VCU Libraries Faculty Vita
Ronke Lawal
Engineering and Science Collections Librarian
(Professor)
Collection Analysis and Investment
Room 206, James Branch Cabell Library
(804) 828-8739
ilawal@vcu.edu
Education
M.A. Communications, Michigan State University, 1985
M.L.S. Librarianship, University of Ibadan, 1974
B.S. Zoology/Botany, University of Lagos, 1968
Previous Professional Experience
Coordinator, Branch Science Libraries, University of Virginia, 1995-2000
Physical Sciences Reference Librarian, Dartmouth College, 1992-1995
Head Acquisitions/Collection Management, University of Ife, Ile Ife, Nigeria, 1974-1990
Publications
Lawal. Review of the book Ensuring the Integrity, Accessibility, and Stewardship of Research Data in the Digital Age. Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy, and National Academies Press. portal: Libraries and the Academy. 10(3) 365-366 (2010)
Lawal. Library and information science research in the 21st Century: A guide for practicing librarians and students. Oxford: Chandos Publishing Limited. 212pp (2009).
Collection Management. "Student Success in College:An Examination of the Relationship between Institutional Expenditures and Persistence.." A Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. (2008).
Collection Management. "Lawal, Ibironke Review of: Scholarship in the Digital Age: Information, Infrastructure, and the Internet, by Christine L. Borgman. Cambridge, Massachusetts, MIT Press, 2007. xxiv, 336pp. ISBN:9780262026192 ." Issues in Science and Technology 53 (Winter/Spring) (2008).
Lawal. Review of the book Scholarship in the Digital Age: Information, Infrastructure, and the Internet, by Christine L. Borgman. Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship. 53(Winter/Spring) (2008).
Lawal. "Electronic Reference Works and Library Budgeting Dilemma." Acquisitions Librarian. 19 (2/3): 47-62 (2007). Also published in Collection Development: Issues in the Online Environment, edited by Di Su. New York: Haworth Information Press.
Lawal. "Women in Science and Engineering: The Politics of Gender." Proceedings of The ASEE Annual Conference (2007). (Session AC 2007-2250)
Bagdanski, S, Bao-Chu, C, I.O. Lawal, et al. "Collecting Grey Literature: An Annotated Bibliography, with Examples from the Sciences and Technology." Science and Technology Libraries. 24 (3/4): 35-70 (2005).
Lawal. "Scholarly Communication: The Use and Non-use of E-print Archives for the Dissemination of Scientific Information." Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship (2002). Received The American Society of Engineering Education Best Paper Award, 2003.
Christopher, J., Lawal, I., and Riel, S. "Perceived Successes and Failures in Science and Technology E-journal Access: A Comparative Study." Issues in Science and Technology. Summer. (2002).
Lawal. "Integrating Chemical Information into the Undergraduate Curriculum: Information Literacy and a Change in Pedagogy." Science and Technology Libraries. 20 (2001).
Lawal. Metal-working in Africa south of the Sahara: An annotated bibliography. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. 270p, 1995.
Lawal. "Science Resources: Does the Internet Make Them Cheaper, Better? ." Bottomline: Managing Library Finances 15 (3):116-124. (03/02).
Lawal. "Scholarly Communication at the Turn of the Millennium: A Bibliographic Essay." Journal of Scholarly Publishing. 32 (03/01).
Lawal. "Internet Resources in Chemistry." College and Research Libraries News. 61(10): 922-926 (2000).
Lawal. "Nigeria and the Universal Availability of Publications (UAP): Problems and Prospects." Nigerian Library and Information Science Review. 7(2): 41-47 (1998).
Lawal. "World Wide Web Search Engines: Implications for Science and Engineering." Libra. 3(3) (1996).
Lawal. "Serials Management in Nigerian University Libraries: Problems and Prospects." Nigerian Libraries. 18(1-3): 75-78 (1982).
Lawal. "Iron Working in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Bibliographic Essay." Current Bibliography on African Affairs. 11(1): 17-12 (1978/79).
Lawal. Review of the book Yoruba of South Western Nigeria: An Indexed Bibliography by David and Charlene Baldwin. Journal of Modern African Studies. 15(4): 693-695 (1977).
Presentations
"Sub Group Response Variability in the Information Control Dimension of LIBQUAL+ Survey." Poster presented at the Charleston Conference. 2012.
"Using LibQual Results to Improve Service Quality at Virginia Commonwealth University." Paper presented at ALA Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA. 2011.
"Openness to integrating technology: Assessing faculty and student perceptions". With Hassell, A., Robnolt, V. and Watwood, B. Poster session presented at the Educause Learning Initiative (ELI) Annual Conference. 2011.
"LibQual - Library as a Place: Before and After". ALA Annual Conference. 2011.
"Weeding Science Collections". ALA Annual Conference. 2010.
"Women in Science and Engineering: Politics of Gender". 114th ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition. 2007.
"Best Practices for Electronic Resources". Discussion facilitator. ALA Annual Conference. 2006.
"Fading of the greyness in grey Literature: Is grey literature still grey?". ALA Annual Conference. 2003
"Using Citation Analysis as a Collection Development tool at Virginia Commonwealth University". ASEE Annual Conference. 2003
"Scholarly Communications: The use and non-use of e-print archives in the dissemination of scientific information". ALA Annual Conference. 2002
"Building collections and developing services to support new engineering programs: Challenges of the digital era". ASEE Annual Conference. 2001
"Perceived Successes and Failures of E-Journal Access: A Comparative Study". With Christopher J. and Riel, S. ALA Annual Conference. 2001.
"Integration of chemical information into the undergraduate curriculum: University of Virginia Experience". ALA Annual Conference. 2000.
Teaching Experience
LSC 608 Collection Management, Catholic University of America
LSC 801 The College and University Library, Catholic University of America
University Committee Work
University Promotion and Tenure Review Task Force, 2011-2012
University Council Representative, 2002-2005
VCU Libraries Committee Work
Diversity Task Force, Chair, 2010-2011
LibQual Task Force, Chair, 2010-2011
Faculty Organization, Nominating Committee, Chair, 2010-2011
VIVA Collection Enhancement Task Force, 2010
Faculty Organization, Chair, 2009-2010
LibQual Task Force, 2008
VCU Libraries Representative, University Council, 2003-2006
Professional Organizations
American Chemical Society, 2000-present
- Chemical Information Division, 2000-present
American Society for Engineering Education, 2001-present
- Engineering Libraries Division, Liaison to American Chemical Society, 2001-2004
American Library Association, 1992-present
- Association of College and Research Libraries, Science and Technology Section,
1996-present
- Information Literacy for Science and Technology Task Force, 2006
- Publishers/Vendors Relations, Co-chair, 2004-2006
- Subject and Bibliographic Access to Science Materials Committee, 1991-2001; Co-chair, 2001-2003.
- Library Administration and Management Association, 1992-1996
Special Libraries Association, 2010-present
