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Valuing Community Patrons

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Written by Justin Hall

Woman in Pink Sweater Holding Gray Laptop
Woman in Pink Sweater Holding Gray Laptop by Antoni Shkraba licensed under Pexels

Valuing Community Patrons  

As an academic institution, UNT Libraries provide information resources and services to UNT students, staff, and faculty on a daily basis. However, UNT Libraries are not just open to UNT affiliates, but also community patrons not directly affiliated with UNT. Although community members make up a smaller portion of the patrons that frequent the library, they are just as valuable as UNT affiliated patrons and have access to many of the same resources that UNT affiliates enjoy. With that in mind, UNT Libraries strive to best serve community patrons by understanding their varied information needs. It is critical that library staff adhere to the same high standards of service when assisting the greater community rather than focusing on a smaller group. Community patrons are just as essential to the continued function and success of the library and should be treated as such.  
 
Why UNT Libraries Serve Community Patrons  
While community patrons rarely support libraries directly, they are still fundamental in terms of academic library mission success. The goal of all libraries, academic or not, is to provide the community with information resources they would otherwise not be able to easily access. In most cases, public libraries are the institutions for providing this service to the community. This is because, unlike academic libraries, public libraries receive their funding directly from community taxes. “Educational institutions, and specifically libraries, understand the necessity of positive relations with their various publics as insurance for the continued financial and emotional support that will lead to their ongoing growth and success” (Marshall, 2001, p.116). 
 
However, since academic libraries often have specialized resources that are unavailable in public libraries, they can satisfy community needs that would otherwise go unfulfilled. This is one of the main reasons why it is important for institutions like the UNT library to be open and accessible to the general public. Additionally, by supporting the community in unique ways academic libraries are able to build stronger ties to the community thereby making the services they provide all the more valuable and essential. “Librarians at private institutions, however, often see service to unaffiliated users not as a requirement but as a means to maintain good public relations in their communities.” (Courtney, 2003, p.3) 
 
Understanding the Needs and Privileges of Community Patrons 

Most people who come to the library do so with a purpose in mind. Whether that purpose is internet access, recreational reading, or research, anyone who walks into the library should be considered a patron. UNT Libraries are aware that unaffiliated community patrons have different needs when compared to UNT affiliated patrons which has led to tailored services that are both beneficial and responsive to those needs. 

 For example, all community members have access to the library’s guest computers. By utilizing the guest computers located in the Willis, Sycamore, and Discovery Park branches, any patron can access the full catalog offered by UNT Libraries and all of the digital information resources stored within it. In addition, community members can use the library catalog to search for physical books located in the library. Any community patron can browse the books available in the general collection as long as the books stay within the library. UNT Libraries also offer community members off-site services such as checking out books or placing online holds. These services are available to any patrons with a courtesy card. In order to be eligible for a courtesy card, a community patron must fall under certain criteria such as being a be a Denton resident, UNT alumni member, or enrolled in the TexShare program.  

For more information about the services and resources available to community members checkout the link here.  

Did this blog help you to understand the importance of serving community patrons? Let us know your comments! Please contact Ask Us if you have any questions about library services. 

References:  
 
Courtney, N. (2003). Unaffiliated users’ access to academic libraries: A survey. The Journal of 
 
Academic Librarianship, 29(1), 3-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0099-1333(02)00387-7 

Marshall, N. J. (2001). Public relations in academic libraries: A descriptive analysis. The   Journal of Academic Librarianship, 27(2), 116-121. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0099-1333(00)00183-X 

The Ethical Library

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By Alexander Ames 

A stack of books taken bt Alexander Ames
Photo taken by Alexander Ames 

When a patron of any library uses its services, there is an expectation of privacy on the part of the user. Otherwise, it would be extremely uncomfortable for them to get information on subjects that might even just be seen as touchy, and with a shifting social landscape, that might cover most topics. For example, the book Steal This Book , held at the Willis Library, has been set as a reserve and can be found behind the service desk. This has reduced the circulation of the book as patrons may be wary of telling a government-funded library that they are interested in reading a book that has themes of anarchy, while the real reason that it can be found behind the service desk is because the library was afraid that the book would be stolen if left on the general collection shelves.  

To ensure the patron’s right to information, most libraries in the U.S. follow the Code of Ethics (Professional Ethics, 2021) and Library Bill of Rights (Library Bill of Rights, 2019) created by the American Library Association (ALA), either officially or unofficially. This Code of Ethics is taught to future librarians working towards their master’s degree in Library Science in ALA accredited programs. This is done to ensure equitable access to information via the librarian’s experience in an attempt to standardize library ethics rather than leaving ethical issues up to the individual library that might not have an ethical framework to work from. This code of ethics is meant to “…ensure the free flow of information and ideas to present and future generations” (Professional Ethics, 2021) while keeping each librarian as unbiased as possible. In the example with Steal This Book, this would mean that it is the library’s duty to see to the free flow of information held in the book, which is currently hampered by misconceptions that the book is held behind the desk to collect data on those who would ask for it. 

As a few examples of a library with an ethics statement, the Cooke County Library uses a PDF of the ALA Code of Ethics and Library Bill of Rights along with detailed interpretations of the latter (Cooke county library, 2011), and the Red Oak Library specifically cites the same Code of Ethics in their own patron privacy statement (Privacy and confidentiality, n.d.). A plainly stated code of ethics isn’t limited to public libraries, however. On the academic library front, Georgia Tech has a privacy policy which states exactly who has access to circulation records (Privacy Policy, n.d.), and Cornell specifically states that they protect patron privacy which “…includes library patron’s right to read anonymously.” (Privacy and confidentiality in the Cornell, n.d.) 

However, libraries do not always clearly give their policies on patron privacy, which leads to patrons not knowing what rights they have or what information will be given away by the library they visit. Rather than this lack of availability being due to the libraries having no Code of Ethics, it may be due to institutions being wary of adopting a Code of Ethics created outside of their specific needs. As the ALA Code of Ethics is meant to be broad guidelines rather than specific rules to follow and is meant to be more like a set of ethical guidelines than specific rules, it should be applicable to most, if not all, situations.  

UNT Libraries, as an example of a library without a patron privacy statement, is both part of an ALA Accredited University, meaning that the University’s Library Science program has been approved to ALA standards, and is an institutional member of the ALA and, by extension, the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), upholding their ethical standards by association. However connected an institution might be to ethical bodies, if this is not made clear to patrons, the library starts seeing issues like the one mentioned before with Steal This Book , where a lack of clarity on ethical standards and policies on patron privacy cause distrust between patron and institution.  

The core purpose of a service in the field of information services, especially an academic library, is the proliferation of information, and the lack of a patron privacy statement runs counter to that purpose. The issue here is one of transparency to the patron, as the only way that the library can guarantee equitable access to information is if the patron knows that, barring a subpoena, the books that they check out will only be known to them and the library. No matter how embarrassing or socially charged a book checked out from the library might seem to be, libraries are a place free of judgement, and a place patron privacy is protected: they simply need to make that fact clearer to their patrons.  

References:  

Cooke county library policy appendices. (2011).  Cooke County Library. https://cookecountylibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2014/08/POLICY_APPENCIES.pdf 

Library bill of rights. (2019). American Library Association. https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill 

Privacy and confidentiality in the Cornell university library. (n.d.) Cornell University Library. https://www.library.cornell.edu/privacy 

Privacy and confidentiality of patron records.  (n.d.) redoaktx.org. https://www.redoaktx.org/427/Privacy-and-Confidentiality-of-Records 

Privacy policy. (n.d.). Georgia Tech Library. https://library.gatech.edu/privacy-policy 

Professional ethics. (2021). American Library Association. https://www.ala.org/tools/ethics 

How to Find Books to Read for Recreation at the UNT Libraries

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Written by Sierra Dahl 

A man reading a book beside a woman reading a book
A man reading a book beside a woman reading a book photo by Burst from Pexels 

The University of North Texas Libraries is no stranger to the academic, research, and scholarly interests of both students and employees that guide the majority of interactions they have with patrons. Most UNT students utilize the online articles and databases available through the library or check out textbook reserves or books needed for assignments. However, many students are unaware of the various methods of obtaining books purely for entertainment from the UNT Libraries. Reading for fun has a multitude of benefits for readers. 

Recreational reading can result in improvements in academic achievement. The book The Power of Reading collected over twenty years of research on reading and found that recreational reading improved the ability to comprehend academic-style books and the ability to write in a style that is professional (Brookbank, Davis, & Harlan, 2018, p. 29). Additionally, several studies have found that leisure reading can make college students “more articulate, develops higher order reasoning, and promotes critical thinking.” (Dewan, 2010, p. 48) 

Whether it be the latest volume of your favorite manga series, a bestselling murder mystery fiction book, a famous play, or the funniest picture book you read as a child, the UNT Library is always able to help you get a copy of a book you are interested in. 

Searching Online for UNT Library Materials 

You can browse the UNT Libraries’ collections by searching in the online catalog. First, you can utilize the UNT Library Catalog and hit search without typing in the box. You can then select “Books” under resource type and use the Genre limiter located on the left side of the webpage. Diverse genres such as “fantasy fiction,” “mystery and detective fiction,” and “wit and humor” can be selected to view books in that genre. E-books can be found via the catalog and read using the green button that says “FIND IT Online”. Additionally, you can use the “Subjects” section of catalog entries to find more books that focus on a particular topic. This is especially helpful for finding books similar to ones you enjoy. For instance, if you loved Garlic & the Vampire and wanted to read more graphic novels that focus on vampires, near the end of the entry, you can select the subject “Vampires > Comic books, strips, etc.” to view more items that fit those criteria.  

Searching the Stacks for UNT Library Materials 

The Stacks located on the 3rd Floor of Willis Library can be intimidating to most individuals. However, they contain a bounty of interdisciplinary knowledge and entertainment. Classic literature, poems, plays, and anthologies are just a few of the enjoyable books that are located on the third floor. Graphic novels, comics, and manga can also be found on the 3rd floor of Willis Library. You can use the catalog to locate a specific book or just browse the shelves. If you are new to browsing our collection, a resource you might find helpful is the Scholar Speak post “Understanding the Library of Congress Call Number System”. 

If you enjoy popular adult nonfiction and fiction novels, you can check our Bestsellers collection located on the 2nd floor. This fun collection includes novels by the notable authors James Patterson, Nora Roberts, and Stephen King. If young adult novels interest you more, you can find thousands located at the Sycamore Library in the Juvenile Collection. Sycamore Library also houses picture books, middle-grade novels, both fiction and nonfiction for children and young adults, and young adult graphic novels. 

Gaining Access to Books the UNT Libraries Doesn’t Own 

Occasionally, the UNT Libraries will not have the item you are searching for. However, there is no need to buy the book yourself or search a public library’s shelves for a copy. Instead, you can request the book using the UNT Libraries’ Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service. The Interlibrary Loan service is able to search other libraries to locate a copy of a requested book and have it delivered to the Willis Library Service Desk free of charge. First-time users will need to create an ILLiad account by going to the Accounts Login page on the library website and clicking “create ILLiad account. For more information about ILL, such as who can use it and the checkout period, go to the ILL page on the library website. Requests can also be made for books in the UNT collection that are currently checked out. The UNT ILL department will put in their best effort to find an available copy for you. 

Did this blog help you learn about finding books at the UNT Libraries to read for fun? Let us know your comments! Please contact Ask Us if you have any questions about library services. 

References (APA format):  

Brookbank, E., Davis, A., & Harlan, L. (2018). Don’t call it a comeback: Popular reading collections in academic libraries. Reference and User Services Quarterly, 58(1), 28-39. https://doi.org/10.5860/rusq.58.1.6838  

Dewan, P. (2010). Why your academic library needs a popular reading collection now more than ever. College & Undergraduate Libraries, 17(1), 44-64. https://doi.org/10.1080/10691310903584775 

How to Design & Improve Presentation Slides

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Written by Arslan Ahmed 

Photo by mentatdgt from Pexels
Photo by mentatdgt from Pexels

When it comes to presentation, the first two questions which come to mind are “What content to present” and “how to present.” Students are learning to become experts in their own domain of knowledge, but the big questions are “how” to convey that knowledge to others. Students certainly do not want their well-crafted and well-rehearsed script to be presented poorly. The slides should speak for themselves. 

It is not how much a presenter gives, but how they give it that matters the most. The presenter can either make the audience go to sleep with boring slides or keep them engaged throughout the presentation.  

Here are 8 key points to keep in mind when designing your slides which can also be used as a checklist: 

  1. Template: Choosing the right template is the first key to success of your presentation. A template contains layouts, theme colors, fonts, effects, background styles and many more stylistic options. A template should be consistent throughout the presentation. A company might have a dedicated template to be used. Another source for templates is the UNT PowerPoint templates webpage, which can be used for your class presentations. Using these templates, 50% of the presenter’s work is done which allows the presenter to focus on the content for their slides. It is important to know the location of the presentation, taking into consideration a few factors such as lighting, equipment available, and if the presentation is physical or virtual, with each having a potential impact on necessary preparation. 
  1. Style guide: The style guide outlines the most significant specifications for making PowerPoint presentations. If one is available, employees given the same template need to follow the same set of rules. As a result, the corporate design is consistent. This allows employees to save time while also improving the quality of your presentations. Let the style of the slides speak to the audience it is aimed at. If creating a PowerPoint independent rather than based on a template, keep consistency in the styling of the theme, font, font size, font color (which may differ for headings and subheadings), picture size, and size of any logos throughout the PowerPoint or simply follow the predefined recommended style guide for that template if available. 
  1. Layout: The presentation will look much better and even more professional if the creator uses the proper layout for each slide. Ensure that the design components and content are arranged in a uniform fashion throughout the presentation. The layout of the material and visuals should be balanced and coherent. 
  1. Consistency: Consistency is key to a good presentation. The movement from one slide to the next should feel seamless. For a beautiful presentation, the typeface, colors, layout, and style should all be consistent.  
  1. Visuals: Images speak more than words coming from the mouth of a presenter. Use relevant and meaningful images where required. Visuals are an excellent method to communicate effectively but do not find just any image from a Google search, as it may be distracting; instead, look for the right one and do not violate the copyrights of the image. Another way to understand if the image is suitable for the topic is to try justifying how this image connects with the content of the slide, and if it conveys the message to the audience without any audio associated with it. 
  1. Colors: Have you noticed that anything related to UNT, like the UNT website, is always printed in green? This is because most organizations use a dedicated color palette as part of their identity. Always be consistent in choosing the colors for your presentations. Colors not only enhance your slides but also help to communicate the message between the presenter and the audience more effectively. As such, if you are making an independent presentation for a classroom, add some color to the slides or use a predefined template with colors that match your purpose. Consider a dark background for the slide with a light color for the text if you are giving a presentation in a dark room. Avoid using light text on light background or clashing colors, which will distract the audience. 
  1. Alignment: Practice proper alignment of all content in the slides. Some examples of what to look for include the margins, spacing from all sides, and images on the left, right, or middle. If the slide contains a lot of information, proper alignment will make it presentable and will keep the audience from becoming distracted. Proper alignment makes a slide look clean, well-formatted and professional. 
  1. Typeface: Choose a good typeface or font family which are easy to read and are also suitable for printing. Keep the font consistent from the first slide to the last. There are several fonts you can use for your presentation. However, you are better off choosing standard fonts, such as Calibri, Tahoma, Gill Sans, and Garamond, or even Times New Roman and Constantia. Stay away from all-caps fonts and Avoid Scripts, Italics and Decorative Fonts. 

Those are the 8 essential characteristics of well-designed PowerPoint slides, along with all the best tips for a great presentation. Please feel free to leave a comment letting us know if this helped you, and as always, contact Ask Us with your research and library questions. 

References (APA format):  

 
Mount, K. (2017). Presentation skills: Designing effective visual aids. 

Reynolds, G. (2010). Presentation zen design: Simple design principles and techniques to enhance your presentations. Berkeley, Calif: New Riders 

Mount, K. (2017). Presentation skills: Design, structure and content.  

How to use WorldCat?

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Written by Omika Mishra 

Unrecognizable man examining map while planning travel at home
Unrecognizable man examining map by Brady Knoll licensed under Pexels

WorldCat is a global cooperative catalog that lists the collections of 15,637 libraries in 107 countries that is managed by OCLC, Inc. The WorldCat database, which claims the distinction of being the world’s largest bibliographic database, is maintained collaboratively by subscribing member libraries. The catalog, found at worldcat.org, is linked to hundreds of library systems which results in a large number of available records. This tool can be an excellent way to find resources that your library’s catalog may not be able to display. This website is a cataloging and research tool utilized by librarians as well as the general public. Every day, librarians and other information professionals contribute to the growth of WorldCat. 

Anyone can look for books, music CDs, and videos using the Worldcat catalog, which holds almost everything that a patron is used to acquiring from a library. There are also numerous types of digital content available, such as downloadable audiobooks. Other resources available include citations to articles with links to the entire text; authoritative research materials, such as papers and images of local or historic value; and digital representations of rare things that aren’t available to the general public. Resources are available in a variety of languages since WorldCat libraries serve a varied range of communities in dozens of countries. 

There are multiple ways to access WorldCat from the UNT library homepage: 

  1. In the “Search It All” section of the “Start Your Research” box, users can type “WorldCat” and click on the first link, which will route them to “WorldCat FirstSearch” 
  1. In the “Database” section, users can search for “WorldCat” which will also lead them to “WorldCat FirstSearch”. 

Another way to access this tool is by going to the website directly by using the link https://www.worldcat.org/. On searching an item, the results shown can be refined by format, author, year, language, content, audience and topic. 

Screenshot from https://www.worldcat.org/ 

On selecting each result, patron can view information about the item including: 

  • Citation information: title, author, publisher, publication location and date, etc. 
  • Picture of the cover 
  • Preview of the contents, if available 
  • Table of contents, if available 
  • Ratings and reviews of the item, if available 
  • Information about other editions and formats, if available 
  • Links to similar items 

In addition, further down the page, a list of libraries where the item is present can be found where you can limit the search by entering the ZIP code of an area as shown in the image below. 

Screenshot from https://www.worldcat.org/ 

The reason that this system has thrived since its conception is the simple fact that WorldCat always depends upon Individual catalogers’ competence in making appropriate decisions concerning bibliographic resources. Human catalogers can make better decisions than any automated system. Hence, WorldCat is a great website for information professionals and patrons alike to look up items in the libraries around them. 

References (APA format):    

What is WorldCat? worldcat.org. https://www.worldcat.org/whatis/default.jsp 

Library guide for graduate research in english literary studies: How to use WorldCat. (2021). University of Alabama Libraries. https://guides.lib.ua.edu/c.php?g=699687&p=4963408 

Celebrating 50th Anniversary of Willis Library

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Written by Manvitha Doma

UNT Willis Library 1972
Willis Library, North Texas State University in 1972 from The Portal to Texas History

Willis Library is celebrating its 50th anniversary on November 11th. As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Willis Library, it is the perfect time to review the history of library services at Willis.  Over the years, Willis has been home to thousands of late-night study sessions, expert guidance from library faculty and countless hours of collaborative work spent in study spaces. The library service desk was originally called the Circulation desk. Through this desk, library patrons had access to services such as checking items in and out, paying fines, and picking up holds. Workshops were conducted with library staff, students, and University of North Texas stakeholders who were invited to share their perceptions of Willis Library in 2014. The results of these surveys revealed the most important service was 24-hour library access, with study spaces coming in second. (Forrest 2014)

Willis Library housed seven service desks total before 2011. As Mary Ann Venner, the current Associate Dean for Public Services, stated in her report in 2013, desks were classified as the Checkout Desk, Circulation Desk, Reserves Desk, Fines Desk, Interlibrary Loan Desk, Tech Desk, and Reference Desk. (Venner 2013) In 2011, the reserves desk and fines desk were consolidated with the circulation desk, and then the Circulation and ILL departments were merged to form the Access Services department. In Summer 2012, the reference desk was merged with the circulation desk as Access Services took on more responsibilities.

Card cataloging system in the Library
Photograph of four students looking through the card cataloging system in the Library from UNT Digital Library

Historically, checking out materials required patrons to search for the book from a card catalog where they could find the bibliographic information such as author and title for the book. The patron would then locate and bring the book to the service desk and check it out using a library card. To complete the checkout process, the due date was placed on the card using a library stamp. Many books and journals in the library collection did not have barcodes before 2000. In 2000, a massive project was undertaken, and all the items had barcodes and records created for them. As a further step towards digitizing the catalog, the library chose to purchase more electronic resources such as e-journals instead of print journals. Now, the library has a collection of over 1.9 million books and journals, 64,270 electronic subscriptions, 4 million microfilm pieces and 900,000 music recordings. The library has also developed an online catalog and the efforts to adopt digitization allowed patrons to easily check out books through the use of a self-checkout machine. Today, Willis Library has a collection of over 7 million printed volumes, periodicals, maps, documents, microforms, audiovisual materials, music scores, and software, which are overseen by expert staff who serve the information needs of the institution. 

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) and Document Delivery services were available for books, book chapters, and journal articles that are not owned by the library. Patrons made requests for ILL using paper forms until 2000 where they used to drop the forms locked at the box at ILL service desk. ILL staff had to manually enter the records in OCLC (Online Computer Library Center) ILL system which were stored on file for 5 years. Starting in 2002, all requests were made electronically, and by 2003 ILL started electronic delivery. In 2009, the library system began utilizing ILL for distance learning. Initially, there was a separate online form where students requested materials for distance learning (Johnston 2016). Currently, patrons can request materials through ILLiad to get a copy of the resource. Document Delivery service for faculty and staff started in 2012. Eventually, these information scanning services were expanded to everyone. 

Willis Library has offered Course Reserves since its inception, allowing patrons to check out books put on hold by a professor for a small period of time. When it comes to holding books for patrons, the library used to have a hold/recall shelf that required many employees. However, thanks to advancements in technology, this process has become more efficient. Now, patrons can put their required materials on hold through the website. 

Have you ever heard of Liaison Librarians? That is an old name for our Subject Librarians, who assist patrons with all types of research problems, from helping choose a book for a patron’s research to helping create citations for an article. Subject Librarians create guides on the library homepage to assist patrons in navigating the library. These guides act as a one-stop-shop for academic resources, including tips on database searching, citation assistance, and bibliographic management tools. 

Though the library has had chat operations since the year 2000, it really came into the spotlight in March 2020. Because of the Coronavirus pandemic, patrons have started using chat services frequently, and the Access Services department has been able to answer many questions, help people find electronic access to their textbooks, and assist in digitizing materials for courses. In addition to all these services, the library also provides calculators, markers, and laptops. The most recent additions to the library inventory for patrons include the translator, listening device, desk light, book stand, magnifier, lap pad, project Kit, math kit, sensory kit, and flash cards for 10 different languages many more tools for patrons to come. Keep an eye on our website for more information about Willis Library’s services.  

Did this blog help you learn about the services Willis library provides for the patrons? Let us know your comments! Please contact Ask Us if you have any questions about library services.

References

Forrest, C. (2014). University of North Texas libraries: Willis Library second floor renovation. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc499087/ 

Johnston, P. (2016). Working together to get it for them: ILL and document delivery at the UNT libraries [PowerPoint slides]. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc826640/m1/44/ 

Venner, M. A. (2013). Combined services desk report. https://digital.library.unt.edu: UNT Digital Library. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc461740/m1/2/?q=%22Willis%20Library%22%20services 

Tips & Tricks for identifying a trustworthy article

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Written by Justin Hall

In this modern digital age, where it has become incredibly easy for anyone to post their opinions online, it can sometimes be hard for academics, specifically students, to tell which information resources are credible and fact-based. “The ubiquitous nature of the Internet enables anybody to spread false and biased information easily.” (Hansraj et al., 2021, p. 2) However, there are several clues a reader can use to tell if an article is on the up-and-up.

A person typing her article photo by Vlada Karpovich from Pexels

A person typing her article photo by Vlada Karpovich from Pexels

One of the easiest methods a user can rely on to tell if an article is trustworthy is whether or not it is peer-reviewed. Peer-review means that the article has been looked over by other experts in the field before it was submitted to the greater academic community for viewing. When an article is peer-reviewed it automatically makes the article more trustworthy because the professionals who have reviewed it have checked the contents for accuracy and relevance to the field of study. We can usually trust that peer reviewed articles are legitimate because authorities in a field of study want to maintain the integrity of their chosen discipline. This means that they will go the extra mile to weed out any inaccuracies or articles of general poor- quality. Still, even the experts of a discipline are susceptible to error, which means peer-reviewed articles can sometimes be inaccurate or misleading. This means students need to go the extra mile when searching for and choosing trustworthy articles.

Once you have a good list of peer-reviewed articles to choose from, you can start to looking at the content of the articles themselves. Most articles will have clues hidden within their content that give an idea of whether or not the article can be considered trustworthy. One thing we should be on the lookout for when reading an article is the tone. Many unreliable articles may seem trustworthy at first because they have a persuasive tone that attempts to bring the reader over to their way of thinking. However, a reader must be vigilant in these situations and determine how and why they are being persuaded by an article.  
For example, an article that is full of factual statements that can easily be cross checked through other reliable sources will likely be persuasive to a reader. On the other hand, a dogmatic article that uses emotions to sway a reader may also be very persuasive, but this doesn’t necessarily mean the article is factual. When choosing articles to use for their research, users must consider what the author is attempting to achieve in their article and how they go about reaching this goal. There is nothing wrong with a persuasive article. However, students must ensure that articles they choose for their research use facts and logic, rather than opinions and emotion. 

Another way to gauge the reliability of an article is by ascertaining the authority of the author and publisher.  For instance, a reader can investigate to see whether or not the author has any other credits to their name. If an author is well-known or has been published by reputable distributors in the past, this is a good indicator that they are more likely to be trustworthy. Likewise, if the reader has never heard of an author before or finds it hard to find any background information on the publisher then they should be wary of an article’s credibility. “Authority implies a neat positive or negative evaluation of a source’s author but tends to encourage a reductive focus on the absence or presence of specific academic or professional credentials and work experience”. (Elmwood, 2020, p. 278) Authors who have been through the research publishing process before are more likely to be credible. This is because they are less likely to put out disinformation that could tarnish the good reputation they have built over time. In the same vein, if the article cites other well-known authors or is backed by a well-known publisher it can strongly indicate that the author has done their research and can be viewed as more reliable source. 
 
Unfortunately, there is no one way to tell if an article is trustworthy. However, by using all of these methods in tandem when checking the reliability of an article, users have a much stronger chance of choosing reliable and trustworthy articles.  

References

Elmwood, V. (2020). The journalistic approach: Evaluating web sources in an age of mass disinformation. Communications in Information Literacy, 14(2). https://doi.org/10.15760/comminfolit.2020.14.2.6  

Hansrajh, A., Adeliyi, T. T., & Wing, J. (2021). Detection of online fake news using blending ensemble learning. Scientific Programming, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/3434458 

Understanding the Library of Congress Call Number System

Posted by & filed under Research Help.

Written by Alexander Ames

Books in Black Wooden Book Shelf
Book stack with sunlight falling on them by Pixabay licensed under Pexels

For students, searching for a book in an academic library might seem daunting or confusing. According to one survey conducted by Illinois State University, “Many students were unable to find books that the library’s catalog indicated were available and on the shelf” (Murphy et al., 2013). Going to the third floor of the Willis library and seeing stacks and stacks of books with only letters and numbers on endcaps as a guide might seem intimidating at first. However, once anyone adopts the strategies in this guide, they will have an easier time finding books according to their call number and more thoroughly understand the sorting system used by many academic libraries.

HOW A CALL NUMBER IS CREATED

The idea behind the Library of Congress Classification system is that all written knowledge can be divided into 21 broad categories, represented by the first letter at the top left. These 21 categories are then split into narrower subcategories using a 2 or 3 letter design structure, with the design becoming increasingly specific the further down the call number you get.

Availability and call number
Image Courtesy of library.unt.edu

In this example, the B stands for the category of Philosophy, Psychology, and Religion, while the L is a subcategory of B which means that, within the first category, the book has the subject of Religions, Mythology, and Rationalism. Further narrowing down the call number, BL860 specifically refers to the subcategory Germanic and Norse. This is then broken up within that category by the decimal that follows which represents the author. The last section is the year of publication, and, in this case, the book was published in 2017. If you’re interested in seeing what topics fall under other call numbers, you can go to the Library of Congress Classification page, click on “twenty-one basic classes”, and browse through them yourself!

FINDING THE BOOK IN THE LIBRARY

UNT libraries, like most academic libraries, use this classification system to sort their books. If you go to the library catalog and look up a book you would be interested in reading, you will find the call number for the book and in which library the book is housed. While Willis is the place that you’ll find most books, there are some exceptions. The Music library, for example, on the fourth floor of Willis, holds all of UNT’s physical media that falls under the Music category. You will also find books that fall under the Juvenile and Law category at the Sycamore library and video- and board-games at the Media library, while popular bestsellers are housed in the back left of the second floor of the Willis library as shown in the above example.
Once you go to the physical location, like the third floor of the Willis library, where the book is located, you read the call number like a book, left to right, and, if there are multiple rows, top to bottom. The third floor is organized in such a way that the A category starts at the front left corner of the floor and the letters progress front to back and then start again in the next row. To help you navigate, there are letters on the endcap of each shelf that allow you to find your overall subject more easily (in the example, we would be looking for the B endcap). Once you find that general subject, you will want to look for the subtopics within, following the same design. On the endcaps where you find the general topic, you can also find posters showing the extremes of the call numbers housed on the shelf. This is how you figure out what shelf to look through for your specific book!

Call Number
Image by Alexander Ames from library.unt.edu

Did this guide help you better understand call numbers and figure out how to find books in the library? Let us know in the comments! If you need help with your research or have questions about the library, feel free to reach out to Ask Us for assistance.

References:

Library of Congress. (2014). Library of Congress classification. https://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/lcc.html

Murphy, J., Long, D., & MacDonald, J. B. (2013). Students’ understanding of the Library of Congress call number system. The Reference Librarian, 54(2), 103-117. https:// 10.1080/02763877.2013.755418

Meet the Team!

Posted by & filed under Research Help.

Diverse team hands joining by Pavel Danilyuk licensed under Pexels

Scholar Speak is a student-created scholarly blog with scholarly topics that, if explained properly, could help fellow students on their academic journey. The main goal of writing these blog posts is to close a gap between students and the library, whether that be connecting people to helpful resources they might not understand or even know exist or explaining a certain topic to be more easily understandable. These are the people that will help make that happen!

Alexander Ames  

Hello! I am Alex, the Editor of this blog. After getting my bachelor’s degree in English from UNT, I am currently pursuing a master’s degree in library science, and eventually plan to work in a public library!  

Over this semester, my goal is to hone my research skills to a fine point, which will make me better at helping others throughout my career in the library. Another goal of mine is to get more experience with outreach, as a big part of public libraries is how the library interacts with the public.  

Justin Hall  

Hello, my name is Justin. I am a library science major in my second to last semester in the master’s program. I eventually want to work in either an academic or public library so my professional goal for this semester is to learn as much as I can from my team.

Arslan Ahmed  

Hello, my name is Arslan and I am currently doing my master’s in information science. I want to work in the field of data analytics in future and am planning to learn as much as possible about time management, information organization and working in depth with team members sharing the same interest.  

Sierra Dahl  

Hello everyone, my name is Sierra. I finished my bachelor’s degree in social work from UNT in May of 2021 and immediately began my master’s in library science. After graduation, I plan to work in public libraries, hopefully with youth, to aid library users in becoming life-long learners. 

Omika Mishra  

Hello, my name is Omika. I am the admin of this blog. I have completed my bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics from India and my current major is information systems. My career goal is to work in the data analytics field.  

While working with the library, I am getting exposed to various services, methods, resources, projects, and tools. And I can see the endless opportunity and resources that this Library provides to its patron, though I am a little cog in the wheel in this huge academic library, I really wish to learn and improve my skills to interact and help patrons better with their needs.  

Manvitha Doma  

Hello everyone, I am Manvitha Doma. I have completed my bachelor’s degree in computer   science in India, and I am currently pursuing my master’s in data science. My career goal is to be a data engineer and then eventually move into a data scientist role. I would like to increase my critical thinking and research skills while working in the library.   

UNT Scholarly Works

Posted by & filed under Library Resources, Research Help.

Written by: Sarah Diaz

Person holding pencil near computer
Person holding pencil near computer by Scott Graham, licensed under Unsplash 

If you have ever been curious about the research your professors are doing, you might be interested in UNT Scholarly Works, the University of North Texas institutional repository. 

Institutional repositories are collections of scholarly work from a specific institution, like a college or university. According to Rebecca Marsh (2015), they have been around since the early 2000s and are typically used as “a mechanism for capturing, archiving and managing the collective digital research outputs of the institution” (p. 165). Although they vary greatly from one institution to another, institutional repositories typically collect published work as well as “grey literature,” which includes things like preprints, theses and dissertations, or conference proceedings. Grey literature has not been published, so it has historically been difficult for librarians to provide access (New York Academy of Medicine, n.d.). Institutional repositories help to preserve and share these materials. 

Additionally, institutional repositories are an important part of Open Access. Have you ever experienced the frustration of hitting paywalls and being unable to access the information you need? A benefit of Open Access is that it can help eliminate this problem by making resources available to everyone. One popular way of making information freely available is to publish it in an Open Access journal. However, what about articles published in traditional journals or other types of scholarly work aside from articles? Another option is to archive the materials in an intuitional repository. 

UNT Scholarly Works is part of our Digital Library. Like most institutional repositories, it archives a variety of both published and unpublished works. It currently includes over 6,000 items such as articles, presentations, data, and even creative work such as art and music (UNT Digital Library, n.d.). To access UNT Scholarly Works, visit https://digital.library.unt.edu/explore/collections/UNTSW/ and use the search bar or the filters to start exploring the collection. 

If you’re a student pursuing scholarly research and publication, you might be wondering who can submit their work. In addition to archiving work by the university’s faculty and staff, the Digital Library has several related repositories dedicated specifically to theses and dissertations, graduate student work, undergraduate work, and data. According to the website, “UNT students are welcome to deposit their work that has been accepted by a professional organization or approved by a faculty mentor” (University Libraries, n.d.). If you meet those criteria, your work may be eligible to be added to a UNT repository. For example, learning more about the repositories while writing this post inspired a few of my fellow GSAs and me to submit the slides from a lightning talk and a poster we presented this spring. 

For more information about UNT Scholarly Works, contact untrepository@unt.edu. Several other Scholar Speak contributors have also written about Open Access and scholarly publishing, so if you have an interest in these topics, be sure to check out: 

Have you used UNT Scholarly Works to find work by your professors or other faculty? Let us know in the comments! If you need help with your research or have questions about the library, feel free to reach out to Ask Us for assistance. 

References

Marsh, R. M. (2015). The role of institutional repositories in developing the communication of scholarly research. OCLC Systems & Services, 31(4), 163–195. https://doi.org/10.1108/OCLC-04-2014-0022 

New York Academy of Medicine. (n.d.). What is grey literature? Grey Literature Report. https://www.greylit.org/about  

University Libraries. (n.d.). UNT Scholarly Works. University of North Texas. https://library.unt.edu/scholarly-works/  

UNT Digital Library. (n.d.). UNT Scholarly Works. University of North Texas. https://digital.library.unt.edu/explore/collections/UNTSW/

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