I wanted to put this on my blog...This assignment is posted on our Blackboard course wiki, however, I won't be able to access it after class is over. The assignment was to create and present an electronic list of resources based on either material, process or user community. We then needed to market it to other librarians. I struggled with this assignment, but in the end, I think it came out okay. The Prezi is my marketing piece and the resources for Distance Education Users as a community are listed beneath it. Here are the fruits of my endeavors...
Distance Education User Community
Introduction
As more universities and colleges begin to turn towards online education as a viable means of delivering classes, libraries are going to need to learn how to serve this community of users. Distance education students were typically students who received instruction by mail or traveled to a site designated by the school to receive instruction through video conferencing. With courses being available online, students can not only access their coursework, they can also access their college’s library and materials. Librarians who are looking to build a collection of online resources and materials to serve this population can use this guide to serve as introduction to meeting the needs of this user population. Resources are listed alphabetically by category.
Articles
Ault, M. (2002). Thinking Outside the Library: How to Develop, Implement and Promote Library Services for Distance Learners. Journal of Library Administration, 37, 1, 39.
Article is a bit dated but provides librarians with a framework for thinking about and using different strategies to reach distance students. The article focuses on identifying users and their needs and then building resources and services to meet their needs. UNCG’s Jackson Library owns this article and it can be accessed through Journal Finder.
Calvert, H. M. (2002). Distance Education from a Collections Development Perspective. Journal of Library Administration, 37, 1, 117.
The author focuses on the collaborative process that is needed between librarians and faculty who are delivering distance courses to provide a better experience for distance learners. Studies and initiatives are taken from Ball State University Library who have experienced these issues and have had successful distance program outcomes. UNCG’s Jackson Library owns this article and it can be accessed through Journal Finder.
Raraigh-Hopper, J. (2010). Improving Library Services for Distance Learners: A Literature Review. Reference Librarian, 51(1), 69-78.
“Academic libraries offer many services to distance learning students. The sources of literature reviewed here offer information that shows relevant similarities and differences between library services offered to traditional students and distance learning students. Likewise, the associated findings from the literature offer insight that is applicable for a project to modify and improve library services for distance learners in higher education.” (Raraigh-Hopper, 2010)
Associations
ACRL: Distance Learning Section
http://caspian.switchinc.org/~distlearn/
ACRL is a division of the American Libraries Association and has a section dedicated to topics on distance learning. This site maintains news, standards, statistics, research and other resources that would be of interest to librarians seeking information on distance education.
Lita: Library & Information Technology Association
http://www.lita.org/ala/mgrps/divs/lita/litamembership/litaigs/distancelearningb/distancelearning.cfm
A division of ALA, Lita focuses on technology education and services to all librarians, independent of library type. While some of the material may have more of a technology focus rather than the user, there is a Distance Learning users group within the body of Lita that may be of interest to librarians who support distance education users. Lita publishes a peer-reviewed journal, Library and Information Technology, that includes information on topics related to distance education.
Bibliography
ACRL Distance Learning Section: Library Services for Distance Learning: Fifth Bibliography – 2008-2010. Retrieved from http://caspian.switchinc.org/~distlearn/resources/5thBibliography/BibliographyHome.html
The fifth version of ACRL’s Distance Learning Section bibliography provides current information on library services for distance learning. The work was edited and compiled by an extensive committee of academic librarians including UNCG’s Jackson Library Distance Education librarian, Beth Filar Williams who was co-chair for this edition.
Blogs
Duke’s CIT: Center for Instructional Technology
http://cit.duke.edu/blog/category/library-resources/
Blog is written by members of Duke University’s Instructional Technology faculty. Entries contain information on technology tools, as well as, how to teach with them. Although posts are not all focused on distance education, they are focused on the use of technology with regards to teaching and learning. Interested users can subscribe to the blog’s RSS feeds for updates.
Books
Goodson, C. (2001). Providing Library Services for Distance Education Students: A How-To-Do It Manual. Neal-Schuman Publishers, New York, NY
This book gives librarians ideas and resources needed to provide online services to distance students. Since its publication date is nine years old, this book may not be quite so current in technology. However, the need to plan and strategize an approach to serving distance students can be independent of the technology. This books shares forms, documents, sample policies and other resource materials that will be helpful to librarians who are seeking more information on how to serve this user community. (Stahr, 2002)
Moore, M. G., & Anderson, W. G. (2007). Handbook of distance education. (2nd ed.) L. Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, NJ
This received favorable reviews by both Technical Communications and Indian Journal of Open Learning for its ease of use and ready-reference for anyone delivering instruction at a distance. Michael G. Moore is editor of the American Journal of Distance Education. This is a holding in the UNC library system. (Martinez, 2008)(Mishra, 2009)
Noah, C.B. and Braun, L.W. (2002). The Browsable Classroom: An Introduction to E-learning for Librarians. Neal-Schuman Publishers, New York, NY
While this book is geared more towards school and public librarians, it does offer a foundational understanding of distance education. The book offers an approach to planning, starting and ‘balancing’ online with onsite projects. (Lankford, 2002)
Arant, W., & Mosley, P. A. (2000). Library outreach, partnerships, and distance education: Reference librarians at the gateway. Haworth Information Press , New York
Albeit mixed reviews on the timeliness of the technology at the time of this printing, the book offers strategies and examples of how librarians are using technology to reach their patrons. The book is a compilation of twenty papers on such topics as “technology and outreach, targeting special connections, a different approach, and outreach in an academic library.” (Reid-Smith, 2001)
Book Series
This series provides relevant and timely researched articles on numerous library topics, including distance education and technology. Series is available online and in print through Jackson library.
Conference Proceedings
Off-Campus Library Services Conference. (2010). Fourteenth Off-Campus Library Services Conference proceedings. Mount Pleasant, Mich: Central Michigan University.
For those who were unable to attend the conference but who work in distributed, branch, or electronic academic libraries, or interact with faculty teaching remotely or electronically, this invaluable resource covers a wide range of distance learning issues, including how to develop and promote library services for distance learners, how to establish a partnership with faculty to improve these services to students, and more. This volume is highly recommended for librarians and administrators at academic institutions with distance learning programs as it will provide them with awareness of the best practices and innovative methods to meet the needs of distance learners and faculty. (Stahr, 2003)
Dissertations/Thesis
Chatham, L. (2005). Exploring the guidelines for library services to distance education programs. Retrieved from http://www.ils.unc.edu/mpact/mpact.php?op=show_tree&id=4737
Chatham explores the way in which library services are provided to distance education programs. She aligns her research with the standards set forth by ACRL’s Guidelines for Distance Learning Library Services to see how they compare and contrast. The results and recommendations are included in the summary.
Guidelines
ACRL: Guidelines for Distance Learning Library Services
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/standards/guidelinesdistancelearning.cfm
These are the standards that have been set forth by the Association of College & Research Libraries on use and provisions for the distance education community. The guidelines provide an excellent starting point for librarians who are seeking initial information on serving the needs of this user group. Included in this online document are foundations and specific requirements, as well as, other links to resources that will assist libraries and librarians.
Journals
Moore, M. (Ed.). The American Journal of Distance Education. Routledge.
This journal focuses on use, effect and problems associated with distance education. Articles are composed of research studies as well as conceptual pieces, interviews with distance educators, book reviews, and short descriptions of publications received. “Libraries serving these populations [education, higher education and business] will find AJDE to be an essential title.” (UlrichsWeb, 1997) A link to the journals website is here: http://www.ajde.com/
Lee, S. H. (Ed.). The Journal of Library Administration. Routledge.
Many of the articles have a focus on librarians, distance education and technology related topics. UNCG’s Jackson Library owns this journal and it can be accessed through Journal Finder.
Poe, J. (Ed). Journal of Library & Information Service for Distance Learning. Routledge.
Aimed at serving librarians and information professionals, this journal is focused on the topic of distance education. Some subjects that will be of particular interest to librarians building collections for distance users are “collection development strategies, faculty/librarian partnerships or collaborations, cutting edge instruction and reference techniques, document delivery, remote access, evaluation, etc.” Description was taken from publisher’s website. Journal can be found at UNC-Chapel Hill and UNC-Pembroke, as well as, Winston-Salem State University and Appalachian State University. A link to the journals website is here: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/WLIS
Perry, E. H. and Pilati, M. L. (Eds.). Journal of Online Learning and Teaching. MERLOT.
A free and peer-reviewed online journal that is managed by the Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching (MERLOT) website. Topics are geared towards online teaching and learning. The website link is http://jolt.merlot.org/currentissue.html
Websites
ASTD’s Learning Circuits
http://www.astd.org/lc
This is a website developed by the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) on the topics of e-learning and the resources to enable people to use technology effectively in teaching online. While this is primarily focused on the corporate training industry, it has many good tips, tricks and trend-watching guides that librarians can use when working with the faculty, staff and students at their institution. ASTD is a national recognized organization in training and online learning.
Library Conference Planner – Conferences that focus on Distance Education
http://lcp.douglashasty.com/
Provides links to various national and international librarian conferences. Several national conferences that librarians may want to focus on are Brick and Click, Distance Teaching and Learning, Educause 2010, and E-Learn 2010. Referred from UNCG’s Master’s in Library and Information Studies Resource page.
References
Lankford, M. (2002). [Review of the book The Browsable Classroom: an Introduction to E-Learning for Librarians, by C. Noah and L. Braun]. School Library Journal, 48(7), 147.
Martinez, D. (2008). [Review of the book Handbook of Distance Education, by M. G. Moore and W. G. Anderson]. Technical Communications, 55(4), 441.
Mishra, S. (2009). [Review of the book Handbook of Distance Education, by M. G. Moore and W. G. Anderson]. Indian Journal of Open Learning, 18(3), 167-168.
Raraigh-Hopper, J. (2010). Improving Library Services for Distance Learners: A Literature Review [Abstract]. Reference Librarian, 51(1), 69-78.
Reid-Smith, E. R. (2001). [Review of the book Library outreach, partnerships, and distance education: Reference librarians at the gateway, by W. Arendt and P.A. Mosley]. The Australian Library Journal,50(2), 191.
Stahr, B. (2002). "Distance education services “[Review of the book Providing Library Services for Distance Education Students: A How-To-Do It Manual, by C. Goodson]. Library Journal, 127(9), 132.
Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. (1997). Retrieved from http://libproxy.uncg.edu:2424/ulrichsweb/Search/fullCitation.asp?tab=6&navPage=1&serial_uid=185501&issn=
