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Using Library Resources to Enhance the Student Experience

Timothy J. Foley, Director, Client Computing & Library Services Lehigh University

Lehigh Overview

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• Founded in 1865• 4700 undergrads, 1200 grads, 450 faculty, 1200

staff• Four Colleges (Arts & Science, Engineering,

Business, Education)• Research Extensive• Ranks 31st out of 262 national universities in US

News and World Report’s annual survey

What I will cover• Organization Structure to Enhance Services• Portal Developments

– Content Development – Led by a Librarian• MyLibrary• Parent Portal, Alumni and many more

• Information Literacy Initiative and Digital Library Projects– Information Literacy Initiative – Digital Library and its uses

• Religion Studies • Physics and Philosophy• History • Earth and Environmental Science• Beyond Steel

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Integrated Support Model (cont.)• Client Services– Librarians, Computing Consultants, Instructional

Technologists, Enterprise Consultants, Help Desk, Residential Networking, Media Services, Security

– Cross functional teams assigned to support each college and the administrative offices

– At times it feels like herding cats – but it does work

• Digital Library Team and Special Collections

• Award winning Lehigh Lab Umbrella – led by Faculty Development and a Faculty Fellow

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MyLehigh Campus Portal• Enhancing student life, academics and

community• Targeted information channels• Student & course information integrated• Innovative first year applications

– Online student orientation– Course advising before

students arrive– Calculus readiness exam– College-based information– Housing selection– Pay deposits on-line– On-line mentors

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Lots more portal developments

• Parent Portal• Alumni Portal• Board of Trustee Portal (Piloting with Audit

committee)• Graduate Portals modeled after our First Year

Student Portal

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Library Resources

• 1.2 million Books• 8,400+ E-Journals• 90+ Electronic Databases• Some Digital Library Sites

• Beyond Steel• Illuminated Manuscripts• Lehigh Valley Geology & History

(1939-1940)• Copernicus• I Remain for more:http://digital.lib.lehigh.edu/

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MyLehigh+MyLibrary - Use of the campus portal for

personalized electronic resources

Key features of MyLibrary• Librarians set up default choices for subject pages• Look and feel resembles the rest of the Lehigh portal• Users can customize subject lists or select titles from outside

their discipline• All electronic resources cataloged in SIRSI library catalog, with

standard subject headings• “Fund code” approach – assign specific department codes to

track funding by subject area

• User classes harvested out of Banner

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MyLibrary Portal Usage• November 2007 3500 unique visitors– 38% Undergraduates– 49% Graduates– 13% Faculty and Staff

• Visits by College– Engineering 33%– Arts and Science 22%– Education 22%– Business 14%– Undeclared 9%

• See http://mylibrary.lehigh.edu/repository/

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Quotes from our clients

• Wow! Major kudos to you all for the great new journalism collection portal-thingy! There are journals there that I didn't realize we had electronic access to. Thanks so much for making it easy to find what's available in our hard-to-categorize field of research.

• I find the … product a real asset to the Portal. I am now drawn to use the Portal in a full-service way which just wasn't available before. Thanks to all who helped motivate this addition to the Portal.

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Navigating Information Literacy Initiative

• Develop student skills to:– Find and credit appropriate resources– Use appropriate research strategies

• Develop faculty skills to:– Teaching to avoid plagiarism– Model Lehigh assignments highlighted– Inform faculty of existing research skills of Lehigh students

• How Middle States defines it:– Information literacy is an intellectual framework for identifying,

finding, understanding, evaluating and using information. Middle States Standard 11

See http://www.lehigh.edu/library/infolit/

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Research Skills Assessment (RSA) Results

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Category 2006 2005 2004

Defining Research Needs

81% 95% 91%

Accessing Information

68% 65% 63%

Locating Relevant Information

79% 80% 81%

Critically Evaluating Information

67% 73% 73%

Employing Ethical Principles

87% 85% 41%

http://www.lehigh.edu/library/infolit/faculty/rsainstrument.html

Illuminated Manuscripts – Book of HoursDesigning religion assignments around 14th to

16th century prayer books

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First Contact – I Remain

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• Archive Project – transcription and interpretation of early American letters from “I Remain” project.

• Used Teams LX tool (Blackboard) to create collaborative web documents & synchronous communications tools for class sessions

Copernicus and Brahe

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• The Problem of the Planets

• Co-taught by Physics and Philosophy Professors

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Beyond Steel

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Video1 Video2

Two Volumes of local 1941 PA Geological Surveys

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Summary

• Innovation organizational structure• Librarian expertise to enhance student

experience – Content and organizational skills – Client Services skills to understand the needs of our

clients• Use of unique Lehigh resources – Special Collections materials used in creative ways for

instruction– Digital Library to make resources available to all

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Any Questions?

Contact Info: Timothy Foley tim.foley@lehigh.edu

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Philad. June 17, 1764

Dear Mr. Strahan I received your favor per Capt. Walker, which I shall answer fully per Hammet, who sails in about ten days.  I think I am slighted lately per Mr. Becket .  Pray enquire and tell me the reason, that if I have been in fault I may amend. I left some receipts with you for subscription monies to books.  I wish you to enquire about them, particularly Stewart's Athens .  My love to Mrs. Strahan and your family.                                                                       I am, dear friend,

                                                                                   Yours affectionately,

                                                                                               B. Franklin

We are all well, and as happy as other folks for the present. **************************

BackKennedy Letter about elections