Volume 44, Number 6 - November/December 2020
EDITORIALFrontLines Page 4 In the midst of forced digital transformation, libraries are rapidly adjusting and helping others to meet the demands of our new environment. By Marydee Ojala DEPARTMENTSPage 7 Search Engine Update By Greg R. Notess Page 29 Conference Corral Conference Feast or Famine: Oxford700, CILIL Connect, Occupy Libraries FEATURESPage 9 Information professionals today are called upon to confront racism in the workplace and in the profession. Traditionally, librarianship has been both in the forefront of espousing diversity and lagging behind in practicing it, particularly in the academic context. Nancy Herther explores our difficult past and has some concrete and inspiring suggestions for current improvements that will lead to a better future. By Nancy K. Herther Page 14 Analyzing Library Communities Understanding your community is vital to providing services, building collections, and boosting relevance. Barbie Keiser explores the dashboards recently introduced by Gale Analytics that help libraries personalize outreach and increase engagement. Combining external data with internal data generated by the library's ILS and displaying these in a very visual and colorful dashboard leads to better decision making. By Barbie E. Keiser Page 20 It’s All About the Timing: Developing Online Training Resources for the Post-COVID World In these pandemic times, librarians have had to move quickly, from going into a physical space to entering a virtual one, to teach students about the research process, from literature searching to article publishing. A rethinking was necessary. Cambridge University librarians Claire Sewell and Amy Theobald share how they embraced online learning and offer some lessons learned based on their experiences. By Amy Theobald, Claire Sewell Page 24 Don’t Dis Google: Seamless Resolver Enhancement Beyond Subscriptions As often as librarians advise students not to start their research with Google, they are likely to do so anyway. But library director David Stern sees a silver lining to this behavior. He proposes looking at link resolver tools that take into account searchers' reliance on Google and provide gateways to enhance discovery. By David Stern COLUMNSInternet Express Page 32 Technology and the Stock Market: From Ticker Tape to Trading Apps As Carly Lamphere shows, you do not have to be a financial whiz to take part in stock trading. After providing a bit of stock market history, she looks at a new stock and investment app, Robinhood, that is proving popular with stock market newbies and shares its ups and downs. By Carly Lamphere InfoLit Land Page 35 A Collaborative Graduate Information Literacy Course Taking advantage of a new program in theology and culture, Bill Badke and two colleagues designed a comprehensive introduction to cultural thought and analysis that included, as a baseline, information literacy and navigation concepts. Becoming a co-creator of a course is a natural for librarians. By William Badke The Dollar Sign Page 38 Identifying Minority-Owned Businesses When researching minority-owned businesses, start with defining what minority-owned means. It could be Black-owned, but the definition could be broader. Business researcher Marydee Ojala examines sources, both free and subscription-based, that will surface companies owned and operated by minority groups. By Marydee Ojala Metrics Mashup Page 41 As COVID-19 reshapes the landscape, its impact on scientific research around the globe has been momentous. The rapid spread of the virus has resulted in an enormous growth in research output. Elaine Lasda looks at tools for measuring research impact affected by the pandemic and considers how technology plays into impact measurement. By Elaine M. Lasda Hard Copy Page 45 Recommended Reading on the Dark Web, Alphabet, Government Information, and Racist Algorithms By Jennifer A. Bartlett Online Spotlight Page 48 Evaluating Econtent Today Evaluating information is a key skill of information professionals. Mary Ellen Bates considers some criteria surrounding evaluating econtent that affects how those skills can lead to new ways to express our value. By Mary Ellen Bates |
