Digital Commons Network^™

[Nlw] Drawn To Special Collections & Archives, Millie Resendez, Shannon Pensa

Library Display Posters

People are drawn to our collections, which include books and rare books, newspapers and newsletters, maps, photographs, postcards, and so much more. People are also drawn to our quiet spaces and the help we provide throughout their research journey.

To play on this year's National Library Week theme of “drawn to the library,” this digital exhibit will feature items in our collections that are, in fact, drawn. It will draw upon published and illustrated materials, sketches, maps, yearbooks, and drawings and doodles.

National Library Week (NLW) is an annual celebration highlighting the valuable role libraries, librarians, and library workers play …

Developing A Pandemic-Related Mental Health Micro-Collection For An Academic Library, Dee Anna Phares

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Academic library patrons dealing with the impact of trauma, depression, anxiety, or addiction spawned or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic require materials that address the unique conditions that have shaped mental health since late 2019. This paper demonstrates how one academic library endeavored to address patrons’ needs for mental health resources by developing a “Coping and COVID-19” micro-collection.

The Library As A Hospitable Place: Hospitality And Welcoming Volunteers, Geesje Duursma, Erwin Losekoot, Gjalt De Jong

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Libraries use volunteers. Research indicates various barriers to volunteering. After these barriers have been overcome, it is of great importance that the volunteer is welcomed into the organization. Therefore, hospitality is not just about receiving patrons but also receiving (new) volunteers. For this study, concepts from volunteering were synthesized with hospitality concepts. This case study took place at a library in the northern part of the Netherlands. Data was collected from interviews with management and volunteers in a focus group discussion. The findings were triangulated with official documents from the library. A matrix of hospitality practices is proposed to help …

Teaching Archival Silences With The New Hampshire Maps Collection, Kai H. Uchida

Faculty Publications

This conference presentation was given at the Annual Spring 2025 Meeting for New England Archivists.

For the past two years, the University Archivist at Milne Special Collections and Archives at the University of New Hampshire has partnered with an instructor in the Natural Resources and Environmental Studies Department to teach about its historic map collections. This presentation will discuss the planning, execution, and lessons learned from using a historic state maps collection to educate students on the concept of "archival silence," and to advocate for the use of historical map collections to develop critical archival and data literacies.

Navigating Student Success: Insights From Student Success Librarians, Mallory Jallas, Chad M. Kahl, Jennifer Sharkey, Chris Worland

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

This chapter reports findings and offers themes from focus groups with student success librarians. The research group addressed a gap in the literature by investigating how student success librarians contribute to campus-wide student success efforts, how these efforts have changed over time, partnerships and collaboration with campus units, and assessment of these efforts. This chapter presents critical takeaways for current and prospective student success librarians, library leaders, student affairs personnel, and broader audiences in academic librarianship. From the focus groups, vital considerations of job scope, administrative support, assessment, and labor emerged. Many currently in student success librarian positions will find …

Perception, Awareness, And Readiness By Academic Libraries Towards The 2030 Global Agenda For Sustainable Development Goals (Sdgs), Adeniyi Isaiah Kayode, Sunday Adebisi Oguntayo Dr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract

Purpose: This study sought to evaluate academic libraries' perception, awareness, and readiness towards the 2030 global agenda for SDGs

Methodology: A qualitative methodology was employed, and structured interviews were utilised to collect data. The interviews served as the primary method of data collection and were designed to accomplish five objectives. The study focused on academic librarians as the target population, with a sample size of thirty librarians representing nine academic libraries.

Findings: This study emphasises the mandatory prioritisation of all 17 SDGs by academic libraries, highlighting challenges such as insufficient financing, lack of awareness, and political instability among …

Strategies For Enhancing The Ability Of Rural Farmers To Deal With Challenges Of Climate Change Through Adult Education Programme In South East, Nigeria, Abaobi David Agbo Dr., Ngozi Justina Igwe Dr., Onyinye Regina Ekere, Stella C. Nwizu Prof.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Agriculture has become the main stay of the economy of developing countries in the world especially south-east, Nigeria. Rural farmers in South-east, Nigeria have suffered significant losses due to extreme weather events and natural disasters attributed to climate change such as severe flooding, drought, decease and pest attack etc. The responses and reactions of rural farmers to these extreme weather events and natural disasters has suggested that there is a lack knowledge of climate change. This study therefore is aimed at developing strategies that could help enhance the ability of rural farmers to cope and deal with the effects of …

2025 Furman University Scholarship Reception Program, Madeline Eastergard, Kathie Sloan

Libraries Institutional Records

On February 14, 2025, the Libraries and the Office of the Provost hosted the Furman University Scholarship Reception. The reception showcased scholarly publications, creative works, and professional accomplishments of Furman faculty or staff from the 2024 calendar year. It highlighted Furman faculty and staff who completed a degree, received a grant from an external funding source totaling more than $1,000, and/or published books, book chapters, journal articles, exhibits, recordings, performances, films, or other works. The following Furman presenters provided four-minute speeches about their scholarly or creative works:

• Liz Bouzarth, Professor of Mathematics
• John Harris, Professor of Mathematics
• Kevin Hutson, Professor …

Orchestra Librarians’ Responses In The Time Of Covid-19: A Qualitative Study Of Symphony Orchestra Librarians Around The Globe, Patrick Lo, Hermina G.B. Anghelescu

School of Information Sciences Faculty Research Publications

The COVID-19 crisis has disrupted the performing arts ecosystem worldwide, with an even more severe impact on classical orchestras. This study examines how 19 seasoned, established orchestra librarians and their parent organizations worldwide experienced and responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study examines similarities and differences in their professional practices and experiences of coping with pandemic-related disruptions. The study sheds new light on how orchestra librarians' practices changed, along with their resilience, adaptability, sense of self-worth, and career fulfilment during COVID-19,in the context that none were furloughed or made redundant. The paper also discusses the impact of pandemic restrictions on …

Romancing The Gullah In The Age Of Porgy And Bess, Allison Faix

The Southeastern Librarian

Kendra Y. Hamilton Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2024 ISBN: 9780820362892 266 p. $144.95 (Hbk)

Ripe For Harvest: Data Harvesting And The Need For E-Lending Privacy Legislation, George M. Farris

The Southeastern Librarian

Digital lending has revolutionized libraries, adding a trove of available titles and increased accessibility and convenience to patrons. However, handling of patron privacy when utilizing e-lending services is an area that has not received much attention. This paper examines reasons why libraries and patrons alike should be concerned about privacy and the harvest of data when engaging in e-lending through a non-library entity. Examples of mishandling of patron data are discussed in this paper. Recommendations for legislative and non-legislative actions that libraries can take to uphold the American Library Associa-tion core values of intellectual freedom and privacy are also discussed. …

In The Pines: A Lynching, A Lie, A Reckoning, Chris Andrews

The Southeastern Librarian

Grace Elizabeth Hale New York: Little, Brown, and Company, 2023 ISBN: 9780316564748 256 p. $29.00 (Hbk)

Prison Capital: Mass Incarceration And Struggles For Abolition Democracy In Louisiana, Tim Dodge

The Southeastern Librarian

Lydia Pelot-Hobbs Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2023 ISBN: 97814696775114 374 p. $29.95 (Pbk)

Alma Link Resolver Subject Report 2023-2024, Andrée J. Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Statistics for 2023-2024 on the number of OpenURL requests by Library of Congress classification code made to the Ex Libris Alma link resolver for items held by the University of Rhode Island Libraries.

Information provided includes Classification Code, Classifications, Number of Requests, Number of Clicked Requests, and % Clicks from Requests.

Alma Link Resolver Title & Issn Report (Top 500) 2023-2024, Andrée J. Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Statistics for 2023-2024 on the total number of OpenURL requests by journal title and ISSN made to the Ex Libris Alma link resolver for items held by the University of Rhode Island Libraries. Includes only the top 500 journals.

Information provided includes journal Title, ISSN, EISSN, Number of Requests, Number of Clicked Requests, % Clicks from Requests.

Usage Statistics: Project Counter R5 Tr_J1 Report Fy2024 - Journal Requests (Excluding Oa_Gold) By Title, Andrée J. Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Project COUNTER R5 Report TR_J1 for the University of Rhode Island for the period from July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024. The TR_J1 report is defined as "Journal Requests (Excluding OA_Gold)." This report presents an annual total only and only includes those platforms successfully configured for automated harvesting via SUSHI.

File for download is Excel spreadsheet generated by Alma Analytics.

Results:

Total Item Requests - 805,131

Unique Item Requests - 602,267

Usage Statistics: Project Counter R5 Tr_B1 Report Fy2024 - Book Requests (Excluding Oa_Gold) By Title, Andrée J. Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Project COUNTER R5 Report TR_B1 for the University of Rhode Island for the period from July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024. The TR_B1 report is defined as "Book Requests (Excluding OA_Gold)." This report presents an annual total only and only includes those platforms successfully configured for automated harvesting via SUSHI.

File for download is Excel spreadsheet generated by Alma Analytics.

Results:

Total Item Requests - 130,532

Unique Title Requests - 54,592

Appraising Records, Maureen Cresci Callahan, David Staniunas

Published Works

This chapter operationalizes archival appraisal as a values-driven, lifecycle activity that begins in pre-custodial conversations and continues through transfer, accessioning, stabilization, description, migration/reformatting, and, when warranted, deaccessioning. It reframes appraisal as both selection and retention, not merely separation, and offers guiding principles: assess long-term research value, preserve context, and acknowledge the rarity of true uniqueness. The authors translate strategy into practice through functional analysis and scaled prioritization (e.g., adaptations of the Minnesota Method), showing how to map organizational or personal functions to record types to widen evidentiary breadth. Practical tools include creator interviews, top-level surveys of born-digital environments, and structured …

Reference Interview Recommendations For Text And Data Mining, Laura Egan

Librarian Publications

Text and data mining (TDM) has become increasingly important in research and teaching in higher education. Researchers at all levels are engaging with larger quantities of data than previously feasible. The exponential increase in the availability of text data has resulted in a proliferation of the number of tools that facilitate text data processing and analysis. While TDM skills may have been optional or a disciplinary focus in the past, they are increasingly employed in a broader range of fields. Students and researchers may also be inspired to use TDM tools as they come across examples while looking for new …

Genre Audiences, Lcgft And User Warrant: An Exploratory Study, Deborah Tomaras, Allison Bailund, Joshua Bergmann, Abby Dover, Steven W. Holloway, C. Rockwell Strader

Law Librarian Scholarship

The Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms (LCGFT) vocabulary is among the most prominent genre vocabularies used in library cataloging. To investigate how the current application of LCGFT affects users’ genre access, we gathered data from library patrons, library staff, and parties involved in genre creation and use. The results demonstrate that patrons actively seek out genre materials in libraries, often via library catalogs, and that LCGFT has room for growth and expansion that might enhance patrons’ search experience.

Neurodivergent Students And Higher Education: Barriers, Challenges, And Supporting Measures, Courtney Tricarichi-Funk

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

When neurodivergent students attempt to go to colleges and universities, they often face barriers in accessing higher education and encounter challenges post-admission. This study explores what measures higher learning institutions can develop and implement to make postsecondary education more accessible and less challenging for neurodivergent students by answering the following questions: • What barriers do neurodivergent students face when planning to access higher education? • What challenges do neurodivergent students encounter in higher education after they are admitted? • What measures can be developed and implemented to help neurodivergent students access and succeed in higher education? To address these questions, …

Understanding The Determinants Of Blockchain Adoption: An Empirical Study, Amarpreet Kohli, Nihar Kumthekar, Piyush Shah, Rebecca Jauch

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Blockchain technology (BT) has the potential to enhance security and robustness of transactions through a distributed ledger bookkeeping process. This study employs technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework and threat-rigidity theory (TRT) to examine whether perceived disruption caused by COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the adoption of BT, and inclination to adopt BT in the US. The COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique backdrop, as it affected businesses across all industries, sizes, and geographies. Results show a non-significant effect of perceived pandemic disruption on the current stage of BT adoption and intention to adopt BT. However, disruption readiness positively influences the current stage of BT …

Identifying Intangible And Biocultural Heritage Elements Toward Environmental Understanding: Engaging Stakeholders Through Art, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Grounded in a case study in Barbuda in the Caribbean, this research examines sustainability from the perspective of what arts and heritage can contribute to community engagement and local and broader understandings about the environment. This article documents a growing body of literature recognizing the role of arts and culture, including local knowledge and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), in climate change endeavors. Art and TEK present expansive world views. Contextual information situates research done on the island of Barbuda pre- and post-Hurricane Irma. Visual arts workshops engaged community members in mixed methods research. Results documented cultural elements, particularly intangible and …

Dominance Of Leading Business Schools In Top Journals: Insights For Increasing Institutional Representation, Rodrigo Romero-Silva, Erika Marsillac, Sander De Leeuw

Information Technology & Decision Sciences Faculty Publications

The competitive push for business schools to publish in prestigious journals has resulted in a disproportionate number of papers in prestigious Management and Operations Research/Management Science (OR/MS) journals coming from a select group of institutions. Our analysis shows the Matthew effect of prestigious journals favors established schools with 51.2% of papers in 18 Management ABS 4* journals and 61.3% of papers in 3 OR/MS ABS 4* journals involving authors from the 100 top business schools identified by the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). Citation patterns are similarly concentrated among papers authored by scholars from UTD-listed business schools, with nearly …

"I’Ll Wait Zero Seconds": Faculty Perspectives On Serials Access, Sharing, And Immediacy, Rachel Elizabeth Scott, Anne Shelley, Chad E. Buckley, Cassie Thayer-Styes, Julie A. Murphy

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

This study explores how faculty across disciplines access and share scholarly serial content and what expectations they have for immediacy. The authors conducted twenty-five in-depth, semi-structured interviews with faculty of various ranks representing all Illinois State University (ISU) colleges. The findings, presented in the words of participants and triangulated with data from local sources, suggest that faculty use a variety of context-specific mechanisms to access and share serial literature. Participants discuss how they use library services such as databases, subscriptions, interlibrary loan, and document delivery, coupled with academic social networks, disciplinary repositories, author websites, and other publicly available sources to …

Comprehensive Benchmarking Of Several Machine Learning And Bayesian Models For Early-Stage Diabetes Risk Prediction: A Large-Scale Comparative Study, Md. Iqbal Hossain, Najila Alam Porno

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Diabetes remains a critical global health challenge, with early detection is crucial for effective management. This study presents a comprehensive benchmarking analysis of 14 diverse machine learning and Bayesian models for early-stage diabetes risk prediction using clinical data [2] from Sylhet, Bangladesh. This research evaluated traditional methods (Logistic Regression, Decision Trees), ensemble techniques (Random Forest, XGBoost, LightGBM), Bayesian approaches (BART, Bayesian Logistic Regression), and advanced neural architectures (Deep Belief Networks) using both 70-30 train-test splits and 10-fold cross-validation. The results demonstrate that ensemble methods consistently outperformed other approaches, with Random Forest(RF) achieving the highest cross-validated AUC (0.9951) and accuracy (0.9699). …

Browsing Within An Academic Library, Holt Zaugg, Jillian Bunderson

Faculty Publications

Purpose – Browsing library resources is a method long used by researchers to expand their understanding of ill-defined projects and to have serendipitous research discoveries. This study sought to understand the browsing activities of students in an academic library. Design/methodology/approach – The study used two methods. First, a link to an online survey was posted on posters throughout the library inviting students to share their browsing experience. Second, library security officers (student employees) were asked to count the number of people browsing within the stacks as they conducted their hourly walk-throughs of the library. Browsing was broadly defined as anyone …

Success Is A Journey, Not A Destination: The Student Library Assistants Of Georgia (Slags) At G. W. Carver School In Richmond Hill, Georgia, 1960-1968, Christopher C. Elkins

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines two chapters of Black education in Georgia that have been largely ignored in the study of curriculum and educational history, namely the George Washington Carver School located in Richmond Hill, Georgia and the Student Library Assistants of Georgia (SLAGS) that existed statewide in many Black schools. G.W. Carver School, built in 1939 and funded by automaker Henry Ford, is mentioned briefly in multiple works that either relate to Ford or cover the general history of Richmond Hill. Utilizing oral history and archival documents, this study emphasizes the significant contribution the SLAGS program made to students at G. …

Socio-Economic And Infrastructural Determinants Of Response Time Disparities Across Emergency Service Agencies, Alice N. Ottah

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This study comprehensively analyzes the determinants of disparities in emergency response times for EMS, Fire, and Police agencies in San Francisco from 2021 to 2023, utilizing a multilevel modeling framework and publicly accessible data. Contrary to a primary reliance on structural neighborhood factors, this research reveals that while neighborhood disadvantage statistically significantly interacts with agency type to influence response times, its direct effect is weak and not uniformly consistent across services. Specifically, the analysis demonstrates that variance in call response times across neighborhoods is minimal (Intraclass Correlation Coefficients < 0.02), the effects of disadvantage are agency-specific (null effects for Police and Fire), and even when significant (for EMS calls only), response times are faster in more disadvantaged neighborhoods. These findings challenge the existing literature on emergency response times and highlight the need for tailored policy interventions that consider both neighborhood context and agency-specific operations to promote equitable emergency response.

Gvsu Undergraduate And Graduate Catalog 2025-2026, Grand Valley State University

Course Catalogs, 1963 - Current

Grand Valley State University 2025-2026 undergraduate and graduate course catalog. Course catalogs are published annually to provide students with information and guidance for enrollment.