Digital Commons Network^™

Functionalities Of Koha And Evergreen: A Comparative Study Open Source Library Management Software, Partha Sarathi Mandal

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This research article presents a comprehensive comparative analysis of two prominent open-source library management software solutions, Koha and Evergreen. As libraries increasingly transition to digital systems, selecting appropriate library management software becomes crucial for efficient operations and user satisfaction. Koha and Evergreen stand out as leading open-source options for their features and functionalities to meet the diverse needs of libraries worldwide. The study is based on qualitative assessments based on user feedback and expert evaluations. Through a detailed examination of critical criteria such as usability, customization capabilities, community support, scalability, and cost-effectiveness, the research aims to provide librarians, administrators, and …

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 …

Writing And Reviewing For Inclusion: Programs To Lift Library Worker Voices, Holly Jackson, Anna Sandelli, Ann Agee, Amanda K. Izenstark

Public Services Faculty Presentations

Poster Presented at the American Library Association 2024 Annual Conference, San Diego, CA, United States

Publishing and peer review are two core ways librarians can support each other in their work. After noticing an untapped opportunity to support library workers from across the spectrum of libraries who would like to publish or provide professional service in the field, a group of library workers established First Draft Matchmaker, a peer review program that pairs volunteer reviewers with writers for supportive and nonjudgmental feedback. This initiative supports library workers’ writing processes prior to submission for a journal, conference proposal, book chapter, or …

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 …

Connecting The Dots: Sharing Hidden Histories Of Regional Inventors’ Patents, John Schlipp, Kris Kallies

Journal of the Patent and Trademark Resource Center Association

Patent and Trademark Resource Centers (PTRCs) support inventors, entrepreneurs, and researchers with patent and trademark information. Some PTRCs share regional patent history as part of their community outreach. This article focuses on PTRCs that have developed online databases and published works documenting regional patents, thereby providing hidden historical insights for historians, genealogists, and students. It spotlights the development of Georgiavation, a historic patent database developed by the PTRC at Georgia Southern University. Finally, this article offers guidance for libraries, museums, and other institutions interested in documenting their state or regional patent histories. This can result in a more inclusive narrative …

Cil's New Generative Ai Policy, Christopher V. Hollister, April Schweikhard, Allison Hosier, Jacqulyn A. Williams

Communications in Information Literacy

The Editors-in-Chief of Communications in Information Literacy discuss the development of the journal's new generative artificial intelligence (AI) policy.

The Power Of Solidarity: The Effects Of Professor–Librarian Collaboration On Students’ Self-Awareness Of Skill Acquisition, Christina Taylor Gibson, Elizabeth Massey

Communications in Information Literacy

The ACRL Framework for Information Literacy

revolutionized information literacy instruction. It asks librarians to instill in students the higher-level skills to navigate the information landscape. Literature establishes the value of shared faculty ownership of information literacy threshold concepts, but it also documents the potential pitfalls of faculty involvement (Franklin, 2013; Julien & Given, 2002; Lechtenberg & Donovan, 2022; Perez-Stable et al., 2020). This article explores one successful partnership, concluding that instructor—librarian collaboration forged around shared histories and structured by codeveloped objectives positively influences students’ receptivity to information literacy concepts. As demonstrated by surveys of those enrolled in the course, students’ …

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, …

Independent Long Covid Journalism As A Lens For Critical Information Literacy: Conversations With The Sick Times Founders Betsy Ladyzhets And Miles W. Griffis, Andrea Baer

Communications in Information Literacy

Both the COVID-19 pandemic and the acceleration of climate change illuminate how difficult it can be to make sense of information about wicked problems—that is, issues that are highly complex and have no simple or complete solutions (Rittel & Webber, 1973). One approach to grappling with wicked problems is to consider the information practices that different people, communities, or professions use to make sense of those issues. In this Perspectives piece, I explore possible ways to practice and teach about critical information literacy by looking to the views, experiences, and professional practices of two independent journalists who report on …

Humanities And Social Sciences: Everything, Everywhere, All At Once, Lily Kong

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

In a commentary, SMU President Professor Lily Kong discussed the importance of the social sciences and humanities, and explained how they significantly impact our daily routines and life choices. She emphasised the need for scholars of social sciences and humanities to expand channels of communication and engagement with diverse audiences. They should share insights and findings, collaborate across disciplines and sectors, and harness the synergies and complementarities of different perspectives and approaches. Prof Kong opined that for Singapore, the disciplines constitute a collective strategic asset that will enable the country to move forward into a more equitable, sustainable, and compassionate …

Writing Instructors’ Intentional Integration Of The Information Literacy Framework, Catherine F. Riehle, Erica Defrain, Deborah Minter, Janel Simons

Communications in Information Literacy

This article presents an exploratory study that examines how 11 first-year writing instructors’ conceptualizations of information literacy evolved over the course of their participation in an inquiry group co-developed and co-facilitated by the Libraries’ teaching faculty and the Director of Composition & Rhetoric at a public university in the United States. The authors developed a coding schema to identify the presence of information literacy-related themes and practices in pre- and post-program course syllabi and in reflective pieces submitted by instructors. The findings revealed that instructors’ use and applications of the ACRL Framework increased after the program, showing greater personal engagement …

Addressing Barriers To Research-Informed Practice: A Library And Social Work Collaboration To Empower Future Practitioners, Amanda Dinscore, Debbie Gonzalez

Communications in Information Literacy

Social work education prioritizes the use of research to inform practice. As university students, prospective social workers have a wealth of research available to them as well as librarians to help them find, evaluate, and use that information. However, access to much of this research ends once the student graduates—at a time when it is most needed to inform their professional practice. To address this challenge, a librarian and a social work faculty member worked with one class of students in their final semester of a bachelor’s degree in social work program to promote awareness of information privilege and barriers …

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 …

Fy24 Usability Program Test #7: Retesting And Observing Search Behaviors, Lindsey Skaggs

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

The FY24 Usability Testing Program was designed to iteratively assess user experience at Milner Library. The program gathers data through usability testing of the library's website and discovery layer, as well as survey questions about users' experiences with library services. Test #7 gathers information from library users about their experiences locating and accessing materials and information. Takeaways and recommendations are included in the report.

Cyber Loafing And Innovative Work Behavior As Predictors Of Perceived Job Performance: A Nigerian Study, Oluyomi Folorunso, Ruth Okeile

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Previous studies on Perceived Job Performance (PJP) have focussed almost entirely on organizational settings different from the library. Furthermore, the studies did not investigate how the pertinent variables of Cyber Loafing (CL) and Innovative Work Behavior (IWB) predict PJP of the organizational workers. This study, therefore, was designed to examine CL and IWB as predictors of PJP of the personnel of some university libraries in Nigeria.

Theories of Reasoned Action and Job Performance anchored the study, while the survey design of correlational type was adopted. The study population comprised the 96 professional librarians and 95 library officers in the 12 …

Poster: Do Our Graduate Students Know The Library's Books Are Online Now?, Denise Brush, Daniel G. Kipnis

Libraries Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Active And Retroactive Digital Newspaper Preservation, Andrew Mcdonnell

Library Presentations

This presentation was given at the 2024 International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions News Media Conference in Aarhus, Denmark on May 31, 2024. It illustrates a brief glimpse of the University of Kentucky's Digital Newspaper Preservation program, highlighting challenges presented by two new born-digital additions to the collection.

Use Of Internet Resources Among Mbbs/Bds Students: The Case Of Clinical Students In A Medical School In Nigeria, Samuel Bello

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Background: The Internet has been identified as a multipurpose technology that has become the world’s biggest library where information resources can be accessed with a simple mouse click away. The immense contributions of the tool in academia necessitated the efforts of some universities and Colleges to create an enabling environment, such as low or no-cost Internet access, for new students who need an Internet connection to survive on campus. This study investigated the Use of Internet Resources among MBBS/BDS Students: The Case of Clinical Students in a Medical School in Nigeria

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the use of …

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 …

The Oneal Project: Negotiation Education For Library Workers, Courtney Fuson

Library Faculty Scholarship

Come and learn about a new open educational resource and community to support library workers as they develop their negotiation knowledge and skills. Designed to help all library workers learn negotiation best practices and strategies for both their personal and professional lives, this OER includes lectures, readings, assessments, and hand-on assignments. In addition to learning about this resource, attendees will learn about the community being created to provide support for library professionals responsible for negotiations and about key issues and trends uncovered during an interview research study. While the content developed around licensing is geared toward an academic audience, 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 …

Charting The Course: Progress On Updating New Jersey’S Information Literacy Standards, E. Dziedzic-Elliott, Cheryl A. Janson, J. Louderback, L. Murtha, Justin Savage

University Libraries Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

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

Gender And Peer Review, Monica Berger

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

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 …

Book Review: Organizing Women: Home, Work, And The Institutional Infrastructure Of Print In Twentieth-Century America, Christine Pawley, Madelaine Russell

School of Information Student Research Journal

In carefully selected case studies of white and Black middle-class American women, Pawley, a professor emerita at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Information School, provides a detailed exploration of the “largely untold history” of women who used their involvement in print-centered organizations to reshape their lives beyond the unpaid domestic sphere (1). The first three chapters of the book trace the histories of primarily domestic women who held active roles in institutions of print culture such as journalism and radio broadcasting while the last three focus on the lives of women whose full-time employment helped to shape the developing public library …

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 …