Alec,
Can I add a personal observation which relates to your point about
advising students to manage their reading? (This is just me, not 'UEA'
speaking, and it's from impressions from dealings with readers, not
systematic analysis.)
This concerns study skills. It is my impression that there is a growing
trend in recent years for many undergraduates to try to collect *all*
the books they need for course work, and produce course work direct from
the books, instead of taking notes from the books. This means that they
hog books un-read while they are waiting to assemble all of them, and it
also means they need to return to the books when they revise for exams,
which increases pressure on library holdings.
The loans set-up for undergrads of all libraries has AFAIK always been
based on the assumption that undergrads get a book, take notes or
photocopies from it, and return it; written work is then produced from
the notes, and revision is later done from the notes as well.
So, part of 'managing reading' is ensuring students have the necessary
study skills, i.e. know they are expected to take notes, and are
directed to advice on study skills if they do not understand the
concept.
Best wishes,
Alan
==============================
Mr A.V. Exelby,
Systems/Databases Librarian.
The Library,
University of East Anglia,
Norwich, NR4 7TJ
Tel.: 01603 592432
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
================================
"Man, who'd have thought being a librarian could be so tough"
Seamus Harper, in 'Harper 2.0', "Andromeda".
>-----Original Message-----
>From: A general Library and Information Science list for news
>and discussion. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
>Chiner Arias, Alejandro
>Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2007 11:22 AM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Managing student expectations about stock levels:
>summary of replies
>
> - - - apologies for cross-posting - - -
>
>Thank you very much to those who replied to my posting of 8 May 2007,
>which focused specifically on the question of "Managing student
>expectations about stock levels". Eight replies have been
>received from
>staff at seven institutions: one HEI of the Russell Group; three HEI of
>the 1994 Group; two of other HEI, and one from a sixth form college.
>
>This is my summary of the relevant responses:
>
>Librarians can manage student expectations directly and
>indirectly. The
>direct approach is to tell students what they can expect. The indirect
>approach is to work with academic departments so that they are able
>realistically to tell students what they should expect.
>
>Such a direct approach can be used in Library inductions, or
>orientations. A librarian informs students of the fact that
>the library
>is not intended to supply each student with a copy of every suggested
>reading for them to keep for the whole length of the course and that
>students are therefore well advised to manage their reading.
>
>This is accompanied with explanations about alternatives, such as the
>use of the catalogue to find other books about the same topic, the
>reciprocal agreements with other libraries, information about discounts
>negotiated with book dealers, and student 2nd hand buy-back and resale
>schemes. At one institution a web link for students and staff provides
>real-time information of stock levels in the local book shop.
>
>The direct approach can also involve publicising the library's
>collection development policy to students as well as to library
>representatives. However, one library has a notional ratio
>but refrains
>from publicising it too widely since its sustainability could not be
>guaranteed for larger cohorts.
>
>Indirect approaches can take the form of innovations promoted across
>departments by the library, or it can involve promoting the good
>practice of one department to other departments. The
>following are some
>such approaches:
>
>A library actually brokered heavy discount deals with book sellers for
>departments ready to purchase the books outright and sell them on to
>students. This library also endeavoured to negotiate direct
>purchase of
>e-books by students.
>
>Some departments ask students to purchase set texts as a way
>of ensuring
>they all can read them. Although this may not be equally suitable for
>all departments, it may be possible to advise students of an
>average sum
>that a student should expect to spend per annum on books.
>
>Cheers.
>
>Alec
>___________________________________
>Alejandro Chiner, Service Innovation Officer,
>University of Warwick Library Research & Innovation Unit,
>Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
>Tel: +(44/0) 24 765 23251, Fax: +(44/0) 24 765 24211
>[log in to unmask] http://www.warwick.ac.uk/go/riu
>___________________________________
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: A general Library and Information Science list for news and
>discussion. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Alejandro
>CHINER ARIAS
>Sent: 08 May 2007 12:01
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: [LIS-LINK] Managing student expectations about stock levels.
>
>--- apologies for cross-posting ---
>
>"Why don't you have (more copies of) this book?!" is a typical student
>complaint.
>
>This can be tackled in various ways. One way is to approach it as
>marketing issue, i.e. student expectations needing to be managed.
>
>Such an approach is not quite the same as the various approaches to
>multiple copy provision, which were the object of a previous survey [1]
>on this list.
>
>At the University of Warwick Library we would like to know of your
>successes, failures and lessons learned in managing student
>expectations
>about library stock levels in your HE institution.
>
>We are interested in the obvious as well as in novel approaches. This
>is the kind of idea I anticipate:
>
>- publicising to students your stock ratios and stock management
>policies
>
>- mentioning them to prospective students, e.g. on the prospectus
>
>- warning students on your website
>
>- making publicly available an explanation of the budget calculations
>
>- redefining your library service - books are nothing to do with us...
>
>- not having this problem since your institution has a different
>academic culture
>
>I will summarise for the list. Many thanks for your comments.
>
>Alec
>
>________________________________________________
>Alejandro Chiner
>Service Innovation Officer
>University of Warwick Library Research & Innovation Unit Gibbet Hill
>Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
>Tel: +(44/0) 24 765 23251 , Fax: +(44/0) 24 765 24211
>[log in to unmask] http://www.warwick.ac.uk/go/riu
>________________________________________________
>
>
>[1] A different survey, "Approaches to multiple copies," was posted by
>Gareth Johnson on 7 Jan 2005 to LIS-LINK, LIS-UCR, and
>[log in to unmask] A summary of the results, "Follow up: Approaches
>to multiple copies," was posted on 25 January 2005.
>
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