The Roles that Librarians and Libraries Play in Distance Education Settings
This article explores the literature that focuses on the various roles librarians and libraries play in distance education settings. Learners visit libraries either in person or via networked computing technology to ask for help with their online courses. Questions range from how to upload a document with a learning management system, to how to use software and hardware, to more complex questions about how to locate and research articles for term papers. The literature reviewed provides a glimpse into the historical roles, current roles, as well as possible new roles that libraries and librarians may play in the future. This article identifies various library services that are essential to distant learners and distance education settings, and will explain how librarians and libraries are providing these services online.
Academic Library Resources and Services for Online Distance Learners: An Exploratory Study
In this study distance learning library resources and services as provided by member institutions belonging to the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) were examined. The goals of this study were (a) to identify the types of distance learning library resources and services being provided, and (b) to gain insight into the experiences and perspectives of Association of Research Libraries’ library personnel in delivering library resources and services to their distance learning library patrons. This exploratory study consisted of two phases, where both quantitative and qualitative methods were used. Phase one involved a content analysis of member institution’s distance learning websites and library subject guides to reveal the types of library resources and services offered to their online, distance learners. ARL member institutions were analyzed: (a) if the institution is an academic library, and (b) if the institution has either a distance learning website and/or a library subject guide. Phase two of the study entailed personal, semi-structured interviews with library personnel at ARL member institutions. Library personnel were selected based on the number of library resources and services offered at their respective institution. The purpose of interviewing library personnel was to gain a deeper understanding of the librarian’s experiences, perceptions, challenges, and opportunities in delivering distance learning library resources and services. Content analysis findings revealed that an academic libraries’ web presence provides a prime gateway for distance learners to access library resources and services at their point of need. Conversations with academic librarians revealed efforts towards educating users, marketing their collections and services, and discovering/identifying the information needs of their distance learning library users in order to meet them where they are. These findings offer academic librarians and institution
Inquiring "Tree of Life" at Home: Persian Classic Literature in English Classes.
The recent decades of English Language Teaching (ELT) appear to be particularly concerned with the marginalisation caused by English linguistic, cultural, and academic colonisation and imperialism. Bold footprints of this academic monopoly can be seen in the wide incorporation of abridged or unabridged British and American literary works in foreign language settings. Such literary products are often legitimised as authentic materials authored by native speakers. Inspired by the idea of incorporating non-native literature and translated first language literature into English classes, the authors of this article sought to explore the possibilities of opening spaces for English translations of Persian classic works of literature in English as foreign language classrooms and tracing the language events that unfolded as a result of incorporating such literature. The participants of this two-semester long action research project were non-English major Iranian female university students, majoring in various fields at Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran. The sense of familiarity the students had with such national literary works led to the emergence of language instances lightened by sparks of virtue, vision, life and art.