Physicist at UofMD
– anti-matter researcher
– all journal publications, no books
– arXiv – first stop to see what is going on in the world of physics (10-100 new papers per day for each subfield)
– arXiv is transformative because it is accessible (free)
– new OA journals have popped up in the field, but $2k costs to publish are still a barrier
– arXiv saves time, so quick access than waiting for 5-month delays in journal review and publishing (Physical Review Letters=5 month delay,
– most bleeding edge information is at conferences
– researchers not reading journals, other than to catch things possibly missed
-arXiv
Literature search
– arXiv, Google Scholar, Web of Science, APS
– NOT library ewe site – too much other, useless information like books
– books are cited primarily for specific equations or maybe a well written paragraph – however, not breaking new ground and only used for a quick minute
– given limited book use, Google Books is first choice, then Amazon for look inside feature
Data
– about 100GB per year
– burden of data documentation would restrict physics data from making data sets available for collecting
– libraries don’t necessarily have a role in data archiving
– when asked about NSF mandates, he says he might need librarians then but that this is just a bureaucratic issues that has no real value for other researchers
Classicist at College of Charleston
– has only online PHD program in Classics
– students are ineffective in developing search rubrics
– prefers to have librarians curate collections, not so much PDA
– prefers physical copies of books
– students struggle to know where books are available
– because of search challenges, students are mostly using articles, JSTOR, and ebooks and ignoring others
– although nearby, he doesn’t go to the library
– lack of connections between libraries is problematic
– ILL is not a workable solution for long term research
– he appreciates how other librarians are bending the rules to scan books and emailing them to him via PDF
– online program students was limited to just online resources since there are no links with other libraries that are near the students themselves
Wishes
– he wants space in the library to work, particularly alone
– he wants more database projects designed for his projects, like Homer multi-source text project or Palace of Nestor project
– more money (grant and institutional resources)
– students are shutdown due to institutional technology
Social Sciences (research area in South Asia, particularly Pakistan)
– needs books
– academics lack awareness or sense of time’s value; RAND did a better way
– multiple fields: bang for buck regarding military ads, military training, etc
– librarians were co-collaborators
– no way to value the transaction with the librarians
– not loving Georgetown’s libraries, partially due to mismatch of their resources and her research areas
– she understands that it may be economically inefficient for matching collections to research needs
– Since no one wants her books, she buys her own books since it is WAY cheaper to get them from Amazon instead of going through the “jackass parade” to get to Georgetown’s library
– public library access vs private libraries has led to weird McGuyvering
– what is the point of Special Collections? It is like the special petting zoo. These need to be digitized or made in a way that is useful. You can’t read a whole book in Special Collections
– students are learning how to do a literature review
– feels like librarians are inconvenienced by her students
Audience interaction
– embedding librarians in online course is valuable but not enough to go around
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