Volume 46, Number 5 - September/October 2022
EDITORIALFrontLines Page 4 Politically motivated challenges to diverse collections impact the sustainability of public, school, and academic libraries. By Marydee Ojala DEPARTMENTSPage 8 Search Engine Update Page 30 Conference Corral ALA Returns to Washington FEATURESPage 10 Using NAICS Codes Effectively to Research Industries NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) codes are used heavily by business researchers. Libraries' subscription databases include the codes as searchable fields, and government entities use them extensively. Yet inconsistent assignment of codes and lack of a centralized authority can lead to flawed research findings if researchers are not careful, warns veteran business librarian Jennifer Boettcher. By Jennifer C. Boettcher Page 16 Ebook Publishers Present a Catch-22 Dilemma for Libraries Across the Globe Although the availability of digital materials, particularly ebooks, was a boon during the pandemic when physical libraries closed their doors, they also present dilemmas for libraries. Nancy Herther notes that the laws about ebooks are different from print, which affects e-lending policies, and prices for some ebooks are sky high. By Nancy K. Herther Page 21 Ebook Conundrums, Textbook Troubles Students have long been accustomed to selling their textbooks once they've completed the course. Publishers get no revenue from the sale of secondhand books. One potential way around this is for the publishers to issue textbooks as NFTs (non-fungible tokens). By Marydee Ojala Page 22 Libraries and the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out by the United Nations in its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development resonates with libraries and publishers. Barbie Keiser provides examples of initiatives developed by publishers, database vendors, universities, library associations, and libraries of all types. By Barbie E. Keiser COLUMNSInternet Express Page 33 Carly Lamphere notes that most of today's technology, and thus the services we use on a daily basis, rely heavily on rating/review systems. But how reliable are these systems? She shares statistics and presents some eye-opening issues that bring into question whether the ratings are actually helping or hindering businesses and those who use them to make decisions. By Carly Lamphere InfoLit Land Page 36 The Mentor Connection Librarians mentoring students is an important part of information literacy, but making genuine connections happens too rarely. Bill Badke urges librarians not to give up but go beyond merely teaching about research to optimize points of connection, marketing themselves as empathetic consultants. By William Badke The Dollar Sign Page 39 The Art and Science of Economics Research Economic research has a foot in both scholarly publishing and the practicalities of the business world. Economics also affects people in their daily lives. Marydee Ojala reviews the basic sources for research in the field, both textual and numeric. By Marydee Ojala Metrics Mashup Page 42 Elaine Lasda observes that many reasons exist for researchers to cite sources, but they can be classified as either scientifically or tactically motivated. Machine learning, as employed by scite, adds context to cited references, thus improving the citation process. By Elaine M. Lasda Hard Copy Page 45 Recommended Reading on Information Science, the Crisis of Information, the Knowledge Economy, and Digital Humanities By Jennifer A. Bartlett Online Spotlight Page 48 Disruptive technologies, such as AI and robotics, affect how librarians do their jobs, but equally important are "soft skills," such as negotiation, collaboration, and empathy. By Mary Ellen Bates |
