Browsing as Problem

I have long been fond of a 2010 article in American Libraries by Donald Barclay entitled “The Myth of Browsing.” Writing in reaction to faculty opposition to offsite storage of books and journals, Barclay pointed out that open stacks date back only to about 1940. He reminded readers that browsers are perusing whatever small segment of the information universe is owned by their library, that books can be shelved in only one place even if they cover many topics or perspectives, and that the most … [Read more...]

ACRL Conference

Last week I attended the conference of the major professional society for academic librarians, the Association of College and Research Libraries.  I’ve been to every one of their conferences, which are usually held every other year, since 1986.  While there, I ran into a Davidson alum, Tammy Ivins, who was thoroughly enjoying the conference and finding much of relevance to her work. As someone who’s been in the profession much longer, though, I’m sorry to say I was rather disappointed.  I went … [Read more...]

Fare Thee Well RefWorks, Hello Zotero

Let’s say you are over at Summit getting some coffee, and, as you are about to order, the barista announces a special offer: all light roast coffee is free, for the rest of the year, and for a matter of the fact, forever. Now, you happen to be a strictly dark roast enthusiast, and switching to a light-roast blend seems like it would be a bit of a transition. On the other hand, the potential of free coffee is appealing. Would you take the deal? In a sense, we at the library have found … [Read more...]
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