I recently had the opportunity to talk to two groups of students
about their feelings about the library. One of the students
surprised me by saying that Google was easy and popular, but she
and her friends avoided using it for any real research because the
results were unreliable. She felt that resources like Proquest,
Infotrac, or any online journals that she accessed by going through
the library's web page were legitimate sources for research because
they were provided by the library. Some of her instructors
encouraged this by saying that any online sources used for research
had to be library-provided.

Visiting classes and giving a brief talk on using library
resources, including online journals, might be the best way to get
the word out. Or even just meet with instructors.

--On Wednesday, April 21, 2004 11:44 AM -0400 Emmett Denny
<emmett.denny@FAMU.EDU> wrote:

> I have found through my work at one college and one university
> that instructors unwittingly hinder electronic serial usage.  So
> often students come into the library and are shown electronic
> journals and their response at times is: "My teacher said I could
> not use any sources off the Internet. It has to be paper."
>
> Emmett Denny
> Interim Head of Technical Services
> Florida A&M University
> Tallahassee, FL   32307
>
> 850.599.3926
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum
> [mailto:SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU] On Behalf Of Mays, Allison
> Sent: Wednesday, April 21, 2004 8:29 AM
> To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
> Subject: Re: [SERIALST] Ideas for promoting and marketing the
> serials department
>
> Rachel -
>
> It sounds like you're doing a fair amount already. I'm at a small
> liberal arts college and our usage is increasing
> gradually/steadily as the students become aware of what is
> available. We have put information in our library newsletter but
> I'm sure hardly anyone reads it. We also stress ejournals in our
> bibliographic instruction classes; even if they don't "get it"
> totally, they've at least been introduced to it. But I attribute
> the increased usage to our one-on-one work with students as they
> stumble in the night before a paper is due. Once they realize what
> they can get online, there is no going back. Our faculty members
> are "on board" with ejournals and realize that's what the
> students want to use.
>
> It surprises me that your usage is low. As computer-savvy as
> college kids are today, they're totally gung ho about anything
> online; we have to drag them kicking and screaming to the paper.
> Does your college require a lot of papers? Ours does, and I think
> this accounts for our usage stats.
>
> I think you just have to keep chipping away at it.
>
> Allison
>
> Allison P. Mays
> Acquisitions/Serials Librarian
> Millsaps College
> 1701 N. State Street
> Jackson, MS 39210
> 601-974-1083
> maysap@millsaps.edu
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Rachel [mailto:rachelb@MACAM.AC.IL]
> Sent: Wednesday, April 21, 2004 4:37 AM
> To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
> Subject: [SERIALST] Ideas for promoting and marketing the serials
> department
>
>
> Dear Librarians,
> I am looking for concrete ideas as to how to promote the serials
> department especially e-journal usage, which at the moment is
> relatively low. I already send faculty members TOC alerts and new
> journal information. I also post interesting articles on a cork
> board. Thanks for your help
>
> Rachel Ben-Eliezer
> Serials Librarian / ILL
> DAVID YELLIN COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
> LIBRARY
> POB 3578
> JERUSALEM 91035
> ISRAEL
> TEL: 02 6558180
> FAX: 02 6521548
> E MAIL: rachelb@macam.ac.il

Christopher Allen Waldrop
Serials Coordinator
Order Services Department
Vanderbilt University Library
Ph: 615-343-3831
Fax: 615-343-8834