C&RL Spotlight July/August 2016 353 C&RL News C & R L S p o t l i g h tWendi Kaspar Wendi Kaspar is C&RL editor and policy sciences librarian at the Texas A&M University Policy Sciences and Economics Library, email: warant@library.tamu.edu The preoccupation with accountability and engagement in higher education is impossible to ignore—it is prevalent in the news media, in political rhetoric, and in public discourse. However, accountability and engagement are more than buzzwords. In higher education, they demonstrate the desire for a stronger connection between academic efforts and society or, more specifically, between the creation and the application of knowledge. There has been an increased call for univer- sities and colleges to model societal values and to be responsive to the needs of industry and the public. Libraries are in a unique position to assist institutions of higher education in addressing these demands by collaborating with scholars and researchers in the academy; liaising with faculty to support their teaching; empowering students through building information literacy skills; partnering with academic programs to gather evidence of impact; providing public access to the creation of new knowledge; and facilitating connections with industry, gov- ernment and the community. Through these efforts, academic libraries play a pivotal role in fulfilling the missions of their institutions, while meeting the changing needs of society. The articles in the July 2016 issue of Col- lege & Research Libraries demonstrate this unique position. In fact, they are representa- tive of the larger conversations occurring in higher education today and how innovation can help to move efforts forward. Articles in the current issue examine the evolving values in higher education and academic libraries: demonstrating value, advocating open ac- cess to information and expertise generated from academia, using emerging technology in information provision, framing research data as scholarship, and promoting diversity. • Christopher W. Belter and Neal K. Kaske. “Using Bibliometrics to Demonstrate the Value of Library Journal Collections.” Abstract: Although cited reference studies are common in the library and information science literature, they are rarely performed in nonacademic institutions or in the atmo- spheric and oceanic sciences. In this paper, we analyze more than 400,000 cited refer- ences made by authors affiliated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis- tration between 2009 and 2013. Our results suggest that these methods can be applied to research libraries in a variety of institutions, that the results of analyses performed at one institution may not be applicable to other institutions, and that cited reference analyses should be periodically updated to reflect changes in authors’ referencing behavior. • Brian K. Kooy. “Building Virtually Free Subject Area Expertise through Social Media: An Exploratory Study.” Abstract: Central to the ongoing success of the liaison model is the need for liaison librarians to stay informed and up-to-date about recent developments in the subject areas of their assigned academic departments and programs. This article de- scribes an exploratory study conducted to determine whether information obtained from the social media accounts of discipline- based scholarly associations can be used by liaison librarians as a no-cost expedient method of staying informed and up-to-date. The results of the study provide insights into the disciplines and associations that are using social media, the social media platforms that associations are using, the quantity and type of information that associations are posting, and the potential for liaisons to use the in- formation as a way of staying current in their assigned subject areas. • Paula R. Dempsey. “‘Are You a Com- puter?’ Opening Exchanges in Virtual Ref- erence Shape the Potential for Teaching.” Abstract: Academic reference librarians C&RL News July/August 2016 354 frequently work with students who are not aware of their professional roles. In online interactions, a student might not even real- ize that the librarian is a person. The ways students initiate conversations reveal their understanding of the mutual roles involved in reference encounters. Conversation analy- sis of live chat transcripts at two institutions establishes the importance of opening ex- changes to shape the potential for teaching. Chats that students open with relational cues (greeting, introduction, courtesy, verbal soft- eners) last longer than chats without these cues. Longer chats include more expressions of enthusiastic gratitude. The transcripts show evidence of successful strategies by librarians to shift chats from transactional openings to conversations with potential for engaged learning. • Christine Fruin and Shan Sutton. “Strat- egies for Success: Open Access Policies at North American Educational Institutions.” Abstract: Recognizing the paucity of quan- titative and qualitative data from North American educational institutions that have pursued open access policies, the authors devised a survey to collect information on the characteristics of these institutions, as well as the elements of the open access poli- cies, the methods of promoting these poli- cies, faculty concerns about the policies, and how those concerns have been addressed. The data collected through survey results from 51 institutions can inform the strategic decisions being made by other institutions considering an open access policy and il- lustrates the essential roles that academic libraries can play in the development and passage of open access policies. • Yi Shen. “Strategic Planning for a Data- Driven, Shared-Access Research Enterprise: Virginia Tech Research Data Assessment and Landscape Study.” Abstract: The data land- scape study at Virginia Tech addresses the changing modes of faculty scholarship and supports the development of a user-centric data infrastructure, management, and cura- tion system. The study investigates faculty researchers’ current practices in organizing, describing, and preserving data and the emerging needs for services and educa- tion. The results demonstrate the changing nature of faculty demands regarding data documentation, storage, and archiving and identify opportunities for libraries to develop a coherent service, research, and education system to address the evolving needs. • Julie Gilbert. “Heroes and Holidays: The Status of Diversity Initiatives at Liberal Arts College Libraries.” Abstract: Studies about diversity initiatives in academic librar- ies have primarily focused on large research libraries. But what kinds of diversity work occur at smaller libraries? This study exam- ines the status of diversity initiatives, espe- cially those aimed at students, at national liberal arts college libraries. Results from a survey of library directors reveal that, while diversity programming happens informally at most libraries, and while diversity is valued by library directors, diversity work has not been prioritized at the organizational level in any systematic manner. • Emily P. Frank and Nils Pharo. “Academic Librarians in Data Information Literacy Instruc- tion: Case Study in Meteorology.” Abstract: E-science has reshaped meteorology—due to the rate data is generated, collected, analyzed, and stored—and brought data skills to a new prominence. Data information literacy—the skills needed to understand, use, manage, share, work with, and produce data—reflects the confluence of data skills with information literacy competencies. This research assessed perceptions of data information literacy and at- titudes on its instruction for graduate students in meteorology. As academic librarians have traditionally provided information literacy in- struction, the research determined if they were perceived as having a role in data informa- tion literacy instruction. The modified Delphi method was applied to obtain the perspectives of a panel of experts, representing students, librarians, professors, and researchers, for the purpose of forecasting and consensus-making. Through the consideration of the University of Oslo’s Department of Geosciences’ Meteo- rology Section, the research found that data July/August 2016 355 C&RL News information literacy skills were relevant to the work of meteorology students. Stakeholders perceived that academic librarians could play a future role in general instruction, but that they would have to overcome obstacles to be involved in data information literacy instruc- tion. For librarians to enter this domain, they would need to improve their technical skills, enhance their discipline-specific knowledge, or rely on collaborations. The significance of these findings was limited by the modest target population under examination. Consequently, the results were strongly linked to the specific setting. Further studies would be necessary to determine their generalizability. As the incoming editor of College & Re- search Libraries, I feel strongly that this is the most critical charge for academic libraries—to address these questions and sociopolitical issues along with playing a significant part in the dialogues that are shaping higher education. It is an honor to be a part of publishing such significant research in librarianship that reflects this role, and I am humbled to follow in the footsteps of those great editors of Col- lege & Research Libraries who have come be- fore me. Most recently, Scott Walter, who has provided innovative leadership for the journal responsive to emerging trends in scholarly communication, and the editors emeritus, who have helped shaped scholarship in the profession and the prestigious and influential journal that C&RL has become: 1939-1941 A. F. Kuhlman 1941-1948 Carl M. White 1948-1962 Maurice F. Tauber 1962-1963 Richard Harwell 1963-1969 David Kaser 1969-1974 Richard M. Dougherty 1974-1980 Richard D. Johnson 1980-1984 C. James Schmidt 1984-1990 Charles Martell 1990-1996 Gloriana St. Clair 1996-2002 Donald E. Riggs 2002-2008 William Gray Potter 2008–2011 Joseph Branin 2012--2016 Scott Walter (“Keeping workplace burnout at bay,” continues from page 352) clude work-life balance, mindfulness, workplace rejection, mental health issues, and burnout pre- vention. Access: https://librarianburnout.com/. • Library Burnout: Causes, Symp- toms, Solutions. This article, written by Christine Martin, highlights burnout symptoms (such as low productivity, inability to concentrate, and increased absenteeism) and causes (including bud- get pressures, heavy workloads, and few opportunities for advancement) in the library profession. Moreover, the article also offers strategies and tips for employees (i.e., not taking work home) and manag- ers (i.e., being an advocate for staff) to prevent burnout before it becomes a seri- ous problem. Martin also includes a list of further reading materials on the issue and an inventory that readers can take to determine if they are at risk for burn- out. Access: http://ala-apa.org/newsletter /2009/12/01/spotlight-2/. • Running on Empty: Dealing with Burnout in the Library Setting. Although this article was written over ten years ago, it is still relevant to today’s library professionals. Authors Tim and Zahra M. Baird note that the very nature of library work, including demands for our services, heavy workloads, and shifts in priorities, predisposes us to burnout. The authors recommend personal and work strat- egies, along with professional solutions and a burnout maintenance plan for library staff members. Access: http://www.liscareer.com /baird_burnout.htm. Note 1. Christina Maslach, Wilmar B. Schaufe- li, and Michael P. Leiter, “Job burnout,” An- nual Review of Psychology 2001, vol. 52.