Digital Commons Network^™

Does This Look Relevant To You? Using Insights From Information Retrieval Studies To Facilitate Student Source Selection, Reading, And Use, Anne Jumonville Graf

Library Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

Playing Jokes, Or Funny Games And The Falklands War, Michael J. Hughes

Library Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

Surfacing Assumptions In Source Selection: Situating Critical Reading In First-Year Information Literacy Instruction, Anne Jumonville Graf

Library Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

Comics Plus, Michael J. Hughes

Library Faculty Research

Comics Plus offers subscribers a digital library of comics, manga, and graphic novels licensed from more than 100 different publishers, including such indie gems as IDW, Boom Studios, Dark Horse, and Kodansha Comics. Its all-access package includes more than 20,000 titles, about 14,000 of which are appropriate for K-12 readers. Granular title control gives admins the power to customize Comics Plus to suit the readers they serve. But some titles aren’t included at all, namely the best-selling books of the industry’s top players. Comics Plus may someday persuade these publishers––Marvel, DC, Image, and VIZ Media––to play ball. Until then, most …

Accessible, Sustainable Outreach: New Priorities For An Online Orientation Program, Colleen E. Hoelscher, Anne Jumonville Graf

Library Faculty Research

When paradigm-shifting events like the COVID-19 pandemic disrupt planning, as usual, libraries must rethink how they conduct traditional marketing and outreach activities like new student orientations. At Trinity University’s Coates Library, the traditional in-person orientation shifted to an asynchronous, online format. This article will detail how this change led to the development of new and reusable digital content for sustainable teaching and outreach, prioritized accessibility, and offered an alternative means of program assessment. Further, these changes provided an opportunity to reexamine some of the library’s previous goals and methods for first-year student outreach.

Mind The Gap: Teaching Archival Silences In Digital Collections, Colleen Hoelscher, Michael J. Hughes

Library Faculty Research

This engaging case study describes a library instruction session held virtually for undergraduate students in an upper-level history course on US foreign relations. Working collaboratively, the special collections librarian and instruction librarian for history presented students with strategies for finding and evaluating digital primary sources for their research papers. Students were introduced to the role the curatorial process plays in the creation of digital collections. The instructors highlighted that such collections frequently contain only a portion of the materials in a full archival collection as well as the role of curatorial bias: digital collections often reflect the prejudices and interests …

Constructing History: A Student-Created Public History Exhibit Using Omeka, Colleen Hoelscher

Library Faculty Research

This case study examines the final project assigned to an upper-level history elective course, “Public History, Memory, and Interpretation.” Students used Omeka, an open-source web publishing platform, to create a digital exhibit using archival materials. Students were responsible for all aspects of curating the exhibit, including selecting materials, creating metadata for digital objects, writing the didactic text, and creating the final website.

Bottom Of The Food Chain: Avoiding Predatory Publishers, Lanette Garza, Michael J. Hughes

Library Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

Usability Study Of The Coates Library Website After Redevelopment Using Laptop And Mobile Devices, Elizabeth Poff

Library Faculty Research

This article describes a usability study of the newly redeveloped website for Trinity University's Coates Library. Conducted in 2019, the study involved eleven participants in two groups – six laptop users and five mobile users. Each participant observation focused on six tasks: navigating to the site, finding a liaison librarian, determining if the library had a particular database, locating information on borrowing privileges, finding if a study room was available, and locating a particular special collection. The results revealed that laptop and mobile users browse the site differently though they were equally successful in completing the tasks. The study exposed …

Meta-Faq: What Motivates The Authors Of Video Game Walkthroughs?, Michael J. Hughes

Library Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

First-Generation Students And Libraries: Beyond The Deficit Narrative, Anne Jumonville Graf

Library Faculty Research

Much has been made of the challenges first-generation (FG) students face as they begin their college experience; graduation and retention rates are lower than for other students,¹ anxiety about the adjustment to college life is higher,² and studies of their experiences and performance in the first year reinforce a narrative of struggle, obstacles, and barriers.^3,4 Colleges and universities have responded to these findings by offering additional support and programming specifically for FG students. These efforts can be read in two ways. On one hand, they suggest that institutions of higher education are increasingly aware of the diverse …

Supporting The Changing Research Practices Of Asian Studies Scholars, D. Cooper, K. Daniel, J. Alburo, D. Banerjee, T. Bialock, H. Cheng, S. Chen, S. Cho, K. S. Farrell, R. Gabbard, J. A. Henchy, D. Hirsch, M. Hopper, Michael J. Hughes, R. Islam, M. Kelly, R. Lesage, X. Li, C. Marsh, K. Y. Mcvey, M. Rader, B. B. Real, Z. Shen, C. Sorrell, M. Su, A. Tanaka, Y. Tatsumi, B. Winterman, L. Xu, H. Yi, X. Zou

Library Faculty Research

Ithaka S+R’s Research Support Services Program investigates how the research support needs of scholars vary by discipline and includes reports on history, chemistry, art history, religious studies, agriculture, and public health. In 2017-2018, Ithaka S+R examined the changing research methods and practices of Asian studies scholars conducting research through U.S. institutions. This project was undertaken collaboratively with research teams at 11 academic libraries with the goal of identifying services to better support Asian studies scholars. This report aims to provide actionable findings for the organizations, institutions, and professionals who support the research process of Asian studies scholars. One hundred and …

Funding Community Controlled Open Infrastructure For Scholarly Communication: The 2.5% Commitment Initiative, David W. Lewis, Lori Goetsch, Diane J. Graves, Mike Roy

Library Faculty Research

In August 2017, a short paper, “The 2.5% Commitment,” was distributed on several email lists. The paper proposed that every academic library should commit to invest 2.5% of its total budget to support the common infrastructure needed to create the open scholarly commons. Somewhat to our surprise, the paper and the ideas it contained have generated widespread discussions and interest. The paper was a response to the Elsevier purchase of Bepress and an article by John Wenzler that suggested that academic libraries faced a collective action problem, and that as a result they would never be able to create the …

What Motivates The Authors Of Video Game Walkthroughs And Faqs? A Study Of Six Gamefaqs Contributors, Michael J. Hughes

Library Faculty Research

Walkthroughs, also known as FAQs or strategy guides, are player-authored documents that provide step-by-step instructions on how to play and what to do in order to finish a given video game. Exegetical in their length and detail, walkthroughs require hours of exacting labor to complete. Yet authors are rarely compensated for work that markedly differs from other kinds of fan creativity. To understand their motivations, I interviewed six veteran GameFAQs authors, then inductively analyzed the transcripts. Open coding surfaced five themes attributable to each participant. Together, these themes constitute a shifting mix of motivations, including altruism, community belonging, self-expression, and …

A Review Of The Acquisitions Budget: Examining And Modifying The Fund Structure To Advocate For Open Access, Lanette Garza

Library Faculty Research

Budget allocation decisions have become far more complex and difficult. One obvious reason is the shift from print to electronic purchases. This along with the lack of increased funding to sustain these collections has created a scenario in which all purchasing decisions need to be made with precise planning. This article examines the fund structure review conducted at the Trinity University Coates Library, which sought to identify best practices and better capture how much is being spent on resources beyond print and electronic. More specifically, the review sought to include open access (OA) resources into the fund structure.

Keynote Address At The National Society Of Collegiate Scholars Induction Ceremony 2017, Michael J. Hughes

Library Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

Rethinking Special Collections Moves As Opportunities, Not Obstacles, Colleen Hoelscher, Sarah Burke Cahalan

Library Faculty Research

In the summer of 2017, the Marian Library—a special library devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary within the larger University of Dayton Libraries system—completed a move of its rare book and archival collections into a new space within the main library building. The space, previously leased to the Society of Mary provincial archives, was already outfitted with a Liebert system for temperature and humidity controls, as well as shelving and some furniture.

Survey Report: Research Data Management Services In Oberlin Group Libraries, Jeff Lacy

Library Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

The E-Resources Playbook: A Guide For Establishing Routine Assessment Of E-Resources, Lanette Garza

Library Faculty Research

Assessment of ongoing or potential electronic purchases has always been a challenging and time-consuming process for librarians. In most cases, the organization, maintenance, sharing, and use of electronic resources data can be overwhelming. Diligent planning, monitoring, and assessment of e-resources is more important than ever. This article lays out the step-by-step process of creating an e-resources assessment playbook. This playbook will essentially be a book of strategies that will help orchestrate and illustrate steps and techniques for carrying out particular e-resources reports.

It's A Marathon, Not A Sprint, And Other Lessons For Supporting Librarianship And Motherhood, Alexandra Gallin-Parisi

Library Faculty Research

Academic library administrators may struggle with how best to support librarians who are also mothers of young children. Using both qualitative interviews with librarian-moms and the current literature on how academic faculty balance work and family, this article highlights four key lessons for library administrators to use to help librarian-moms succeed in the workplace.

Imslp/Petrucci Music Library, Colleen Hoelscher

Library Faculty Research

The International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP), also known as the Petrucci Music Library, is a crowdsourced database of public domain music scores. Driven by a belief that “music should be something that is easily accessible to everyone,” the site was created in 2006 with a goal of creating an exhaustive collection of music scores that are not under copyright. Today, over 390,000 scores are freely available to download from IMSLP, representing approximately 119,000 works by over 15,000 composers.

Online Access To American Diocesan Archives: Current State And Lessons For Other Repositories, Colleen Hoelscher

Library Faculty Research

A 1997 circular letter from the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Patrimony of the Church said that “In the mind of the Church, archives are places of memory of the Christian community and storehouses of culture for the new evangelization.”¹ This is true of the archives and libraries of all denominations; they are the repositories of a church’s history and thus a vital resource for understanding a church’s future. As such, it is essential that the official repositories of an organized religion, such as Catholic diocesan archives, be accessible to scholarly researchers, genealogists, members of the faith, and other …

The Research Needs And Practices Of Asian Studies Scholars At Trinity University: A Report For Ithaka S+R, Michael J. Hughes

Library Faculty Research

This report describes the research needs and practices of nine Asian Studies scholars at Trinity University, a private liberal arts college in San Antonio, Texas. Part of a nationwide study coordinated by Ithaka S+R, the report describes scholars’ ¹ methods, information needs, and publication practices in order to better align and deliver research support from academic departments, librarians, university administrators, and other stakeholders. The report culminates in predictions on the future of the field, and offers several recommendations to help scholars achieve the future they envision for Asian Studies.

"The Sugar'd Game Before Thee": Gamification Revisited, Michael J. Hughes, Jeff Lacy

Library Faculty Research

Gamification, the application of game elements to nongame contexts, was recently a subject of great interest in the library literature, inspiring a number of articles. That interest tapered off in tandem with gamification’s wider decline, but signs point to its reemergence. Anticipating renewed interest in gamification, the authors reviewed the literature to determine what has—and has not—been examined by librarianship’s proponents of gamification. They found serious concerns regarding gamification’s practical and ethical limitations. Moreover, the authors believe that the purported benefits of gamification are more readily found in its progenitor—games.

Reflective Assessment: Opportunities And Challenges, Anne Jumonville Graf, Benjamin R. Harris

Library Faculty Research

Purpose: Librarians engage in assessment for several purposes, such as to improve teaching and learning, or to report institutional value. In turn, these assessments shape our perspectives and priorities. How can we participate critically in the assessment of information literacy instruction and library programming while broadening our view and making room for questions about what we do? This paper explores self-reflection as a method for building on existing assessment practices with a critical consciousness.

Design/Methodology/Approach: In tracing the trajectory of assessment and reflective practice in library literature, the authors conducted a selective literature review and analyzed the potential …

Learning From Teaching: A Dialogue Of Risk And Reflection, Anne Jumonville Graf

Library Faculty Research

Librarians have not always included discussions of reflective practice as part of our formal, published literature. In fact, in 2005 John Doherty claimed that librarians are not particularly reflective practitioners in general. However, since then there have been reviews of the status of reflection practice across librarianship, calls for more critical reflective practice, examples of that practice, and a variety of models, examples, and frameworks for reflective strategies in library instruction. In this chapter, my focus is on ways that critical reflection can enhance our ability to learn through teaching, especially when our teaching practice involves valuing the voices and …

Report From The “What Is Open?” Workgroup, Rick Anderson, Seth Denbo, Diane J. Graves, Susan Haigh, Steven Hill, Martin Kalfatovic, Roy Kaufman, Catherine Murray-Rust, Kathleen Shearer, Dick Wilder, Alicia Wise

Library Faculty Research

The scholarly community’s current definition of “open” captures only some of the attributes of openness that exist across different publishing models and content types. Open is not an end in itself, but a means for achieving the most effective dissemination of scholarship and research. We suggest that the different attributes of open exist along a broad spectrum and propose an alternative way of describing and evaluating openness based on four attributes: discoverable, accessible, reusable, and transparent. These four attributes of openness, taken together, form the draft “DART Framework for Open Access.” This framework can be applied to both research artifacts …

The Joy Of Combining Librarianship And Motherhood, Alexandra Gallin-Parisi

Library Faculty Research

While there is a rich literature about how academic faculty manage to balance work and family life, there is a surprising paucity of research centered on academic librarianship and motherhood. In this phenomenological study based on interviews, the lived experiences of 21 librarians who are also mothers of young children are explored. Six themes focused on the benefits and rewards of combining librarianship and motherhood emerge.

Building Your Local Web One Thread At A Time: Archiving Websites At Trinity University, Megan Toups

Library Faculty Research

In this presentation I will discuss my efforts at Trinity to start a website archiving program to document campus activities, especially difficult to document groups such as student organizations. This presentation is meant to show how even a small shop at a liberal arts university can leverage their resources and time to build a website archiving program step by step.

Do We Still Need Peer Review? An Argument For Change [Review], Michael J. Hughes

Library Faculty Research

How long has peer review been in crisis? At what point does crisis outlast emergency to become status quo? Attacks on the weaknesses of peer review appear with such regularity that they have migrated from scholarly journals to newspapers and magazines. Notwithstanding criticism—and bold experiments such as the experimental open peer review given online to Kathleen Fitzpatrick’s 2011 book Planned Obsolescence before its publication—the gears grind on, due in large part to the reward systems built around the mechanism of blind and anonymous review.