Librarian Articles

Barbara Costello

Costello, Barbara. Moving in the Right Direction: Developments in the Online Availability of Full-Text Congressional Committee Hearing Transcripts.
Government Information Quarterly 25, no. 1 (2008): 104-117.

Updates a 2003 study by analyzing the availability of full-text hearing transcripts for the 107th and 108th Congresses and finds that, with the exception of Senate committee hearing transcripts, there has been considerable improvement in the number and extent of full-text hearing transcripts offered by GPO Access and Congressional committee Web sites for hearings from the two most recent Congresses.


Barbara Costello, Jane T. Bradford and Robert Lenholt. Reference Service in the Digital Age: An Analysis of Sources Used to Answer Reference Questions. Journal of Academic Librarianship 31, no. 3 (2005): 263-272.

Abstract: To what extent do librarians use print and online sources? Librarians recorded and categorized questions and answer sources for a 4-month period. The results show that the print sources accounted for 9.38% of those used; online sources accounted for 58.54%. Only 173 print titles, out of 9587, were used.


Costello, Barbara, Rob Lenholt, and Judson Stryker. Using Blackboard in Library Instruction: Addressing the Learning Styles ofGenerations X and Y. Journal of Academic Librarianship 30, no. 6 (2004): 452-460.

Abstract: Studies show that recent generations of college students have a learning style with identifiable characteristics. Library instruction efforts must adapt to these learning styles. Course
management software (CMS), such as Blackboard, is one resource available to academic librarians to meet the challenges posed by the Net Generation. At Stetson University, the use ofBlackboard courseware in library instruction sessions successfully addressed the unique learning styles of students.


Costello, Barbara. A Snapshot of Availability of U.S. Congressional Committee Hearings: How Complete are Online Sources? College & Undergraduate Libraries 10, no. 2 (2003): 73-87.

Abstract: U.S. congressional hearings are among the most heavily used sources of government information made available through the Federal Depository Library Program. The traditional distribution of full-text hearings in tangible format (paper and microfiche) is only beginning to be
supplemented by online distribution through GPO Access. Alternate online sources of committee hearings are the Web pages of individual congressional committees. This study identifies and tallies the number of hearings held by committees of the 105th and 106th Congresses and distributed in tangible formatby the Government Printing Office. Data from the initial step is then compared
to those listed on GPO Access and congressional committee Web sites between October 2001 and May 2002 to determine the comprehensiveness of the online lists. Finally, the study tabulates and compares the availability of full-text hearing records (transcripts) on both the GPO Access and congressional committee sites. Although the study indicates fuller coverage for the more recent Congress, analysis indicates that neither GPO Access nor Web sites provide complete availability of full-text hearings, and that the coverage varies greatly from committee to committee, and from Congress to
Congress.


Costello, Barbara, Rob Lenholt, and Jud Stryker. Utilizing Blackboard to Provide Library Instruction: Uploading MS Word Handouts with Links to Course Specific Software. Reference Services Review 31, no. 3 (2003): 211-218.

Abstract: Collaboration among three university departments resulted in a successful venture to integrate an innovative electronic element into theonline course management system (Blackboard). A faculty member from the school of business and two library faculty, with assistance from the
University Center for Information Technology, developed a unique, yet simple method for incorporating library instruction handouts into course-specific online classes. At the end of the semester, students were surveyed and data were collected, analyzed, and compared; the results overwhelmingly indicated that utilizing this method of library instruction was a useful and time saving tool for participating students. The simplicity of the method used to create these handouts lends itself to application in other areas of study, and use with online courseware other than Blackboard.


Debbi Dinkins

Dinkins, Debbi. Allocating Academic Library Budgets: Adapting Historical Data Models at One University Library.Collection Management 36, no. 2 (2011).


Dinkins, Debbi. Measuring Referrals: The Use of Paraprofessionals at the Reference Desk. The Journal of Academic Librarianship 36, no. 4 (2010).


Dinkins, Debbi and Laura N. Kirkland. Its Whats Inside That Counts: Adding Contents Notes to Bibliographic Records and Its Impact on Circulation.College & Undergraduate Libraries 13, no. 1 (2006).

Abstract: Adding contents notes to a bibliographic record enhances the accessibility of the record beyond the usual title, author, and subject headings. Does increased accessibility necessarily mean increased circulation? This article summarizes the results of a 22-month study at Stetson University in Florida, a small liberal arts university. The study tracked circulation statistics for over 2,500 titles enhanced by the addition of contents notes in their catalog records. Contents notes were added locally through the OCLC Bibliographic Notification Service and were added manually upon a librarian’s recommendation. The results include the number of titles which saw increased circulation, and the amount of staff time taken and costs incurred to add contents notes.


Dinkins, Debbi. Circulation As Assessment: Collection Development Policies Evaluated in Terms Of Circulation at a Small Academic Library, College & Research Libraries 64, no. 1 (January 2003): 46-53.

Abstract: At the root of all library acquisition decisions is the goal to add to the collection those materials that meet user needs.Compiling circulation statistics is one way of assessing user needs.This project seeks to assess the current collection development practices at StetsonUniversity with respect to circulation of books purchased in support of selected departmental curricula. Circulation statistics for books selected by five academic departments over a 5-year period are compared to those of librarian selections in corresponding subject areas.


Dinkins, Debbi. Marketing Videos in Academic Libraries, College & Undergraduate Libraries, May 1996.


Laura Kirkland

Kirkland, Laura and Debbi Dinkins. Its Whats Inside That Counts: Adding Contents Notes to Bibliographic Records and Its Impact on Circulation.College & Undergraduate Libraries 13, no. 1 (2006).

Abstract: Adding contents notes to a bibliographic record enhances the accessibility of the record beyond the usual title, author, and subject headings. Does increased accessibility necessarily mean increased circulation? This article summarizes the results of a 22-month study at Stetson University in Florida, a small liberal arts university. The study tracked circulation statistics for over 2,500 titles enhanced by the addition of contents notes in their catalog records. Contents notes were
added locally through the OCLC Bibliographic Notification Service and were added manually upon a librarian’s recommendation. The results include the number of titles which saw increased circulation, and the amount of staff time taken and costs incurred to add contents notes.


Kirkland, Laura. Resources for Catalogers: An Annotated Bibliography, Cataloging & Classification Quarterly 40.1 (2005): 79-99.

Abstract: Considerable documentation, tools, and manuals areavailable to aid catalogers, but without some guidance, many have noidea how to use these shelves of reference guides and manuals. This bibliography is intended as a guide to the information and resources available to assist the cataloger in cataloging. The availability of each resource is given (including online availability), along with a brief summary of the type of information that each resource contains.


Dr. Jason Martin

Martin, Jason. The information seeking behavior of undergraduate education majors: Does library instruction play a role? Evidence Based Library and Information Practice 3(4), 4-17.


Martin, Jason. I have shoes older than you: Generational diversity in the library.The Southeastern Librarian 54(3), 4-11.


Martin, Jason. That’s the way we do things around here: An overview of organizational culture.
Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship 7(1).


Martin, Jason. The great leveler: Free business resources on the world wide web. The Southeastern Librarian 50(4), 20-25.


Susan Ryan

Ryan, Susan.’An Idea Likely Too Big’: John B. Stetson University’s Pursuit of an Academic Carnegie Libraryin the Early Twentieth Century.Library and Information History 29, no. 1 (March 2013): 38-58.


Ryan, Susan and Debbi Dinkins. Measuring Referrals: The Use of Paraprofessionals at the Reference Desk.Journal of Academic Librarianship 36, no. 4 (2010).


Ryan, Susan. Reference Transaction Analysis: The Cost-Effectiveness of Staffing a Traditional Reference Desk, Journal of Academic Librarianship 34, no 5. (September 2008): 389-399.


Ryan, Susan. Library Website Administration: A Strategic Planning Model for the
Smaller Academic Library,Journal of Academic Librarianship 29, no. 4 (July 2003): 207-218.


Ryan, Susan. Square Peg in a Round Hole: Electronic Information in the Federal Depository Library Program, Journal of Government Information 24, no. 5 (1997): 361-375.

Winner of the JGI Bernard Fry Award for Best Article of the Year.


Susan M. Ryan, Jane T. Bradford, and Kelly E. Kannon. Designing and Implementing a Faculty Internet Workshop Research Strategies 14, no. 4 (Fall 1996): 234-245.


Ryan, Susan. Downloading Democracy: Citizen Participation on the Internet, The Democrat 1, no. 3 (October 1995): 2-3.


Ryan, Susan. Using the Internet to Support a Model Senate, Sun Doc News 2, no. 3 (July 1995): 2.


Ryan, Susan. Recent Literature on Government Information, Journal of Government Information

Regular column appearing 1994-1996.


Ryan, Susan. Uncle Sam Online: Government Information on the Internet, Communication Education 43, no. 2 (April 1994): 151-158.


Ryan, Susan. CD-ROMs in U.S. Depository Libraries: A Survey of Hardware, Software, Staffing, and Service, Government Publications Review 20 (September/October 1993): 495-513.

Ryan, Susan. The 1990 Decennial Census on CD-ROM: New Opportunities for Instruction Research Strategies 10 (Fall 1992): 170-173.


Ryan, Susan. Florida Depository Libraries: Are We Meeting the Electronic Challenge Florida Libraries 35 (October 1992): 136-140.


Ryan, Susan. Opening Pandoras Box: U.S. Government Information on CD-ROM, Southeastern Librarian 42 (Summer 1992): 38-41.


Ryan, Susan. CD-ROMs in the Smaller U.S. Depository Library: Public Service
Issues, Government Publications Review 19 (May/June 1992): 269-278.