The Effect of Discovery Systems on Online Journal Usage: A Longitudinal Study

Many academic libraries are implementing discovery services as a way of giving their users a single comprehensive search option for all library resources. These tools are designed to change the research experience, yet very few studies have investigated the impact of discovery service implementation. This study examines one aspect of that impact by asking whether usage of publisher-hosted journal content changes after implementation of a discovery tool. Libraries that have begun using the four major discovery services have seen an increase in usage of this content, suggesting that for this particular type of material, discovery services have a positive impact on use. Though all discovery services significantly increased usage relative to a no discovery service control group, some had a greater impact than others, and there was extensive variation in usage change among libraries using the same service. Future phases of this study will look at other types of content.

E-Book Usage on a Global Scale: Patterns, Trends, and Opportunities

This study examines worldwide usage of over 600,000 e-books from Ebook Library (EBL) and ebrary. Using multiple modes of analysis, the study shows that there are variations in usage by geographic region as well as by subject. The study examines usage in relation to availability of titles, different types of usage per session, usage of the top ten percent of titles, and intensive and extensive use. These patterns can be used for benchmarking and as a model for local e-book studies.

Classical Guitar Music in Printed Collections: A New Index and a Model for Indexing Instrumental Music in Score Collections

Classical Guitar Music in Printed Collections is a new, open-access, online index to the contents of published score collections for classical guitar. Its interlinked, alphabetized lists allow one to find a composition by title or composer, to discover what score collections include that piece, to see what other works are included in each collection identified, and to locate a copy in a library collection. Accuracy of identification is guaranteed by incipit images of each work. The article discusses how this index differs from existing bibliographies of the classical guitar literature, its structure and design, and technical details of its publication.

Digitizing the Historical Periodical Collection at the Al-Aqsa Mosque Library in East Jerusalem

The Arab Press in Palestine developed at the turn of the twentieth century and proliferated for several decades despite restrictions imposed under the Ottoman Empire and during the British Mandate Period (1917-1948). Hardcopies of the early newspapers and periodicals are rare and access to them at a few Palestinian municipal or private libraries is limited. The Al-Aqsa Mosque Library holds one of the largest collections of Palestinian historical newspapers and periodicals. The collection provides a unique and rich source of information about the history of Palestine in the first half of the twentieth century. Access to the collection is limited and brittle paper copies have been rapidly deteriorating. This paper provides an overview of the digitization project aimed at preserving the historical periodical collection located at the AlAqsa Mosque Library

Development of a Household Pharmaceutical Waste Collection Program for Atlanta, Georgia: An Analysis of Risk Factors and Public Awareness with a Comprehensive Collection Plan

Decades of mixed messages from three federal agencies left many Americans unaware of the hazards associated with the indiscriminate disposal of unwanted or expired medicines. For this Capstone project, a systematic review of state and federal regulations was undertaken to determine how these laws obstruct household pharmaceutical waste collection. In addition, a survey of 654 Atlanta residents was conducted to evaluate unwanted medicine disposal habits, awareness of pharmaceutical compounds being detected in drinking water, surface, and ground waters, and willingness to participate in a household pharmaceutical waste collection program. Survey responses were tabulated to provide overall results and by age group, gender, and race. A household pharmaceutical waste collection plan was developed for the city and included as an appendix.