Library and Information Science Commons^™

Representing Historically Marginalized Communities In Archives: Moving Beyond Lcsh To Create More Inclusive Subject Headings, Melissa A. Ewing

School of Information Sciences Student Scholarship

The Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) are widely used around the world in libraries and archives to add access points for users searching their collections. This can be problematic because LCSH has many embedded issues including inconsistency and complexity, the myth of neutrality that surrounds it, systemic biases, and how slow it is to change. These problems lead to poor descriptions of people, especially those who belong to historically marginalized communities. Archives can move beyond LCSH to create local thesauri, crowdsourced vocabularies, and collaborative partnerships with historically marginalized communities to create more inclusive subject headings.

Museum Preparedness In The Digital Age, Mary Jatkowski

School of Information Sciences Student Scholarship

In 2001, Neil Beagrie coined the term, “digital curation” at the Digital Preservation Coalition sponsored conference in London. This new term launched a field of study which has since beenadopted by various disciplines within the sciences and humanities. Cultural heritage organizations like libraries and archives adapted the new field, by refining and formalizing standards and practices of digital curation to cater to their diverse cultural and historical collections. LIS graduate programs have embraced the field of study with rigorous curricula like DigCCurr which trains students in the various aspects of curation and preservation, from metadata standards to selection and …

Arbiters Of Ugliness: A Review Of Strategies For Describing Offensive Archival Materials, Leah Minadeo

School of Information Sciences Student Scholarship

As archivists increasingly concede that neutrality is impossible, we suggest that non-action is still action. It follows that to treat reasonably offensive records as any other record is to apply an interpretation that they are innocuous, unremarkable, and uncontroversial. Archivists may perceive the stakes of describing these materials as particularly high, but they lack a comprehensive set of descriptive strategies in consideration of interpretive ethics. As a result, existing practices are likely to be local or ad hoc. This research aims to identify and explore descriptive strategies archivists use which serve to construct (or concede) the meaning that certain historical …

Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Insider’S Perspective In Public And Academic Libraries, Ryan N. Lamberts

School of Information Sciences Student Scholarship

The purpose of this paper is to bring to light the social issue of the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and how public and academic libraries are making strides to better serve this branch of the population. Definitions will be provided to better explain what challenges ASD patrons face. In turn, librarians across America, specifically in Illinois and Ohio in recent years, have come together to discuss in both literature and national forums what they are continually doing to better serve, educate, and support their patrons and train their librarians. ASD is a complex social issue faced by millions; one widely …

Genrefication In Secondary School Libraries, Lindsay E. Pulsipher

School of Information Sciences Student Scholarship

Most school libraries organize fiction books alphabetically by an author’s last name. In order for a student to find and compare potential fiction reading material, the traditional school library model would have the student either search the library system for the topic and then go from stack to stack looking for books about the topic from any number of locations or seek advice from school library staff who would direct the student to potential titles as part of a reader’s advisory. In an effort to make fiction book selection easier for students, some school librarians have turned to genrefied fiction …

Decolonizing Descriptions In Library Archives, Michael J. Daronco

School of Information Sciences Student Scholarship

Descriptions in a library archive are the anchoring guide to all information that’s available to those who are researching a subject of their choosing. For hundreds of years, estates, historical documents, artifacts, moving images, and sound material have been donated to libraries and universities for the use of higher education, but without a tool to help one navigate the endless amount of information, knowledge will become doormat if there’s no organizational means of looking it up. With the use of Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS), this system can help provide direction towards what you’re looking for to the point …

Protecting The Integrity Of Archives, Sean Daigle

School of Information Sciences Student Scholarship

This article examines the problem of fraudulent and stolen materials being introduced into archives. If these issues become common enough, people will not trust archives or history itself. Archivists can fight these problems by learning how to spot potential sellers of stolen or fraudulent items. They can also catalog unique aspects of their collections and share them on the internet, dedicate more resources to security, and hire experts when items’ authenticity is called into question. The most helpful step they can take, however, is being so diligent about establishing provenance that provenance becomes a security measure in itself. Ultimately, resources …

Issues Of Description And Access For The Graystone And Other Collections At The Detroit Sound Conservancy, Daniel Joseph E. Kelly

School of Information Sciences Student Scholarship

In this mixed case study research paper, I examine how Community Archives deal with issues of access and difficulties of description, especially with hard-to-describe materials. I first discuss the general role of a community archive. I then discuss some of the issues faced by community archives through the lens of three collections at the Detroit Sound Conservancy (DSC) that are complicated when it comes to matters of description. The case study part of this project is based on my own experience working on collections at the DSC and from interviews with Michelle McKinney, the Archivist at the DSC. The first …

Alarming Literacy Rates In One Of America’S Largest Cities: What Can Be Done In The City Of Detroit?, Hermina G.B. Anghelescu

School of Information Sciences Faculty Research Publications

Regarded as a major cultural and industrial center, Detroit is known for its contributions to art, architecture, design, and music, which led to its "Motown" nickname, in addition to its ties to the birth of the auto industry, which brought it the nickname of "Motor City." Despite hosting several higher learning institutions and a national research university, Detroit has been facing a continued decline of its adult literacy rates that amount to 47.00%, meaning that half of the City's population are functionally illiterate. Low literacy skills can profoundly affect adults' ability to fully participate in daily activities and contribute to …

The Notion And Assessment Of “Predatory” In Scholarly Publishing, Teresa Schultz, Leila Belle Sterman, Joshua Neds-Fox, Matt Ruen, Brianne Selman, Stephanie Towery

Library Scholarly Publications

We set out to create an openly accessible, transparent evaluation tool that engages with the nuance of publishing circumstances and creates a clear record of the assessment. Without redefining or seeking to categorize journals, we hope to provide information in a format that allows authors to make considered choices and librarians to record the efforts of labor they likely already engage in. Working with the inherent humor of meta-analysis, we created Reviews: The Journal of Journal Reviews (RJJR). RJJR will publish nuanced, context-centered reviews of scholarly journals based on available, observable evidence. The “Journal Reviews”—peer-reviewed evaluations of …

Michigan Supreme Court Records And Briefs: New Access To A Historical Resource, Virginia Thomas

Library Scholarly Publications

The author describes a successful 3-year collaboration among publishers, academic law libraries and, of course, the Michigan Supreme Court, that resulted in digitizing Michigan Supreme Court records and briefs from 1850 through 2011 and making these items accessible online.

Practice Makes Professionalism, Virginia C. Thomas

Library Scholarly Publications

This column highlights three diverse examples of legal professionalism in our community.

Opioids For Dyspnea End Of Life Review, Lindsey Obarzanek, Wendy Wu, Victoria Tutag-Lehr

Library Scholarly Publications

Objective: The objective of this systematic review is to consolidate the existing evidence on opioid use, including administration, dosing and efficacy, for the relief of dyspnea at end-of-life. The overarching goal is to optimize clinical management of dyspnea by identifying patterns in opioid use, improving opioid management of dyspnea, and to prioritize future research.

Background: Opioids are commonly used in the management of dyspnea at end of life; yet specific administration guidelines are limited. A greater understanding of the effectiveness of opioids in relieving end-of-life dyspnea with consideration of study design, patients, and opioids, including dyspnea evaluation tools …

Ukraine’S Libraries Under Russian Fire: The First Fifty Days Of Aggression, Hermina G.B. Anghelescu

School of Information Sciences Faculty Research Publications

The unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, has turned into a bloody war with no end in sight. Towns have been brought to ruins by heavy shelling that destroyed the infrastructure. The country’s cultural heritage, along with its own national identity, is under threat. Libraries, archives, museums, and monuments have become war casualties. This article examines the destruction of libraries during the first fifty days of conflict based on articles, press releases, and statements published in international media outlets and on librarians’ accounts posted on social media. The loss of human lives is ongoing while millions are …

What's Your Research Personality? A New Way Of Engaging Students In Resource And Service Discovery Through A Homegrown Quiz App, Troy Walker, Veronica Bielat

Library Scholarly Publications

How can libraries push resource and service information to students in engaging ways? Influenced by social media personality quizzes, we designed a questionnaire-style app that uses learning preferences and personality traits to connect students with the library resources they need most. This LOEX 2022 session will demonstrate how libraries can use innovative approaches with their existing resources to draw students in. We will use our Research Personality Quiz as a starting point to discuss design approaches for similar projects and explore the technical challenges that may be encountered (and overcome) in creating and launching similar types of quiz apps.

Participants …

Integration Of Arts And Humanities In Medicine To Develop Well-Rounded Physicians: The Roles Of Health Sciences Librarians, Misa Mi, Lin Wu, Yingting Zhang, Wendy Wu

Library Scholarly Publications

Over the past ten years, there has been a growing interest in integrating arts and humanities in medicine to increase learners’ empathy and resilience, improve personal well-being, communication, and observational skills, enhance self- reflection, and promote professionalism. These desired skills and qualities are becoming increasingly important for the physicians of tomorrow. Parallel to curricular interventions of integrating arts and humanities to medical education, there has been an increasing research interest in investigating the impact of such interventions on medical students with respect to improving and sustaining students’ empathy as they progress in their medical education and develop their professional identity. …

The Global Drumbeat: Permeations Of Hip Hop Across Diverse Information Worlds, Kafi D. Kumasi, André Brock

School of Information Sciences Faculty Research Publications

This article outlines the scope and significance of a special issue of The International Journal of Information, Diversity & Inclusion dedicated to exploring the intersections of hip hop and the field of library and information sciences. The co-guest editors, Kafi Kumasi and André Brock, describe their respective research trajectories to help illuminate what constitutes a hip hop epistemology of LIS knowledge. This issue demonstrates that there are many robust conceptual access points for better understanding the LIS field through the lens of Hip Hop including areas like computational neuroscience, copyright and data science. The research articles are complimented by: two …

Roadside Zoo: A Term In Search Of Legal Definition?, Virginia C. Thomas

Library Scholarly Publications

This article uses the example of “roadside zoo” to highlight the importance of clear definition for terms used in a legal context.

Where’S The Beef, Turkey, Butter, Cheese, Or Other Animal Ingredient?, Virginia C. Thomas

Library Scholarly Publications

The author discusses current challenges presented by federal and state labeling laws and standards pertaining to plant-based meat alternative food products.

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Reference Services: A National Survey Of Academic Health Sciences Librarians, Deborah H. Charbonneau, Emily Vardell

School of Information Sciences Faculty Research Publications

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of the scope and adaptive nature of reference services provided by academic health sciences librarians over a one-year period (between March 2020 and March 2021) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods:

In March 2021, academic health sciences librarians in the United States were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey about their experiences providing reference services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The online survey was developed, pretested, and distributed to various listservs.

Results:

A total of 205 academic health sciences librarians and other information professionals with health sciences liaison …

Research, Interrupted, Jan B. Bissett, Margi Heinen

Library Scholarly Publications

No abstract provided.

School Library Media Specialists: An Evolving Profession In A Pandemic, Heather Kapanka

School of Information Sciences Faculty Research Publications

In March 2020, Michigan’s school library media specialists, along with the entire educational community, found themselves facing unprecedented challenges brought by the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. As learning shifted online, the roles of school library media specialists shifted as well. Three southeast Michigan school library media specialists were interviewed to obtain their perspectives regarding the adaptation to distance learning, as well as how they predicted educational practices will evolve going forward. The educational practices of learning commons, guided inquiry, co-teaching, and information literacy were found to be particularly valuable during the shift to distance learning. The increased dependence on …

Military Working Dogs: Tracking Their Journey From Equipment To K-9 Heroes, Virginia Thomas

Library Scholarly Publications

The author surveys the history of legislation governing the lives and uses of military working dogs (MWD).

Maximize Use Of Library Electronic Resources To Help Students Achieve Better Board Examination Scores Through Libguides And Collaboration With A Pharmacy Educational Specialist, Wendy Wu, Karen Gessler

Library Scholarly Publications

Background

The library subscribes to many e-textbooks and Q-bank tools to facilitate pharmacy students’ preparation of North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX). Because these resources are included in various subscription packages, making them discoverable and easily accessible are important to make best use of library resources. This poster will discuss how to promote NAPLEX resources using LibGuides and deliver the specially designed quiz assignments to the students at the point of preparation and the collaboration between a librarian and pharmacy educational specialist.

Description

Resources the library subscribes for NAPLEX preparation were selected, organized, and displayed based on faculty recommendation, students' …

Michigan Teachers Transitioning To School Librarianship, Kafi Kumasi, Gwenn Marchesano

School of Information Sciences Faculty Research Publications

Pursuing additional degrees and certifications can be a costly proposition in terms of money, time, and return on investment that results in gainful employment. In this article, we take a look at how a group of Michigan teachers perceive the value of the knowledge gained in a graduate certificate program towards school library certification compared to their prior knowledge and level of importance they assigned to the learning standards.

Michigan Practice Materials: A Selective Annotated Bibliography, Jan B. Bissett

Library Scholarly Publications

One of 40 state-specific practice materials bibliographies published in the 20th anniversary of the title, State Practice Materials: Annotated Bibliographies, Christina Glon, Editor. Published by William S. Hein & Co., Inc.

"Getting Inflomation": A Critical Race Theory Tale From The School Library, Kafi D. Kumasi

School of Information Sciences Faculty Research Publications

Using Critical Race Theory's storytelling method, this chapter weaves a tale set in a school library setting told through the eyes of Jamal, a 17 year old Black male Harvard -bound scholar athlete. Using artifacts to build the plot, the story shines light on places where diversity and inclusion initiatives fail, where unchecked privilege and whiteness do harm to everyone touched by them, where inequality ruins lives and where libraries might be spaces of hope and possibility.

Balancing Services And Safety During The Pandemic: One Law Library’S Story, Virginia C. Thomas

Library Scholarly Publications

Michigan’s academic law libraries, which have provided access to their extensive collections to legal professionals and pro per patrons alike, have had to rethink how to do so in effective, but contactless, ways. In the middle of this pandemic, how can we continue to get legal information to those who need it— and safely?

A Preliminary Study Interrogating The Cataloging And Classification Schemes Of A K-12 Book Discovery Platform Through A Critical Race Theory Lens, Kafi D. Kumasi, Cynthia Jimes, Amee Evans Godwin, Lisa A. Petrides, Anastasia Karaglani

School of Information Sciences Faculty Research Publications

This article presents the results of a preliminary study to examine the cataloging and classification schemes and ideological factors that play out in book discovery platforms for children’s and young adult books. Using Critical Race Theory and a Rapid Contextual Design approach to exploring the curatorial behaviors of school librarians when searching for diverse books, the study offers design ideas for retooling discovery platforms in ways that bridge the cultural disconnect that young adults from historically marginalized racial backgrounds experience in their libraries. The article concludes that in order for school librarians to find, recommend and teach about books that …

Four Health Science Librarians’ Experiences: How They Responded To The Covid-19 Pandemic Crisis, Misa Mi, Yingting Zhang, Lin Wu, Wendy Wu

Library Scholarly Publications

In this article, four health sciences librarians from four academic libraries across the country will share their personal or library experiences in reaching out to faculty and students to meet their needs through their initiatives and continuous efforts using various technologies and tools. Three of the four academic libraries are located in two COVID-19 hard-hit states, Michigan and New Jersey. The article will describe their practice of health sciences librarianship during the unprecedented time and provide examples demonstrating how each of them strives to stay relevant, proactive, and become integral to their institutional efforts in support of students and employees …