Academic libraries invest heavily in ebook collections, yet the quality of metadata associated with those records varies significantly depending on whether records are vendor-supplied or professionally created. This mixed-methods research examines the relationship between ebook metadata quality and discoverability in academic libraries, comparing data by source and assessing their impact on institutional return on investment. The research synthesizes findings from original quantitative and qualitative data collection to build a comprehensive picture of how metadata decisions shape access to library collections. Preliminary findings suggest that vendor-supplied records frequently lack essential elements such as subject headings and classification codes, and that when these elements are absent, discovery system features designed to surface content cannot function effectively. The result is a measurable gap between what libraries pay for and what their users can find. Findings have practical implications for academic library administrators and collection development professionals making procurement and resource allocation decisions. The poster presents those findings and offers a framework for evaluating institutional investments in discovery platforms, descriptive practice, and ebook collections.
Ever try to pull cataloging stats in Alma only to have the nefarious “System” take credit for all your hard work? Alma knows how many records were imported, what happens upon import, and who imported them; it’s just not very good at telling you through Analytics. This poster shows how to use OpenRefine and the Alma Jobs API to gather statistics on records imported to Alma via an Import Profile. The Alma Jobs API is more detailed than what Analytics reports on and the API correctly attributes work to staff accounts making end-of-year statistics more reliable.
Cataloging is a shared enterprise. A bibliographic record created by one cataloger in Connexion can be enriched by catalogers around the world. But if your library catalog is not synched to Connexion, many of these bibliographic enhancements – things like summary notes and tables of contents – won't ever appear in your records. We work in one such library, so we developed a process for adding these enhancements (specifically the 505 and 520 fields, though the process could be adapted to work for other fields) from Connexion records into our integrated library system.
Since implementing this workflow, we’ve enhanced thousands of records in our catalog, greatly increasing the accessibility and discoverability of our collection. While it is an involved process, we have broken it down into manageable steps that other libraries will be able to replicate and modify to their own needs. In addition to Connexion, we relied on open-access tools such as MarcEdit and Notepad++ to efficiently batch edit data. In this poster, we will provide access to step-by-step documentation so that other librarians can replicate this work at their institutions.
Just as cataloging is a shared enterprise, we believe these sorts of technical workflows ought to be as well.
For more than a decade, the Association for Library Service to Children has been encouraging children's and youth librarians to serve in media mentorship capacities to guide children and families in their use of technology and media. Yet little empirical research exists to validate the extent to which children's librarians are serving in this capacity nor the extent to which they feel prepared to do so. This poster will share findings from a research project exploring children's librarians' enactment of media mentorship and offer implications for practice.
