Space, Facilities, and Services

The report proposes that the growing number, and heterogeneity, of graduate students and programs presents opportunities for research libraries to provide segmented services targeted for students at different stages of their academic and demographic life-cycle.

Through their interviews, Covert-Vail and Collard found an enthusiasm for a broad range of new services, from advanced data manipulation and visualization to softer skills-based instruction in time management and writer’s block. They also report that new configurations of library space, housing aggregated services into research or scholarly commons, for example, can both create and leverage collaborations within the larger institution.

Finally, the authors present different strategies for staffing graduate student services, from dedicated positions and committees to more loosely structured teams comprising subject liaisons, technologists, data librarians, and others, who work together to deliver a suite of complex solutions to meet the needs of graduate students in research institutions.

  nrnt-grad-roles-20dec12.pdf

Proceedings of the 161st ARL Membership Meeting, October 2012.

mm12fall-weiss.pdf    Audio on YouTube

Proceedings of the 161st ARL Membership Meeting, October 2012.

mm12fall-harwood.pdf     Audio on YouTube

Proceedings of the 161st ARL Membership Meeting, October 2012.

mm12fall-archer.pdf     Audio on YouTube

SPEC Kit 328 gathers information about what collaborative teaching and learning tools are currently being offered to users in ARL member libraries. It covers questions on which kinds of tools are offered, how many, and why, where they are located, who may use them, the sources of funding, who provides training and support, and what techniques are used to promote and evaluate the tools. For the purpose of this survey, “collaborative teaching and learning tools” are limited to the equipment, devices, or systems being offered to research library users in a self-service environment including, but not limited to, the following: interactive whiteboards (IWBs, e.g., SMART Board), touchscreen tablet computers (e.g., iPads), classroom/audience response system (e.g., clickers), interactive learning centers (e.g., TouchTables), and Wii gaming systems. This SPEC Kit includes documentation from respondents that describe available equipment and services, loan policies, instructions for using equipment, and materials promoting the services.

This publication is available for purchase in both online and print versions. Download the spec-kit-purchase-options-2013.pdf  for complete pricing and purchase options information.

Link to the online SPEC Kit 328 on the ARL Digital Publications website.

SPEC Kit 327 investigates whether and how ARL member libraries have reconfigured staffed service delivery points in the main library and in any branches that report to the main library. It explores whether service points and/or branches have been added, closed, or consolidated; the drivers for those decisions; the impacts on staff; the changes in delivery methods; and whether there have been any collaborations with other institutions or consortia, or outsourcing of service delivery. It also explores user involvement in the planning for service changes and whether the effectiveness of new service configurations has been assessed. The survey used a case study approach to reveal developing patterns, unique applications, and anticipated changes in the physical or organizational arrangement of service delivery that may be widely adaptable in other libraries so that they can continue to be the primary information providers for their constituents. This SPEC Kit includes documentation from respondents that describes the service philosophy, services offered, planning process, and communications about service changes. Also included are floorplans and images of redesigned spaces.

This publication is available for purchase in both online and print versions. Download the spec-kit-purchase-options-2013.pdf  for complete pricing and purchase options information.

Link to the online SPEC Kit 327 on the ARL Digital Publications website.

SPEC Kit 326 provides a snapshot of research library experiences with digital scholarship centers or services that support the humanities (e.g., history, art, music, film, literature, philosophy, religion, etc.) and the benefits and challenges of hosting them. The survey asked ARL libraries about the organization of these services, how they are staffed and funded, what services they offer and to whom, what technical infrastructure is provided, whether the library manages or archives the digital resources produced, and how services are assessed, among other questions. This SPEC Kit includes documentation from respondents that describes the mission or purpose of digital humanities centers, the services offered, policies and procedures, examples of digital projects, fellowship and grant opportunities, promotional materials, and repositories for digital projects.

This publication is available for purchase in both online and print versions. Download the spec-kit-purchase-options-2013.pdf  for complete pricing and purchase options information.

Link to the online SPEC Kit 326 on the ARL Digital Publications website.

SPEC Kit 321 explores what services are being provided and how users are made aware of them; what assistive technologies are being offered today and who maintains them; which library staff have responsibility for providing services and how are they trained; and what service policies and procedures are in place for users with disabilities. It includes documentation from respondents that describe the services offered, the assistive technology that is available, service policies, user needs assessment, staff training materials, and job requirements for service coordinators.

This publication is available for purchase in both online and print versions. Download the spec-kit-purchase-options-2013.pdf  for complete pricing and purchase options information.

Link to the online SPEC Kit 321 on the ARL Digital Publications website.

RLI issue 271 includes:

• Library Value May Be Proven, If Not Self-Evident
• A Decade of Assessment at a Research-Extensive University Library Using LibQUAL+®
• LibQUAL+® and the “Library as Place” at the University of Glasgow
• Service Quality Assessment with LibQUAL+® in Challenging Times: LibQUAL+® at Cranfield University
• ARL Profiles: Qualitative Descriptions of Research Libraries in the Early 21st Century
• The ARL Library Scorecard Pilot: Using the Balanced Scorecard in Research Libraries
• Lib-Value: Measuring Value and Return on Investment of Academic Libraries
• The Value of Electronic Resources: Measuring the Impact of Networked Electronic Services (MINES for Libraries®) at the Ontario Council of University Libraries

RLI issue 264 includes the following articles:

• ARL Encourages Members to Refrain from Signing Nondisclosure or Confidentiality Clauses
• The Case for Regulating Google and the Proposed Book Rights Registry
• Learning and Research Spaces in ARL Libraries: Snapshots of Installations and Experiments
• A Different Kind of Conversation: The Sparky Awards and Fresh Views on Change in Scholarly Communication
• ARL Selects Research Library Leadership Fellows for 2009 10