Library and Information Science Commons^™

Gender And Organizational Citizenship Behavior In Library Technology: Mixed Methods Study, Sharon Whitfield

Theses and Dissertations

Academic librarianship continues to be a feminized profession, yet there are specializations within the profession that tend to be gender segregated, such as library technology. In this mixed methods study, women technology librarians' behaviors are examined through the gendered lens of organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs), which are discretionary, voluntary acts that are outside an employee's job description (Organ, 1988), but help shape the organizational culture and facilitate organizational functioning (Podsakoff & MacKenzie, 1997). This mixed methods study uses a survey to inform the extent of differences in organizational citizenship behaviors between men and women, and interviews to provide new insight …

High School Media Center Web Sites: Essential Elements, Debra Ann Cathcart

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research investigation was to determine what was considered essential for a high school media center's Web page. A content analysis research method using high school media center Web pages was performed to verify contents and functionality, as well as similarities and differentiations. The results of this study indicated that some elements were considered essential for high school media center Web pages, such as online magazines and/or encyclopedias, databases, and information and/or resources on bibliographies and citations. The research also provided elements considered tentative in regards to level of essentialism for these Web pages, such as links …

Are Public Libraries In New Jersey Providing Early Literacy Programs For Children Age Birth To 23 Months Based On The Pla "Every Child Ready To Read @ Your Library" Program?, Beverly C. Jacob

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if public libraries in New Jersey provide early literacy programs for children age birth to 23 months based on PLA "Every Child Ready To Read @ your library" program. Questionnaires were provided electronically to a sample of 52 public children's librarians in New Jersey.

A total of 15 responses were received. When asked if the respondents used the Early Literacy Every Child Ready To Read birth to 23 months program materials sent to them by the State Library in 2005, 33% used some of the aspects of the workshop outline and 33% …

A Content Analysis Of Young Adult Novels Featuring Mentally And Emotionally Disabled Characters, Lisa L. Ballistreri

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to closely examine twenty works of young adult fiction that featured a character with either a mental or emotional disability. Specifically, it addressed the following research questions: 1.) What percentage of the books evaluated portrayed the disabled character as a major character or a supporting character? 2.) What percentage of the books were written from or included the disabled character's point-of-view? 3.) What percentage of the books portrayed the disabled character as a dynamic as opposed to a static character? 4.) Did the character's disability play a major role or a minor role in …

Self-Censorship In Middle School Libraries, Jennifer M. Gallagher

Theses and Dissertations

Self-censorship and the middle school library was the focus of the research contained in this study. The purpose was to investigate, through OPAC searches, the holdings of fifteen New Jersey public middle school library media centers to determine if thirty titles were included in the collections. The titles selected received positive reviews from at least two sources as being suitable for students in the 7^th through 10^th grade or ages 12 and up. The titles included in the study contained one or more of the following topics: abuse (drug, sexual, or domestic), homosexuality, interpersonal relations, family problems, religion, …

How Do Elementary School Boys Characterize Their Reading Favorites And Behaviors?, Brenda J. Koonce

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a boy crisis in our schools. It also looked at what the boys are interested in and what are they reading. The study investigated the latest research on young boys struggling to read, and their comparison to young girls.

The study provided evidence of their favorite books and authors. It furnished information on the boys' computer and television time. The study showed how the boys selected books and where they located new books. Percentages were presented about their personal libraries.

Overall, the study investigated how to make classrooms and …

Using Author Studies To Incorporate Multicultural Literature Across The New Jersey Core Curriculum, Carol Lynn Raines-Sapp

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to incorporate one author's work of multicultural literature to determine its significance in other subject areas within the New Jersey Core Curriculum exclusive of Language Arts/Literacy curriculum. It was to provide media specialists and classroom teachers with integral skills, concepts and ideas found in multicultural literature. The study used one author study, Virginia Hamilton, and one culture, African American in its evaluation within the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards. The study showed that readability level of the selected works by Virginia Hamilton was excellent for students in grades four through six. Also, it …

The Relationship Between Library Professional Development And Technology In School Media Centers, Crystal L. O'Malley

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a correlation between how school media specialists learn about new technologies and the implementation of those technologies into their school media centers. The researcher expected that the more hours media specialists spent in professional development activities, the more likely it would be that the technologies learned in the professional development activities would be implemented in their media centers. The survey was prepared and sent to 126 media specialists throughout New Jersey. Sixty-one media specialists responded. The results of the survey indicated that there was some correlation between certain types …

A Relationship Between Library Skills Instruction And Njla Test Scores, Anita K. Deangelis

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of academic success of fourth grade students who experience regularly scheduled library instruction as measured by the language arts test scores on the annual New Jersey state achievement tests. After extensive research was completed, several articles from such authors as K. C. Lance and L. Starr were chosen as part of this study. In addition, Scholastic's research paper entitled School Libraries Work which contained many additional studies on the chosen topic was read and summarized in this proposal. Following the above research, three research questions were developed along with a …

User-Generated Tagging And The Public Library Online Public Access Catalog, Andrea C. Mcdonald

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to survey southern New Jersey public librarians' attitudes towards the feasibility of including user-generated tagging in the public library online public access catalog (OPAC). The research questions of the thesis concerned the advantages and disadvantages of user-generated tagging, the co-existence of user-generated tagging and controlled subject headings, the future of user-generated tagging, and what the librarians thought about user-generated tagging in the OPAC.

The methodology of the study was applied research. Nineteen southern New Jersey public librarians completed an attitudinal survey on user-generated tagging. Responses were tallied and placed into a spreadsheet and graphic …

A Look At Computer Classes Offered At Selected South Jersey Public Libraries, David Crespy

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract available.

Information Commons Service Model And Community Colleges In New Jersey, Mary E. Moody

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if characteristics of the information commons model were being adopted by community college libraries in New Jersey. The study examined how closely these characteristics matched the models represented in the current four-year college and university literature. Email questionnaires were sent to library directors of community college libraries in New Jersey. The intention of the survey was to ascertain the library structure, budget, and staffing of community college libraries in New Jersey. Community college directors were asked to report on services their libraries provided and to rate library services commonly associated with an …

30 Years Of Judy Blume Novels... Are We Still Censoring?, Nina Amidon

Theses and Dissertations

Judy Blume has been a target of censors since she started writing novels in the 1970s. Her books have been removed from shelves in school media centers all over the country by either the school board, or even the media specialist. Many studies have been done in the past about censorship and Judy Blume's books were always a popular target.

A survey was sent out to 53 middle and high school media centers in Morris County, New Jersey. Survey Monkey.com was used to create the questionnaire and interpret the results. An email message was created and a link to the …

By Any Other Name: A Study Of Library User Comprehension Of Subject Headings, Elizabeth Campbell

Theses and Dissertations

The current research examined library users and their use of subject headings in library catalog searches. It also examined how effective library catalog searches were for users. A survey was designed to give the researcher an idea of what search terms the public used to search library catalogs. Those survey results were then compared to the actual subject headings found in the library catalog.

The overall results indicated that very few public search terms matched the vocabulary used in the catalog. This showed a disconnection between what was being offered to the public as a search tool and how the …

An Analysis Of How Birth Control Is Presented In Young Adult Novels, Corey L. Mason

Theses and Dissertations

Young adult literature can be a safe method of receiving correct and vital information about birth control in novels that contain sexual activity. It is important that birth control in young adult novels is dealt with accurately, honestly, thoroughly, and in an unbiased way. There has been little research done on how birth control is presented in YA novels and how it may have changed over time. To study this topic, ten YA novels were read and analyzed. Five of the novels were written prior to 1990 and the other five were written after 1990. Each novel was analyzed for …

Public Libraries' Commitment To Gay Youth, Kimberle Madden

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if selected New Jersey public libraries in Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties were committed to the GLBTQ youth in their communities by providing free and equal access to lesbigay literature and/or offering programs and outreach to this group of young adults. Most previous research looked at school libraries in the United States and libraries in Canada. This study investigated selected public libraries in southern New Jersey to determine if they were striving towards that commitment.

Using the State of New Jersey's District Factor Group (DFG) students were selected based on similar socioeconomic …

School Library Web Sites As Public Relations Tools, Melissa Meserall

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze school library home pages for their use as public relations tools. Two target audiences were teachers and parents. Using a checklist, each selected home page was analyzed for its inclusion of information relating to teachers, information relating to parents, and design considerations. The research question investigated was "How~successful were school library Web sites as public relations tools"? A total of 22 school library Web sites linked from the New Jersey Association of School Librarians Web site were analyzed. It was found that 41% of Web sites (nine sites) met at least 50% …

New Jersey Public Library Services For Homeschoolers, Beth Buchhofer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if public libraries in New Jersey were effectively serving the needs of homeschoolers. This was done by researching the suggestions of experts in the field of homeschooling and public libraries. The researcher then created a survey using SurveyMonkey to evaluate the materials, programs, and services that public libraries were offering. The survey was completed by fifteen representatives from the New Jersey county public libraries. Many of the libraries reported having programs for homeschoolers, unfortunately many of the materials, programs, and services were not designed specifically for this population. In conclusion, a small …

Self-Censorship By Middle School Librarians, Candace V. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Middle school librarians are faced with difficult decisions when choosing books for the middle school library collection because of the students' ages, and involvement from the administration, staff, parents and special interest groups who want to protect children from certain material. Middle school librarians may willingly or unwillingly participate in self-censorship to avoid confrontation. Middle school librarians in New Jersey were surveyed to investigate self-censorship practices. They were asked to share information about their library collection, their library policies and procedures and their thought processes during book selection. Based on the results of the study it was concluded that middle …

Library Media Specialists Are Not Ready To "Radically Change:" The Use Of Radical Change Children's Books In New Jersey School Media Centers, Elena Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to (a) determine if LMSs were using titles from a suggested list of titles found in Radical Change with kindergarten to third grade students, (b) determine how LMSs were using books with Radical Change characteristics; and (c) determine if LMSs were not using books with Radical Change characteristics, what were the reasons why they were not using or did not own the books. From the results of the questionnaire, the majority of the respondents had not heard of Dr. Eliza Dresang and her theory of Radical Change. It was also determined that many of …

Student Teachers Need A Shot In The Arm: A Study Of Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Through Teacher Preparation Programs, Daria C. Benford

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine pre-service teacher training and/or exposure to the potential collaborative role of the teacher-librarian. The study used a short written survey questioning pre-service teachers about any instances of collaboration with a school library media specialist, knowledge about and exposure to collaborative ideas or methods involving school library media specialists throughout their teacher preparation program, and attitudes towards the roles of the school library media specialist. The population for this survey was pre-service teachers that had been contacted through their field experience or education departments or through face to face contact. Pre-service teachers were …

Life After Harry: Creating A Reader's Advisory Model Based On The Literary Archetypes Of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Series, Patricia C. Hatton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop and test a method of Reader's Advisory based on archetypal character analysis in place of genre, author, or mood advisory. The study used J. K. Rowling's popular Harry Potter fiction series as a base for developing this strategy. After identifying four character archetypes in the Harry Potter series, the researcher consulted Bowker's Fiction Connection database to find other award winning young adult fiction that contained at least two of the archetypes identified in the Harry Potter series. Upon identifying ten novels that fit the criteria, the researcher read and analyzed each of …

Censorship And Self-Censorship In The Public High School Libraries Of Gloucester County, New Jersey, Melissa L. Owen

Theses and Dissertations

It is essential that young adults have access to books that are of interest to them, regardless of controversy that may surround such titles. The purpose of this study was to determine the existence of commonly banned young adult (YA) books in the library collections of traditional public high schools in Gloucester County. A significant lack of such books may be a sign that censorship or self-censorship has hindered the development of the collection, thereby robbing students of their freedom to read.

The researcher searched the OPACs of thirteen traditional public high schools for thirty-seven predetermined titles. The titles that …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of School Library Web Sites, Sheryl Laws

Theses and Dissertations

In today's society, the use of technology is growing rapidly. School libraries have a responsibility to their patrons to keep up with this trend by providing information about the school library on the Internet. These Web sites must be well maintained and up to date. The purpose of this study was to evaluate elementary and middle school library Web sites to find if they were meeting the standard of a Web page.

With the use of a checklist, the researcher evaluated the school library Web sites based on appearance, ease of use, age appropriateness, and information that was included. After …

Services Provided By District School Library Media Supervisors, Ericka L. Hooker

Theses and Dissertations

District school library media supervisors have been shown to be an asset to school library programs. Research has shown that school libraries can be more productive and successful, when they are coordinated by a supervisor holding advanced qualifications. The services offered by a district school library media supervisor can directly affect the role of the school library media specialists he/she supervises. Two groups of school library media specialists were surveyed to determine what services their district supervisor provided and how the presence or absence of this position affected the availability and quality of library services offered. Group A were respondents …

An Evaluation Of How Elementary School Teachers Perceive Library Media Specialists' Responsibilities In Gloucester County, New Jersey, Kathleen M. Farrington

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not teachers expected a higher level of responsibility from the library media specialist in schools that employed at least one full-time library media specialist (n=47). Additionally, it investigated whether or not those teachers had a more in-depth understanding or acceptance of the roles of the library media specialist. Specifically it addressed the following research questions: 1.) What roles and responsibilities of the library media specialist did classroom teachers deem important? 2.) Was there a difference in teacher understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the library media specialist between schools …

A Study Of Books Included In The State Of New Jersey's Holocaust And Genocide 5-8th Grade Curriculum, Christin M. Robey

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the books suggested by the State of New Jersey Holocaust and Genocide Curriculum. "To Honor All Children for Grades 5-8" in order to create a diverse curriculum. Through the use of suggested materials by New Jersey, it is intended that students be exposed to a well rounded and balanced educational experience. In order for this for this curriculum to be diverse, it needs include many ethnic racial/ethnic groups and other topics relevant to holocaust and genocide study. The curriculum guide also needs to be updated to include books that have a …

How The Public Library Contributes To Community Building: A Case Study, Barbara J. Snyder

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate how one local New Jersey public library contributed to the revitalization efforts of its community by building social networks that benefitted all members of the community. Because the nature of the study dealt with conditions that were social, the qualitative method of research was chosen. A personal interview was used to collect information on how the library built social networks within the community it served by identifying and connecting the library's assets to the community's. The data were compared to a model developed from a previous study, The Engaged Library: Chicago Stories …

Recreational Reading Program For Sixth Grade Students, Angela M. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to determine how much time was dedicated to recreational reading by sixth grade students and what were the topics and genres that interested them. Questionnaires were administered to 201 out of 257 regular education sixth grade students regardless of gender and reading level. According to the results, there was a direct correlation between the types of books that the students enjoyed reading, their opinions on student choice of recreational reading books versus teacher choice of assigned books, and the types of books that they would like to have more of as required reading for …

Corroborating What Data Collected By 9th-12th Grade School Librarians Articulate And Validate A Successful School Library Program, Arlen H. Kimmelman

Theses and Dissertations

Utilizing an experts' consensus from the field of school librarianship of the characteristics of a successful school library program, this study aimed to corroborate what data collected by 9^th-12^th grade school librarians articulate and validate a successful school library program. Information Power was used as the industry standard for determining the standards of successful school library programs. First; a meta-analysis was done to identify the experts in the field of school librarianship. Second, a Delphi study was used with the experts to corroborate what data needs to be collected by 9^th-12^th grade school librarians …