Digital Commons Network^™

Concierge: How The Pandemic Lockdown Changed The Face Of Access Services, Stephen J. Walker

Urban Library Journal

This article addresses the changes made in Access Services in an urban college library after reopening during the Covid-19 pandemic. During the pandemic the library witnessed a downturn in patron visits and physical textbook usage as classes remained mostly online. Access Services moved from being a fast-paced, high demand service desk of print textbooks and laptops to a slower user assistance library services unit. Reopening the library to the college community and creating a safe study space for students required preparation. Various key resources such as study rooms, calculators, phone chargers, and headsets became a higher priority for students post-lockdown. …

Holiday Chaos To Corporate Crisis: A Lesson From Christmas Vacation In Executive Protection, Rachael A. Zerr

Publications and Research

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) may be best known for its holiday humor, but it also inadvertently highlights critical issues in corporate security and executive protection. Through the kidnapping of Clark Griswold's boss, Frank Shirley, the film illustrates the vulnerabilities faced by high-net-worth individuals and executives. This paper draws parallels between the fictional events of the film and real-world cases of executive kidnapping and violence, emphasizing the need for robust security measures. It discusses modern executive protection strategies, including risk assessments, real-time monitoring, and cybersecurity, and highlights the role of technology in mitigating threats. Ultimately, this paper argues that as …

Unraveling The Labyrinth: Disability, Spectacle, And Paranormal Tourism In The Winchester Mystery House, Karenna Gm Pullen

Student Theses

This thesis examines the intersection of disability, paranormal tourism, and cultural narratives through an analysis of the Winchester Mystery House and its owner, Sarah Winchester, from a Disability Studies perspective. The research problem centers on the commodification of disability within paranormal tourism, where disabled bodies and spaces are transformed into spectacles for public consumption. Using the Winchester Mystery House as a case study, the research explores how disability is framed within narratives of paranormal tourism, with a focus on stigma, fear, and cultural mythmaking. The methodology involves historical research, discourse analysis, and architectural evaluation to reveal how Sarah Winchester’s disability …

Connecting Cuny To The World Through Oer Collaboration, Thomas Peele, Janelle Poe, Matthew K. Gold, Krystyna Michael, Robin Miller, Luke Waltzer, Laurie Hurson, Stefano Morello, Carli Snyder

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Developing A Digital Portfolio: Professionalizing Your Digital Identity, Christina Katopodis

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Innovations In Full-Stack Web Development: Front-End To Back-End, Yassine Chahid, Patrick Slattery

Publications and Research

This research explores emerging technologies within full-stack web development and their potential impact on current front-end and back-end solutions. Both areas employ crucial technologies that determine how end-users access information and navigate web services. Front-end solutions include HTML, JavaScript, and CSS which shape user interaction on websites. Back-end solutions use technologies such as SQL and PHP for the foundation of data processing, retrieval, and storage. The research method involves examining official documentation for these technologies to better understand their key components and to understand how their use in cyberspace has changed. The research will observe several high-traffic websites and domains …

Filtered Reality: Artificial Intelligence In Social Media & The Mental Health Of Adolescents, Maria Savva

Open Educational Resources

This instructional module was developed for teacher candidates preparing to teach in New York secondary schools, which include middle (6-8) and high schools (9-12). A three-pronged approach has been used to ensure teacher candidates develop a comprehensive and contemporary understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as it relates both to their respective disciplines and its impact on the adolescents they will be teaching. Using a three-pronged approach, teacher candidates will: consider the rapidly changing landscape of their own discipline and how it has been impacted by developments in AI; examine the effects of AI, including through social media platforms, on the …

Framing The Immigrant In Labor Unions And The Military In The United States, Sofya Aptekar, Shannon Gleeson

Publications and Research

We present a comparative study of organizational discourses on immigrants in two cornerstone US institutions: labor unions and the US military, both powerful players in setting the terms of immigration debates and policies in the United States. How do unions and the military frame the role of immigrants within their institutions and in US society? We draw on qualitative content analysis of materials produced by AFL-CIO and the US military between 2000 and 2020. Despite significant differences in these institutions, we find that they share the following three core themes in their framing of immigrants: (1) immigrants as potential threats, …

Creating A Homemade Mobile Augmented Reality Game In A Community College Library: An Open Source Approach, Carrie Jedlicka, Mark E. Eaton

Publications and Research

Librarians at Kingsborough Community College created a mobile augmented reality activity for new students, to orient them to the library space and to provide a fun, welcoming experience. Rather than using a commercial app, the librarians built the activity using open source tools and resources already at-hand, specifically AR.js and A-Frame (both JavaScript libraries), and LibGuides. Based on student feedback, librarians found that participants enjoyed the activity and that it helped familiarize them with library locations and services. This project demonstrates that librarians have the capacity to build their own open source augmented reality activities in-house.

With Fear, Favor, And Flawed Analysis: Decision-Making In The U.S, Immigration Courts, Karen Musalo, Anna O. Law, Annie P. Daher, Katharine Donato, Chelsea Meinders

Publications and Research

Immigration judges (IJs), housed within the Executive Office for Immigration Review within the Department of Justice (DOJ), make decisions in asylum and withholding claims, which are life or death matters. And although their title is “judge,” IJs are DOJ attorneys who lack independence and are par- ticularly susceptible to political pressures. Federal court judges and scholars alike have criticized the quality and fairness of IJ decision-making, and many studies have been carried out to better understand the factors that impact it. The prior studies have relied principally on quantitative data because IJ decisions are not publicly available or searchable in …

More Than A Place For Social Capital Creation: Public Library As A Place For Immigrants’ Social Integration, Nafiz Z. Shuva

Publications and Research

Studies have shown that public libraries, one of the most trusted social institutions, play an important role in helping immigrants adjust to their host country. Although there have been quite a few international studies reporting the role that public libraries play in newcomers lives in the host country, few studies, especially in the context of the U.S., comprehensively reported local public libraries’ role in newcomers’ social integration. Previous studies on immigrants’ usage of public libraries have mainly focused on highlighting public libraries as meeting places that facilitate social capital creation for newcomers or describing the usage of public libraries among …

From A Traditional City To A Smart City: The Measurement Of Cities’ Readiness For Transition, Egypt As A Case Study, Ahmed Hassebo, Mohamed Tealab, Mosaad Hamouda

Publications and Research

The transition from traditional legacy cities to smart cities represents a pivotal juncture in urban development and governance. As cities worldwide grapple with the challenges of rapid urbanization, resource constraints, and the need to enhance the quality of life for their citizens, the concept of a “smart city” has gained significant attention. This paper delves into the multifaceted process of urban transformation, shedding light on the essential criteria and considerations that guide a city’s conversion into a smart city. To provide a comprehensive framework for the conversion process, this paper outlines a computer program utilized to measure the readiness to …

Clacls Reportage, Vol. 1, Fall 2024, Pierina Pighi Bel, Phoenix Paz, Ana María Granados Romero

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

This publication unites three compelling articles that offer diverse perspectives and a shared dedication to bridging the gap between academic research and public engagement.

Phoenix Paz presents a vivid ethnographic account of recent migrants in New York City, revealing how state inefficiencies marginalize a sector that contributes daily to the city’s economy.

Pierina Pighi Bel explores the growing appeal of the Republican Party among Latino voters in election cycles, delving into the complexities and inherent contradictions within this trend.

Ana María Granados Romero provides profound insights into migration, gender, and domestic work through her exploration of "La Parada"—a corner in …

Anti-Discrimination Clauses In Higher Education Collective Bargaining Agreements, William A. Herbert, Erin Ward, Karen Stubaus

Publications and Research

This report presents excerpts from 30 current or recent higher education collective bargaining agreements involving faculty, post-doctoral scholars, or graduate student employees along with hyperlinks to the full agreements. The excerpts are organized by institution and bargaining unit type: combined faculty collective bargaining units; non-tenure track faculty bargaining units; community college faculty bargaining units; post-doctoral scholar and academic researcher bargaining units; and graduate student employee bargaining units.

Synthesizing The Global English-Language Abortion Narrative: A Comparative Analysis Of Media Discourse, Amy L. Adamczyk, Lindsay J. Lerner

Publications and Research

Abortion is one of the most politically divisive topics currently being discussed in the media. No study has yet attempted to make cross-national comparisons assessing the nuances associated with various views on abortion in the English public press. Using an original hand-coded sample of over 800 English-language newspaper articles from 41 countries that mentioned abortion, we examine how country-level influences and newspaper characteristics shape newspaper portrayals of abortion. Our three-level hierarchical models find that democracy and the freedom it engenders increase the likelihood that newspapers discuss laws, policies, and government claimsmakers when abortion is mentioned. When abortion is legal, newspapers …

Towards An Understanding Of Black Girls’ Digital Activism: What The Black Girls’ Literacy Framework Reveals About The Digital Literacy Practices Of Adolescent Black Girls, Lakisha Odlum

Publications and Research

This qualitative study explored the digital literacy practices of adolescent Black girls who actively engaged on social media in the aftermath of the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. I employ intersectionality and the Black Girls’ Literacies (BGL) framework (Haddix & Muhammad, 2016) to analyze six qualitative interviews I conducted with adolescent Black girls who avidly used video sharing social media during that time. The data analysis aligned with the following components of the BGL Framework: Black girls’ literacies are intellectual, political, and critical. Moreover, the data analysis also revealed that Black girls espoused two different identities while using …

Cite White Paper: The Meaning Of Our Names, Ting Yuan, Jayra Sanchez

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Cite White Paper: Interdisciplinary Journeys Of Teaching And Learning In Computational Literacies: Collaborative Autoethnography Of Seven Teacher Educators, Ting Yuan

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Mass Exodus? Police Officer Turnover Intention And Organizational Commitment In New York City, Kenneth M. Quick, Kevin T. Wolff

Publications and Research

Purpose – This study assesses the relationship between job satisfaction, perceived organizational support, and workplace factors on officer turnover intention within an urban, municipal police organization.

Design/methodology/approach – Using data from an online survey of New York City Police Officers (n=1,823), both bivariate analysis and logistic regression models were utilized to assess the salience of police officer job satisfaction, perceived organizational support, and perception of six workplace domains, including financial compensation, environmental factors, professional fulfillment, work/quality of life balance, treatment from management, and occupational risk on predicting turnover intention.

Findings – The cross-sectional study finds that job satisfaction, financial factors …

Mathematics In Contemporary Society, Patrick J. Wallach

Open Educational Resources

Mathematics in Contemporary Society is the textbook that corresponds to MA-321, the course of the same name. The course is designed to provide students with mathematical ideas and methods found in the social sciences, the arts, and in business. Topics will include fundamentals of statistics, scatterplots, graphics in the media, problem solving strategies, dimensional analysis, mathematics in music and art, and mathematical modeling. EXCEL is used to explore real world applications.

Science Fiction, Eng 2420, Syllabus And Course Outline, Jason W. Ellis

Open Educational Resources

This Science Fiction, ENG2420 syllabus and course outline was written for an online, asynchronous class taught in the Department of English at the New York City College of Technology, CUNY. It was designed to compliment the OER Yet Another Science Fiction Textbook (YASFT) and have a Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) approach with readings and viewings found primarily through the Internet Archive. The course follows a historical approach to the science fiction genre covering the Origins of Science Fiction, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Proto-SF, Pulp SF, SF Film Serials, Golden Age SF, SF Film Through the 1950s, New Wave …

Zero Textbook Cost Syllabus For Mkt 3000 (Marketing Foundations), Ram Bezawada

Open Educational Resources

This course is designed to introduce business students to the fundamental concepts and principles of marketing. The knowledge you gain in this course should help you understand how well-thought out and carefully implemented marketing strategies can help businesses succeed in a competitive environment. This understanding and skills you will have to practice in this course (i.e., analytical, and oral/written presentation skills) will help you to become a more valuable employee whether you choose a career in marketing or in other fields.

For students majoring in marketing, this course will provide the foundations for more advanced courses and work experience. For …

The Importance Of Probes In Assessing Periodontal Health, Khrystyna Vyprynyuk, Catherine Monchik

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Prls 2250 Digital Life Stories: Chicana/Latina Testimonio, Jasmine Mitchell

Open Educational Resources

This is an introductory course exploring intersecting histories, ideas, and social, political and cultural structures in Latin America. We will focus on the workings of Latin American cultures as shaped by race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, place, and religion. Throughout this course we will ask: Where is Latin America and what is Latin America? Over the semester, we will ask critical questions of a wide variety of materials: essays, television, poems, photographs, films, music, visual art, historical documents and legal texts. Students will be exposed to and experiment with a wide range of current interdisciplinary theoretical and methodological approaches with …

Artd 2811: Introduction To Digital Art, Matthew Mottel

Open Educational Resources

A Digital Artist is responsive to mediums, formats, environments and physical spaces. Creation of artworks will be through individual or collaborative artistic modes, via production of unique image,video, sound, and performance. We will use available digital technologies to explore contemporary cultural topics. Students will make artworks that give them a basic fluency in these various techniques.

This course offers an overview of the fundamentals of digital art. Through case studies, students learn about potential digital practices. Students will learn both the theoretical and technical concepts of digital art making. Significant class time will be spent on workshops, discussions and peer …

Lbsci 700 / Info 7001. The Technology Of Information., Brandon K. Jeffries Mr.

Open Educational Resources

This course will introduce the student to the conceptual and practical elements of visual and computer literacy for the library and information science profession. Particular attention will be paid to the place and role of libraries and information centers. A laboratory session following each class will give students the opportunity to apply some of the concepts learned in class.

German 250w (German Film And Media), Christa Spreizer

Open Educational Resources

German 250W (German Film and Media) considers various iconic Weimar German silent and sound films of the early 20th century such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Nosferatu, The Nibelungen, Metropolis, M, Dr. Mabuse, Blue Angel and others. We will analyze the extraordinary development of German cinema during a period of great political and economic instability, and an all-encompassing cultural revival.

Transatlantic Literary Networks, 1949-1972, Cristina Iuli, Stefano Morello

Publications and Research

Il racconto di Donald Barthelme “Critique de la Vie Quotidienne”, pubblicato sul New Yorker il 9 luglio 1971, si apre su una famiglia newyorkese di classe media sull’orlo di una crisi matrimoniale. Wanda, la moglie, sfoglia Elle, costringendo il marito a prestare attenzione alle foto dell’elegante ristrutturazione di un vecchio mulino in Bretagna da cui spiccano arredi di Arne Jacobsen e “cose di plastica arancione e rosso brillante che arrivano da Milano” (Barthelme 1971, p. 26). Barthelme, che aveva trascorso tutta l’infanzia e buona parte della gioventù a Houston, in Texas, dove il padre era direttore del museo di …

Scene Transatlantiche: Eco Italiane Nella Beat Generation, Stefano Morello

Publications and Research

Nella maldestra intervista con Fernanda Pivano trasmessa dalla RAI nel settembre del 1966, Jack Kerouac, interpellato riguardo le infuenze letterarie che avevano ispirato la sua produzione, rispose negando con forza l’impatto di autori italiani sulla sua poetica. Il rifuto di Kerouac – uno dei pochi esponenti della Beat Generation a poter vantare un radicamento nel territorio nordamericano da più di dieci generazioni (FamilySearch) – può essere letto come il tentativo di un autore aggrappatosi, nella parte fnale della sua vita, a un’ideologia conservatrice e nazionalista, di inscrivere la propria poetica all’interno di una tradizione letteraria puramente americana. Nella frase successiva …

The Importance Of Humanities In A Career-Focused Educational Environment, Geoff Zylstra, Jill Belli, Candido Cabo, Sean Macdonald, Robin Michals, Ann Marie Sowder, Christopher B. Swift

Publications and Research

The humanities have the potential to enhance STEM curriculum in career-oriented professional degree programs. As part of a larger college-wide initiative to develop interdisciplinary curricula, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) awarded a grant to New York City College of Technology to explore the relationship between the humanities and career-focused degree programs in STEM departments. This article describes the design and implementation of coursework that bridges the curricular divides between humanities disciplines and technical or career-focused disciplines by bringing the humanities to bear on science and technology-oriented courses. Specifically, the humanities served to improve technical skills for students in …