Seminar 6 - Independent Learning

Qualitative case study

Topics:-

This case study is studying a contemporary phenomenon within its real life context. The author studied (1) what are the roles of subject specialists and reference librarians in the age of electronic resources? And (2) would the decision making process is shifting from librarians to vendors or even removed from the librarians or individual libraries.

Hypothesis:-

Print titles with electronic access would experience a larger decline than electronic titles with no print counterpart


Predictions:-

Roles of specialists and reference librarians play in selecting titles of library collections.


The author elaborated and used a case study to describe and explain the reason why there is still a need of subject specialists or reference librarians in this electronic age. Titles in print, electronic aggregators, licensing negotiations and consortia agreements subscription by librarians and venders should balance and supplement to each other.

Qualitative research has been conducted in this study:-

Particpants: subject specialists and reference librarian

Independent variable: title cancellation list appear in print and electronic formats were reviewed

Dependent variable: some cancellation titles reserved and “wish list” of new titles created


Data collection
The reference librarian selects titles in BPI in 2001 for the research and reviewed the titles for cancellation. It circulated to subject specialists for the determination of cancellation titles. The list of cancellation titles was done by comparing AACSB-I self-study 1990s and BPI (Business Periodicals Index) in 2001.


Participants’ observation
Subject specialists and librarian themselves observed through their routine duties.


To be concluded, roles of subject specialists or reference librarians are significant and played a vital part in areas of collection development but it is less important for them to select titles.

Problems of different needs of selection titles appeared in different faculties and students needs (selection by librarians and subject specialists). If title selection shift to vendors, aggregators and consortium decisions then some popular title would be missed.


References:-
Welch, J. M. (2002). "Hey! What About Us?! Changing Roles of Subject Specialists and Reference Librarians in the Age of Electronic Resources." Serials Review 28(4): 283-286.