Faculty: Ruth Connell

Associate Professor of Library Services
Electronic Services Librarian
Christopher Center, Room 263
(219) 464-5360
E-mail: Ruth.Connell (at) valpo.edu

Professor Connell joined the Valpo faculty in 2000. She began as the Reference Services Coordinator, but in 2006 switched to Electronic Services, where she currently leads the library's web site team, coordinates digitization projects, conducts database maintenance and negotiations, manages the integrated library system's public interface, and oversees the Interlibrary Loan Department. In addition, she is the library liaison (includes collection development and teaching library research skills classes) to business, economics, mathematics/computer science, information technology, international economics & cultural affairs (IECA), international commerce & policy (ICP), and a few related programs.

Prof. Connell’s library experience began in graduate school, where she worked at the University of Illinois’ Grainger Engineering Library.

Publications and Presentations

"Maternity and Paternity Policies Available to Academic Librarians." College & Research Libraries, vol. 74, number 2. (2013- forthcoming) (peer-reviewed)

Ethics in a Digital World: Using Policies to Guide Professional and Personal Presence in Social Networking Spaces, ALA's Committee on Professional Ethics: Invited panelist, American Library Association Annual Conference, 2010.

"The Consolidation of Two Campus Interlibrary Loan Units into One: A Partnership between Law and Main Campus." Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery & Electronic Reserve, vol. 20, number 1. (2010) (peer-reviewed)

“Academic Libraries, Facebook and MySpace, and Student Outreach: A Survey of Student Opinion.” portal, vol. 9, number 1. (2009) (peer-reviewed).

“Survey of Web Developers in Academic Libraries.” Journal of Academic Librarianship, vol. 34, number 2. (2008) (peer-reviewed).

“Librarians Attitudes toward Conferences: a study.” Co-author with Rob Vega. College & Research Libraries, vol. 68, number 6. (2007) (peer-reviewed)

“Conference Circuit: Embracing change.” College & Research Libraries News, vol. 68, number 8. (2007)

Book review: "Digital history: A guide to gathering, preserving, and presenting the past on the Web." First Monday, vol. 12, number 8. (2007)

“Turnaround Time Between ILLiad’s Odyssey and Ariel Delivery Methods: A Comparison.” Co-author with Karen Janke (IUPUI). Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery & Electronic Reserve, vol. 16, number 3. (2006) (peer-reviewed)

“Student Assistant Training in a Small Academic Library.” Co-author with Trisha Mileham. Public Services Quarterly, vol. 2, numbers 2/3. (2006) (peer-reviewed)

Poster Presentation: Training Students for Reference Service, American Library Association Conference, June 2005.

“Enhanced Staff Development Programs: Strengthening the Personal through Collegial Reflection.” Proceedings co-author with Trisha Mileham. LOEX National Conference, May 2003. (peer-reviewed)

Presentation: Enhanced Staff Development Programs: Strengthening the Personal through Collegial Reflection, (with Trisha Mileham) LOEX National Conference, May 2003.

Presentation: Give Your Users the Globe (QuestionPoint), (with Judy Tribble and Carolyn Strickland). Indiana Library Federation Annual Conference, April 2003.

Presentation: Learning Together: the Synergy of Faculty-Student-Librarian Collaboration in the Creation of Web-Based Tutorials, (with Cheryl Malone and Sue Searing). Association of College and Research Libraries National Conference, Denver. March 2001.

Professional Memberships and Activities:

American Library Association
-- ACRL Division, College Libraries and University Libraries Sections

Journal of Web Librarianship, Editorial Board

VU Campus Involvement (selected list):

Committee on Media (faculty representative)
Faculty Concerns committee member
Faculty Advisor: Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity, Indiana Epsilon chapter
Faculty Advisor: Exploratory Majors

Education:

M.S. (LIS), University of Illinois
B.A. Muskingum College (Math & English)

Research Interests:

Interlibrary Loan and Delivery methods
Web design
Google Analytics
Social Networking