Has your institution purchased discovery layer tools? Are you wondering how students are using them and how much return your institution is getting on that investment? Not only are there more resources available to students online than ever before, but there are also more avenues for students to discover those resources. RRU Library puts links to Google Scholar, Summon™, LibGuides, Captivate tutorials, and more onto its web pages; this paper is an investigation of how students are using those resources and what they think of them. It presents student feedback on these discovery layers combined with empirical evidence from usage statistics. The paper explains how RRU Library will use this evidence to inform both the electronic paths designed to lead students to its resources and the outcomes of its information literacy instructional sessions.

With the continuing trend toward university courses being offered online, there is corresponding need for academic librarians to support students in those digital spaces. We developed a sustainable model for embedding librarians to provide research support in online courses, and then investigated the impact we were having on student learning outcomes and what students and faculty think about our efforts. This paper outlines our model and presents survey feedback from students combined with user data from our course management system (CMS) to discuss how well we are doing and how this evidence can inform our embedded librarian service going forward.Keywords: academic libraries, embedded librarianship, information literacy, faculty-librarian collaboration, course management systemThe strong service ethic that underpins librarianship is exemplified by embedded library services. This direct, point-of-need support to researchers and instructors navigating information resources is an excellent example of how librarians bring their knowledge and expertise into increasingly digital learning spaces.The popularity of online education is partly due to the flexibility it provides students to participate in academic programs or courses regardless of geography or, to some degree, scheduling. However, the time shifted, often text-centric and solitary reality of post-secondary online education presents different challenges and opportunities for teaching and learning.Providing individual research support to distance students is more time consuming than supporting students in person. Given the time shifted nature of email interactions, the absence of nonverbal cues available when talking in person, and the need to write rather than talk, more time is spent in written correspondence with students than would be spent talking to them in person. In an effort to limit the number of individual research questions received by the small staff complement at Royal Roads University (RRU), the librarians developed a sustainable model of embedded librarianship that delivers timely library instruction to students in the midst of research-heavy courses. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate how well our model of embedded librarianship is being received by students and faculty, and to consider how we might improve that service. Literature ReviewThe concept of embedded librarianship has been applied to describe a spectrum of librarian engagement. Schulte (2012) rightly pointed out that the topic "can be somewhat difficult to define because of the wide range of approaches and interpretations presented in the literature" (p. 2). Dewey, (2008) credited with coining the phrase, "embedded librarianship" provided the most professionally proactive and far reaching description of embedded librarianship. She called on professionals to influence curriculum development, contribute to the development of physical and virtual campus spaces, play key roles in campus research, liaise with student governing bodies, and participate in campus governance. ...

Handheld electronic devices are becoming popular and are playing an increasingly important role in the distributed learning environment. Enabling library users to maximize their access to library resources though these devices involves challenges that include determining the level of interest among users, identifying relevant resources, and establishing technical and compatibility standards. Affordability of devices for consumers, and availability of resources and support for handheld computing initiatives within libraries must also be considered. This study examines issues and challenges surrounding the design and delivery of library services and resources for personal digital assistants (PDAs) at Royal Roads University Library, finding that there are beneficial research applications for handheld devices that can be implemented even while related technologies continue to evolve.Personal digital assistants (PDAs) of various sorts are increasingly owned by members of the Royal Roads University community, with 33% of participants in a learner survey reporting ownership in 2004. Access to information resources such as eBooks, news, and journal articles figured prominently among the services most desired by survey respondents (Hawksworth, 2005). Further, a pilot project in 2005 in the use of Blackberry devices by university staff and faculty indicated that a more fully featured PDA, such as PocketPC or Palm, would better satisfy some requirements, such as browsing the Internet and reading eBooks (Grundy, 2005). In light of the findings of these two earlier studies, the Royal Roads University Library decided to identify faculty and staff who use PDAs, other than Blackberries, and to assess their level of interest in PDAfriendly services to complement existing desktop-based access to online library resources. A secondary objective was to explore which PDA applications our clients perceive to be of most use.To date, programs at Royal Roads University have been delivered primarily online to distance learners across Canada and beyond. To support the University's commitment to e-learning and its interest in mobile learning (m-learning) environments, the library focuses on providing resources in electronic formats over print. This mandate to provide access to resources in electronic format wherever possible and practical makes it appealing to explore PDAs as another mode of access for online resources. With the growing popular adoption and increasing evolution of smaller devices, it seems natural to anticipate a demand for PDA-accessible library services. As Michael Seadle notes in his introductory article to the PDA issue of Library Hi Tech, we need to " [consider] how our patrons will use PDAs, just as in the past we had to plan for their use of computers, laptops, and Internet access" (Seadle, 2003). *This is an electronic version of an article published as:

Usage statistics are a regular part of assessment but the lack of context leaves librarians pondering the reasons for fluctuations in use. Through development of an online survey, we examined faculty perceptions, knowledge, and use of distance library services to support online courses. Responses provided much needed context and helped to determine priorities and direction for services. While this survey was a useful marketing tool, results emphasized that the greatest need was for ongoing communication with faculty to increase awareness of services provided.Keywords: academic libraries, faculty, distance library services, assessment UNCOVERING THE EVIDENCE With the persistent need for academic libraries to justify their services in the context of the university's wider mission, it is imperative that individual units routinely assess their services to ensure they support the unit goals, the larger goals of the library, as well as the university and the patrons for whom they are providing these services.Since its inception, the University of Victoria's (UVic) Distance Learning and Research unit has regularly collected usage statistics around reference, instruction, and material delivery; however this only tells part of the picture. Usage statistics are not evaluative. Taken on their own, they do not reveal the impact a unit has on its main user group or its contribution to the larger library and university goals. Solicited feedback from service users can provide nuanced feedback on the unit's value and bolster funding or staffing decisions when it is apparent that well-regarded, high quality services are being provided, regardless of fluctuations in use.Regular assessment of services, along with usage statistics, is just good practice, and can provide a more fulsome picture of what a particular unit does, why they are doing it, and how well they are doing it in the eyes of their main user groups. To complement a survey of distance students at UVic conducted in 2009 1 , the authors decided to utilize an evidence-based form of inquiry to explore faculty perceptions of our services. Distance library services at UVicThe Distance Learning and Research team at UVic Libraries currently consists of two full-time librarians and one administrative staff member. Distance Education programing at UVic was initiated by the Division of Continuing Studies (DCS) in the late 1970s in partnership 1 As this was an internal survey that did not go through the University's ethics review board, details cannot be publicly shared. While some studies may incorporate other methods in their research, the survey is commonly the key component to inquiries of this nature. Shaffer, Finkelstein, & Lyden (2004) started their inquiry with a small focus group of distance faculty and used the resulting feedback to assist in developing the survey questions and identifying faculty who would serve as participants. In a similar vein, a later study by Kvenild and Bowles-Terry (2011) first conducted phone interviews with known distance faculty to h...

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