Copyright (c) 2009 University of Wollongong All rights reserved. http://ro.uow.edu.au/asdpapers Recent documents in Academic Services Division - Papers en-us Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:03:04 PST 3600 http://ro.uow.edu.au/asdpapers/116 http://ro.uow.edu.au/asdpapers/116 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:32:38 PDT Project EnROLE has been a two year $200,000 ALTC project to encourage uptake of online role based learning environments, with particular focus on what is commonly referred to by us as role play. Role play is widely acknowledged to be a powerful teaching technique in face to face, blended and online teaching contexts and has been previously singled out as an example of good practice by ALTC predecessors: CAUT, CUTSD and AUTC. The project goal was to encourage uptake of online role based learning environments using the strategy of building a community of practice at university, state and national levels which would better reward and recognise teachers already using role play and scaffold teachers wanting to get started with role play. Starting with the core team based at 5 NSW universities, Project EnROLE's community building activities have exceeded expectations, resulting in 26 outcomes (Table 1) involving hundreds of teachers Australia-wide, which affirms EnROLE's Dissemination Model of cascading university clusters and state networks. The BLUE Report describes these outcomes and achievements in 4 sections representing 4 phases of the project: Building, Linking, Understanding and Extending. The key finding is that a good practice database (repository) cannot be built without simultaneously building a community of practice and that the role of connector/broker is essential for community development. The BLUE report serves as a guide for educators interested in the field of online role play to assist them in identifying and accessing available resources. It also provides guides and frameworks of a more generic nature about Peer Review, Partnerships, Fellowships, Leadership and Uptake. S. Wills http://ro.uow.edu.au/asdpapers/115 http://ro.uow.edu.au/asdpapers/115 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:34:02 PDT The University of Wollongong Library purchased 21 bibliographic databases on CD-ROM during 1988, 1989 and 1990 covering the disciplines of business, psychology, medicine, geography, sociology, education, science, nursing, engineering, mathematics and occupational health and safety. The databases are available for use by all students and staff, and their use is continuing to be evaluated. The introduction of the CD··ROM service has had significant implications for library users and staff, e. g . the number of online searches has reduced, the use of serial literature has increased, the use of hard copy indexes has changed and staff involvement in the training of how to use the databases has been unexpectedly high. In order to more formally evaluate the service, student and staff use of the databases was surveyed during early 1990. This paper will focus on the findings of the survey, presenting recommendations for the continued use of the CD-ROM databases. C. Grimson http://ro.uow.edu.au/asdpapers/114 http://ro.uow.edu.au/asdpapers/114 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:00:03 PDT CD-Rom databases have been hailed as a means of avoiding the problems inherent in budgeting for online services, and hence also the need to charge for searching. However, some libraries are already considering charging for their use. This is a retrograde step. The University of Wollongong library has purchased a number of CD-ROM databases which have been enthusiastically received by both students and academic staff. At present, we do not charge for this service. Initial indications are that the introduction of CD-Rom databases has meant a slump in demand for online searches. Clearly, CD-Rom and online services could be complementary, and it is likely that once CD--ROM databases are no longer considered a novelty, online services will regain, and possibly increase, their standing with the academic library community. This paper concludes that CD-Roms have the potential to greatly enhance students' access to information, firstly, through providing free access to electronic database sources, secondly, by making students more aware of the potential of online services for up to the minute information, and thirdly, for improving document delivery. C. A. Alcock http://ro.uow.edu.au/asdpapers/113 http://ro.uow.edu.au/asdpapers/113 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:44:12 PDT The University of Wollongong library Acquisitions Team has established an ideal model for best practice in relation to the acquisition and provision of prescribed texts and recommended readings for library clients through benchmarking with three other Australian academic libraries. The approaches integral to our focus on texts and recommended readings were examined in detail, with opportunities for our own continuous improvement defined. Our major aim was improvement of collection relevance and development concerning acquisition of University of Wollongong curriculum texts and recommended readings through benchmarking. In practical terms this meant redesigning the texts and recommended readings process from selection to shelf ready access for our clients. Specifically, we examined components such as: approach taken; selection; ordering; accessioning, copy cataloguing and end processing; access provided for clients; and funds used. L. Denny http://ro.uow.edu.au/asdpapers/112 http://ro.uow.edu.au/asdpapers/112 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:51:21 PDT Quality management was formally adopted by the University of Wollongong Library in 1994 as a management framework compatible with established values and previous change programs. Despite considerable goal accomplishment in recent years, new strategies were needed to continue to build on strengths, and to assimilate continuous review and improvement as a means of managing future change. Application for the Achievement in Business Excellence Award was selected as an indicator to measure progress towards the goal: Incorporation of Total Quality Management principles into all aspects of Library management. The process is quite rigorous and the commitment of leaders and staff at all levels is essential for success. F. McGregor http://ro.uow.edu.au/asdpapers/111 http://ro.uow.edu.au/asdpapers/111 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:54:21 PDT While technical skills and professional qualifications will continue to play an important role in the identification and selection of people to join our organisations, the development of life-long learning skills will be the corner-stone of an organisation's ongoing success and capacity to develop and adapt in a constantly shifting market place. Change is the only constant is the catch phrase of the moment. In a climate of ever-accelerating, and often overwhelming change, the ability of individuals to develop suites of skills and knowledge that promote flexibility, innovation and creativity will be a key determinant of an organisation's future success or failure. However, these sets of skills, knowledge and attitudes are often not represented in position descriptions or profiles of attitudes. M. H. Jantti http://ro.uow.edu.au/asdpapers/110 http://ro.uow.edu.au/asdpapers/110 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:30:30 PDT Novel and aggressive attitudes toward cooperation will need to accompany the development of information technologies if libraries are to maintain a central role in the information environment. Existing cooperative mechanisms must be expanded by the establishment of international strategic alliances with publishers, database producers, software developers and hardware suppliers. In particular, Australian librarians need to re-assess their involvement in scholarly publishing and develop strategies which meet the challenges posed by emergent communication and storage technologies. J. Shipp http://ro.uow.edu.au/asdpapers/109 http://ro.uow.edu.au/asdpapers/109 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:04:47 PDT Traditionally, libraries were the major information source for the public. However, as society's use of the Internet has increased, traditional information suppliers such as libraries have been forced to adapt their offerings to maintain their role as a major supplier of information. In 2002, 66% of Australians and 57% of the UK population had Internet access (CyberAtlas, 2003, p. 224). As these figures increase, researchers are more inclined to expect that information be both current and accessible from their desktop. The ease and speed of publication on the Internet makes this goal achievable. A. Norris http://ro.uow.edu.au/asdpapers/108 http://ro.uow.edu.au/asdpapers/108 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:55:27 PDT The collection of statistical data about the usage of databases by library patrons is an important task for librarians. It is necessary for a variety of reasons, including the provision of appropriate access points, the minimisation of costs associated with database licences and the diagnosis of strengths and weaknesses in the training programs provided for the patrons of the library. The collection of these statistics is cumbersome, unless it can be automated as part of the process of accessing the databases. This paper presents a critical appraisal of the development, implementation and evaluation of an automated statistics gathering system at the University of Wollongong Library for the CD-ROM database collection. The authors describe the background to the study and explain the ways in which the use of statistical data can improve the day-to-day management of CD-ROM and database facilities, collection development of CD-ROM databases, and the influence on training and directions given to users in regard to their use. The importance of a long term plan for data collection and the need for informed, practical analysis are also discussed. P. Hyland http://ro.uow.edu.au/asdpapers/107 http://ro.uow.edu.au/asdpapers/107 Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:34:11 PDT It is said that Abdul Kassem Ismael, the scholarly Grand Vizier of Persia in the tenth century had a library of 117,000 volumes. He was an avid reader and a lover of books. On his many travels, he could not bear to part with this beloved books. Wherever he went they were carried about by 400 camels trained to walk in alphabetical order. His camel drivers thus became librarians who could put their hands instantly on any book for which their master asked. (Hawkins, Brian L and Battin, Patricia (2000) Camel Drivers and Gatecrashers, Educause Review May/June 2000 p50). How did the performance of this mobile library measure up? As there was only one key client and stakeholder, the Grand Vizier, matters were relatively simple and he, perhaps, thought in terms of the number of items in his collection, whether they were correctly arranged for immediate retrieval and whether his wealth was sufficient to acquire even more precious volumes. Such measures are still common today in libraries even though we can now transport our libraries - or at least make them accessible - to the far corners of the earth, not by camel but via electronic publishing and the internet. F. McGregor