The University of Kansas Libraries

Dr.Karen Severud Cook, Special Collections Librarian (at right), works with George McCleary, Jr.'s Geography 311 class on an assignment using local history sources in Spencer Research Library.

Volume 3, Issue 1

See the print version (1561 KB PDF)

• From the Dean
• Web 2.0 meets Library 2.0
• New book draws on University Archive materials
• Got computer questions at 2 a.m.? KU IT Knowledgebase is open 24/7
• LibQUAL+ Survey Results: Substantial progress in user satisfaction, more to come
• New and Updated Databases
• Mark Your Calendar

From the Dean

As we embark on this new semester, I am pleased to share with you news of several new projects underway within the libraries.

Up on Watson’s fourth floor, you’ll see work begin on the new Center for Scholars, a collaborative project with the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. The center will be a new home base for data analysis and other service points critical to advancing research on this campus and beyond.

Also on Watson’s fourth floor is a study lounge designated for faculty and graduate students. The area offers flexible seating, electronic resources and space that is ideal for group or solo work.

Don’t forget to stop by our multi-media exhibition area on the third floor of Watson. This fall’s exhibit highlights faculty research, library resources and the visual and scholarly communication that is bringing much needed awareness to the world’s AIDS crisis.

Over at Anschutz Library, work has started on an exciting collaboration between Information Services and Student Success. A new student-focused center will integrate library, information technology and student success services and resources in a space that encourages learning through inquiry, discussion and consultation.

Finally, remember that online resources abound. Please explore www.lib.ku.edu, and follow the Libraries on Twitter and Facebook (www.lib.ku.edu/news/facebook.and.twitter.shtml) to ensure you are up-to-date on all KU Libraries have to offer.

lorraine j. haricombe
Dean of Libraries

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Web 2.0 meets Library 2.0

KU Libraries has launched a new series of online resource and course guides that will help students and researchers find and use the resources and services they need. Ninety guides have been published to date, with 50 more in the works.

Librarians have developed guides to support specific KU courses, to highlight various collections and to help new users navigate services that may be unfamiliar to them. Others currently under development will help users learn to integrate EndNote into their research process, use the express scanning stations located in various libraries around campus and highlight resources of interest to researchers within specific disciplines.

Faculty can link to existing guides within Blackboard, providing quick access to materials that are most relevant to their courses. They can also consult with a subject librarian to create a guide specific to their course or area of study.

Visit guides.lib.ku.edu to view the guides. The guides are open to anyone; no login is required.

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New book draws on University Archives materials

When author Neal Lerner set out to research his new book on the history of writing instruction, he headed to the University Archives at KU’s Spencer Research Library. “The Idea of a Writing Laboratory” was published earlier this year and chronicles the use of hands-on lab methods in the instruction of writing.

The book contains a dozen references to KU and its role in writing instruction, as well as a special thanks to University Archivist Becky Schulte. It also quotes from the papers of KU professors from the early 1900s and references other information Lerner found through visits to the Spencer Research Library.

Lerner is the director of training in communication instruction for the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Lerner, Neal. 2009. The Idea of a Writing Laboratory. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press.

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Got computer questions at 2 a.m.? KU IT Knowledgebase is open 24/7

How do I change my password? What should I do if I think I have a computer virus? Where are all of the computer labs on campus? These are just a few of the questions the IT Customer Service Center answers daily. Now there’s a way for customers to find the answers for themselves: the KU IT Knowledgebase.

This service is available to everyone, and provides online access to a “warehouse” of IT-related information around the clock, every day of the year. Users can go directly to kuitknowledgebase.ku.edu for answers to IT-related questions, or get there via links from the main Technology Web site and the Kyou portal.

Guests may access information available on the main Knowledgebase Web page. Users with KU online IDs and passwords can log in and access the system’s full content, as well as submit a trouble ticket to IT detailing what issue they’ve encountered and requesting assistance. Users can also return to the site to track the status of their requests. This option is ideal for those who prefer to work in the wee hours of the morning, when reaching a live person by phone isn’t an option.

Self-service is great, but if you need personal assistance, the IT Customer Service Center is still ready to take your call. Visit www.technology.ku.edu/~helpdesk/ or call 785-864-8080 for more information.

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LibQUAL+ Survey Results: Substantial progress in user satisfaction, more to come

KU Libraries efforts to improve service quality have not gone unnoticed by the KU community. While more detailed analysis is still to come, an early look at the 2009 LibQUAL+ survey indicates library users are generally more satisfied than they were in 2006, the last time the survey was taken.

The survey measures key areas such as the quality of and access to the print and electronic materials; the quality and usability of spaces within the library for research and study; and courtesy, responsiveness and dependability of library employees. KU faculty, staff and students were surveyed.

One clear improvement in survey results between 2006 and 2009 is meeting user expectations. In 2006, KU Libraries met or exceeded the minimum expectations of survey respondents in all but one of the 22 areas measured—providing “print and/or electronic journal collections I require for my work.” In 2009, KU Libraries met or exceeded the minimum expectations in all 22 areas.

What are the most important areas for users? Not surprisingly, access to quality information resources topped the list, as did access to those resources from home or office. Easy-to-use tools and modern equipment for library research were also important.

Users also found interpersonal service qualities important, emphasizing courtesy and the readiness, knowledge level and ability to answer user questions.

“The latest LibQUAL+ data show an overall positive trend in campus satisfaction with library services over the past six years,” said Beth Warner, officer for grants, research support, and library assessment, who led efforts to deploy the survey and analyzed the resulting data. “While this is great news, the data also point out areas where we can continue to improve. Additional detailed analysis of specific user groups will provide more information to inform specific activities in the library’s strategic plan.”

Next steps include more focused analysis on survey responses from faculty, and using the survey results and analysis for upcoming strategic planning.

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New and Updated Databases

The KU Libraries have recently added The American West which provides electronic access to the Everett D Graff Collection of Western Americana at the Newberry Library, Chicago. This digital collection contains over 300 manuscripts, broadsides, maps, and rare printed works. Material in the collection ranges from 1722 to 1939, with the majority covering 1830 to 1839.  The Graff collection allows scholars to explore frontier life by offering the papers of early pioneers, explorers, and hunters, including accounts of the Gold Rush, westward expansion and agricultural transformation, literary and historical works, newspapers and posters, emigrants guides, travel journals, store catalogues, and illustrations and maps – all to enable researchers to better understand the real and mythic West.

KU U.S. History Librarian, Sara Morris says, “The American West bring a significant portion of the Newberry Library’s Everett D. Graff Collection of Western Americana to Lawrence.  Through PDF images, undergraduates have access to the rich materials of one of America’s great libraries.  For Graduate students and faculty it could save hours of research in Chicago and nights sleeping in hotel beds.  Its bountiful collection of materials dealing with the issue of slavery in the settlement of Kansas makes it an especially important acquisition and supplements KU’s Kansas Collection.”

Recently added Proquest Historical Newspapers include:

• Chicago Tribune (1849 - 20 years ago)
• Chicago Defender (1905-1975)
• Los Angeles Times (1881-1986)
• Pittsburgh Courier (1911-2002)
• Wall Street Journal (1889-17 years ago)
• Washington Post (1877- 7 years ago)

When the KU Libraries held a trial of Proquest Historical Newspapers in 2008, faculty in the humanities and social sciences were overwhelmingly in support of purchasing these fabulous resources. Scholars can now download a full newspaper page and see the article in context on the page with full illustrations and advertisements.  In the past, scholars were forced to use microfilm to view historical newspapers, but the new online versions are easy to use and keyword searchable.  The KU Libraries hopes to add additional newspapers in the future as they are made available.

Credo Reference is an online collection of encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other ready-reference books covering a range of subject matters, such as art, business, literature, and science. By searching over three million entries at once, Credo Reference provides accurate information quickly and across disciplines. Credo also includes maps, images, and sound files.

Credo has earned the respect of librarians everywhere and has gained high praise from reviewers.  “This growing online library, currently drawing on over 400 print publications on a variety of topics and from a range of publishers, including ABC-CLIO, Cambridge, Greenwood, Macmillan, Routledge, and SAGE, is a stable, reliable, and expert tool.” – Library Journal. 

AAPG Digital Library contains full text content from publications of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. This online subscription is provided through the AAPG Foundation Digital Products Fund, by an endowment established by Kansas alumni William L. Fisher, M.S. 1958, Ph.D. 1961, and Marilee B. Fisher, B.S. 1958.

For more details on these and other recently added or updated databases, visit Annotations online at www.lib.ku.edu/annotations.

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Mark Your Calendar

Visit www.libraries.ku.edu/events to learn more about upcoming library events. Whether you’re interested in a lecture, social event or informative tour highlighting library resources, there’s something for everyone. All events are free and open to the public.

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ANNOTATIONS HOME

Annotations

Annotations is published semiannually in September and March by the KU Libraries, a division of Information Services.

Inquiries: Rebecca Smith, rasmith@ku.edu; design: Sarah Kanning.