Digital Commons Network^™

Future And Value: The Library As Strategic Partner, Antje Mays

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

Broader economic trends spawn budget pressures for education and libraries, prompting a plethora of studies on the value and relevance of libraries. Numerous reports on economic decline in libraries and studies with mixed pronouncements on the value of libraries have led to a negative self-image within the library profession. Yet libraries' leadership in connecting learners to knowledge is at the heart of producing many of the key skills sorely needed in robust societies and economies. Librarianship has many untapped opportunities for positioning itself as a prominent strategic partner. This paper outlines current research on the economic and societal context for …

Dangerous Liaisons: Brainstorming The 21st Century Academic Liaison, Antje Mays

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

Academic liaison roles have seen massive changes over time and grown into an ever-broadening range of duties. What began as subject-focused collection involvement has evolved into a mix of instruction, reference, and various forms of course-embedded services, all while also retaining the earlier focus on subject-specific collection management.

This paper outlines current research on academic liaison roles and summarizes the interactive exchanges from the 2018 Charleston Conference Lively Session on academic liaisons. Through live polling and discussion, session participants identified key functions and core competencies for liaisons, as well as factors contributing to success or hindrance for liaison success. Key …

The Importance Of Mentoring, Julene L. Jones

Library Presentations

No abstract provided.

Mayflower: Ode To New Beginnings — A New Column For New Times With A Positive Mission, Antje Mays

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

Numerous studies and articles downplay the value of libraries, citing instances of library defunding, layoffs, and outright closures, along with studies on the waning usefulness of libraries based on flawed quantifiables. Such pronouncements spread fear of obsolescence and irrelevance, contributing to dissatisfaction in the library profession. Yet polls in the United States and Great Britain reveal the library profession's enduring value among the most trusted professions.

To kick off the column "Mayflower: Ode to New Beginnings", this article frames library pressures in a context of broader trends affecting economic and educational conditions, examines professional stewardship and the library profession’s enduring …

Social Responsibility, Librarianship, And The Ala: The 2015 Banned Books Week Poster Controversy, Emily J. M. Knox, Shannon M. Oltmann

Information Science Faculty Publications

This article explores the recent controversy over the American Library Association’s poster for Banned Books Week. In particular, this article connects the 2015 controversy to broader historical issues and tensions within American librarianship concerning social responsibilities. The researchers used a qualitative approach, conducting telephone interviews with 26 individuals. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed deductively. The interviews revealed deep continuing tensions regarding American librarianship’s relationship to responsibilities. First, there is some dissatisfaction with the American Library Association and its Office for Intellectual Freedom. Second, there are competing conceptualizations of censorship and how to apply these differing meanings while remaining …

“For All The People”: Public Library Directors Interpret Intellectual Freedom, Shannon M. Oltmann

Information Science Faculty Publications

Intellectual freedom is frequently seen as a core value of librarianship, especially by the American Library Association, which has issued extensive guidance to libraries about implementing intellectual freedom. Some scholars criticize these documents, arguing that they are unrealistic and do not offer meaningful support to libraries. While scholars question the value of ALA policies, it is unclear whether practicing librarians have similar concerns about the Library Bill of Rights (LBR) and related guidelines. This article describes a study of public libraries and their interpretation of the LBR in their daily practice. To investigate the role played by ALA documents, 15 …

Intellectual Freedom And Freedom Of Speech: Three Theoretical Perspectives, Shannon M. Oltmann

Information Science Faculty Publications

Freedom of speech encompasses not only a right to express oneself but also a right to access information. This right is particularly pertinent to libraries, whose mission is often focused on enabling and expanding access to information. Libraries can support this activity with a theoretical background that draws upon the three predominant jurisprudential theories of freedom of speech: the marketplace of ideas, democratic ideals, and individual autonomy. In this article, each of these theories is explained and then applied to the library context, creating a starting place for further investigation and application of these judicial theories to information access.

Your Professional Brand, Jennifer A. Bartlett

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

This column discusses recent publications in the library literature on the topic of professional marketing and promotion in the context of defining and establishing personal brands.

The “Weisure” Class: The Elusive Goal Of Work-Life Balance, Jennifer A. Bartlett

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

This column summarizes key books, articles and other resources on the topic of librarian and library staff work-life balance.

Pda, Ebooks, Print Books Usage And Expenditures: Knowledge Ecosystem Remix, Antje Mays

Antje Mays

This article presents data-rich finding of a comprehensive follow-up study on the patron-driven/demand-driven ebook acquisitions (DDA) plan chronicled in two prior articles from the DDA ebook plan's October 2011 inception. Into the third fiscal year, print vs. ebook usage preferences have begun to emerge.

Increasing Diversity In The Profession: What Works?, Judy Sackett

Library Presentations

Library leaders and professional organizations have for some time viewed increased diversity in the library profession as a positive goal. However, the ALA Office for Research & Statistics reports that fewer than 12% of ALA members responding to a 2012 demographic survey self-selected their race/family origin as non-White. This program will look at the various strategies being employed to increase diversity in the library profession and to assess the success of those efforts.

Running To Stand Still: The Challenge Of Keeping Up With Library Trends, Jennifer A. Bartlett

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

New and Noteworthy review column focusing on keeping up with library and information science news and trends.

Communication Overload: A Phenomenological Inquiry Into Academic Reference Librarianship, C. Sean Burns, Jenny Bossaller

C. Sean Burns

Purpose – This study aims to provide insight on the meaning of communication overload as experienced by modern academic librarians. Communication is the essence of reference librarianship, and a practically endless array of synchronous and asynchronous communication tools (ICTs) are available to facilitate communication. Design/methodology/approach – This study relied on a phenomenological methodology, which included nine in-depth interviews with academic librarians. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using RQDA, a qualitative analysis software package that facilitates coding, category building, and project management. Findings – Seven themes about librarianship emerged from this research: attending to communication abundance, librarians of two types, …

Putting Motion To The Notion — Diversity Scholarship Recipients, Reinette F. Jones

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Professionalism And Librarians, James E. Manasco, Reinette F. Jones

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.