Introduction


The goal of this presentation is to review the purposes and goals of academic libraries, the effectiveness of their policies and procedures, and the possible future trends of these incredible institutions. I chose to research academic libraries because I have less experience with them than with public libraries, but my experience so far has intrigued me and I am interested in pursuing a career in a similar setting.

In order to gather information for my presentation on academic libraries, I searched online databases for articles on the history of academic libraries. The results I found soon raised other questions about the current uses of academic libraries, and the many opinions of what their future will look like. I also went directly to the Association of College and Research Libraries website to find information about recent statistics in the United States.

Today's Academic Libraries


For any institution, financial concerns and the ongoing need for the cooperation of like-minded groups and individuals are popular topics. Although they were not the only academic libraries in existence, "Harvard and Yale were the first libraries to establish endowments" (Weiner) and "in 1889, a group of 13 college librarians . . . recommended [to the American Library Association] that a college library section be formed" ("History").

The Association of College and Research Libraries was formed and dedicated themselves to "enhancing the ability of academic library and information professionals to serve the information needs of the higher education community and to improve learning, teaching, and research" ("About ACRL"). When looking for information on the history of academic libraries, very few article can be found which do not focus on the very recent past. Instead, librarians are focused on the future, and while there are definite attempts to integrate lessons learned in the past into the libraries of the present (Asher), I think that the forward-thinking trend of searchable resources reflects the drive to constantly improve that is characteristic of academic libraries.

Academic libraries serve as a resource not only for students, but for faculty and staff, and even the public. Besides books, their communities gain access to scholarly journals and online databases which may not be available otherwise. Because of the variety of needs they serve, academic libraries look for creative solutions to facilitate their patrons' access to their resources. Some become information hubs, study centers, or even abandon the physical building altogether and got to where the students are (Howard).

In the twenty-first century, academic libraries sometimes struggle to keep up with the demands for increasingly newer and more costly technologies. (Miller) Some changes are frowned upon and resisted, while others hurry to make way for advancements (Shorten, Seikel, and Arhberg). The pros and cons of change are mainly concerned with the way the change will affect the staff and the budget, since the majority of the patrons (the students) won't use the library over a period of time long enough to make them "set in their ways." (Turney, et al.)

As academic libraries become more and more centered around their digital resources, there are some arguments towards making the physical locations obsolete. (Howard) On the other hand, research has shown that many libraries are successfully making themselves indispensable to their campuses. (Ryan and Garrison; Oakleaf; Applegate) Although the don't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon, I believe the key to the "survival" of academic libraries rests in a balance between the digital and physical, the floating and the anchored libraries.

Conclusion


In the end, I've learned that there is a definite need that is filled by the presence of academic libraries. Researching academic libraries has allowed me to discover the importance of the role they play in higher education and local communities. Where I might have once thought that a public library could be interchangeable with an academic library, I can see now that there are many facets to each, and the academic library serves as the heart of the institution of higher learning.

Works Cited



“About ACRL.” Association of College and Research Libraries. September 01, 2006. Web. 5 Dec. 2011.
“History.” Association of College and Research Libraries. September 01, 2006. Web. 5 Dec. 2011.
Applegate, Rachel. “Whose Decline? which Academic Libraries are “Deserted” in Terms of Reference Transactions?” Reference & User Services Quarterly 48.2 (2008): 176,176-189. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 3 Nov. 2011.
Asher, Curt. “The Progressive Past: How History Can Help Us Serve Generation 1.5.” Reference & User Services Quarterly 51.1 (2011): 43-48. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Nov. 2011.
Howard, Jennifer. “Tomorrow's Academic Libraries: Maybe Even some Books.” The Chronicle of Higher Education. 00095982 (2011): n/a, n/a. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 3 Nov. 2011.
Miller, Rebecca. “Dramatic Growth.” Library Journal 136.17 (2011): 32-34. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Nov. 2011.
Oakleaf, Megan. “What's The Value Of An Academic Library? The Development Of The Acrl Value Of Academic Libraries Comprehensive Research Review And Report.” Australian Academic & Research Libraries 42.1 (2011): 1-13. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 Nov. 2011.
Ryan, Marianne, and Julie Garrison. “What Do We Do Now?: A Case For Abandoning Yesterday And Making The Future.” Reference & User Services Quarterly 51.1 (2011): 12-14. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Nov. 2011.
Shorten, Jay, Michele Seikel, and Janet H. Ahrberg. “Why do You Still use Dewey? Academic Libraries that Continue with Dewey Decimal Classification.” Library Resources & Technical Services 49.2 (2005): 123,123-136. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 3 Nov. 2011.
Turney, Linda, et al. “Higher Education And Emerging Technologies: Student Usage, Preferences, And Lessons For Library Services.” Reference & User Services Quarterly 50.4 (2011): 380-391. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Nov. 2011.
Weiner, Sharon Gray. “The History of Academic Libraries in the United States: a Review of the Literature.” Library Philosophy and Practice Vol. 7, No. 2 (Spring 2005). Web. 5 Dec. 2011.

Works Consulted


Bostick, Sharon L., and Robert E. Dugan. “The History And Development Of Academic Library Consortia In The United States: An Overview.” Journal Of Academic Librarianship 27.2 (2001): 128. Academic Search Complete. Web. 5 Dec. 2011.
Dickson, Andrea, and Robert P. Holley. “Social Networking in Academic Libraries: The Possibilities and the Concerns.” New Library World 111.11 (2010): 468-79. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 5 Dec. 2011.
Fister, Barbara. “Critical Assets.” Library Journal 135.8 (2010): 24-27. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Nov. 2011.
Hughes, Hilary. “International Students' Experiences Of University Libraries And Librarians.” Australian Academic & Research Libraries 41.2 (2010): 77-89. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Nov. 2011.
Lewis, Janice Steed. “The Academic Library in Institutional Assessment.” Library Leadership & Management (Online) 2010: 65-77. ABI/INFORM Trade & Industry; ProQuest Research Library. Web. 5 Dec. 2011.
Matuozzi, Robert N. “Academic Charisma and the Origins of the Research University.” Libraries & the Cultural Record 42.1 (2007): 103-5. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 5 Dec. 2011.
Moulaison, Heather L. “OPAC Queries at a Medium-Sized Academic Library: A Transaction Log Analysis.” Library Resources & Technical Services 52.4 (2008): 230,230-237. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 3 Nov. 2011.
Weber, Lynne, and Peg Lawrence. “Authentication And Access: Accommodating Public Users In An Academic World.” Information Technology & Libraries 29.3 (2010): 128-140. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Nov. 2011.

Annotated Bibliography



Applegate, Rachel. "Whose Decline? which Academic Libraries are "Deserted" in Terms of Reference Transactions?" Reference & User Services Quarterly 48.2 (2008): 176,176-189. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 3 Nov. 2011.
Rachel Applegate is an Assistant Professor at Indiana University School of Library and Information Science. In this report, Applegate begins by arguing that the decline of physical academic library use may be misreported by ARL research because the scope is limited, and uses other studies to back up her position. The study conducted and discussed specifically in this report shows that the decline is not as severe as the sampling from ARL describes. Because my presentation topic is about the history, use, and future of academic libraries, this article will help me to show how academic libraries are being used currently and be a foundation to build from with other sources.

Asher, Curt. "The Progressive Past: How History Can Help Us Serve Generation 1.5." Reference & User Services Quarterly 51.1 (2011): 43-48. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Nov. 2011.
Curt Asher is the Collection Development Coordinator at Stiern Library at California State University. His article begins with defining what “Generation 1.5” means; without going into to much detail, Generation 1.5 students are students who “suffer from communication deficiencies in the two languages they use on a daily basis”. The main theme of the article is to illustrate how libraries can better serve Generation 1.5 by looking at how libraries have interacted with similar generations before the term was coined. Because International students use academic libraries frequently, I feel that this article will contribute to my presentation by showing how academic libraries address different diverse groups and provide services tailored to their specific needs.

Fister, Barbara. "Critical Assets." Library Journal 135.8 (2010): 24-27. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Nov. 2011.
Barbara Fister is a Librarian at Gustavus Adolphus College, a contributor to ACRLog, and the Peer to Peer Review columnist for “LJ Academic Newswire.” Her article discusses how, despite the grim outlook with budget cuts and eletronic alternatives, academic administrators see more reasons to keep libraries running than not. This is definitely a resource I will use in the portion of my presentation looking at the future of academic libraries, because it takes a realistic view of how they are supported by faculty and administrative staff.

Howard, Jennifer. "Tomorrow's Academic Libraries: Maybe Even some Books." The Chronicle of Higher Education. 00095982 (2011): n/a, n/a. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 3 Nov. 2011.
Jennifer Howard is a Senior Reporter for The Chronicle of Higher Education, with libraries and archives being listed among many fields of expertise. Howard’s article describes how two universities are dealing with where and how to use library resources, whether changing the format of the location or removing the physical building altogether, to allow students better access to the assistance of a librarian. Her hypothesis is that academic libraries in the traditional sense may eventually disappear, with librarians being integrated into other areas of academia. This source will contribute to the portions of my presentation focused on the future use of academic libraries and the different kinds of libraries currently in place.

Hughes, Hilary. "International Students' Experiences Of University Libraries And Librarians." Australian Academic & Research Libraries 41.2 (2010): 77-89. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Nov. 2011.
Hilary Hughes is a Senior Lecturer at Queensland University of Technology and an Associate Member of the Australian Library and Information Association. Her report discusses the experiences of International students at academic libraries, both negative and positive aspects. The study assessed the previous and current library experiences of 25 students, concluding with  advice for academic libraries to have better awareness of the needs of international students in order to serve them more fully. Once again, this fits my need for resources for my presentation by looking at how academic libraries approach diversity.

Miller, Rebecca. “Dramatic Growth.” Library Journal 136.17 (2011): 32-34. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Nov. 2011.
Rebecca Miller is Executive Editor for Features at “Library Journal.” This short article is an overview of the “2011 Ebook Penetration & Use in U.S. Libraries Survey” and also offers the opinion that the survey results point towards a bright future for ebook technology in both public and academic libraries. In my presentation, I plan to look at what kinds of technological services may be offered at academic libraries and how they could affect student and faculty usage trends.

Moulaison, Heather L. “OPAC Queries at a Medium-Sized Academic Library: A Transaction Log Analysis.” Library Resources & Technical Services 52.4 (2008): 230,230-237. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 3 Nov. 2011.
Heather L. Moulaison is a doctoral student in the School of Communication, Information, and Library Studies at Rutgers, State University of New Jersey. Moulaison’s paper is the result of a study  undertaken to determine how the online public access catalog at The College of New Jersey’s library could be improved, based on findings from an analysis of results from user searches. This source is similar to the other citations in my bibliography because they show that academic libraries make many and varied efforts to change as their users are changing, in order to maintain their relevance. In my presentation, the main aspect I plan to draw on from the study is academic libraries’ ability to evolve.

Oakleaf, Megan. "What's The Value Of An Academic Library? The Development Of The Acrl Value Of Academic Libraries Comprehensive Research Review And Report." Australian Academic & Research Libraries 42.1 (2011): 1-13. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 Nov. 2011.
Megan Oakleaf is an Assistant Professor in the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University, and has also served as Librarian for Instruction and Undergraduate Research at NC State University. This report is an overview of the methods and results of a study undertaken to assess the value of academic libraries, and describes 22 “steps” for academic libraries to prove their importance, since many of them are in danger of budget cuts and other negative actions. As part of this bibliography, the study illustrates clearly what the benefits of maintaining academic libraries are, and I expect to use the findings heavily in my presentation.

Ryan, Marianne, and Julie Garrison. "What Do We Do Now?: A Case For Abandoning Yesterday And Making The Future." Reference & User Services Quarterly 51.1 (2011): 12-14. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Nov. 2011.
Marianne Ryan is Associate University Librarian for Public Services at Northwestern University Library. Julie Garrison is Associate Dean of Research and Instructional Services for Grand Valley State University. Their article discusses some of the findings of Grand Valley State University when a new library building was planned, and how the opportunity was used to evaluate practices that were currently in use to determine which should be weeded out and which should be kept or improved upon. As an example of academic libraries’ efforts towards advancement and continual self-improvement, I would probably use the article in the section of my presentation focused on the future of academic libraries.

Shorten, Jay, Michele Seikel, and Janet H. Ahrberg. "Why do You Still use Dewey? Academic Libraries that Continue with Dewey Decimal Classification." Library Resources & Technical Services 49.2 (2005): 123,123-136. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 3 Nov. 2011.
Jay Shorten is an Assistant Professor of Bibliography and Cataloger at the University of Oklahoma Libraries. Michèle Seikel is an Assistant Professor and Cataloging Librarian at Oklahoma State University Library. Janet H. Ahrberg is an Assistant Professor and Cataloging Librarian at Oklahoma State University Library. This article looks at the use of Dewey Decimal and Library of Congress classification systems in academic libraries and suggests the possibility of a trend towards converting from DDC to LC, beginning with a review of literature previously written on the subject of switching classification systems. The authors conducted a survey of academic libraries using the DDC system, and found that they could not say conclusively that libraries will make the switch, but the results of the survey do include useful information. I included this source in my annotated bibliography as the survey shows examples of how academic libraries use their budgets, and because it continues the theme of libraries consciously adapting with the needs of their users in order to persist.

Turney, Linda, James Britsch, Tyler Manolovitz, Lisa Shen, and Erin Dorris Cassidy. "Higher Education And Emerging Technologies: Student Usage, Preferences, And Lessons For Library Services." Reference & User Services Quarterly 50.4 (2011): 380-391. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Nov. 2011.
Linda Turney is Cataloging Coordinator, James Britsch is Reference Librarian, Glenda Griffin is Serials Cataloging Librarian, Tyler Manolovitz is Digital Resources Coordinator, Lisa Shen is Reference Librarian, and Erin Dorris Cassidy is WebServices Librarian at Sam Houston State University. This study describes how a university used a survey of the local population to help make decisions on how to best serve the needs of their students, rather than basing decisions on more wide-spread polls which may not reflect their users accurately. It is another useful example of the variety of ways that academic libraries strive to improve, and to contribute the results of their various studies to other libraries as well.


Weber, Lynne, and Peg Lawrence. "Authentication And Access: Accommodating Public Users In An Academic World." Information Technology & Libraries 29.3 (2010): 128-140. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Nov. 2011.
Lynne Webber is Access Services Librarian and Peg Lawrence is Systems Librarian at Minnesota State University, Mankato. The report of this survey details the methods and questions used to determine what portion of the library’s collection should be made available to the public at an academic library, and also how to go about it since user names and passwords were required for the computers. The conclusion discusses the need to maintain a balance of serving affiliated users and public users. This report is of value to my presentation because I already wanted to address public access in academic libraries, having had some experience using Idaho State University’s Eli M. Oboler Library after graduating and needing a card assigned because my student ID was no longer valid.