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Working Towards Promotion To Full Professor: Strategies, Time Management, And Habits For Academic Librarian Mothers, Marta Bladek
Working Towards Promotion To Full Professor: Strategies, Time Management, And Habits For Academic Librarian Mothers, Marta Bladek
Publications and Research
After briefly sharing my experience as an academic librarian mother, the chapter places it within the larger context of academia in which women, especially mothers, lag behind men in attaining the full professor rank. It then outlines the strategies that have enabled me to gradually make progress towards promotion. The chapter discusses strategies to use at the institutional level (familiarity with local requirements, personnel process and related trainings, as well as the availability of leaves and grants), at the departmental level (workflow adjustments, scheduling arrangements, and strategic choice of projects and service commitments), and then at the individual/personal level (seeking …
Our Year Of Remote Reference: Covid19’S Impact On Reference Services And Librarians, Sarah B. Cohn, Rebecca Hyams
Our Year Of Remote Reference: Covid19’S Impact On Reference Services And Librarians, Sarah B. Cohn, Rebecca Hyams
Publications and Research
After a full year of providing fully remote library reference due to the COVID-19 pandemic campus closures, this exploratory study looks at reference practices of libraries, and librarian response to those practices, at a large, urban, public university. This article focuses on the impact COVID-19 had on reference services themselves, as well as the perceptions of those who provide them.
Student Well-Being Matters: Academic Library Support For The Whole Student, Marta Bladek
Student Well-Being Matters: Academic Library Support For The Whole Student, Marta Bladek
Publications and Research
In response to a marked increase in the prevalence and severity of mental health problems among college students over the last decade, colleges and universities have been expanding their well-being initiatives and programs. No longer limited to health services departments, the support of student well-being has been taken up by multiple campus units, including academic libraries. As well-being has been shown to impact academic outcomes, the well-being initiatives libraries develop fit in with their commitment to enhance learning and student educational experience overall. A comprehensive review of wellness interventions in academic libraries, this article presents findings on student well-being and …
Students And Parents: How Academic Libraries Serve A Growing Population, Marta Bladek
Students And Parents: How Academic Libraries Serve A Growing Population, Marta Bladek
Publications and Research
In recognition of the critical role libraries play in the educational lives of parenting students, there has been a noticeable trend in academic libraries to offer services and spaces for students and their children. This article reviews recent LIS literature on student parent initiatives in academic libraries, with the emphasis on the United States. The purpose of this synthesis is to highlight demographic data, research findings, and case studies that, considered together, may significantly expand the profession’s knowledge about the barriers parenting students face in accessing the library and its services. The first part of the article lays out the …
Tending To An Overgrown Garden: Weeding And Rebuilding A Libguides V2 System, Rebecca Hyams
Tending To An Overgrown Garden: Weeding And Rebuilding A Libguides V2 System, Rebecca Hyams
Publications and Research
In 2019, the Borough of Manhattan Community College’s library undertook a massive cleanup and reconfiguration of the content and guides contained in their LibGuides v2 system, which had been allowed to grow out of control over several years as no one was in charge of its maintenance. This article follows the process from identifying issues, getting departmental buy-in, and doing all of the necessary cleanup work for links and guides. The aim of the project was to make their guides easier for students to use and understand and for librarians to maintain. At the same time, work was done to …
Latino Students And The Academic Library: A Primer For Action, Marta Bladek
Latino Students And The Academic Library: A Primer For Action, Marta Bladek
Publications and Research
As the growth in Latino college enrollment is expected to continue for years to come, academic libraries at Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) and beyond will be serving increasing numbers of Hispanic students. Since Latino educational attainment remains lower than than of other groups and academic libraries’ impact on retention, GPA and related educational outcomes has been well documented, it is crucial that academic libraries actively foster Latino students’ success. A review of the literature on Hispanic students and library use, the article also includes recommendations for practice and offers a local example to illustrate strategies libraries may implement to better …
Contingent Appointments In Academic Libraries: Management Challenges And Opportunities, Marta Bladek
Contingent Appointments In Academic Libraries: Management Challenges And Opportunities, Marta Bladek
Publications and Research
Academia’s overwhelming reliance on non-tenure track, or contingent, faculty is a well known fact. While the status and working conditions of contingent classroom faculty have been well studied and documented, the corresponding trend in academic libraries has not been explored as deeply. As this paper reviews the limited LIS literature on the subject, it aims to provide administrators and managers with a deeper understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of contingent appointments. It also offers strategies for fostering a workplace culture that recognizes contingent librarians’ contributions and promotes their professional growth.
From Women-Staffed To Women-Led: Gender And Leadership In Academic Libraries, 1974-2018., Marta Bladek
From Women-Staffed To Women-Led: Gender And Leadership In Academic Libraries, 1974-2018., Marta Bladek
Publications and Research
This article reviews post-1974 scholarly literature on women’s leadership in academic libraries, with the emphasis on the United States. The purpose of this synthesis is to highlight research areas and themes that have significantly expanded the profession’s knowledge about gender and its impact at the top administrative level. The article starts with a brief overview of theories of gender and leadership before tracing scholarship on the gendered career patterns singled out in Schiller’s work (1974). The article then focuses on additional issues related to gender and library administration, including leadership styles, perceptions of differences between male and female leaders, and …
Interactive Whiteboards In Library Instruction: Facilitating Student Engagement And Active Learning, Maureen Richards, Marta Bladek, Karen Okamoto
Interactive Whiteboards In Library Instruction: Facilitating Student Engagement And Active Learning, Maureen Richards, Marta Bladek, Karen Okamoto
Publications and Research
Determined to keep up with the ever-changing instructional trends, academic libraries have been quick to adopt emerging teaching and learning technologies. Recent literature features many examples of technologies that have found a place in libraries’ instructional programs: learning management systems, clickers, online tutorials, reference chats, and mobile devices, to mention the most popular ones. Curiously enough, despite their popularity in business and K-12 contexts, interactive whiteboards (IWBs) are rarely discussed in the context of academic libraries’ efforts to embrace innovative teaching methods. This article addresses this omission. Present-day IWBs have evolved to include features that accommodate a variety of teaching …
24/7 Library Hours At An Urban Commuter College, Maureen Richards
24/7 Library Hours At An Urban Commuter College, Maureen Richards
Urban Library Journal
Historically, academic libraries have not provided their users with any form of 24-hour access. The evidence today is that many do. This article discusses the results of a survey of students using the library at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, which in the Spring 2014 began offering 24/7 library access during the final exam period. The objective was to gather demographic information about the users and get a better understanding of the reason for their visit. The data collected helps explain what might be driving the trend to extend hours, particularly as many library resources are available 24/7 electronically …
Making Higher Education More Affordable, One Course Reading At A Time: Academic Libraries As Key Advocates For Open Access Textbooks And Educational Resources, Karen Okamoto
Publications and Research
Open access textbooks (OATs) and educational resources (OERs) are being lauded as a viable alternative to costly print textbooks. Some academic libraries are joining the OER movement by creating guides to open repositories. Others are promoting OATs and OERs, reviewing them, and even helping to create them. This article analyzes how academic libraries are currently engaged in open access textbook and OER initiatives. By drawing on examples of library initiatives across the United States, the author illustrates how libraries are facilitating the adoption and implementation of these affordable resources.