegeÕs Research Fair, Fall and Spring; assisted at the
libraryÕs table at Beginnings, Spring 2009, Professional Staff lunches. Lectures
and publications: Presented a
talk on ÒA Virtual Tour of Presidential LibrariesÓ at the Lancaster County
Librarians Association Fall Meeting. Reviewed the following books in Library Journal: UtopiaÕs Debris, by Gary Indiana; 1969: The Year Everything Changed, by Rob Kirkpatrick; The Cambridge Companion to Bob Dylan, ed.
by Kevin Dettmar; Revolution in the Air:
The Songs of Bob Dylan, 1957-1973, by Clinton Heylin; BargaininÕ for Salvation: Bob Dylan, a Zen Master? by Steven
Heine. Continued to serve on the Editorial Board of The Behavioral and Social Sciences Librarian and reviewed 3
manuscripts, Other: taught the following graduate courses at the College of
Information Studies and Technology, Drexel University: INFO 665 ÒCollection
Development (online), and INFO 680 ÒUnited States Government PublicationsÓ (twice – live and online).
Louise Kulp Instruction: ART 126, MAT 130a, MAT
130b, SOC 100a, SOC 210, SOC 210a, SOC 210b, SOC 302, SOC 310 Research Appointments – ART 231,
ART 243, MAT 130, SOC 210, SOC 301, SOC 310, SOC 350, SOC 410, SOC 473, SPA
379, ART Marshall Scholar, SOC Hackman Scholar, SOC directed reading Professional meetings and workshops: ACLCP Fall Conference, ACLCP Spring
Conference, PACSCL Annual Meeting, ARLIS/NA Annual Conference, ACLCP Program
Committee, ARLIS/NA ÒCataloging ArtistsÕ BooksÓ workshop College committees and workshops: ÒImagining Visual Studies at Franklin & MarshallÓ
faculty symposium, ÒUsing visual evidenceÓ pedagogy workshop, ÒKnitting for a
CauseÓ student club co-advisor, ÒBeginningsÓ admissions program. Lectures and publications: ARLIS/NA
ÒCreating Effective Resumes, Cover Letters and Job Searching SkillsÓ workshop
resume reviewer, artistsÕ books presentation for library staff and ART 126
Christopher Raab Instruction: AMS 236, AMS 489, ANT
102, ART 471, FRN 305, HIS 153, HIS 238, HIS 360, AMS 280, AMS 420, ANT 102,
HIS 238, HIS 360, HIS 375; Research Appointments: 15 Professional meetings and workshops: Introduction to
Illuminated Manuscripts, RBS, Morgan Library; SAA DACS Workshop;
Member, Lancaster County Digitization Project; Member, PACSCL, Nominations and
Governance Committee. College
committees and workshops: Invited Member, F&M Task Force on
Complex Assets; Lectures
and publications: Web Presentation with Pamela Snelson,
"Digital Repository
Strategy/First Session" - NITLE Special Topics in Information Services; "Recognizing Opportunities for Library Leadership: The R.O.L.L.
Matrix" Library Leadership & Management, 23, no.2 (Spring
2009): 80-84.
Renate Sachse
Instruction:
ITA370, FND117, FND194, GER171; Research appointments – 3. Professional meetings and workshops:
ACLCP Spring Meeting, PALINET Annual Meeting, Lancaster County Library
Association Fall and Spring Meetings, ACLCP Collection Development SIG workshop,
E-Z Borrow meeting,
College Committees and
workshops: Human Resources workshops, Professional
Development forums.
Pamela Snelson Instruction: ANT 100C, IST 170 Professional
meetings and workshops: OCLC Global Council
delegate, Chair of 2011 ACRL National Conference to be held in Philadelphia.
Attended EDUCAUSE Annual Conference, ALA Midwinter and Annual Conferences,
Oberlin Library DirectorsÕ meeting, 2 part online Copyright Seminar from
University of Maryland. College committees and workshops:
Ad-Hoc Communications Task Force, Curriculum Subcommittee.
Lectures and
publications: Web Presentation with Christopher Raab "Digital Repository Strategy/First Session" -
NITLE Special Topics in Information Services; Co-editor Academic Library Research: Perspectives and
Trends, ACRL, 2008.
Lisa Stillwell Instruction: AMS
100, AMS 170, AMS 176 (fall and spring), BOS 215, ECO 103, ENG 105a (fall and
spring), ENG 105b (fall and spring), ENG 161, ENG 167, ENG 172, ENG 175, ENG 225
(fall and spring), HIS 157, HIS 345, HIS 360 (fall and spring), LIT 175, SPA
171, SPA 471. Research
appointments - 27. Professional meetings and workshops:
Co-Chair ACRL 14th National
Conference Virtual Conference Committee; ACRL Spectrum Scholar Mentor; ALA
Midwinter Conference; ACRL 14th National Conference; Central PA
Resource Sharing Meeting; Information Literacy Symposium. College committees and workshops: Conducted orientation session
"Sexual Assault Awareness and PreventionÓ; Vice-President F & M
chapter of the AAUP; F&M Votes Co-Chair; V-Day F&M/The Vagina Monologues Steering Committee member; Clemente Course
Writing Tutor; Attended two ÒSuccessful SupervisionÓ workshops; Served on the
Committee on Sexual Misconduct; Attended Professional Staff Development
luncheons
Scott Vine Instruction: FND 198, PHI 100, PHI 498, PSY 230a, PSY 230b, PSY 305,
International Students, the Posse Group, CTY classes and the Philosophy section
of the Clemente Course in the Humanities. Professional meetings and
workshops: ALA Midwinter, ACRL National, ACRL Virtual
Conference. College committees
and workshops: Managing Change (CARGAS), Appointed to the CollegeÕs Learning Spaces
Working Group, Professional staff lunches, Math, Computer Science and
Philosophy department talks. Lectures and publications: Presentation of LibQual 2009 data
to library staff, two commentary pieces published in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Staff Activities
Jennifer M. Buch Instruction assistance: GER 171, FND 117, ITA
370 College
committees and workshops: Staff Advisory Committee; Professional staff lunches
(4); Working Cooperatively Across Departments (CARGAS); Action Planning
(CARGAS); Lexis-Nexis training session; WDI training session.
Denise M. Chmielewski
Professional meetings and workshops: SirsiDynix Super Conference, SirsiDynix
5 yr. review (4 days), SIRSI Beta-testing participant, Relais webinar (E Z
Borrow replacement software) College
workshops and Training: Emergency Building Coordinator, Zimbra
Email Information Session, Emergency Response Personnel, Certified First Aid
& CPR for ERP, F & M Wellness Fair, Professional Development Sessions.
Linda Danner College committees and workshops:
Working Cooperatively Across Departments (CARGAS), student supervisor workshop,
Action Planning workshop, Holiday Stress Busters, Event Planning workshop,
Zimbra workshop, Catering Showcase, Professional Staff Luncheons, Friends of
the Library Program: Birdwatcher:
The Life of Roger Tory Peterson, Wellness Committee and Wellness
Screening Fair, Emergency Response Personnel training, certified first aid and
CPR
Mike Horn College Committees and workshops: Member
of the following committees: Wellness Committee, Fringe Benefits Committee,
Dipnic Committee;
Professional Development forums, Student
Supervisor Workshop, CMS Computing Workshop, Wellness Committee Workshop,
ÒPositive Ways to Combat Negative StressÓ; Professional Development forums.
Carol Kornhauser College committees and workshops: Attended
the Holocaust Remembrance lecture
entitled ÒGerman Jewish Identity
under the Nazi and in ExileÓ, a Faculty at
the Library lecture about a Spanish playwright Lope de Vega's works on the Russian stage,
a non-exempt staff workshop/meeting, a Student Employment Supervisor
Workshop, and various professional staff
development luncheons. Professional
meetings and workshops: ACLCP Collection Development
Workshop ÒBuilding an ebook collection with Ebrary.Ó
Nikki Rearich College committees and workshops: Student Supervisor Workshop, Professional Development forums, Professional meetings and workshops:
E-Z Borrow Webinar and meeting.
Mary Shelly Professional meetings and workshops: ACLCP Fall Meeting;
ACLCP Support Staff Meeting; Central PA Resource Sharing Group Meeting. College
committees and workshops:
Staff Advisory Committee ÒITS UpdateÓ meeting; Professional Staff Development
Luncheons.
Ken Siegert
College
committees and workshops: Attended an F&M Faculty @ the Library
discussion entitled "Polls
and Pundits", Campus Safety;
Recognizing and Responding to a Potential Crisis SituationÓ, a Student Employment Supervisor
Workshop and a professional staff development luncheon.
Rick Thompson
College committees and
workshops: student employment workshop, Public Safety
workshop. Professional meetings and workshops: SirsiDynix webinar on
cataloging updates, ACLCP
Collection Development SIG's e-book workshop.
Susan Walker Professional meetings and workshops: Visual Resources Association membership.
Susan Wood College committees and workshops: Attended Campus Safety; Recognizing and Responding
to a Potential Crisis SituationÓ, an F&M Faculty @ the Library
discussion entitled "Polls and Pundits", a
non-exempt staff workshop/meeting, a Student
Employment Supervisor Workshop, and
various professional staff development luncheons, and two campus wide
non-exempt staff meetings. Professional meetings and workshops: ACLCP
Spring Meeting entitled ÔTapping the Creative Spirit to Spur InnovationÕ and
the ACLCP Collection Development
Workshop ÒBuilding an ebook collection with Ebrary.Ó