Mixed Structure in University Libraries

Most of the university libraries have been using a “mixed structure” in the current decades that has been replaced in various ways. Here, the technical, generic “front-of-house” services like circulations and back-office operations like cataloguing and acquisitions have been organized into functional groups. Moreover there have been teams or individuals deployed for supporting the particular subjects. There has been a most common model found in the university libraries of UK. This has been of “dual” natured structure. Here few librarians possessed the roles based on subjects and other functional responsibilities. The structure has been replaced with another common model known as the hybrid one (Yusuf, Aregbesola and Owolabi 2014). Here stood the librarians who could perform the functional and subject roles. During this transition from the hybrid structure to a dual one has been displaying a particular degree of the flexibility among various university libraries. This has been also demonstrating the longevity of the approach based on subject. From the current researches it has been found that organization in a subjective manner has been still a crucial element for most of the “university library structures”.

Moreover, the structures have also got developed by free text searching. The searching in the entire text of the documents has been usually referred to as the “free-text search”. A good instance of this is the Google. As the entire text is searched here, specific words occurring in the text could be used. Normally, the searches could be conducted over any field by using several indexes or specifying the fields. Query might be selected through the concerned indexes or the Boolean searching operations could be utilized. In such cases, there lies the facility for the free-text searching. Here, the searched results could be shown according to the format needed. After the selection of the relevant records, the printouts could be also taken out.

Further there has been integration of the user-defined aids like the folksonomies. One of the primary problems of the information society of today has been structuring, finding and retrieving data effectively and precisely. The folksonomies have been addressing the popular issues of indexing the data with the metadata. This meta-data has been content-descriptive in nature. However, they have been adding new dimensions of the web-collaboration and user-involvement. Currently the users have started to publish their individual content online in a wide scale. There, the process of indexing is known as “social tagging” or simply “tagging”. The folksonomy serves the purpose of collection of the tags under a single platform. They have become popular by social software such as the video community YouTube2 or photo-sharing Flickr1. They have turned into a significant part in various web2.0 applications. As per as the document indexing is concerned, the folksonomies have been offering advantages in feasibility and cost-efficiency for huge data collections.

Current Models in University Libraries

After evaluating the present situation of the virtual reference service or VRS, some strategies could be used in doing away with the primary problems regarding it. The librarians have been required to encourage the scientists for consulting with them about searches of literature (Jurow and Barnard 2013). This has been specifically as any comprehensive search has been needed. The librarians might not possess the subject knowledge of the scientists. The best searches must involve the researchers. Their librarians ought to be working closely together. The consulting with the librarians must teach the researches regarding various databases available and their usage.

There must be also strategies of heuristic searches. The scientists like the searches have required studying the strategies of basic searching applicable for various databases. The basic class of searching could teach the techniques like usage of controlled vocabularies, Boolean logic and truncation. The scientists could enhance their searches through learning the use of controlled vocabularies of the thesauri as they have been available (Buckland 2014). However, very often the controlled vocabulary regarding the database has not been available. In such situations, the pearl-growing techniques of search have been essentially helpful. The librarians have been needed to discuss the searching techniques and controlled vocabularies with the scientists.

Moreover, web site evaluation ought to be done effectively in virtual reference service. The overall information quality over the web has not been increasing likely with time. The alternate resources based on web could be utilized. A thorough literature has been able to save any week of the scientist in the library. The scientists and librarians have needed to discuss regarding the availability of databases in relevance with the research. The scientists who have been searching the web needed to be encouraged using numerous search engines. This is because various search engines display small overlapping in their outcomes. With the assistance of the librarians the scientists could complement their general searches of web-based with the databases and then print the indexes covering the previous literatures. The librarians must also encourage the researches complementing the resources based on web that print the resources. The scientists could also browse the stacks and the latest journal arrivals in the library. Visiting the libraries has been also enabling the researches using print indexes. This should cover the time periods external to the opportunity of the general electronic databases. The librarians could also promote physical libraries as the significant portion of the research strategies.

Free-Text Searching and Folksonomies

As the scientists have been unable to make regular trips to that library in browsing, they could also consider the browsing the tables of electronic contents of journals in the field. Additionally, there have been various journals providing services of electronic “Table of Contents” sending users the emails of the contents as latest issues have been published. The scientists also require taking time in learning regarding the copyright and the licensing terms that they have been agreeing as they have been subscribed to any electronic resources. The terms might also restrict the number of records downloaded within a particular time period. The librarians also require informing the scientists regarding these stipulations.

The main advantages of e-resources are discussed as follows.

Accessibility: They could be accessed easily from any computer and anywhere anytime hence stopping the requirement to make trip t libraries.

Easily searchable: Every journal could be searched quickly and easily through the entire text of articles through online indexes.

Speed: The issues and articles appeared in online before the printed version has been available.

Interactive: The fast turnaround time has been indicating that the articles could be read, them commented by readers, quickly amended and retrieving greater feedback through online.

The disadvantages of the e-resources have been discussed hereafter. The fact that these resources have needed special devices or the personal computers could be looked as drawbacks. Moreover, the re-sources relying over the software and hardware and have been simply damaged than the printed book. The devices to read the e-resources have been more costly than the printed books. There has been a rising concern that those e-resources currently might not be accessible or compatible with the further devices or software. The screen glare and the eyestrain has been a serious concern for various potential users. The e-resources possess an unreliable life span. The reading from the computer has been lacking the familiarity and reading comfort from the books.

There have been various advantages of hardcopies in reference works. Regarding reproductions the hard copies have been generally preferable than the electronic versions. The hard copy could also read by anybody at any point of time. This is because it has been requiring no assistance from the external devices. The important and the official documents have been generally preserved as hard copies creating tangible records of those materials. Moreover, the hard copy has not been subject to failure of any electronic system as it could damage or lost physically. This could not further be corrupted or get lost similarly as the computerized documents (Cassell and Hiremath 2013). This is the reasons many people have been generating hard copy versions for the important materials like the literary manuscripts.

Strategies for Information Retrieval in Virtual Reference Services

However, regarding the drawbacks of the hardcopies it could be said that they have been expensive. They have been much difficult to store. In many times, the other users could make duplicate copies of the hard copies or easily retrieve important information from there. Lastly it could be said that they have not been environmentally friendly.

There has been various real life instance realistic reference where the hardcopies have been preferred over the electronic ones. For instance unlike the digital prospectus or emailed newsletter, as any printed version is provided in the hands of the student’s parents, it would be stored in the house. This would act as the reminder of the school. As the emails could be deleted, the hardcopy prospectus would be kept in all livelihoods. Thus it turns into the branding tool for the school as the parents sees that. During any face-to-face event such as the open day, the hardcopy is desired as the parents gets something that could be taken away by the, Thus they could look in the straightway than checking their email.

References:

Basavaraja, M.T. and Kumara, S.S., 2014, July. Ask a Librarian: A Virtual Reference Service. In National Conference on Management of Modern Libraries (NACML) (Vol. 1, p. 214). Allied Publishers.

Buckland, M.K., 2014. Library services in theory and context. Elsevier.

Calisir, F., Altin Gumussoy, C., Bayraktaroglu, A.E. and Karaali, D., 2014. Predicting the intention to use a web?based learning system: Perceived content quality, anxiety, perceived system quality, image, and the technology acceptance model. Human Factors and Ergonomics in Manufacturing & Service Industries, 24(5), pp.515-531.

Cassell, K.A. and Hiremath, U., 2013. Reference and information services: An introduction. American Library Association.

Cox, A.M. and Pinfield, S., 2014. Research data management and libraries: Current activities and future priorities. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 46(4), pp.299-316.

Fernando, T.S.A.D., 2014. Web Based School Management System For St. Nicholas International College.

Johnson, M.W., Rostami, K., Marsh, M. and Ciclitira, P., 2015. PTU-315 Coeliac–supported, self help and management programme (c-sshamp); uk’s first remote web-based management system for stable coeliac patients.

Jurow, S. and Barnard, S., 2013. Integrating total quality management in a library setting. Routledge.

Kortemeyer, G., Dröschler, S. and Pritchard, D.E., 2014. Harvesting latent and usage-based metadata in a course management system to enrich the underlying educational digital library. International Journal on Digital Libraries, 14(1-2), p.1.

Markakis, I., Samaras, T., Polycarpou, A.C. and Sahalos, J.N., 2013, September. An RFID-enabled library management system using low-SAR smart bookshelves. In Electromagnetics in Advanced Applications (ICEAA), 2013 International Conference on (pp. 227-230). IEEE.

Stone, G. and Ramsden, B., 2013. Library Impact Data Project: looking for the link between library usage and student attainment. College and Research Libraries, 74(6), pp.546-559.

Yusuf, F., Aregbesola, A. and Owolabi, S., 2014. Automating the University Library using Alexandria Library Management Software: The Landmark University Experience. Library and Information Practitioner, 7(1&2).