Purpose -The purpose is to explore using databases of freely available electronic books as part of a library's collection. Design/methodology/approach -The paper considered whether expensive discovery services, an OCLC product, or an open source product would be practical alternatives to the current labor-intensive system used.

Purpose -The purpose of the paper is to examine how weeding physical collections might obviate the need for compact shelving. Design/methodology/approach -Provides a viewpoint on how to manage space and budget within an academic library. Findings -The Daniel Library at The Citadel is scheduled to be renovated beginning in May 2009. Heavy weeding needs to start now, to give technical services staff time to process deselections and transfers from reference to the circulating collection. Originality/value -Shows how a balance between space and budget can be achieved.

Purpose -The aim of this article is to share ideas about, and examples of, visual representations of library collections. Design/methodology/approach -The article takes the form of a literature review and opinion. Findings -Although information visualization appears in the literature as a field of study at least as early as 1981, library catalogs and indexes remain overwhelmingly text-based. Originality/value -Since 2010, only about 10 percent of the full-text, scholarly articles in EBSCO databases with thesaurus term "information visualization" are published in library science journals.

Purpose The purpose of the study is to discuss Questia, a library database that is marketed directly to student users. Design/methodology/approach Opinion piece. Findings From a student’s perspective, Questia is very useful. It would not be a useful addition to undergraduate libraries, even if site licenses are available. Research limitations/implications It would be interesting to design a study to compare library skills of undergraduates who are subscribed to Questia with those who participate in traditional library instruction sessions. Practical implications It is suggested that Questia should be recommended to an undergraduate student who is struggling with basic research skills or who is especially pressed for time. Originality/value There are no scholarly articles discussing Questia after 2012.

At NASIG's 2019 conference, Kirstin Steele and Courtney McAllister spoke about the importance of mentorship in making acquisitions, electronic resources, and collections librarians successful and dynamic. The role of mentorship in the profession encourages continual personal and professional growth, and helps practitioners maintain relevant skills. The presenters framed mentorship as an implied or unspoken competency. While not explicitly mentioned in NASIG's core competency documentation, it is a practice that serves a foundational role in making those competencies and qualities achievable. The presenters shared their personal experiences as mentors, mentees, and peer-to-peer mentors, while offering some advice on the strengths and weaknesses of various mentorship scenarios. Achieving and maintaining a healthy mentorship dynamic can be a complex process. McAllister and Steele emphasized the importance of clear and straightforward communication, managing expectations, documenting takeaways, and identifying realistic time commitments.