Distance Education in academic libraries

January 24, 2012

Beth Filar WilliamsCoordinator of Library Services for Distance LearningERIT Department, UNCG Librariesefwilli3@uncg.edu

Quick poll: (DE =distance education)

A: I don’t know much about DE in academic libraries

B: I am somewhat familiar with DE services in academic libraries

C: Not sure I know difference between DE and “regular” services

D: I actually provide some DE services in my current job

What do you think?

My title: Coordinator of Library Services for Distance Learning ….

… what does this mean to you?

… what does the term ”DE services” mean to you ?

What do you think?

Who should provide these DE services?

subject specialist?

separate position?

a team?

other?

What do you think?

Should DE services even be separate service/resource/position?

Should there even be a library webpage or portal for DE services?

LiteratureDistance Education Librarians in the U.S. ARL Libraries and Library Services

Provided to their Distance Users by Zheng Ye (Lan) Yang The Journal of Academic Librarianship, Vol 31, No 2, pgs 92–97March 2005

103 US ARL libraries in study - 37% do not provide DE services

WHY? b/c they do not have distance programs on campus, or just in infancy

Ranges from 4% to 50% of their job responsibilities.

Report to:50% Head of Reference22.9% Library (or associate) director/dean11.4% Head of Instructional Service8.6% Head of Interlibrary Services1 person to Head of Access Service, 1 to Head of IT, and 1 outside library

Vol 31, No 2, pgs 92–97

Literature The Subject Specialist Librarian's Role in Providing Distance Learning Services

by Mary Cassner & Kate E. Adams Journal of Library Administration, Vol. 48(3/4) 2008

surveyed both subject librarians & DE librarians, examining how and to what extent subject specialist librarians provide services to distance students and faculty

Literature

Fritts, J., & Casey, A. (2010). Who Trains Distance Librarians? A Study of the Training and Development Needs of Distance Learning Librarians. Journal Of Library Administration, 50(5/6), 617-627.

Study sent to DE librarian groups in Dec 2009 discovered:

“95% of the respondents report some responsibilities related to distance learning, only 45% have a job title that reflect’s that.”

“this selected set of responses [survey results] indicates a need and a desire for training in distance learning librarianship”

Standards

ACRL Standards for Distance Learning Library Services (7/1/08)http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/guidelinesdistancelearning

ACRL Section on Distance Learninghttp://caspian.switchinc.org/~distlearn/

How I got started…• Do an environmental scan [http://horizon.unc.edu/courses/papers/enviroscan/]

• Determining stakeholders at UNCG

• Talking to subject librarians

• Meeting w/ current distance academic programs

• Asking to students

• Connect with students services folks

• Listen, take notes, determine gaps

• Review ACRL standards – create a checklist

• Create yearly DE Plan

• Marketing existing -both internally and externally

• Needs? Gaps? What’s currently missing?

Recommended Readings on DE

White, L. (2010). Aligning Assessment to Organizational Performance in Distance Education Service Delivery. Journal Of Library Administration, 50(7/8), 997-1016.[method for DE assessment]

Tunon, J., & Ramirez, L. (2010). ABD or EdD? A Model of Library Training for Distance Doctoral Students. Journal Of Library Administration, 50(7/8), 989. doi:10.1080/01930826.2010.489004 [case study of research support for doctoral students]

Lockerby, R., & Stillwell, B. (2010). Retooling Library Services for Online Students in Tough Economic Times. Journal Of Library Administration, 50(7/8), 779-788. [growing DE, close regionals & open multimedia center for online tutorials]

Bartnik, L. (2010). Delivered! A Mid-Sized Academic Library's Experience with Distance Education. Journal Of Library & Information Services In Distance Learning, 4(1-2), 43-52. [guide to basic DE library services for any academic library]

Q & A?