Published by the Academic Business Library Directors (ABLD), Ticker is a forum for the exchange of the research, best practices, and innovative thinking in business librarianship and business library management.

    Current Issue: Volume 4, Issue 1

    A Ticker Refresh

    Diane Zabel

    It's Time for a Remodel! Collecting Usage Data to Design a Library for a New Generation of Students

    Kimberly Bloedel

    A number of recent renovation and construction projects in academic business libraries across North America signal a new surge in the importance of academic business libraries as a place for students and faculty alike to collaborate, study and learn. Spurred in part by student demand and competition from peer institutions, many libraries are transforming themselves in the process, offering a wider range of services and becoming a hub of activity. In this article, Kim Bloedel discusses how user studies and data collection informed the renovation of the Pomerantz Business Library at the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business ... and the results speak for themselves! Not only is the space much brighter and more inviting, but foot traffic and room reservations have greatly increased as well.

    - Laura Walesby, Column Editor

    Laughing All the Way to the Bank: Using Television Clips to Promote Financial Literacy

    Emily Mross

    International students, who comprise 14.5% percent of the student body at Penn State Harrisburg, expressed concern regarding personal finances in an institutional survey. Using situational comedy clips that addressed financial missteps, the author worked with an English conversation group to discuss personal finance management and financial assistance resources and to promote financial literacy amongst the students based on the Reference and User Services Association’s Financial Literacy Education in Libraries: Guidelines and Best Practices for Service. The use of sitcoms allowed humor to lighten what can often be a taboo subject. The clips provided examples to critique rather than using personal experiences. Students reacted positively to the program structure and participated in lively conversation.

    Help! I’m New to Licensing and Don’t Know Where to Start

    Breezy Silver

    For those of us that deal with database or data set licenses, it can be quite a daunting task (especially within the business resources realm). The complexities involved with access, download restrictions, and other terms of use embedded in the license can lead to frustration and confusion. In this article, Breezy Silver discusses some of the tips and tricks that can be used to help manage this complex document. Breezy also offers some words of encouragement that can be used during the negotiation process as well.

    - Ryan Splenda and Eve Wider, Column Editors

    Special Libraries Association Annual Conference 2019

    Mary Catherine Moeller

    The Conference Reports section of Ticker provides summaries of meetings that might be of interest to business librarians. They are focused on the study of business or business librarianship, or they look at a general librarian conference through the lens of a business librarian. That latter example is what we are showcasing here, as Mary Catherine Moeller, an assistant librarian at Kresge Library Services of the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, shares her report on the 2019 Special Libraries Annual Conference in Cleveland, Ohio.

    - Corey Seeman, Column Editor