Library and Information Science Commons^™

Matching Made In Heaven: Collections And Metadata Collaboration For Print Preservation, Alie Visser, Erin Johnson, Christina Zoricic

Western Libraries Publications

Following the trend of repurposing library space to meet modern user needs, Western University is undergoing a planned revitalization and renovation of its largest library on campus. As a result, 500,000 items will need to be shifted to other locations or off-site storage. In this session we will outline the impact of metadata work in shifting this large collection of material to a shared print preservation storage facility, in coordination with Western University’s Keep@Downsview partnership (https://downsviewkeep.org/). Keep@Downsview is a partnership of five universities to preserve the scholarly record in Ontario in a shared, high-density storage and preservation facility. We will …

Disability And Accessibility Language In Subject Headings And Social Tags, Mackenzie Johnson, Carlie Forsythe

FIMS Publications

Mackenzie Johnson and Carlie Forsythe’s article on disability and accessibility language in subject headings and social tagging stresses the importance of involving subject experts in the creation of subject headings, and of getting the headings right to allow effective information retrieval. The authors also assess the ‘third way’, of semi-structured, moderated social tagging systems, that lies between fully controlled vocabularies and free social tagging.

How Do You Solve A Problem Like The Whole User? The Construction Of Worthy And Problematic Users In Online Discussions Of The Public Library, Pam Mckenzie

FIMS Publications

In this article I use a discursive approach and the concept of the ‘category entitlement’ to analyse the ways that contributors to a public Internet discussion of the value of the public library make cases for different user characteristics and behaviour as ‘worthy’ or ‘problematic’, and use these characteristics to discuss and debate the kinds of individuals and the kinds of behaviour that properly belong to each category. Contributors to the discussion represented users in three categories: a fluid ‘everyone’, which included people represented as being disadvantaged and in legitimate need of the library’s resources, expertise, and support; the user …

Matching Made In Heaven: Collections And Metadata Collaboration For Print Preservation, Erin Johnson, Alie Visser, Christina Zoricic

Western Libraries Presentations

Following the trend of re-purposing library space to meet modern user needs, Western University is undergoing a planned revitalization and renovation of its largest library on campus. As a result, 500,000 items will need to be shifted to other locations or off-site storage. In this session we will outline the impact of metadata work in shifting this large collection of material to a shared print preservation storage facility, in coordination with Western University’s Keep@Downsview partnership (https://downsviewkeep.org/). Keep@Downsview is a partnership of five universities to preserve the scholarly record in Ontario in a shared, high-density storage and preservation facility. …

Demystifying Wikipedia, Alie Visser, Erin Johnson

Western Libraries Presentations

Wikipedia: we all know it, and we all use it. As the 5th most visited website in the world, the English version of Wikipedia was viewed 92 billion times last year. Yet, in its short history, libraries have historically stigmatized this resource for its crowd-sourced editing system and inconsistent source quality. Increasingly, librarians from around the world are collaborating with Wikimedia to improve its authority by linking to open resources, hosting edit-a-thons, and integrating our organizational structures into Wikidata. In this workshop, we will highlight the power of the platform, the overlapping values of libraries and Wikipedia, and how both …

"Being In Time": New Public Management, Academic Librarians, And The Temporal Labor Of Pink-Collar Public Service Work, Karen P. Nicholson

FIMS Publications

Time is a site of power, one that enacts particular subjectivities and relationships. In the workplace, time enables and constrains performance, attitudes, and behaviors. In this qualitative research study, I examine the impact of the values and practices of new public management on academic librarians’ experiences of time when engaged in pink-collar public service (reference and information literacy) work. Data gathered during semi-structured interviews with twenty-four public service librarians in Canadian public research-intensive universities, members of the U15 Group, serve as a site of analysis for this study. Interview data were first analyzed using thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke 2006) …

Strategic And Subversive: The Case Of The Disappearing Diaphragm And Women’S Information Practices, Sherilyn M. Williams

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Birth control options for women have advanced significantly over the past century. Barrier methods such as diaphragms became readily available in the first half of the 20^th century, while hormonal contraceptives such as the birth control pill have defined advances in the latter half. While the diaphragm is still contextualized in modern sexual health discourse as an accessible birth control option, women in North America, and across the globe, are finding it increasingly difficult to obtain. This is partly because the skill of fitting a diaphragm is disappearing in medical practice, and also due to pharmaceutical influence on medicine …

Narratives Of Sexuality In The Lives Of Young Women Readers, Davin L. Helkenberg

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In recent years, research on adolescent sexuality in Young Adult (YA) Literature has included a discussion of its potential role in sex education. Based on the extensive yet problematic presentation of sexuality within these texts, it has gained both support and opposition. However, very few empirical studies have been done on how readers say YA Literature has informed their sexual lives.

This thesis investigates how narratives of sexuality found within YA Literature may inform the sexual lives of young women readers by examining both readers’ experiences and YA texts. First, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 female participants (aged 18 …

Conceptions Of Research Among Academic Librarians And Archivists, Lise Doucette, Kristin Hoffmann

Western Libraries Publications

Academic librarians and archivists occupy a unique role as researchers and as practitioners who support faculty and student researchers. However, the ways in which librarians and archivists think about research is largely unexamined, while faculty conceptions of research have been studied extensively. In this study, we analyzed drawings and interviews of 25 Canadian academic librarians and archivists and identified six conceptions of research: research is a shared, community experience; research leads to learning and growth; research is influenced by personal and professional experience; research is a process involving interrelated components; research involves refining and answering a question; research by librarians …

The Information Practices Of New Kadampa Buddhists: From "Dharma Of Scripture" To "Dharma Of Insight", Roger Chabot

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The research examining spiritual information behaviours has been largely dominated by studies of Christian clergy using information in work tasks to fulfill work roles. Missing are studies of everyday individuals and the spiritual information practices they engage in as part of their everyday lives. Also lacking are studies which feature non-Western religious traditions. This dissertation fills this gap with a study of the everyday life information practices of western Buddhists from the New Kadampa Tradition. The study aimed to inventory their spiritual information practices, examine existential information needs, understand Buddhist spiritual realizations as an outcome of information use, and explore …

Racialized Youth And The Public Library: A Critical Race Theory Approach To Program Utilization And Effectiveness, Amber Matthews

FIMULAW

My research aims to reverse racial neutrality in public libraries by demonstrating how ambivalence about race perpetuates systemic inequalities and the disengagement of racialized youth. It draws on interdisciplinary research to show how the race-blind approach is not reflective of the needs of communities being served. Using a Critical Race Theory (CRT) framework, I show that public libraries can implement processes to gather race-specific data under the recently-implemented Anti-Racism Act (2017). This will provide a contextual understanding of the racial make-up of users and provide a valuable frame of reference to support efforts to build stronger and more effective relationships.

Student-Run Journals And Experiential Learning: Introducing Emerging Library & Information Perspectives, Meghan Kirkland

FIMULAW

Beginning in 2017 the Masters of Library and Information Science program decided to put together a student-run open access academic journal that would be tied together with a scholarly communication and open access course. This journal, Emerging Library & Information Perspectives (ELIP), was developed so that it coincided with course content and allowed students enrolled in the class experiential learning as peer reviewers. ELIP is published digitally and physically by the FIMS Graduate Library using Open Journal Systems, a free and open source software developed by the Public Knowledge Project.

The Role Of Embodied Information In Becoming Anti-Fragile: Through The Lens Of Ultramarathon Running, Jeremy Thompson

FIMULAW

Individuals are capable of putting their bodies and minds through incredible challenges and hardships, accomplishing goals that were thought to be impossible. Through these embodied informationally rich experiences, the potential to become stronger or rather anti-fragile in the face of physical and emotional adversity, may lead to strengthened mental health and the ability to cope well with future adversity. Using an ethnographic methodological approach centering on autoethnography, this proposed research asks ‘using the case of ultramarathon running, how do embodied information experiences in nature support antifragility and mental health and wellness?’

Making Sense Of Sense-Making: Uncovering Dervin’S Hermeneutic Intentions, Roger Chabot

FIMULAW

Brenda Dervin’s Sense-Making metatheory is a popular theory within Library and Information for helping to describe the nature of information needs and the seeking of information. However, both Savolainen (1999) and Kari (2001) have noted how Dervin is surprisingly vague about gap-bridging, a fundamental component of her theory and ultimately fails to describe how sense is actually made (Kari, 2001, p. 36). However, Dervin notes that individuals construct “interpretive bridges over a gappy reality” (Dervin, 1999b, p. 730), suggesting that the crux of Sense-Making is a hermeneutic process. Based on a textual analysis (McKee, 2003) of Dervin’s writing on Sense-Making …

Expectations Of Canadian Life, Actual Post-Arrival Experience, And Pre-Arrival Information Seeking: Results From A Study On Bangladeshi Immigrants In Canada, Nafiz Zaman Shuva

FIMULAW

In this poster, I present findings from my doctoral study on the transitional information practices of Bangladeshi immigrants in Ontario, focusing on the tensions between pre-arrival expectations and actual experiences of Canadian life and on pre-arrival information practices. I conducted surveys (n=205) and semi-structured interviews (n=58) to understand my participants’ settlement information practices. It is evident in my study that there is a significant gap in Bangladeshi immigrants’ expectations of Canadian life and actual post-arrival experience that can be analyzed in terms of information experience, especially in terms of employment expectations and mental preparedness for changes in life circumstances.

Accessibility And Academic Libraries: A Comparative Case Study, Claire Burrows

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Although individuals with disabilities represent more than 22% of the Canadian population over the age of 15, they remain underrepresented in higher education, and especially in the university setting. Although some library and information science (LIS) research has focused on creating accessible webpages, resources for individuals with print disabilities, and the physical infrastructure of libraries, few studies have included the perspectives of disabled individuals themselves or attempted to understand how libraries are conceptualizing disability and accessibility. By incorporating a disability-studies lens into this study, we can develop a more comprehensive understanding of the obstacles that arise in the pursuit of …

A News Verification Browser For The Detection Of Clickbait, Satire, And Falsified News, Victoria Rubin, Chris Brogly, Nadia Conroy, Yimin Chen, Sarah E. Cornwell, Toluwase V. Asubiaro

FIMS Publications

The LiT.RL News Verification Browser is a research tool for news readers, journalists, editors or information professionals. The tool analyzes the language used in digital news web pages to determine if they are clickbait, satirical news, or falsified news, and visualizes the results by highlighting content in color-coded categories. Although the clickbait, satire, and falsification detectors perform to certain accuracy levels on test data, during real-world internet use accuracy may vary. The browser is not a replacement for digital literacy and is not always correct. All processing is completed on the local machine - results are not sent to or …

Using Gis And Mapping Tools To Access And Visualize Archival Records: Case Studies And Survey Results Of North American Archivists And Historians, Tom Belton

Western Libraries Publications

Online map interfaces and GIS software are means of accessing and visualizing archival holdings associated strongly with places. This article investigates the possibility of an interest among at least some archivists and historians in finding records based on place names and maps. A review of recent tools and case studies on map-based methods of seeking and visualizing information in archives and special collections provides a current overview. A 2015 survey gathered additional information from archivists as to whether they place a high priority on, and are comfortable with, map-based methods, as well as to what extent their patron groups might …

Educators' Perceptions Of Information Literacy And Skills Required To Spot ‘Fake News’, Victoria Rubin, Nicole Delellis

FIMS Publications

This research examines the concept of ‘fake news’ in the context of information literacy (IL) in a post‐secondary educational setting. Educators' perceptions shape both IL curricula and classroom discussions with students. We conducted 18 interviews with members of 3 integral groups implementing IL education (8 professors, 6 librarians, 4 department chairs). Interviews explored participants' perceptions of: IL education, perceived skills associated with IL, skills required to spot ‘fake news’, and gauged our participants' willingness to incorporate segments dedicated to detecting ‘fake news’ in IL curriculum. Our qualitative findings identify a substantial overlap that exists between skills associated with IL and …

What Am I Reading?: Article-Style Native Advertisements In Canadian Newspapers, Victoria Rubin, Sarah Cornwell

FIMS Presentations

Native ads are ubiquitous in the North American digital news context. Their form, content and presentational style are practically indistinguishable from regular news editorials, and thus are often mistaken for informative content by newsreaders. This advertising practice is deceptive, in that it exploits loopholes in human digital literacy. Despite this, it is flourishing as a lucrative digital news advertising format. This paper documents and compares the 2018 Canadian news editorial writing and advertising practices in an effort to highlight their similarities and differences for potential automatic detection and categorization. We collected 10 native ads and 10 editorial pieces from 4 …

Roll For Initiative: A Player’S Guide To Tabletop Role-Playing Games In Libraries, Carlie Forsythe

FIMS Publications

Independent study exploring the history of tabletop role-playing games, their intrinsic benefits, and how they can be implemented into library collections and programs. I also explore the accessibility of tabletop role-playing games and how they can be made more accessible. To conclude, I present a series of recommendations and valuable resources for librarians and enthusiasts.

Just-In-Time Or Just-In-Case? Time, Learning Analytics, And The Library, Karen P. Nicholson, Nicole Pagowsky, Maura Seale

FIMS Publications

In this essay, we explore the timescapes of library learning analytics. We contend that just-in-time strategies, a feature of late capital modes of production, New Public Management, and future-oriented risk-management strategies inform the adoption of learning analytics. Learning analytics function as a form of temporal governmentality: current performance is scrutinized in order to anticipate future performance and prescribe just-in-time interventions to mitigate risk—not only for the student but also for the institution. Ultimately, we argue that using time as a lens to examine discourses surrounding library learning analytics reveals the temporalities reproduced in this discourse, which obscures questions of power, …

Building And Maintaining Lgbtq+ Picture Book Collections, Alissa Droog, Danielle Bettridge, Alyssa R. Martin, Ashleigh Yates-Mackay

FIMS Publications

The LGBTQ+ community has had to continuously fight for their rights, including their right to be represented in the library. This toolkit provides instruction on how to develop and manage a library collection of LGBTQ+ children’s picture books. It is split into four sections that include a guide to evaluating materials, recommended picture books, a guide to fighting censorship, and a list of recommended resources.