Browsing by Author "Weare, William H., Jr."
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Item By and For Us: The Development of a Peer Review of Teaching Program by and for Pre-Tenure Librarians(Collaborative Librarianship, 2012) Alabi, Jaena; Huisman, Rhonda; Lacy, Meagan; Miller, Willie; Snajdr, Eric; Trinoskey, Jessica; Weare, William H., Jr.Seven pre-tenure librarians at the University Library at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), concerned about the effectiveness of their library instruction, created a peer review of teaching (PROT) group. This article provides an overview of the LIS literature on PROT and identifies the commonalities and variations found in PROT programs. The authors then describe the development, implementation, and benefits of the PROT program at IUPUI. The program outcomes are discussed, including benefits for the observed, the observer, and for the PROT group as a whole. The authors also found that the implementation of a PROT program can enhance the sense of community among colleagues.Item Circulation policies for external users: A comparative study of public urban research institutions(Journal of Access Services [Taylor & Francis Online] http://www.tandfonline.com/, 2012-07) Weare, William H., Jr.; Stevenson, MatthewThis article is a study of the policies that govern the use of the university library by external users at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and 12 peer institutions used by IUPUI for comparative purposes. A search of each institution’s Web site was conducted as well as interviews with circulation librarians and managers. Although it was useful to learn of common practices, it was especially beneficial to learn about policies that differed substantially from those in place at comparable institutions. Creative solutions developed to address problems at other libraries can be used to influence policy development.Item Criticism is not a four-letter word: Best practices for constructive feedback in the peer review of teaching.(2014) Alabi, Jaena; Weare, William H., Jr.In recent years, peer review of teaching (PROT) has become an increasingly important tool for evaluating library instruction. Most PROT programs consist of three components: a pre-observation meeting, the observation of teaching, and a post-observation session. The post-observation feedback session can be especially challenging—for both the observer and the observed. Drawing upon literature addressing the peer review of teaching, the authors recommend a set of best practices for providing constructive criticism to fellow instruction librarians.Item Developing Core Leadership Competencies for the Library Profession.(Library Leadership & Management is available online at: [LINK]http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/llama/publications/llandm/libraryleadership.cfm[/LINK]. The original article may be found at: [LINK]http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/llama/publications/llandm/llmhome/23n2/23n2_full_issue.pdf[/LINK]., 2009) Ammons-Stephens, Shorlette; Cole, Holly J.; Jenkins-Gibbs, Keisha; Riehle, Catherine Fraser; Weare, William H., Jr.The development of competency lists, or competency models has become a popular way to assess the strengths, needs, and potential contributions of individuals in an organization. The success of libraries as organizations is determined by the actions of the individuals who work in those libraries; the success of those individuals in carrying out the missions of those libraries is in large measure a reflection of the type and quality of leadership. Successful library leaders demonstrate certain skills that are instrumental in the delivery of desired outcomes. We usually think of the demonstration of these skills as competencies.Item Exploring Service Philosophy Statements Using Qualitative Content Analysis(ISAST, 2020-12) Moffett, Paul; Weare, William H., Jr.; University LibraryThis paper will describe a study in which we examined service philosophy statements at a diverse group of North American academic libraries. We used qualitative content analysis to examine their form and content to identify common themes, trends, and ideas. Public services librarians spend much of their time wrestling with nebulous topics such as service quality, customer satisfaction, and user experience. Improvements in these areas necessitate strengthening the quality of the service and the culture in which it’s delivered. One approach to establish standards for consistent service delivery is for libraries to implement service philosophy statements. A service philosophy statement also communicates directly with users what they can—and should—expect from the library. Before we could develop and implement a service philosophy statement at our respective libraries, we wanted to understand the specific ways that service philosophy statements communicate service expectations to users. We will describe the series of steps we followed to conduct our research, such as creating the coding frame, segmenting the data, pilot coding, evaluating and modifying the coding frame, analyzing the data, and interpreting the findings. Finally, we will review the challenges we encountered during this process, as well as lessons we learned about qualitative content analysis.Item Focus group research in the academic library: An overview of the methodology(Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries (QQML); http://www.qqml.net/March_2013_issue.html, 2013-03) Weare, William H., Jr.Through the use of focus groups, academic librarians can discover what students really think, feel, need, and want. Equipped with this knowledge, librarians will be better positioned to design and deliver effective programs, improve services, and shape the development of facilities to better meet the needs of current and future users. Concerned about the efficacy of various library programs and initiatives at Valparaiso University (Valparaiso, Indiana, USA), two public services librarians conducted a series of focus groups with undergraduate students to gain a better understanding of their perceptions of the library. This paper provides an overview of the focus group methodology employed in this study.Item Library Instruction and Student Engagement in the Age of Google(LOEX Press, 2010) Weare, William H., Jr.; Kowalsky, MichelleA typical library instruction session generally includes demonstrations of how to use the library catalog, how to access information via library-provided electronic resources, and how to use the electronic journal list. Given limited time with a new group of students, many librarians would not opt to include instruction on how to effectively and efficiently use a search engine. The 2006 OCLC report College Students’ Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources indicates that “that 89 percent of college student information searches begin with a search engine." Librarians should also consider beginning their library instruction sessions at the place where their students would begin—with Google. Such an approach not only motivates students, but it also enables the instructor to build on the students’ prior knowledge and research experiences more quickly and efficiently. Lessons which begin by briefly evaluating a student's prior knowledge make good pedagogical sense. Students naturally feel more confident and eager to learn something new when it appears that the topic is familiar. Activating prior knowledge prepares the mind to integrate new knowledge and concepts. Using Google to help students connect new knowledge to old helps them build sequences of memories that associate library searching with their previously 'easy' and 'enjoyable' search engine experiences. Lessons which extend student understanding of a familiar concept help to create better student searchers. In this session the presenters will demonstrate a variety of ways in which instruction librarians can use search engines and related web search products to increase student engagement.Item Making Room for Innovation: Using Systematic Random Sampling to Quickly and Efficiently Obtain Shelf Occupancy Data(2015-03-26) Moffett, Paul; Cooper, John P.; Weare, William H., Jr.Are you preparing to renovate space currently occupied by the stacks to construct a new cafe? A collaborative learning space? A technology-rich environment? If so, data is needed about the collection. How much shelf space is currently occupied by monographs? By serials? How much is empty? How much space would be available if serials were relocated or withdrawn? Find out how to use systematic random sampling to quickly and efficiently obtain shelf occupancy data.Item New Support for the Research Process: Desktop Delivery of Microform Content(2011-01) Weare, William H., Jr.While trying to access microform content, patrons at the Christopher Center for Library and Information Resources at Valparaiso University were often hampered by unfamiliar equipment, temperamental software, and a puzzling file management system. In an effort to address these problems, the Access Services Department launched a pilot program for the electronic delivery of microform content. It was decided to discontinue the self-service model and design a system in which patrons could request specific items from the microform collection which would then be retrieved and scanned by the staff and made available electronically through the interlibrary loan client. After describing the problems a typical user might encounter with the existing system, the author explains the solution piloted by the library, outlines the policies and procedures, reviews the outcomes, and finally draws attention to the considerable potential of such a service.Item Peer review of teaching: Best practices for a non-programmatic approach(Communications in Information Literacy, 2014) Alabi, Jaena; Weare, William H., Jr.Many academic librarians who provide library instruction have never received formal training in educational theory and methods. In an effort to bridge this gap and improve the teaching skills of instruction librarians, some academic libraries have established peer review of teaching programs. Despite the recognized benefits of peer review, it may not be feasible for every library to establish such a program. In an effort to aid those who are interested in peer review, but who may not be able to participate in a formal program, the authors identify the principles of peer review that can be applied on a non-programmatic basis. Six areas of best practice are described: establishing an environment of trust, respect, and confidentiality; selecting a suitable partner for the process; communicating with a peer reviewer; focusing on specific aspects of teaching where feedback is desired; making time for the process; and preparing oneself to accept criticism.