In A Paperless World A New Role for Academic Libraries : Providing Open Access

Source:

Bosc, Helene and Stevan Harnad. (2004). "In A Paperless World A New Role for Academic Libraries : Providing Open Access." Spreading the Word : Who Profits from Scientific Publications. Google Scholar, July 28, 2009. (http://eprints.ecs.soton.ac.uk/10721/1/boscharnadLP.htm.)

Abstract:

This article discusses that academic libraries should be considered research tools, co-evolving with technology. Due to many changes occurred brought to us by the information age and the way science is communicated, the role of libraries should be adaptive to this new tools. The development of central, discipline-specific online archives paved the way for a new scientific communication, known as Open Access (OA). The OA as defined and explained in the article presents that researchers provide OA to their peer reviewed journal articles in two different ways such as by publishing in them in OA journals and by publishing them in non-OA journals but also self archiving them in their institutional OA Archives. The researchers are said to be the best allies of the librarians both in the OA provision strategies. Also, some examples of the pioneering libraries are discussed in the article and from there the authors of the article concluded that an official mandate for OA provision is significant to increase the growth of OA as well as contribute in the growth of research usage and impact worldwide. The new era of OA to scientific research will begin, and researchers and research will draw all the benefits when academic libraries done their part.


3 things I have learned:

1. The librarians should always be aware on the technical developments resulting from the information age and must adopt and adapt to these changes and new tools not just on-paper but also on-line.
2. Libraries must explore on creating new OA journals, set-up OA archives and self-archive journal articles by "proxy: on behalf of their researchers" to access the necessary research information and gain scientific productivity.
3. In these present times, libraries especially the academic ones should practice providing OA to their clients by promoting both OA self-archiving and OA journal publishing.


Applications/Implications:

We all know that continuous changes are happening in the world of information, communication and technology. As a librarian, I need to be updated on the new trends brought to us by these new tools and technology. I need to explore on the different means and ways of acquiring right and accessible information and echo it to our clients. This way I can help spread the information, like the use of OA, which is one of the most significant role of a librarian.

In our institution, I can suggest to provide OA resources, OA search engines and OA journal directories in library web interfaces to help maximize and promote access to information provided that giving credits are always present in every information we freely get.

Evaluation of IR User Interface : Implications for User Interface Design

Source:

Hansen, Preben. (1998). “Evaluation of IR User Interface : Implications for User Interface Design.” Human IT. Retrieved July 21, 2009, from Google. (http://etjanst.hb.se/bhs/ith/2-98/ph.htm)

Abstract:

This paper presents the experimental evaluation study of information retrieval (IR) interaction for a user interface redesign of an online WWW-based IR system and discusses its implications. The goal of the study is to set up a methodological framework in order to investigate if the user interface provided sufficient support in order to conduct an information seeking behavior. In IR interaction, the user interface is the primary mechanism and serves as a link or a communication channel between the user and the computer (system). The focus of user interface design process is on who users are and what the tasks are. Recent studies show that when the end-users are given more instructions and more control over their searches, this affects their satisfaction and performance in a positive way. Throughout the study, it is concluded that when designing a user interface, decisions about the user preferences, user satisfaction, user tasks, user behavior and user requirements should be considered. It is noted that the results and the following conclusions mainly concerns computer science domain, but the implications drawn could represent important factors to be considered for IR design in general. Some factors emerged when examining the user background preferences, user satisfaction and user requirements. The task environments (work-task, information seeking task and search task), the users specific goals and tasks, the users information seeking behaviour, the use of an IR system and its components, including the user interface are some of the levels of work that must be understood in order to understand information seeking in context.

3 things that I've learned:

• Interaction in an IR system is important and can be thought of as being the level of control and support in the decision making of the various information seeking tasks.
  
• In user interface design process, the focus is on who the users are and what the tasks are. The task of information seeking is complex, and may vary from finding specific information through query formulation to a browsing activity involving exploring the database or information space.The main function of the system is to support the human user in her task(s). This task could be some activity that involves gaining a particular goal or purpose. Support should be designed to provide the user with the necessary assistance in gaining her goal. Generally, the user interface of an IR system has the task of guiding, supporting and transforming user's information problems or needs.
• The user interface can be divided in 2 parts: the interaction components and the development of interface software. The interaction component deals with how the user interfaces works and its behaviour in response to what the user does while performing a task. The interface software deals mainly with the implementation of the code for the interaction component.
  

Applications/Implications:

It is important that we consider the user interface of an IR system to improve the information seeking behavior of a user. As an information seeker, the interface and visualization of an IR system is one of the main factors that I consider. If the interface is user-friendly and appealing, it will be easy for us to search and find what we are looking for plus satisfaction on the part of the user will be achieved. Now, to help promote user interface design in an IR system, what I can do is to make comment and suggestion on the IR system of a site that I visited that I think does not contribute to the fast information seeking. In that way, I can help the developers know and may consider this to improve their system.

Library 2.0 Theory : Web 2.0 and Its Implications for Libraries

Source:

Maness, Jack M. (2006). Library 2.0 Theory : Web 2.0 and Its Implications for Libraries. Webology, 3 (2). http://www.webology.ir/2006/v3n2/a25.html.

Abstract:

This article defines and explains Library 2.0 and the implications of Web 2.0 to libraries. It discusses and applies the theory and definition of Library 2.0 to the practice of librarianship, particularly focusing on how Web 2.0 technologies and applications such as synchronous messaging, streaming media, blogs and wikis, social networks, tagging, RSS feeds and mashups can constitute a meaningful and substantive change in the history of libraries.


3 Things I have learned:

• Library 2.0 is not about searching, but finding; not about access but, sharing.
• The libraries/librarians should adapt to the fast changing trends in the Web and must be updated to these changes.
• The libraries/librarians must explore on the available Web 2.0 applications to better serve and inform their clients as well as to better reach their clients.
  

Applications/Implications:

Web 2.0 technologies and applications can contribute to the changes in practices of library services and resources. Especially now, that we are living in Web 2.0 community, we must adapt to these fast changing environment for us to reach our clients in many ways as well as connect and interact with them.

Because I am working with clients who have an access to these applications, we can use these applications to collaborate and share information with our students and to rest of the AHS community.

Computer Ethics – Code of Ethics in Computing

Source:

Ganguly, Poushali. (2007). Computer ethics – code of ethics in computing. Retrieved July 7, 2009, from Buzzle.com : Website: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/computer-ethics-code-of-ethics-in-computing.html.

Abstract:

The article defines and discusses computer ethics and some concerns. As computer ethics is explained, it refers to the “standards and rules that should be followed… and states how users of World Wide Web (WWW) should make decisions regarding their conduct.” The knowledge on computer ethics help individual or group of individual solves the legal issues that come everyday in using the WWW. It identifies and solves problems that are not defined by the older laws thus it aims to form new laws, rather than to form an organizational structure of laws to govern the world of Internet. With the advent of Computer Age, almost everyone knows and uses the Internet to communicate, interact and even use it for information-seeking and research which creates issues on computer ethics such as copyright, privacy and censorship. With the increasing violations, many experts on the field are trying to deal with cyber laws to have a more defined structure of cyber policies for the people to be guided on and have knowledge on the code of ethics in the cyber community.

Three (3) things I have learned:

1. Sometimes people forget to realize that they must be concerned on their conduct in using the Internet and there is such thing as code of ethics.
2. Copyright, privacy and censorship are the most evident issues that we need to be aware of in these present times.
3. The information we get from the Internet should be treated as written and spoken word that every words that has to come out in the Internet should be kept clean and honored.

Application and Implication:

While I was reading the article, I discovered the computer code of ethics which reminded me of many things. I also learned that this topic is very relevant to our students in the Ateneo High School (AHS) and can be incorporated in our Information Literacy Program (ILP) of the library for the second year. I can introduce the computer ethics while discussing the copyright issues and plagiarism.

The topic is very important to us now due to a fact that information technology is fast changing and every thing is being searchable and can be found in the Internet as well as it is considered as one of the broad spectrums for communication that one has to learn the right conduct when it comes to computer and the Internet.

Nowadays, many of us feel that there is nothing wrong with the copied information and sharing them to others but we do not know that along the way we are crossing the wrong lane anymore. We bypass some laws concerning the cyber world.

Modern Information Retrieval : A Brief Overview

Source Article

Singhal, Amit. (2001). “Modern Information Retrieval : A Brief Overview.” Bulletin of the IEEE Computer Society Technical Committee on Data Engineering. Web. Retrieved July 1, 2009, from Google. (http://singhal.info/ieee2001.pdf).

Abstract

Over the centuries, the need to store and retrieve information became an important factor to many people, especially with the advent of computers, storing and retrieving of large amount of information became a necessity. Due to that increasing demand, several works emerged in the mid 1950s up to know that elaborates the basic idea of searching with a computer, which gave birth to the field of Information Retrieval (IR). There are common models used in IR research which are the vector space model, probabilistic model, and inference network model. The vector space model is represented by a vector of terms. The probabilistic model estimates the probability of relevance of documents for a query. In the inference network model, the document retrieval is modeled as an inference process in an inference network. Various techniques and applications are being tried and tested all over the years and the evaluation of search effectiveness plays an important role in the field of IR to improve the retrieval effectiveness. This article discusses briefly the field of IR and its role as well as gives an overview on where it is now.

Learning

1. The study and learning of IR is important to all especially in this kind of information world we are living.

2. There are various techniques being tried and tested to ensure the effectiveness of IR search and retrieval processes.

3. Due to information overload, problems continue to arise like what is the most effective ways on storing and retrieving information.

Application

The knowledge in IR is significant to me as a librarian. I need to deliver the right information among our users/clients in this present time of information overload especially everything is almost clickable on the Internet and we are in the computer age. I need to explore more on the different search and retrieval processes continuously and know the trends in the field of IR for me to apply on my teaching about the topic “Searching the Internet”.

Techniques in Information Retrieval

1. Learn one or two search engines well. Read the help/tips screens on how to obtain search queries to obtain the best results.
2. To get fewer, more relevant results, use more search terms or terms with specific meaning and to get more results, use fewer search terms or terms with broader meaning.
3. Use phrase searching to narrow search to adjacent words ex. “Filipino authors”
4. Use field searching to limit your search to a particular field of the web page ex. allintitle: sonnets
5. Use stemming ex. User is searching for information on retrieval, will give information about retrieve, retrieved, retrieving, retriever, and so on.