Collins Unbound

Celebrating Open Access (www.openaccessweek.org) Week
October 18 – 24

Open Access Week celebrates the concept that scholarship should be available on the Internet, free of charge and free of most copyright restrictions. It should be made available in full text in a timely manner and be reusable for the greater community. Open Access supports taxpayer’s rights, author’s rights and scholar’s rights. For more information about Open Access, see our Open Access Week guide

Why support Open Access at Puget Sound?

• Evidence exists to show that OA articles are more heavily cited
• A way to address unsustainable publishing cycles
• Tuition doesn’t ‘buy back’ research faculty produce in the form of costly journal subscriptions
• As a scholar, you have the right to control the access to your research and not to have to sign your intellectual work over to a publisher
• Look at the Public Library of Science and imagine the possibilities for Open Access
• Enhance and make visible the scholarly contributions of Puget Sound. More and more academic libraries and universities are partnering on the development of IR’s or institutional repositories.  Sound Ideas, our own IR, is just getting off the ground.  The potential is great.

How can you support Open Access at Puget Sound?

• Consult the Directory of Open Access Journals and use these resources in your classes
• Consider how you or your department can contribute to Sound Ideas, our University of Puget Sound institutional repository
• Make sure you are aware of how to negotiate your publication contracts by reviewing the advice provided on the SPARC: Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition
• Become a frequent visitor to our Collins Library Scholarly Communication: designed for faculty to provide you with quick links to resources and current information

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Need Information? Don’t forget the Collins Memorial Library Database List A-Z
Questions? Contact your liaison librarian
Comments: Contact Jane Carlin, Library Director
Remember – Your best search engine is a Librarian!

September 2010

We Heard You – Results of the LibQUAL Survey
In Spring of 2010, Collins Library participated in a national survey called LibQUAL+ to measure perceptions of library service on campus. Many thanks to all of you who completed the survey! The full report of the survey is available at the following web site: http://alacarte.pugetsound.edu/subject-guide/73-2010-LibQUAL-Survey-Results. Thanks are extended to Lori Ricigliano who managed the survey and compiled the results. Lori is also coordinating several other assessment programs in the library.

The goals of the survey were to:

• Foster a culture of excellence in providing library service.
• Help the library better understand user perceptions of the quality of library services.
• Collect and interpret library user feedback.
• Respond positively to user needs and expectations.
• Provide comparable assessment information from peer institutions.

704 respondents completed the survey with 36% response rate.

What we heard:

• Our highest scores were in the area of Affect of Service (how courteously and responsively library staff serve users). Users perceive that library service is close to desired levels of expectations, particularly in the areas of employees who instill confidence in users and giving users individual attention.
• In the area of Collections and Access (how well our collections of books, journals, and databases along with the catalog and website, provide access to the information you need), our scores were slightly above the midway point between minimum and desired expectations. Users perceived that the library did not have the journals required for their work, access tools that were easy to use, and a website that enabled them to locate materials on their own.
• Library as Place (how well our physical facilities serve your needs for space and technology) scored slightly below the middle of the scale. Our lowest score was in response to the question about a space that inspires study and learning.

What we’ve done so far:

• Redesigned the website to enable users to be more self-sufficient.
• Implemented a next generation catalog, Puget Sound WorldCat that promotes a unified search model.
• Made improvements in the facility resulting in more reading and study space with contemporary furnishings.
• Upgraded our electronic reference resources to meet growing demand for online access.
• Increased collaboration between TS and the Library has enhanced access to computers.
• A new food, drink, and mobile phone policy has been developed.

What’s next:

• Review inter-library loan services.
• Review printing services provided to users to assure efficiency and fiscal accountability.
• Focus on ways to promote our online journal collections.
• Educate users about the availability of print and digital materials.
• Continue to work with facilities on long term plans to improve access to 3^rd and 4^th floors in the library.
• Enhance our student training to promote quality service and increased understanding of library services.

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Need Information? Don’t forget the Collins Memorial Library Database List A-Z
Questions? Contact your liaison librarian
Comments: Contact Jane Carlin, Library Director
Remember – Your best search engine is a Librarian!