Free E-Books with Advertisements

Today a colleague brought to my attention Bookboon , a web site that offers free e-books.  They currently offer textbooks, business books, and travel guides.  The only "catch" is that each e-book has advertisements in the text.  Perhaps this business model will work and expand.  After all haven't we watched television shows with commericals for two generations?  If it can save students money, it should work.

Thoughts on the declining number of reference transactions

The number of reference transactions continues to decline. It is frustrating to sit at the reference desk and observe numerous students pass by without asking a question. A few years ago as a student approached the desk I said “Can I help you?” His response was no, I just wanted to use the waste basket. But what are the reasons for this decline?


1. Information Literacy instruction is working. Students have learned from their instruction and are applying the skills they have learned.

2. The publishers have succeeded in providing databases that students can learn by themselves. They can effectively use a search strategy, evaluate the references, retrieve the articles they need and use them in their papers.

3. Students are happy with what they find by searching Google. The publishers often make their search engines resemble Google.

4. Students are embarrassed to approach the reference desk. During every class I give I invite students to come ask questions, but they seldom do.

Do any of my readers have any thoughts on how to encourage students to ask questions?

Study: College Students rarely use librarians' expertise

This article appeared in USA Today and obviously doesn't tell me anything that I already know.  It reports on a study done by ERIAL (Enthographic Research in Illinois Library Project).

Whenever I give a class I always tell the students that I am always more than willing to help them with their research endeavors, but fewer students either approach me at the reference desk or contact me privately.  Steve Kolowich, the author of the USA Today article states that librarians and professors are partially to blame for this problem.  The ERIAL researchers state that students feel intimidated and alienated.  Are today's students just too embarassed to ask for help while years ago there was often a line of people waiting for assistance.

This article states the problem, but in my opinion does not offer a clear solution.

Always Glad to Help Out Library Science Students

Back in the Fall of 1992, my first semester at NJIT, I taught Science and Technology Reference at the Palmer School of Library and Information Science.  I did this at their Manhattan extension which at that time was at the New School.  It has since moved to the Bobst Library at NYU.  I gave the students an assignment to visit a science library and to interview the science librarian.  They then reported back to the class.

A few days ago I received this e-mail from Sabrina at North Carolina Central University.

Mr. Slutsky,


I am a graduate student in the School of Library and Information Science at North Carolina Central University. I am currently enrolled in a course that deals with science and technology resources for librarians. My professor, Dr. Susan Aber, has given a class assignment to interview a librarian responsible for science, engineering, or technology resources. The purpose of the interview is to give students an idea of some of the daily responsibilities of a Sci-tech librarian.


I searched the internet for science and technology librarians and found your science, technology, and medical librarians special interest group. I understand that you must be very busy. I am hopeful, however, that you will agree to a short (approximately 10 minutes) interview.

For your information, I am listing the interview questions below.



1. What duties are expected of you as a Sci-tech librarian?

2. What types of resources do you need to accomplish the job successfully?

3. Can you provide an example of a recent reference question that you were asked by a library patron?

4. Do you give instruction sessions or create subject guides for finding Sci-tech sources? If so, are they for patrons or for your own use?

If you are willing to be interviewed, I would be happy to phone you at your convenience. If you prefer, you can also provide an email response to the four questions above.


I appreciate your time and hope that you are willing to be interviewed for my class assignment
 
I was very happy to speak with this student.  I mentioned that the cost of science/engineering resources was so much higher than those for the humanities and social sciences.  Wherever possible we try to use free internet resources like ChemSpider and the NIST Webbook.