Digital Commons Network^™

Gamification And Game-Based Learning Tools: A Review And Utility For School Libraries, Sarwesh Pareek

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of gamification tools in school libraries, focusing on a web-based survey that identified 29 games related to digital literacy and library services. These games, categorized as free and paid, span various subjects and topics, including math, science, language arts, and information literacy. The research examines the specific uses of these games, assessing their effectiveness in enhancing student engagement and learning outcomes. By analyzing the features, design elements, and user interactions of these games, the study aims to provide insights into their impact on student motivation and educational achievement. The findings highlight the potential of …

Crafting A Queer Information Literacy (Qil) Framework: An Exploration Of Embodiment, Digital Learning, And Information Literacy In Academic Spaces, Joseph Kevin Sebastian

Library Faculty Presentations

This presentation introduces and explores Queer Information Literacy (QIL) as a critical, embodied, and transformative framework within academic and digital learning contexts. Bridging theoretical explorations with practical applications, the project delves into the intersections of queerness, embodiment, and information literacy, challenging and subverting normative structures embedded within traditional literacy models and digital learning environments. Personal narratives from the researcher’s experiences as an academic librarian and digital learning specialist enrich the discussion, offering tangible insights and strategies for enacting QIL. The presentation ultimately advocates for a QIL that is collaborative, adaptive, and reflective, honoring the fluidity and multiplicity of queer experiences …

Desire Paths In The Information Landscape, Victoria Van Hyning, Mason A. Jones, Travis Wagner

Journal of Critical Digital Librarianship

Libraries and archives serve so many different users who come to information institutions with various perspectives, needs, experiences, and desires around accessing physical or digital collections. While our users may find what they are looking for immediately, many have to beat their own paths through complex systems and metadata that doesn’t align with their needs. Their search strategies may leave digital “desire paths”–alternative routes through the information landscape that can show us how to better meet their needs. This article covers three scenarios where users’ desire paths can be seen or where gaps around user experience can be better addressed. …

Data Visualization, Licensing, And Other Generative Ai Initiatives At Minnesota State University Mankato, Evan Rusch, Nat Gustafson-Sundell

Library Services Publications

At Minnesota State University Mankato (MNSU), we’ve undertaken several experiments and initiatives focused on Generative Artificial Intelligence. At the start of the fall semester, we collaborated with university Information Technology Services to present a professional development session for returning faculty through the MNSU Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning on “5 Tips for Teaching with AI.” We also presented to librarians across the regional consortium, Minitex, on “The Library & Generative AI.” This presentation included several demonstrations. It was offered as an introduction to Generative AI focused on topics most relevant to librarians, including information literacy, as well as …

Theory-Based Science Communication At Comic Cons, Lisa Lundgren, Emily Slater, Man Zhang, Kadie Kunz, Gabriel-Philip Santos

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

The majority of research concerning science communication happens in spaces where people already have a vested interest in or knowledge of science, such as museums and science cafes. Thus, there is a gap in understanding what theory-based science communication looks like in non-science-centered spaces. This qualitative research study, which featured cosplaying science communicators at comic conventions, offers insights into what science communication practices occur within everyday spaces. We conducted observations of and semi-structured interviews with 15 cosplaying scientists, examining how they utilized effective framing and narrative structuring when communicating science at comic cons in cosplay. Across 700 coded utterances, cosplaying …

Assessment Of Computer Literacy And Online Information Searching Skill Of Open And Distance Learners: A Study, Veen Naik G, Veena Naik G, Veena Naik G

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The use of ICT has increased and enlarged the impact and skills of distance students on how to search information electronically. The use of ICT increases the learning productivity of students. With online search conveniences, information stored at dissimilar locations can be easily retrieved by using web pages, e-mail, and CD-ROM, at anytime by anyone from anywhere in the world. Therefore students are required to enhance their computer and communication technology skills to live successfully in a knowledge-based society. The main objective of the present study was to identify computer literacy skills and information searching strategies of students of distance …

This Be The Beloved Curse: Learning To Love Ever-Evolving Born-Digital Description, Ruth E. Bryan, Megan M. Mummey, Andrew Mcdonnell

Library Presentations

The title of the presentation, “This be the beloved curse” is taken from Philip Larkin’s poem “This be the curse.” In it, Larkin describes the cycle of life where children are messed up by their parents, who, with the best intentions, “...fill you with the faults they had/and add some extra, just for you.” He goes on to explain, though, that our parents, in their turn, were equally messed up “...by fools in old-style hats and coats…”, handing on what Larkin terms “misery” from one generation to another.

As archivists, and especially as archivists working with digital formats, our “beloved …

Understanding Non-Designers' Practices And Processes In A Human-Centered Design Course, Luettamae Lawrence, Saadeddine Shehab, Mike Tissenbaum

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Human-centered design (HCD) has been identified in the literature as a useful problem-solving approach for learners. However, learning and applying HCD poses several challenges for students who are unfamiliar with this form of learning. In this paper, we analyse how a novice design team worked on a HCD class project to examine how non-designers learn about and integrate HCD practices into their project. We introduce the HCD taxonomy to define the processes and practices that students engage in. The team’s design work is triangulated across multiple data sources and revealed three challenges for engaging non-designers in HCD: 1) the need …

Rolling (Over) In The Deep: Cleaning Up All Continuing Resources With The Nasig Core Competencies In Mind, Michelle E. Colquitt

Presentations

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Livestock Cooperative Societies In Providing Information On Livestock Production In Northwest Nigeria, Suleiman Idris, Abdulkadir Tsagem Mamman

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Livestock cooperative societies play an important role in disseminating information related to livestock production practices to farmers in Northwest Nigeria. These societies aim to support farmers by sharing knowledge that can help strengthen animal husbandry techniques, improve productivity, and increase farm incomes. Through organized events, training programs, and distribution of educational materials, the livestock cooperatives in the region seek to provide farmers with the latest research-based information on topics like animal breeding, feeding, disease prevention, and market access. The objective of this study is to assess the types of information services provided by livestock cooperative societies to address the information …

Book Review Of Hicks, A., Lloyd, A., And Pilerot, O. (Eds.). 2024. Information Literacy Through Theory, Anders Tobiason

Boise State University Publications and Presentations

Theorising about information literacy (IL), or better, interrogating the idea of IL theoretically, is the guiding principle behind the edited work, Information literacy through theory (Hicks, Lloyd, and Pilerot, 2024). The editors have deliberately, and quite correctly, not asked contributors to come up with a theory of IL, but rather to put IL in conversation, contact, and sometimes conflict, with other theory(s) to inform new ways to critique and conceive of IL as a concept and practice. Because of this, the book, while well-written and well-researched, can be a bit of a daunting read. For anyone not versed in thinking …

Fostering Self-Reflection On Library Instruction: Testing A Peer Observation Instrument Focused On Questioning Strategies, Eric Silberberg

Publications and Research

This study demonstrates that a library instruction observation instrument can effectively foster critical self-reflection among academic library faculty and staff on their teaching practices. The paper outlines the instrument's design, which gathers low inference observations on instructors’ use of questioning as a pedagogical strategy based on recommendations from the LIS and education literature. To test and refine the instrument's design, the instructors’ utilised the instrument to collect data from classes taught by five participating instructors, who, during post-observation interviews, engaged in thoughtful reflections on their class planning, student participation, and teaching philosophy. They also provided valuable critiques of the usefulness …

Volume 44, Number 2, June 2024 Olac Newsletter, Tanesa King, Morris Levy, Amanda Mack, Meg Wang, Alex Whelan, Nerissa Lindsey

OLAC Newsletters

Digitized June 2024 issue of the OLAC Newsletter.

Active And Retroactive Digital Newspaper Preservation, Andrew Mcdonnell

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

The University of Kentucky Libraries’ (UKL) long-running efforts to document and provide access to the state’s history via newspaper preservation have necessarily evolved over the last 80 years. As news formats and preservation technologies have changed, particularly in relation to born-digital media, the libraries’ efforts have had to keep pace. The race to preserve these materials before they disappear or are locked away on media inaccessible to modern computers is not always chronologically linear, though. Digital archivists and librarians must sometimes straddle multiple generations of technology to successfully migrate, capture, and otherwise preserve digital publications, and there is no single …

Examining Book Banning Trends In The U.S., Amanda D. Filchock

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This capstone project is a web application for users to explore book banning trends across the United States. It is intended to serve as a resource for students, parents, educators, librarians, and authors who are interested in understanding the ways that book banning attempts have changed between 2021-2023 in the United States. These audiences will be able to interact with data visualizations to inform their own research and deepen their understanding of this current topic. Interactive features include: the ability to search by the title or author of a book to learn where, when, why, and by whom the book …

Choose Your Own Research Adventure: An Asynchronous Tutorial To Address “Research As Inquiry”, Stacy Brinkman, Samantha Hilton

Communications in Information Literacy

The Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education posits that the practice of asking questions in order to deepen inquiry and understanding is a key element of information literacy. While the “Research as Inquiry” frame is teachable in library instruction, it can be difficult to scale. Popular instructional design software tends to present information in linear formats that can limit how students understand the iterative nature of research. This article presents an attempt at an asynchronous tutorial that overcomes this limitation of medium and that presents “Research as Inquiry” through an iterative and question-based online game. We discuss the development, …

Try It Together: Transcribing Your Audio With Whisper Api, Bella Ratmelia

2024 AI for Research Week

In this hands-on session, we will explore using the Whisper API to transcribe audio recordings from interviews, focus groups, and speeches. The session will delve into best practices and address common issues that may arise during the transcription process.

The Management Variables And The Provision F Library Services To The University Undergraduates In South-East, Nigeria, Ngozi Immaculata Ike Dr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study investigated management variables and the provision of library services to the university undergraduates in federal universities across Southeast Nigeria. The research examined the relationship between planning and organizing, and the extent of library services provided. Three research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. A multiple correlational design was employed. Data collection utilized a 4-point modified Likert rating scale. The population of the study was 19390 comprising librarians and students. This is made up of 19188 students and 202 librarians. The population was made up of all university undergraduate registered library users and librarians within the period the …

Stainforth’S Library: Working Tool Or Intellectual Monument?, Nadia Nasr

Staff publications, research, and presentations

There’s an old saying that we plant trees whose shade we will never know and I believe this may be what the Reverend Francis John Stainforth was doing with his library of women's writing, which numbered in excess of 8,000 volumes and 7,122 titles. Sotheby’s sales catalog for Stainforth’s library states that “books are all in neat Bindings [sic], and in the best condition,” suggesting that his books were not regularly handled, and perhaps emphasizing that the physical books were working tools Stainforth used to produce his catalog. Unless otherwise specified, book sizes were noted in bulk at the beginning …

Academic Search And Discovery Tools In The Age Of Ai And Large Language Models: An Overview Of The Space, Aaron Tay

2024 AI for Research Week

In the ever-evolving landscape of academic research, “AI tools” for literature search and synthesis are currently getting a lot of attention. These tools promise to ramp up productivity, enabling us to accomplish more in less time or absorb more knowledge without drowning in endless reading. With the sheer number of these systems increasing daily, it's natural to wonder: are they really worth our time and money? And if they are, how should we go about picking the right one from the multitude of options?

In this talk, I will share my views on how the space has developed over two …

United States National Aeronautics And Space Administration (Nasa) Scientific Integrity Policy

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

US NASA Scientific Integrity Policy

Ischool Student Research Journal, Vol.14, Iss.1

School of Information Student Research Journal

Volume 14, Issue 1 of the School of Information Student Research Journal explores the multifaceted impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) on academia, particularly within library and information science (LIS) education and scholarly publishing. Highlighting the proactive measures taken by San Jose State University's iSchool, this issue underscores the necessity of integrating AI competencies, such as data privacy and ethical AI use, into curricula. Through detailed case studies and policy reviews, the issue examines the ethical and societal implications of AI, including biases and inequalities, advocating for adaptive and responsible AI integration.

Odin Halvorson's paper emphasizes the transformative potential of Large …

Looking Ahead: Incorporating Ai In Mlis Competencies, Souvick Ghosh, Denise Mccoy

School of Information Student Research Journal

Libraries have long been essential for democratizing knowledge and providing reliable information, extending their services to meet diverse community needs, including educational programs and internet access (Pawley, 2022; Freudenberger, 2022). Librarians, as custodians of information and culture, possess core competencies in information organization, digital literacy, and research skills. The San José State University (SJSU) School of Information (iSchool) aims to educate professionals who significantly impact global communities through high-quality education, research, and technology innovation. This article examines the Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program at SJSU iSchool, focusing on the evolution of its 14 core competencies to incorporate …

Into The Unknown: Developing Ai Policies For The Student Research Journal, Marc Hoffeditz

School of Information Student Research Journal

In light of the artificial intelligence (AI) boom in late 2022, policies governing the use and disclosure of artificial intelligence in scholarly journals have occupied editorial boards of all disciplines. The Student Research Journal (SRJ) at San José State University sought to tackle this issue with an inclusive process to better serve our authors and editorial team in uncertain times. This editorial will discuss the work of the SRJ’s AI Policy Working Group in completing a comprehensive review of literature surrounding the topics of AI and scholarly publishing, detail the journal’s first AI disclosure policy in depth, and identify next …

Centering Relationality And Care For Stewardship Of Indigenous Research Data, Miranda Belarde-Lewis, Sandra Littletree, Iisaaksiichaa Ross Braine, Kaitlin Srader, Nestor Guerrero, Carole L. Palmer

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

The CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance are a seminal advance in the stewardship of Indigenous data. The Data Services for Indigenous Scholarship and Sovereignty (DSISS) project is working to guide how research libraries and data repositories can apply the CARE principles to support scholars of Indigenous culture and language. Building on a set of foundational case studies of Indigenous scholarship, this paper reports on analysis of formal engagement activities with scholars, Indigenous community members, and information and data professionals. We discuss three prominent themes—ownership, trust, and relational accountability—and their implications for concrete steps toward implementation of the CARE principles …

Kludge Cataloging: Cobbling Together Hebrew Bibliographic Records When You Can't Read Hebrew, Angela Kroeger

Criss Library Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

This presentation discussed the difficulties and challenges cataloging the Kripke-Veret Collection of the Jewish Federation at the University of Nebraska at Omaha when the collection has a heavy Hebrew collection and the cataloger does not read Hebrew.

Secondary Processing At Utah State University Archives, Kelly Rovegno, Heather Housley, Paul Daybell

Journal of Western Archives

In 2018, Utah State University Special Collections and Archives undertook a Remediation Project to create finding aids and library catalog records for all its holdings, including University Archives. During this project, additional issues were found with the arrangement, description, and preservation of University Archives. A new workflow, called secondary processing, grew out of efforts to address such issues while completing the original goals of the Remediation Project. This article examines how secondary processing was used at Utah State University and the challenges and opportunities uncovered as work progressed. It also discusses how secondary processing was used to improve discoverability and …

Incorporating Avoiding Plagiarism Into A Drug Information Course, Roslyn Kohlbrecher, Diana Sobieraj

UConn Library Presentations

Background: Maintaining academic integrity is a priority for professional pharmacy programs, but fitting this topic into the curriculum can be a challenge. In the absence of a medical writing course, our institution uses a drug information course to introduce students to the topic of avoiding plagiarism. The professor of this course approached their librarian for ideas on improving the way this topic had historically been presented. The librarian used an existing resource to build a LibWizard tutorial on avoiding plagiarism that is tailored to the PharmD curriculum.

Description: The tutorial includes 24 slides that present information and are accompanied by …

Retention Through Empathy An Invitation To Compassionate Progressive Discipline, Jessica Garner, Kay Coates

University Libraries: Faculty Presentations

Managing employee relations is a challenge that many leaders in the library face. High morale, collegiality, and active listening are the building blocks that facilitate compassion in the workplace. A productive work environment is a delightful patchwork of leadership savvy, SMART goals, employee retention and motivation combined with proactive measures for well-being. Library leaders must have a comprehensive plan for retaining employees that considers the whole person, often necessitating progressive discipline to ensure a positive work environment. Historically, progressive discipline has been used punitively with a focus toward termination. In this presentation, we will make a case for compassionate progressive …

Mobile Library Sustainability In Public Libraries: A Panacea For Effective Information Services Delivery To Rural Dwellers In Nigeria, Angela Chiwendu Nweke (Cln), Okesanya Roseline Omoadoni (Cln), Ademola Ferdinand Omosekejimi (Cln)

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study reviewed literature on mobile library sustainability in public libraries as the solution to effective information services delivery to rural dwellers in Nigeria. The study reviewed relevant literature on issues bothering the concept of mobile library, an overview of mobile library services in Nigeria, types of mobile libraries, mobile library resources, mobile library services, goals and objectives of mobile libraries, status of mobile libraries in Nigeria, relevance of mobile libraries to information services delivery among rural dwellers in Nigeria, strategies that can be adopted to sustain mobile libraries in Nigeria, as well factors militating against the deployment of mobile …