The budget-constrained, rapidly evolving climate of higher education and academic libraries makes it a necessity for academic librarians and administrators to communicate the value of their library to the university. This book explains how to execute this critical task. Authored by a library director and director of library liason and instructional services who formerly served as a faculty member, a librarian, and a professional development instructor, The Pivotal Role of Academic Librarians in Digital Learning establishes the library's role in supporting student learning in an increasingly digital environment by exploring theoretical foundations and sharing concrete examples. The chapters focus on strategies and methods for demonstrating the academic library's value through strategic campus partnerships, creation of learning objects such as video tutorials, research instruction designed to facilitate student collaboration, and participation in assessment of learning on campus. All of the topics addressed within a broad range of subject matter fall within the scope of learning in the "digital age," with particular emphasis on utilizing online learning environments—including social media—to teach students critical thinking and research skills as well as to position the academic library as an integral part of the modern learning environment. This book is a must-read for academic librarians in instructional roles, teaching faculty, academic library administrators and managers who need to communicate the value of the library in relation to student learning, and academic administrators who are obligated to demonstrate the important role of libraries in academic excellence.

University libraries around the world have embraced the possibilities of the digital learning environment, facilitating its use and proactively seeking to develop the provision of electronic resources and services. The digital environment offers opportunities and challenges for librarians in all aspects of their work - in information literacy, virtual reference, institutional repositories, e-learning, managing digital resources and social media. The authors in this timely book are leading experts in the field of library and information management, and are at the forefront of change in their respective institutions. University Libraries and Digital Learning Environments will be invaluable for all those involved in managing libraries or learning services, whether acquiring electronic resources or developing and delivering services in digital environments.

Read professional, fair reviews by practicing academic, public, and school librarians and subject-area specialists that will enable you to make the best choices from among the latest reference resources. This newest edition of American Reference Books Annual (ARBA) provides librarians with insightful, critical reviews of print and electronic reference resources released or updated in 2017-2018, as well as some from 2019 that were received in time for review in the publication. By using this invaluable guide to consider both the positive and negative aspects of each resource, librarians can make informed decisions about which new reference resources are most appropriate for their collections and their patrons' needs. Collection development librarians who are working with limited budgets—as is the case in practically every library today—will be able to maximize the benefit from their monetary resources by selecting what they need most for their collection, while bypassing materials that bring limited value to their specific environment.

An academic library’s instruction program reflects and communicates its vision for teaching and learning within the context of its institution, and the instruction coordinator plays an essential role in shaping and advancing this vision. Instruction coordinators and directors in academic libraries may have a variety of titles and wear an entire wardrobe’s worth of hats, but they face many of the same challenges in developing, promoting, and evaluating their instruction programs. This book approaches using the instruction program as the catalyst to further the library’s agenda for teaching and learning and gives instruction program directors a set of resources that will help them map out, enact, and assess the impact of this agenda. This book is ideal for librarians and administrators who direct, coordinate, or lead an academic library’s teaching and learning program and is particularly useful for new instruction program coordinators—either those new to their position or new to their institution.

The budget-constrained, rapidly evolving climate of higher education and academic libraries makes it a necessity for academic librarians and administrators to communicate the value of their library to the university. This book explains how to execute this critical task. Authored by a library director and director of library liason and instructional services who formerly served as a faculty member, a librarian, and a professional development instructor, The Pivotal Role of Academic Librarians in Digital Learning establishes the library's role in supporting student learning in an increasingly digital environment by exploring theoretical foundations and sharing concrete examples. The chapters focus on strategies and methods for demonstrating the academic library's value through strategic campus partnerships, creation of learning objects such as video tutorials, research instruction designed to facilitate student collaboration, and participation in assessment of learning on campus. All of the topics addressed within a broad range of subject matter fall within the scope of learning in the "digital age," with particular emphasis on utilizing online learning environments--including social media--to teach students critical thinking and research skills as well as to position the academic library as an integral part of the modern learning environment. This book is a must-read for academic librarians in instructional roles, teaching faculty, academic library administrators and managers who need to communicate the value of the library in relation to student learning, and academic administrators who are obligated to demonstrate the important role of libraries in academic excellence.

Academic libraries are facing uncertain times. The international higher education environment is very volatile and academic libraries and librarians can play a major role in helping to strategically position their parent institution within it. In doing so, there needs to be clarity as to what the position of the academic library is with regard to the role and function it has within the university and how library leadership can have pan-institutional influence and impact. There are several ways in which the academic library can position itself and this collection demonstrates many of these. Strategic alignment with the university and its mission is a fundamental part of successful positioning, as is being flexible, adaptable and responsive to changing needs, requirements and expectations. Developments in research support and scholarly communications, as well as super-convergences with other academic support departments, are examples of such responsiveness. These topics along with other emerging themes, such as library functions and institutional partnerships and collaborations, are all discussed in the book and provide the reader with a rich variety of reflections and case studies on how academic libraries, from across the globe, have addressed their position within their institution. This book was originally published as a special issue of the journal New Review of Academic Librarianship.