The Impact of Web-scale Discovery on the Use of a Library Collection

Abstract

Grand Valley State University Libraries implemented Serials Solutions' web-scale discovery tool, Summon, during the fall of 2009. This case study explores whether Summon had an impact on the use of the library's resources during its first semester of implementation. An examination of usage statistics showed a dramatic decrease in the use of traditional abstracting and indexing databases and an equally dramatic increase in the use of full-text resources from full-text database and online journal collections. The author concludes that the increase in full-text use is linked to the implementation of a web-scale discovery tool.     

Planning the Future of Research Library Collections,the Janus Conference on Research Library Collection: Spring 2006 Update

Abstract

The editors scan approximately 120 journals in all disciplines for reviews of serial publications. Journals published since 2010 were monitored for this installment of Serials Review Index. Suggestions for journals to be included in future columns are welcome.     

Building the S&T Digital Library at the Naval Research Laboratory

Abstract

The Ruth H. Hooker Research Library has been delivering digital information to researchers' desktops at Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) sites across the country for over ten years. This article describes the current and planned efforts at unifying the various journals, databases, reference tools, and linking schemes into a comprehensive and integrated Web-based scientific and technical digital library for the benefit of the NRL and the broader naval research community. Serials Review 2003; 29:76–82.     

Dispersing the Serials Collection and Measuring Paper: Cooperative Storage Efforts and Legacy Journals Management in a University Library

This article discusses workflows involved with contributing print journal back runs to scanning and storage efforts. The purpose of these efforts was to alleviate space problems in a library by consolidating stacks that were formerly used to house runs of bound journals. This article contributes to the literature on serials withdrawal projects by demonstrating database designs for tracking contributions made to cooperative storage facilities as well as highlighting an innovative solution for tracking the required linear feet for housing bound print collections.     

A Data-Analytic Look at Skewness and Elongation in Common-Stock-Return Distributions

This article explores the nature of skewness and elongation in daily common-stock-return distributions of individual firms using estimates of g (for skewness) and h (for elongation) obtained from Tukey's g and h distributions. Both parametric and nonparametric (bootstrap) estimates of standard errors of the g estimates are computed and compared. Daily return distributions are first examined cross-sectionally over a large sample of firms. The estimates of the skewness parameter exhibit variation across individual firms, but some general trends are evident across industry groups and firm sizes. Return distributions typically seem to be more elongated than the Gaussian distribution. From a time series perspective, both skewness and elongation are persistent in the return distributions of individual firms and vary over a finite range. First-order autocorrelation coefficients of monthly g and h estimates are large and suggest a certain degree of predictability.     

One for Nine: The Shared Cataloging Program of the California Digital Library

Abstract

In 1999, the California Digital Library (CDL) began a new cooperative venture, the Shared Cataloging Program, to improve access to its growing collection of electronic resources. Now known within the University of California (UC) as the SCP, the Shared Cataloging Program, based at UC San Diego, distributes ready-to-use cataloging records for all electronic titles licensed by the CDL to each of the other eight (soon to be nine) physical UC campuses. The SCP is the result of an intensive systemwide planning process fostered by a desire for an innovative approach to providing traditional bibliographic access to large numbers of electronic resources. It was launched out of pragmatic necessity along with an institutional commitment to the cooperative ideals of labor-savings, experimentation, and the search for “best practices.” This article will describe its genesis, current operation, one library's use of the records, and issues for future development. Serials Review 2002; 28:4–12.     

A Fresh Look at the Running Time Analysis for the Gibbs Sampler

As the Gibbs sampler has become one of the standard tools in computing, the practice of burn-in is almost the default option. Because it takes a certain number of iterations for the initial distribution to reach stationarity, supporters of burn-in will throw away an initial segment of the samples and argue that such a practice ensures unbiasedness. Running time analysis studies the question of how many samples to be thrown away. Basically, it equates the number of iterations to stationarity with the number of initial samples to be discarded. However, many practitioners have found that burn-in wastes potentially useful samples and the practice is inefficient, and thus unnecessary. For the example considered, a single chain without burn-in offers both efficiency and accuracy superior to multiple chains with burn-in. We show that the Gibbs sampler uses odds to generate samples. Because the correct odds are used from the onset of the iterative process, the observations generated by the Gibbs sampler are identically distributed as the target distribution; thus throwing away those valid samples is wasteful. When the chain of distributions and the trajectory (sample path) of the chain are considered based on their separate merits, the disagreement can be settled. We advocate carefully choosing the initial state, but without burn-in to quicken the formation of the stationary distribution.     

美国统计资料的收集方法

美国是目前世界上统计资料最丰富的国家之一。各项统计活动的产品构成了一个庞大而纷繁的反映人民、自然资源、社会机构、经济和生态环境等方面的资料和信息实体。 美国统计资料的生成是分散进行的。在政府的各部门中,进行统计活动的机构或单位超过65个。其中主要的统计机构有商务部的普查局、农业部的统计报告服务局和劳工部的劳工统计局。其他如税务局、矿务局、     

Staffing the Modern Library: A How-To-Do-It Manual

Abstract

This column discusses the effects of real or perceived funding reductions on serials resources. The focus is on bibliographic instruction and cataloging aspects of “fee” versus “free” resources.     

A New Look at Half-normal Plots for Assessing the Significance of Contrasts for Unreplicated Factorials

The visual inspection of a half-normal plot is a popular procedure for interpreting data from unreplicated factorial experiments. As this technique is somewhat subjective, the plot should preferably be supplemented with a more formal procedure. However, despite the improvements proposed by Zahn, the formal method using the half-normal plot suggested by Daniel seems to be rarely used. We investigate this procedure by using simulations and real data and suggest a modification to improve its acceptability. We also present corrected critical values for a procedure proposed by Lenth which was found to be miscalibrated.     

Web 2.0, Library 2.0, and the Hyperlinked Library

Discussions surrounding the concepts of Web 2.0/Library 2.0 are increasing among the library community. This column outlines key principles behind Web 2.0 and provides a brief explanation of social tools, such as blogs, RSS feeds, podcasting, and wikis. The author also provides specific uses and applications of these tools within the library environment to illustrate the Library 2.0 concept. An open framework for library communication or hyperlinked library can result if Library 2.0 philosophies are fully utilized.     

Web 2.0, Library 2.0, and the Hyperlinked Library

Abstract

Discussions surrounding the concepts of Web 2.0/Library 2.0 are increasing among the library community. This column outlines key principles behind Web 2.0 and provides a brief explanation of social tools, such as blogs, RSS feeds, podcasting, and wikis. The author also provides specific uses and applications of these tools within the library environment to illustrate the Library 2.0 concept. An open framework for library communication or hyperlinked library can result if Library 2.0 philosophies are fully utilized.     

Creating the One-Shot Library Workshop: A Step-by-Step Guide

Abstract

Marguerite E. Horn reviews What They Don't Teach You in Library School, Betty Landesman reviews Introducing RDA, and Sarah D. Tusa reviews Coaching in the Library.     

Stock Returns and Dividend Yields Revisited: A New Way to Look at an Old Problem

The problem of whether stock returns can be predicted from dividend yields is discussed. I apply a new statistical method for finding reliable confidence intervals for regression parameters in the context of dependent and possibly heteroscedastic data, called subsampling. The method works under very weak conditions and avoids the pitfalls of having to choose a structural model to fit to observed data. Appropriate simulation studies suggest that it has better small-sample properties than the generalized method of moments, which is also model free and works under weak conditions. Applying the subsampling method to three datasets, I do not find convincing evidence for the predictability of stock returns.     

书面调查和网络调查的区别——两种数据收集方法的比较

随着网络调查的兴起,研究者必须确认网络调查与传统的纸笔调查效果是否相同。从数据收集质量和测量效果两个方面对纸笔调查与网络调查进行了比较。研究发现：纸笔调查与网络调查的测量模型和测量信度没有显著差异,但是,纸笔调查的测量均值高于网络调查,而网络调查的测量误差高于纸笔调查,网络调查的缺失率更低,纸笔调查与网络调查具有测量不变性。