Digital Commons Network^™

Retention Through Empathy An Invitation To Compassionate Progressive Discipline, Jessica Garner, Kay Coates

Library Faculty Presentations

Managing employee relations is a challenge that many leaders in the library face. High morale, collegiality, and active listening are the building blocks that facilitate compassion in the workplace. A productive work environment is a delightful patchwork of leadership savvy, SMART goals, employee retention and motivation combined with proactive measures for well-being. Library leaders must have a comprehensive plan for retaining employees that considers the whole person, often necessitating progressive discipline to ensure a positive work environment. Historically, progressive discipline has been used punitively with a focus toward termination. In this presentation, we will make a case for compassionate progressive …

Leveraging Generative Ai And Chatgpt To Reference Services In Academic Libraries, Kay Coates, Lili Li

Library Faculty Presentations

No abstract provided.

Artificial Intelligence In Library Access Services, Xuan Pang, Jessica Garner

Library Faculty Presentations

No abstract provided.

Flow With Compassion, Kay Coates, Jessica Garner

Library Faculty Presentations

No abstract provided.

Reversing The Downward Curve: When Is Progressive Discipline Necessary And How To Focus On Positive Improvement And Retention Within An Access Services Department?, Kay Coates, Jessica Garner

Library Faculty Presentations

A challenge that many leaders face in Access Services is managing employee relations. A team with high morale will be well-functioning, collegial, and more likely to represent the library positively. What is a leader to do when they notice a slow degenerative change in morale or when a department has become toxic? This is when clearly defined progressive discipline can be used as a tool to guide a department back on track. Progressive discipline should not be punitive especially if it incorporates a sense of belonging steeped in DEI. Using positive discipline techniques that reinforce connectedness, team spirit, and genuine …

Addressing The Unmentionable At The Circulation Desk: An Unlikely Library Partnership For An Often-Overlooked Cause: Period Equity, Jessica Garner

Library Faculty Presentations

The role of libraries at universities has grown over the years in surprising ways to improve service to the academic and student community. One such surprising change came from a project aimed at decreasing period poverty. The Period Equity Movement (PEM) was created in collaboration with the university’s Office of Student Wellness and Health Promotion through funding that came from a $48,000 Sustainability Fee grant and other internal funding. The grant specifically focused on purchasing reusable products such as menstrual cups and fabric pads and organic disposable tampons and pads. The Access Services Department became an impactful partner in this …

Creating Flow Thru The Compassion Of Satisfaction, Kay G. Coates, Jessica Garner

Library Faculty Presentations

No abstract provided.

One Form To Rule Them All: A Simple Codebase For Streamlined Search Form Creation And Management, Jeffrey M. Mortimore, Justin Barnett

Library Faculty Presentations

Creating and managing database search forms can feel like a daunting task. Vendor form builders often produce overweight, complex, heavily styled code that may not support remote authentication or meet accessibility standards, are hard to reformat, are easy to break, and stop working the moment the vendor updates the platform. To address these challenges, we have developed a single, streamlined codebase that can be reused to create search forms for most databases that support stable URLs for result lists. Using this codebase, we can quickly create, customize, troubleshoot, and maintain search forms for a variety of databases. Also, our public …

Links, Links Everywhere: Supporting Creation Of Reliable Access Urls, Jeffrey M. Mortimore

Library Faculty Presentations

Creating reliable links to library resources is a challenging task, for patrons and library personnel alike! Databases have different linking requirements, ranging from identifying the correct base URL to revising the URL for remote authentication. Often, databases’ built-in linking features are unreliable, especially for off-campus users. Linking isn’t just a technical issue, it’s an equity issue. To address this challenge, we have developed a dedicated “Linking to Library Resources” guide that includes unique link creation tutorials for each database we support. These linking tutorials appear in our database detailed descriptions, library personnel use them for staff training and reference, and …

Improving Library Discovery: Assessing Practices With The Odi Conformance Checklist For Libraries, Jeffrey M. Mortimore

Library Faculty Presentations

The ODI Conformance Checklist for Libraries provides a structured and practical tool for libraries to assess and improve their discovery practices, ultimately leading to a better user experience for library patrons. Employed as an assessment tool, the ODI Checklist supports self assessment, vendor assessment, benchmarking, and continuous improvement. As such, technical service units will benefit from repeating the checklist regularly over time. This poster presents the ODI Conformance Checklist as an internal assessment tool and highlights ways in which we are using its findings to identify and prioritize improvements to discovery workflows and practices.

Take A Joy Ride: Applying The Theory Of Interdependence To Library Practice, Kay Coates, Jessica Garner

Library Faculty Presentations

From the viewpoint of librarianship, when closely examined, the theory of Interdependence emphasizes the shared responsibility between libraries and the patron communities they serve. It can lead to creating inclusive and welcoming environments. Libraries are sensitive to the needs of diverse cultures. Library services are tailored to meet patron needs by training and supporting staff to work effectively with diverse groups. Promoting cross-cultural understanding and supporting lifelong learning libraries can better serve their communities and promote the common goals of literacy, education, and community engagement. Overall, the theory of interdependence highlights the importance of collaboration, partnership and mutual dependence between …

September 2023 Digital Commons Readership Snapshots, Georgia Southern University

Digital Commons Readership Snapshots

No abstract provided.

Software Testing: How To Design A Software Testing Process For Everyone, Wilhelmina Randtke

Library Faculty Presentations

Software testing is about making sure software does what it's supposed to do, and doesn't do anything extra or different. Most academic presentations about software testing are done by people with large complicated projects. Those are the leaders. Many libraries use "shelf ready" software, including open source, to accomplish important work, and do not contribute code or do extensive customization to the software platforms they use. In fact, the ability to grab a piece of software and implement it without spending a lot of time, is part of what makes great software. Great software can be reused and shared without …

Getting Onboard The Intranet, Wilhelmina Randtke

Library Faculty Presentations

No abstract provided.

The “Butterfly Effect-Cascading Compassion Satisfaction In Library Land, Kay Coates

Library Faculty Presentations

Kay Coates explores the concept of compassion satisfaction in library work. The webinar discusses how compassion satisfaction can be a source of meaning and satisfaction for library practitioners, as well as how it can help to mitigate the effects of professional stress and representation burnout. The webinar also examines the interplay of empathetic helping, professional stress, and representation burnout, and how these factors can impact the helping exchange transaction in library work.

August 2023 Digital Commons Readership Snapshots, Georgia Southern University

Digital Commons Readership Snapshots

No abstract provided.

June 2023 Digital Commons Readership Snapshots, Georgia Southern University

Digital Commons Readership Snapshots

No abstract provided.

Ways To Participate In Ongoing Regulation Around Artificial Intelligence Ethics In The United States, Wilhelmina Randtke

Library Faculty Presentations

In January 2021, the US passed the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020. The goal is a cohesive federal AI initiative, and part of that is safety, ethics, and transparency. The act includes funding appropriations for 2021-2025, and roll out takes place over that time. In implementing this law, there is recent and ongoing activity to regulate AI in the US. Regular calls for public participation go out to the public on www.federalregister.gov in the form of open ended questions on which input is requested, and feedback on reports or action plans.

The linked data community is uniquely positioned …

Positive Effects Of Mindfulness Practices On Academic Performance And Well-Being, Katia G. Karadjova-Kozhuharova, Ruth L. Baker

Library Faculty Publications

This qualitative study explored potential positive effects of mindfulness practices among university students. The mindfulness practices were provided at an experiential space, the Brain Booth at the university library, meant to learn about the mind-body connection, reduce stress, and optimize learning. The Brain Booth activities were available to students at any time during the library working hours. The findings showed that the Brain Booth was experienced as helping students to 1) Relax and Destress; 2) Calm down; 3) Foster focus and clarity; 4) Actively engage and reenergize. A strong preference was outlined for mindfulness activities without a digital component or …

May 2023 Digital Commons Readership Snapshots, Georgia Southern University

Digital Commons Readership Snapshots

No abstract provided.

Odi Conformance Checklist, Jeffrey M. Mortimore

Discovery Services Standards

The Open Discovery Initiative (ODI) Conformance Checklist was created to increase transparency around library discovery services.

Copyright, 3d Printing, And The Value Of Open Vetted 3d Oer, Nathaniel Lee Bareford, Wilhelmina Randtke, John Schlipp

Library Faculty Presentations

Libraries are protected from copyright lawsuits when patrons make copies, as long as signage is posted and patrons make the copies themselves. But, unlike copying or printing in libraries, self-service 3D printing in libraries is unrealistic. 3D prints take hours to finish, and troubleshooting 3D printing problems takes skill and experience. Meanwhile, the top websites for finding CAD designs to download and 3D print are rampant with copyright infringement. This presentation provides an overview of the status of copyright for 3D printing, covers the tech of why 3D printing is different from printing and copying on paper, and advocates for …

April 2023 Digital Commons Readership Snapshots, Georgia Southern University

Digital Commons Readership Snapshots

No abstract provided.

When Leadership Changes How Do You Build A Project Team On The Fly, Jessica Garner, Kay Coates

Library Faculty Presentations

In 2019, the Georgia Southern Libraries hired a new Dean of the Libraries. The Access Services department was responsible for implementing several new projects and was required to assemble a project team using the new Dean’s foundational approach of shared governance. This presentation will outline how the Access Services department built a project team on the fly. We will outline the criteria used to select members from across two campuses to complete several different projects.

March 2023 Digital Commons Readership Snapshots, Georgia Southern University

Digital Commons Readership Snapshots

No abstract provided.

Launching A 3d Printing Program For Students: Recommendations And Best Practices For Libraries, Wilhelmina Randtke, Nathaniel Lee Bareford

Library Faculty Publications

The Georgia Southern University Libraries launched a 3D printing program for students in July 2022. Prior to launch, library employees at two of Georgia Southern University’s campuses investigated options for implementing safe, affordable, and sustainable 3D printing in existing academic libraries without retrofitting costly ventilation systems into existing facilities. This article describes the reasons why the Georgia Southern University Libraries thought that a 3D printing program could fulfill a service need for students across university colleges and departments and outlines some of the challenges, best practices, and unique innovations that the library’s employees experienced throughout the program launch process. The …

Compassion Satisfaction: Redressed Professional Stress And Representation Burnout, Kay Coates

Library Faculty Presentations

No abstract provided.

February 2023 Digital Commons Readership Snapshots, Georgia Southern University

Digital Commons Readership Snapshots

No abstract provided.

January 2023 Digital Commons Readership Snapshots, Georgia Southern University

Digital Commons Readership Snapshots

No abstract provided.

December 2022 Digital Commons Readership Snapshots, Georgia Southern University

Digital Commons Readership Snapshots

No abstract provided.