Digital Commons Network^™

Finding And Using Validated Surveys In Health Science Research, Tracy Ashby

Library Class: Lunch & Learn

Join us as we introduce techniques for identifying and using validated surveys in health sciences research. Learn strategies for finding reliable, evidence-based measurement tools in the databases and gain tips on how to evaluate their quality and relevance.

Review Of Selecting And Appraising Archives And Manuscripts, Laura Uglean Jackson

Journal of Western Archives

Review of Selecting and Appraising Archives and Manuscripts edited by Audra Eagle Yun and Chela Scott Weber.

More Than Materials: Understanding The Emotional Labor Of Archivists And Donor Relations, April K. Anderson-Zorn

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

Though a crucial part of archives work, emotional labor and its effect on the profession are not well understood. From professional transitions, the loss of a residence, a health crisis, or the loss of a loved one, archivists who have limited experience in working with donors enduring a life crisis can themselves experience emotional trauma. Current archival literature on donor relations primarily focuses on the processes and procedures involved in working with donors to transfer materials. However, there is a notable lack of scholarship on the emotional labor involved in the donation process. The poster will focus on emerging literature …

Acquisitions Unit Annual Report 2025-2026, Andrée J. Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Annual Report of the Acquisitions Unit, University Libraries, University of Rhode Island for FY2026. Covers personnel, work flow, special projects, and serial, monograph, and e-resource acquisitions. Supplemental files include data on library materials expenditures by a number of variables as well as important working documents from the year.

Demographic Context Of Media And Information Literacy (Mil) Skills Among Senior High School Students In Ghana, Patience Emefa Dzandza Ocloo, Aurelia Ayisi, Abena Animwaa Yeboah-Banin, Annie Oye

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This paper explores the media and information literacy (MIL) competencies of young Ghanaians in senior high schools. It is premised on the rising spate of misinformation, online security breaches, and the avalanche of content young people must navigate. Together, these factors demand young persons to be new media savvy in order to use the affordances of the current media ecology to their benefit. To advocate for comprehensive MIL education in senior high schools in Ghana, the study adopts a comparative analysis logic to examine demographic differences that attend young people’s media and information literacy. A nationwide survey of 1200 senior …

Launching Growing Your Oer Program: A Marketing And Advocacy Toolkit, Theresa Huff, John M. Jackson, Jessea Young, Karna Younger, Swetta Abeyta

Librarian Publications & Presentations

This presentation is for the launch of Growing Your OER Program: A Marketing and Advocacy Toolkit, a free, openly licensed resource designed to help OER champions build awareness, strengthen advocacy efforts, and support sustainable program growth. Funded by a 2025 Michelson Spark Grant, this toolkit was developed to support busy OER authors, small teams, and under-resourced institutions. We created customizable Canva templates, practical guidance, and ready-to-use promotional materials, the toolkit makes OER marketing easier and sustainable.

A Phenomenological Study Of The Faith-Based Advocacy Experiences Of Leaders Of Christian Academic Libraries, Melanie Lewis Croft

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the faith-based advocacy experiences for library leaders at Christian institutions of higher education. The theory guiding this study is spiritual leadership theory, which demonstrates how library leaders connect library resources and services to the advancement of the mission and goals of a Christian institution of higher education. The central research question asked, What are the lived experiences of library leaders in Christian institutions of higher education who have engaged in faith-based advocacy? Participants in this study were those who served as the primary administrator of an academic library within a …

Analyzing Energy Use In 2d & 3d Imaging Systems And Workflows, Michael J. Bennett

Published Works

This study examines energy consumption in cultural heritage imaging systems and workflows, addressing a gap in sustainability research that has to date focused primarily on data storage infrastructure estimations. Using Home Assistant edge computing and Z-Wave smart plugs, seven distinct imaging systems were monitored over 203 hours, capturing 55,211 images, and rendering 2,448 objects. Results show an average energy requirement of 11.1 Wh per object, with an annual total of 747 kWh for digitization activities. Findings highlight opportunities to reduce energy demand and improve efficiency, such as automating continuous light shutoff and optimizing postprocessing routines that support institutional sustainability goals …

Using Handwriting Text Recognition (Htr) Technology To Create A Language Learning Model (Llm) For Blythe Owen’S Handwriting, Aiko J. Ayala Rios, Marianne Y. Kordas

Journal of Adventist Libraries and Archives

Handwriting Recognition Technology (HTR) has proven to be a valuable support for the fields of digital humanities and archival resources, as more scholars strive to make documents machine-readable and accessible. With this in mind, the newest phase of the Blythe Owen letter transcription project commenced in the summer of 2025, utilizing Transkribus, a software that aids in transcription and the creation of Language Learning Models (LLMs) tailored to specific writing styles. This report outlines the progress made in learning to use the program, the various issues that arose, and provides suggestions for the project's future as well as for similar …

Mississippi Libraries Volume 88, Number 1 And 2

Mississippi Libraries

No abstract provided.

A Brush With History: Shared Authority, Distributed Archives, And Artist M.B. Mayfield, Jeannie S. Latartara

Mississippi Libraries

In 2020, a school librarian volunteered to lead preservation of the papers of visionary artist M.B. Mayfield that were discovered during the restoration of the artist’s Mississippi home. In March of 2020, the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic threatened the success of the community-led project, due to the project’s physical isolation, limited resources, and inability to garner support for the paper’s preservation. In early 2021, the librarian and community partners formed a shared authority and distributed archives partnership with public history faculty at the University of Mississippi that would help preserve and increase awareness of the importance of the papers. …

News Briefs, Tiffany Cline, Patsy C. Brewer

Mississippi Libraries

News and updates from members of the Mississippi Library Association.

Mississippi Library Association Annual Conference: 2025 Recap, Janessa Ullendorf

Mississippi Libraries

Recap from the 2025 annual conference of the Mississippi Library Association.

Slis Notes: Psst...Do You Have This Dirty Book?, Stacy Creel, Crystal Walker

Mississippi Libraries

Romance fiction is one of the most commercially successful and culturally significant genres in contemporary publishing, and this is not a one-year instance; it is a multi-year trend (Adams, 2026). In 2025, sales were up in the United States, and the growth was across platforms and formats—digital audio, e-books, and print. Two subgenres have sparked greater interest—romantasy and dark romance. Romantasy, the combination of romance and fantasy, has drawn new readers with the explosion of Sarah J. Maas, and dark romance, which gained some notoriety with Fifty Shades of Grey (2011) has seen strong growth and acceptance. In fact, the …

President's Page, Dawn Zimmerer

Mississippi Libraries

Update from the president of the Mississippi Library Association.

Front Matter

Mississippi Libraries

No abstract provided.

Knowledge And Application Of Solar Energy As Alternative Power Source To Ict Facilities: A Case Study Of Minhaj University Lahore, Dr.Shahid Mehmood Dr., , Muhammad Faisal Mr., Ahmad Nawaz, Dr Allah Ditta Nawaz, Dr. Muhammad Aamir Hameed

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper is an exploration of the knowledge and utilization of solar energy to support ICT infrastructure at Minhaj University Lahore. In Pakistan, library operations and digital services can be disrupted due to power outages. In the survey, 87 scholars, students and library workers were surveyed about their awareness, experience and attitudes towards solar energy. The level of knowledge on solar energy was high as 100% of the respondents indicated that they are well informed about solar energy, 93.1 percent indicating that they can use it in the ICT sector. Nonetheless, large start-up costs, lack of equipment, and institutional barriers …

How To Authenticate An Orcid On Your Experts Profile, Kimberly Holling

ScholarWorks Publications

This document provides step-by-step instructions for researchers to authenticate their unique ORCID number on the Experts Portal profile.  This allows for the two systems to update researcher profiles for either one or both systems, as preferred.

Application Of Assistive Technologies And Rendering Assistive Services To Students With Special Needs By Federal University Libraries: A Survey, Emmanuel Chidiadi Onwubiko

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The world as of today, is being said to be witnessing what one may tagged a technological revolution as never before and is transforming for the better, the future of global education in which case, every learner is considered. These newly created technological tools and plans did place librarians as information managers and digital literacy drivers in better position to come up with environments that are inclusive for all learners to achieve their desired goals. The study therefore is a survey on the application of assistive technologies and rendering assistive services to students with special needs by federal universities libraries …

Artificial Intelligence And Challenges Of Sustainable Library Services For Children And Young Adults In Nigeria, Ishioma Nwanapayi Iwegbue, Chigozie Blessing Mba

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

No abstract provided.

Fuse It Or Lose It: Powering Franklin University’S Scholarship & Archives, Marc Jaffy, Samantha Kapp

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Franklin University's Institutional Repository - FUSE - provides researchers throughout the world access to the scholarly works of Franklin University faculty, staff, and students. It also hosts the university archives which allows users to learn about our institution's history. This session will explore both the scholarly works and archival materials in FUSE, and demonstrate how faculty, staff, and adjuncts can contribute. Join us to learn how FUSE supports visibility, long-term preservation, and the broader impact of your work.

A Study On Adaptive Governance Of "Open Competition Mechanism For Selecting Best Candidates" Projects From An Information Asymmetry Perspective, Xi Wu, Wei Zhang, Lei Li, Jie Chen, Xiuni Zhang

Journal of Scientific Information Research

[Purpose/significance] "Open Competition Mechanism for Selecting Best Candidates" is a new research management model proposed by China to break through key core technologies, which is of great significance for addressing "bottleneck" technical problems.[Methods/process] Based on information asymmetry theory, complexity science theory, and adaptive governance theory, this paper adopts theoretical interpretation, case study, and comparative analysis. It systematically diagnoses information asymmetry issues in the project management of this mechanism; constructs a three-dimensional adaptive governance framework of" Perception—Diagnosis, Response—Design, Accumulation—Learning"; designs adaptive governance tools by drawing on the experience of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency(DARPA)model; and conducts empirical verification with …

An Evaluation Of Academic Journal Publishing Stickiness Based On The Ajbr Index, Zhengqi Han, Hongxia Liu, Jianzhong Shi

Journal of Scientific Information Research

[Purpose/significance] To overcome the limitations of traditional, label-dependent evaluation indicators in identifying journal acceptance preferences, this article aims to construct a novel label-free quantitative detection paradigm to more comprehensively and objectively reveal potential publishing stickiness between authors and journals. [Method/process] By introducing disproportionality measurement methods from the field of pharmacovigilance, we proposed the Author-Journal Balance Ratio index, applied it to 86 law journals to measure the potential publishing stickiness between authors and journals, and analyzed the 5 060 identified potential publishing stickiness signals. [Result/conclusion] The results show that the Author-Journal Balance Ratio index is effective at identifying relationships driven by …

A Tale Of Two Business Librarians: Integrating Ai Into Business Library Services, Michael Deike, Zac Grisham

Midwest Business Librarian Summit (MBLS)

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) rapidly transforms higher education, academic business librarians are uniquely positioned to leverage these emerging tools to enhance instructional reach and operational efficiency. This presentation offers two distinct, actionable perspectives on integrating generative AI into business library services, spanning research assistance, information literacy instruction, and internal library operations. 

The first segment explores practical applications of generative AI in business research instruction. This approach advocates for the use of generative AI as foundational reference resources. Attendees will learn targeted strategies to guide students in using AI for pre-search topic exploration, effective keyword generation, and initial source evaluation. Crucially, …

What Didn’T Work And Why It Matters: Failure And Growth In Business Librarianship, Jennifer Horne, Ryan E. Yoakum, John Amundsen, Zac Grisham

Midwest Business Librarian Summit (MBLS)

No abstract provided.

Forthcoming Book: The International Business Information Handbook, Finding And Using Global Resources, Heather A. Howard, Zoeanna A. Mayhook

Midwest Business Librarian Summit (MBLS)

Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies faculty members Heather Howard and Zoeanna Mayhook, and Oxford University Bodleian Business Librarian Hal Kirkwood have edited and co-authored a new book on international business information. This presentation will discuss how this project came together, including project scoping and the recruitment of international collaborators, as well as the content of the new book.

2026 Business Reference In Public Libraries Survey, John Amundsen

Midwest Business Librarian Summit (MBLS)

Proposal for Lightning Talk at MBLS 2026:

John Amundsen, Chair of the RUSA-BRASS Business Reference in Public Libraries Committee will share some key findings from a nationwide survey the group conducted in the Spring looking to gauge business services in U.S. public libraries. Possible projects that may emerge from these findings will also be discussed.

Apala Best Of The Best Booklist 2025, Apala Best Of The Best Booklist 2023 - 2024 Authors Asian Pacific American Librarians Association, Family Literacy Focus Committee, Jessea Young (Co-Chair), Jennifer Woo, Nicole Fernandez, Erika Fitzpatrick, Alvina Lai, Cathy Lin, Patty Sumire Mcgowan, Kim Nguyen

Librarian Publications & Presentations

The Best of the Best Booklist celebrates stories from across the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) diaspora. All APALA members were invited to nominate picture book titles about AANHPI communities and experiences that were published between September 1, 2024–August 31, 2025. The Family Literacy Focus Committee selected books aligned with the Talk Story mission and used the APALA Rubric for Evaluating Asian American and Pacific Islander Youth Literature to guide the curation of the list. Eligible titles that earned a 2025-2026 APALA Literature Award or Honoree designation have been included at the end of this list.

Unpacking Architectural Drawing Literacy: A Critical Pedagogy Approach To Architecture Collections, Shima Hosseininasab, Virginia Ferris, Burak Erdim

Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies

This paper explores using architectural drawings as primary sources in instruction sessions at the North Carolina State University Libraries’ Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) with a critical pedagogy approach. Architectural collections are among the SCRC’s most frequently used materials, yet effective engagement with these unique resources requires specialized knowledge that is often lacking among teaching librarians and faculty, who excel in artifactual literacy and archival practices. The research addresses this gap by arguing that additional guidance in architectural history and technical details is necessary to improve teaching methods and enhance student interpretation of architectural drawings. Using a 200-level architecture class …

Research Competence, Technology Skills As Correlates For Job Satisfaction Among Librarians In Universities In Delta State, Oghuvbu Blessing

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Librarians perform academic and professional functions in universities, which require them to have job satisfaction for effective job performance. This study worked at the intersection of research competencies, technological skills and job satisfaction among librarians in universities in Delta State, Nigeria. The population of the study was the entire 81 librarians in universities in the state. A total population sampling was adopted. Data collected using a structured questionnaire was analysed using mean and standard deviation. The study found a high level of research competence, technology skills, and job satisfaction among the librarians in the universities. Conclusion the study found that …