Digital Commons Network^™

"When I Think Of The Public Library, I Think Of White": Black Families Counter-Narratives Of Library Irrelevance And Community Repair, Amber Matthews

STEMPS Faculty Publications

While public libraries espouse equitable access, few studies examine Black community disengagement. Drawing on Critical Race Theory and the theme "Information in Repair," this paper analyzes semi-structured interviews with seven Black parents of youth aged 13-24 in London, Ontario. Findings reveal that their lack of library engagement stems not from access barriers but from libraries functioning as racialized spaces irrelevant to Black lived experiences in Canada. Where libraries fall short, Black-led organizations perform continuous, invisible reparative labour through culturally responsive programming and trusted information networks. Meaningful repair requires confronting institutional whiteness, redistributing resources to Black-led organizations, and sustaining authentic relationship-building …

“We’Re All In The Struggle Together”: The Experiences Of First-Generation Graduate Students During Covid-19, Rebecca Stallworth, Danielle E. Maurici-Pollock, Jade Obler, Rachel A. Starr

Publications

This study explores the experiences of first-generation graduate students (FGGS) during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically the positive and negative impacts of the pandemic on their learning experiences and their implications for the design of online graduate programs that foster a sense of belonging.

Breaking Glass Ceilings: Clara Stanton Jones And The Detroit Public Library, Ariana Baker

The Southeastern Librarian

Renate L. Chancellor

Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2024

ISBN: 9781538157015

114 pp. $90.00 (Hbk)

"It Can't Just Be One": Canadian Black Youth Perspectives On Representation And Belongings In Public Libraries, Amber Matthews, Sandie Thomas

STEMPS Faculty Publications

This study employed narrative inquiry and critical race approaches to explore Black youth's perceptions and experiences of Canadian public library programs and materials. In response to calls in Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy (2024) and Ontario's Anti-Black Racism Strategy (2025) for social service institutions to address anti-Black racism, the research examined Black youth experiences in public libraries and how these experiences relate to anti-Black racism in education and social service settings. The study was conducted in London, Ontario, with Black youth aged 13 to 24 and parents of youth using a community-based participatory research approach in partnership with the Where We Are …

Allied Professionals In (Academic) Law Libraries, Part I: Evolving Roles, Skills, And Professional Development Needs, Sarah E. Ryan, Mads Ball, Agnes G. Pearcy, Diana Quinones, Dawn L. Smith

Library Staff Publications

Allied professionals comprise a significant portion of the law library workforce, yet their experiences and career pathways are often overlooked in discussions about the profession’s future. This article presents findings from a survey examining how allied professionals pursue professional development, upskilling, and career mobility. While respondents demonstrated a strong commitment to growth, opportunities varied widely and were often limited by institutional support. The authors discuss the survey findings, explore the implications for the profession, and offer recommendations for better supporting allied professionals and recognizing their essential contributions to law librarianship. This is the first in a two-part series.

Archives And Children's Knowledge, Elliott Kuecker, Ashley Rockenbach

Publications and Research

This article argues for the importance of collecting works created by children—not just about and not just for—in formal archival collections. Framed through the ideas of legitimate knowledge and epistemic injustice, this piece combines notions important to children’s rights activists and childhood studies scholars with the role archives can play in preserving children’s knowledge through child-created materials. The authors describe how researchers struggle to find work created by children within archives, impacting the ability to create child-centered research that centers children’s views of the world as prominently as adult views of the world. Some collections that do include child-created materials …

Examining Challenges For Sociology Master’S Degree Students At California State University, David Ortuno

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to identify the lived experiences of CSU sociology graduate students pursuing a master’s degree. Seven sociology graduate students from six of the eight (75%) total sociology MA programs throughout the entire CSU system were interviewed. Their responses were designed to analyze the support systems and challenges they face while pursuing a master's degree, as well as to investigate whether their experiences correlate with or fail to correlate with the promises in the CSU mission statement, and to answer the study’s research questions and achieve the purpose of this qualitative study.

Four themes emerged from …

Gvsu Undergraduate And Graduate Catalog 2026-2027, Grand Valley State University

Course Catalogs, 1963 - Current

Grand Valley State University 2026-2027 undergraduate and graduate course catalog. Course catalogs are published annually to provide students with information and guidance for enrollment.

December 2025 Library & Learning Newsletter, Minnesota State University, Mankato. Library & Learning Dean’S Office Communications Team

Library & Learning Newsletters

PDF version of the December 2025 (Volume 4, Issue 5) Library & Learning Newsletter.

Teaching Note - Embedding The Human Library Experience Within Social Work Curriculum, Emily M. Paine

Social Work Faculty Works

The Human Library is a global initiative designed to challenge stereotypes and foster dialogue through storytelling and presents a unique opportunity for experiential learning within social work education. This teaching note explores how the Human Library framework can be integrated into social work curriculum in alignment with the 2022 Council on Social Work Education’s Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards, with particular emphasis on Competency 3: Engaging in Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion practice. When embedded in coursework, the Human Library enables students to engage in brave and authentic conversations with storytellers who share aspects of their lived experiences, promoting mutuality, …

A Decade Of Knowledge Without Borders: Open Access And Global Reach Of School Social Work Research, Leticia Villarreal Sosa

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the International Journal for School Social Work (IJSSW), this article provides a reflection on a decade the last decade of breaking barriers and building bridges across practitioners, researchers, communities, and continents and looks forward to our responsibility for the future. This article discusses the benefits and challenges related to Open Access publishing, and addresses how Open Access is a public good—ensuring that practitioners, researchers, students, and policymakers can engage the best evidence regardless of geography, resources, or institutional affiliation. The impact of IJSSW is reviewed, including a summary of accomplishments, most downloaded …

Transforming Public Services For Stem Students And Faculty, Tessa Withorn, Robert Detmering

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Despite institutional priorities to expand STEM education and research activity, some academic libraries struggle to engage faculty and students in these disciplines with library resources and services. This column shares and reflects on how strategic liaison librarianship can address the needs of STEM programs at a large, public university. Implementing new services around research impact and data management and building fruitful connections with STEM researchers has reinvigorated and increased engagement with the library. In the future, a team-based liaison model shows promise for sustaining relationships and forging new paths that communicate the value and impact of the library.

Investigating The Relationship Between Noun Classes And Plant Folk Taxonomy In Chasu Language Of Kilimanjaro Region In Tanzania, Peter Rabson Mziray

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The current study investigates the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu (G 22). The study focuses on two objectives: the first objective is to describe the plant folk taxonomy in Chasu and the second objective is to determine the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu. Data were collected from rural villages in Same and Mwanga districts by using free listing, field interviews (jungle-walk-and-identify), and written texts containing Chasu plant names. The findings reveal that Chasu folk taxonomy reflects different ethnobotanical categories; including a unique beginner which is mmea/mimea ‘plant(s)’, and three life …

The Anchor: November 2025, Hope College

The Anchor: 2025

The Anchor began in 1887 and was first issued weekly in 1914. Covering national and campus news alike, Hope College’s student-run newspaper has grown over the years to encompass over two-dozen editors, reporters, and staff. For much of The Anchor's history, the latest issue was distributed across campus each Wednesday throughout the academic school year (with few exceptions). In recent years The Anchor moved to monthly print issues and a more frequently updated website. The Anchor is now published in print twice per academic semester. Occasionally, the volume and/or issue numbering is irregular.

Evaluating Information - Verifying The Credibility Of Sources, Sandra Teft

Handouts

This in-class assignment was designed for students in a WRT 150 course. The purpose was to get students thinking about the credibility of different sources types, evaluating them based on the criteria presented.

The Multidimensional Quantitative Evaluation Of Local Policies For Promoting The Development Of New Quality Productive Forces: Based On The "Theme-Tool-Effectiveness" Framework, Jing Pan, Hongjun Yi, Yu Lu

Journal of Scientific Information Research

[Purpose/significance] The development of new quality productive forces is a crucial strategic goal for national progress, with local policies serving as important conduits for conveying and implementing national strategies. Researching local policies that promote the development of new quality productive forces is significant for the implementation of the national strategy in different regions and for further policy evaluation.

[Method/process] By constructing a theme-tool-effectiveness analysis framework and employing LDA topic model, policy tools, and PMC index model, this study conducts a multidimensional quantitative evaluation of local policy texts related to the development of new quality productive forces.

[Result/conclusion] The study finds …

Libraries And Human Trafficking: A Study Of New Jersey’S Public And Academic Library Engagement In Anti-Trafficking Efforts, Christabelle Robinson, Daniela Peterka-Benton

Articles, Presentations, and Reports

This study, conducted through the Global Center on Human Trafficking, explores the underexamined role of public and academic libraries in addressing human trafficking across the state of New Jersey. Despite limited formal guidance on their role in anti-trafficking efforts, libraries are increasingly acting as informal hubs for access to resources, education, and social service referrals. Through a statewide survey and qualitative responses from library professionals, this research examines how libraries are currently engaging in training, social work partnerships, programming, and public awareness initiatives. Findings reveal that while only a small percentage of libraries have received formal training, there is widespread …

Associations Among Trauma Exposures, Workplace Factors, And Distress Responses In Archivists, Cheryl Regehr, Wendy Duff, Rachael Lefebvre

Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies

A growing body of research addresses the emotional impact on archivists from working directly with materials that contain depictions of human suffering and from working with researchers and donors whose own lives are depicted in the records. This study sought to determine the impact of exposures to potentially traumatizing events and ongoing work stressors on symptoms of post-traumatic stress and burnout in archivists, as well as whether organizational factors, including trauma-informed practices, are associated with levels of post-traumatic stress and burnout. Seventy-seven archivists participated in a web-based survey. Findings reveal moderate to strong associations between a variety of potentially distressing …

Student Newsletter Fall 2025, University Of Missouri-St. Louis Libraries

Library Publications

No abstract provided.

Faculty Newsletter Fall 2025, University Of Missouri-St. Louis Libraries

Library Publications

No abstract provided.

Information Literacy Within And Beyond The Academy: Connecting The Framework To Social Work’S Accreditation Standards And Professional Code Of Ethics, Stephen Maher, Yali Feng, Olivia Given Castello, Carin Graves, Sarah C. Johnson

Staff Scholarship

In 2018, the Education and Behavioral Sciences Section (EBSS) Social Work Committee (the committee) began drafting its companion document to the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. It responded to the ACRL Information Literacy Frameworks and Standards Committee’s charge to utilize the Framework in context with the education standards, goals, and competencies within their respective disciplines by highlighting synergies between the Framework and the accreditation standards associated with social work schools and programs in the United States. The committee would also choose to connect the Framework to social work’s professional Code of Ethics in an attempt to …

Relational Online Teaching: Connecting With Students At A Distance, Laura Sheets, Robert J. Snyder

University Libraries Faculty Publications

Relational teaching pedagogies place the connection between instructor and student at the heart of student learning. These practices can include creating community, designing interactive learning experiences, and recognizing the student as a whole person. But in an online classroom, relational pedagogies must be woven into the course design and the instructor must be intentional about their desire to connect with students. In this article, the authors will demonstrate how they applied the Five Good Things from Relational Cultural Theory to an asynchronous information literacy course in order to connect with students in an online learning environment.

Faculty Newsletter Fall 2024, University Of Missouri-St. Louis Libraries

Library Publications

No abstract provided.

“Literally Made Me Cry”: The Impact Of Course Material Costs On University Of Kentucky Students, Stephen Krueger

Library Reports and White Papers

The Student Course Materials Cost Survey was administered September 16 – October 6, 2024. It was open to current students at the University of Kentucky (UK). The goals were to help UK Libraries better understand how the cost of course materials affects students at UK and to provide a snapshot of student spending across the university. The questions were based on similar research done at other institutions in Virginia (Virginia Course Materials Survey, 2021) and Florida (2022 Student Textbook and Instructional Materials Survey, 2022). Other work based on those surveys includes the 2023 Illinois Course Materials Survey (CARLI, 2023) and …

August 2025 Library & Learning Newsletter, Minnesota State University, Mankato. Library & Learning Dean’S Office Communications Team

Library & Learning Newsletters

PDF version of the August 2025 (Volume 4, Issue 1) Library & Learning Newsletter.

Beyond The Books: Virtual Reality In Academic Libraries, Beryl White-Bing

Library Faculty Presentations & Publications

Explore how academic libraries are revolutionizing education with Virtual Reality (VR). This session showcases the integration of VR experiences at the University of North Florida's Virtual Learning Center, offering a hands-on approach to enhancing student engagement and learning outcomes. Discover how VR stations can transform traditional instruction, bringing abstract concepts to life and providing immersive learning experiences across disciplines. Attendees will gain insights into setting up a VR-enabled learning space, selecting educational VR content, and incorporating these technologies into curriculum design. Whether you're a library professional or an educator, this session will empower you to harness the power of VR …

Building Media Literacy In Adolescence: A Cognitive Behavioral Clinician's Manual To Combat Misinformation And Misdiagnosis During Sessions, Patricia Sacchetti

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

This paper examines the role of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in countering misinformation that youth encounter on social media and other informal sources, with the goal of creating a manual for mental health clinicians. The use of CBT by clinicians working with adolescents to combat the issue of misinformation and misdiagnosis has received little attention in the literature. Mental health clinicians’ knowledge of media literacy as a psychological construct can foster an effective treatment style by building upon the foundation of well-established theory and practice, such as CBT. CBT is a multifaceted treatment that can help guide mental health clinicians …

Generative Ai For College Students: A Collaboratively Developed Online Microcourse On Genai In The College Classroom, Amber Willenborg, Tessa Withorn

Communications in Information Literacy

Academic libraries have taken a variety of approaches to addressing the opportunities and challenges of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in higher education. For universities that have no standard policy around GenAI, instructors are left with little guidance on how to teach students about GenAI in the classroom and may have varying levels of comfort with GenAI and its applications. To address the need for more instruction around GenAI, a team of librarians and university writing center and digital media suite staff took an innovative approach to teaching AI literacy by creating a six-lesson microcourse in their learning management system all …

From Paywalls To Practice: Accessing And Using Evidence For Community Impact, Jayme Walters, Becky Thoms, Kacy Lundstrom, Rachel Blume

Utah Conference on Community Engagement

Leaders and practitioners have a responsibility to utilize reputable, up-to-date research to inform their work in communities. However, peer-reviewed literature is often hidden behind paywalls, with an average cost of $30-$50 per article. An increase in predatory publishing has also made it difficult for readers to decipher reliable articles from those that are of poor quality. Additionally, even when openly accessible to readers, peer-reviewed articles are generally written by academic researchers for other academic researchers, resulting in articles that are too dense both in length and readability. This workshop will equip participants with practical strategies for locating and identifying quality, …

Degrees In Action: Utilizing Public Relations Students' Expertise To Expand The Reach Of Oer, Taylor "Lainie" Allen, Shelley Wigley

UTA Libraries Staff Publications - Archive

Students' expertise plays a crucial role in promoting Open Educational Resources (OER). The “Degrees in Action: Utilizing Public Relations Students' Expertise to Expand the Reach of OER” poser presentation highlights a collaboration between a Public Relations (PR) Campaigns Course and OER and Digital Scholarship Department. PR students were empowered to apply their skills in developing and executing a public awareness campaign that highlighted the benefits and availability of OER on the University of Texas in Arlington campus.

Through strategic planning, creative messaging, event coordination, and student/faculty surveys, the PR students gained hands-on experience in communication and advocacy while addressing the …