Library Faculty/Staff Scholarship and Research
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Item Ten Methods of Improving Quality Service to University of Maryland Graduate Students via “Assertive” Marketing(2009-02-13) Kackley, Bob; Zdravkovska, Nevenka; Cech, MaureenIn 2000 a faculty member of the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department (ENCH) at the University of Maryland (UM), made an unusual request to the Engineering and Physical Sciences Library (EPSL) librarians. She requested a bibliographic instruction session for her students in ENCH 609, the department’s introductory graduate seminar. As surprised as we were, figuring erroneously that graduate students already knew our UM Library resources quite well, the truth has become clear that they obviously do not. Over the past eight years, we have made an assertive, at times even aggressive effort, to introduce the need for vital bibliographic instruction sessions to the fourteen departments EPSL serves, most often at orientations held at the beginning of fall semester. What is covered during these sessions varies, of course, by department, subject area, enrollment, time allotted, and location, among other things. The general breakdown of a typical session caters to the needs of engineering and the physical sciences, with special considerations given to mathematics and computer science. The unique part of this paper traces not only the progress of obtaining the success rate of 13 of 14 departments during the past two years, but also several of the marketing strategies utilized. For most librarians for whom marketing is a distasteful endeavor (we refer to it as the “M” word), we offer as a bonus, a “Top Ten” list to help to alleviate some of the associated stress that can be involved in selling the library. The list ranges from major points like dealing with rejection to minor ones, like having a little fun using a professor’s name for Web of Science’s Cited Reference Search. There is no doubt that for information services we are in an era dominated by Web 2.0 and its enhancements. Still, we have found that both our subject faculty and our graduate students the preferred method of instruction is the in-person interaction, be it in a group or one-on-one. Finally, what we believe has been so instrumental to this success story, coordinating this uniform approach in providing quality service to UM’s new graduate student population, is the more than willing attitude of the excellent EPSL librarians and EPSL graduate assistant.Item Bringing New “Life” to a PTDL: Easing the Burden(2009-04-02) Miller, Jim; Kackley, Bob; Austin, Damon; Cech, Maureen; Tchangalova, NedelinaHaving attended over a dozen PTDLA annual conferences as a member since the mid-90s, I am always astounded by the knowledge along with the loyalty and camaraderie evidenced by the PTDLA Librarians at these yearly sessions. In fact, there is an incredible core of several dozen members who bring real authentication to the benefits experienced by our patent & trademark users from all over the country. I’m proud to say that one of these is my co-worker, Jim Miller who has many more years of experience than myself at this along with his participation in a USPTO fellowship in 2001-02.But, our numbers are dwindling due to various or expected reasons. Despite a very capable and bright set of potential “upstarts” already coming into the Program as replacements, there is a concern that they will not be nearly enough to fill the expected gap - sooner than we think. So, at the University of Maryland’s Engineering & Physical Sciences Library (College Park PTDL), Jim and I have been recruiting and enlisting new members as of late ---- our graduate assistant Maureen Cech, who will be going to her second conference this April, and librarians Damon Austin and Nedelina Tchangalova.
It is imperative to keep an area as critical as Patents and Trademarks from becoming a seeming information “dark hole” to the rest of our library staff. Thus, we have set up training sessions beginning in January for these three newbies to introduce them to major databases such as USPTO, Espacenet, and even Google Patents. They will study some of the outstanding tutorials that have been authored (and we suspect underused) by our very own PTDLA Librarians. We intend this introduction to boost their confidence when encountering patrons with patent & trademark queries.
Item Gemstone: Quality in Learning for a Collaborative Academic/Library Instruction Program(2009-06-04) Young, Annie; Kackley, Bob; Zdravkovska, Nevenka; Cech, MaureenThis poster focuses on University of Maryland librarians’ participation in an innovative, collaborative program where instruction extends beyond a typical library session, providing students with a quality learning experience over the course of four years. The program, called Gemstone, is an interdisciplinary honors research program and involves collaboration between librarians, faculty, program staff, and undergraduate students. During the first year of the program, the students attend classes that help them prepare for their research. After forming research teams, they spend the next three years designing and conducting a research project that focuses on the intersection of science and technology with society. This experience facilitates the development of research, teamwork, communication, and leadership skills, and culminates in the students’ defense of their thesis, orally and in writing, to a panel of experts. Librarians are involved in the first year of the program through a class called GEMS 100. The librarians teach a session of the class where they introduce research tools and lead the students in critical thinking exercises to turn their potential topic ideas into research questions. During the remainder of the program, the librarians partner with a particular team. That partnership includes helping the students with research strategies on an informal basis, reviewing and critiquing proposals and presentations, and attending the Junior Colloquia and final Team Thesis Conference. The librarians and faculty mentors assigned to each group also meet several times a year to compare notes about improving the quality of assistance for the students' research efforts. By having librarians work closely with them throughout the research process, students further benefit from the advice, feedback, and expertise in research skills that the librarians provide. Thus, the librarians have the opportunity to provide quality, hands-on service over an extended period of time leading to an enriched learning experience.Item Ten Methods of Improving Quality Service to University of Maryland Graduate Students via “Assertive” Marketing(2009-06-04) Kackley, Bob; Zdravkovska, Nevenka; Cech, MaureenIn 2000 a faculty member of the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department (ENCH) at the University of Maryland (UM), made an unusual request to the Engineering & Physical Science Library (EPSL) Librarians. She asked for an Instruction Session for her graduate students in ENCH 609. As surprised as we were, figuring erroneously that grad students already knew our UM Library Resources quite well; the truth has evolved that they obviously don’t! So, in the past eight years, we have made an assertive, maybe even an aggressive effort, to introduce these vital sessions, mostly at Orientations at the beginning of Fall Semester, to the fourteen departments we serve. What is covered during these sessions varies, of course, by department, subject areas, number of students there are, how long of a session they allow us, where it takes place, etc. But the general breakdown with which we will present sample searching, will be along the lines of engineering OR the physical sciences (with special considerations given to Math and Computer Science). The unique part of this presentation will follow not only the progress bringing a success rate of 13 of 14 departments in the past two years, but the marketing strategies and ploys utilized. For most librarians whom marketing is a distasteful endeavor (we refer to it as the “M” word), there is included as a bonus, a Top Ten List helping to alleviate this stress. This will range from major points like learning how to shrug off “rejection” to minor points like using the prof’s name in that room when searching Web of Science’s CITED REFERENCE SEARCH. So, there’s no doubt that for Information Services this is the era dominated by Web 2.0 and its enhancements. Still, a preferred method of instruction, seemingly, that we and subject faculty have found to be true for graduate students, is the in-person interaction, be it group or one-on-one. Finally, what has been so instrumental in this success story, coordinating this uniform approach in providing quality service to our new graduate student population, is the more than willing attitude displayed by the excellent EPSL Librarians and EPSL Graduate Assistant.Item Bibliographic Databases in the Sciences and Engineering: Are They Going to Survive?(2008-11-27) Zdravkovska, Nevenka; Kackley, BobIn light of the increased cost of purchasing library materials in academic institutions in the United States, many institutions are canceling subscriptions to journals and databases from commercial and society's publishers. This paper will discuss the collection management policies at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP), give examples of how the recent cancellation is affecting the teaching and research at the University, and the innovative ways librarians are trying to circumvent this difficult period, by discovering and advertising free resources, using pay-per-view models, etc. Special emphasis will be given to resources in engineering and physical sciences. For example, at UMCP, a University with a well-known physics program (ranked #13 among graduate programs in physics by US News and World Report, 2009), since July 1, 2008, faculty and students no longer have access to current INSPEC, the premier physics database (UMCP purchased the INSPEC Archive and access to it will remain intact). This was a very hard decision and the effect will not be known immediately. Will the free Scitopia, Google Scholar, and the like be a good substitute? Participants will be invited to discuss their own experiences.Item Drexel University, the University of Maryland, and their Libraries’ Experiences Collaborating with Various Research Programs(2005) Bhatt, Jay; Ferroni, Joanne; Kackley, Bob; Rose, DorilonaLast year, researchers and librarians at both Drexel University and the University of Maryland initiated similar collaborative projects in their respective institutions to contribute to the development of life-long learning skills among the select participants. One joint finding was the importance of linking advances in knowledge, not just as hypothetical learninItem From Clutter to Cash: Online Book Sales at the University of Maryland’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Library (EPSL)(2003) Kackley, Bob; Chawla, Gloria; Beygo, Pinar; Miller, JimIn 2003 the University of Maryland's Engineering and Physical Sciences Library conducted a pilot project selling gift books on the internet resulting in gross sales totaling $9,326, a net profit of $6,917, for only 96 calculated staff hours. This article describes this project from inception through conclusion summarizing the detailed processes needed to get started and make it profitable, while also giving step-by-step advice on running an online book sale. After three years of operation (over $18,000 in sales), the Library Administration Earned Income Committee recommended retail sales such as this not be part of the Libraries Mission.Item From Capstone to Gemstone to Keystone: And Now Marquee Courses?(American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), 2008-06-25) Zdravkovska, Nevenka; Cech, Maureen; Austin, Damon; Miller, Jim; Kackley, BobThe librarians at the Engineering and Physical Sciences Library (EPSL) have enhanced many engineering-oriented programs at the University of Maryland in College Park over the years. But it is most rewarding when a new program comes along. It takes tact and a different strategy to ferret out the best way(s) to be of assistance. A good example is EPSL librarians’ efforts to get in on the “ground floor” of a new set of introductory core classes for non-technical/non-science majors, Marquee Courses in Science and Technology, which began in the fall of 2007. The Gemstone Program, a unique multidisciplinary four-year research team-based Honors Program in the A. James Clark School of Engineering, has significantly involved UM librarians since its inception in 1996. Dr. William Destler derived this now very successful and nationally noted program from the “old” Capstone concept, under which senior UM engineering students are still being instructed on patent and other advanced searching by EPSL librarians. In fall 2006 at the A. James Clark School of Engineering, the UM Keystone Program was created to encourage the best faculty to teach the most fundamental engineering courses. The Engineering departments discontinued the librarians’ instruction part of ENES 100 “Introduction to Engineering Design”. We had given these ENES 100 sessions, involving hands-on experience, to nearly every section of new freshmen engineering students for about fifteen years. But the EPSL librarians persevered; and created a strong web presence for the UM Libraries via our Blackboard(TM) system ELMS (Enterprise Learning Management System.) In summer 2006, when we heard about the new Marquee Courses program, EPSL librarians wasted no time in an aggressive marketing campaign to the professors of these classes, to demonstrate UM Library resources to their students. This presentation will cover our efforts and strategy, such as communicating with the Marquee Courses professors to successfully secure time slots with their students not only for fall 2007, but for future classes. We will especially focus on spring 2008 classes, and other classes that we picked up on short notice. The material we present in these classes differs from traditional library instruction sessions, which often do not closely match the topics the professors cover in class.