Education Commons^™

A Critical Phenomenology Of Whiteness In Academic Libraries, Emily Crist, Kelly Clark/Keefe

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

This exploratory qualitative study examines how whiteness functions in the field of library and information science (LIS) within higher education institutions. Utilizing a critical phenomenological approach, three questions guided the inquiry: (1) How is whiteness embodied by academic librarians, (2) What perceptions do academic librarians hold that contribute to the maintenance or disruption of habits of whiteness in libraries, and (3) How and where is whiteness embedded within academic library settings and the field of LIS?

The aim was to begin understanding whiteness in libraries as an experientially-grounded and systemically reproduced phenomena. Four academic librarians participated in semi-structured interviews that …

Aligning Library Instruction With The Needs Of Basic Sciences Graduate Students: A Case Study, Donna O'Malley, Frances A. Delwiche

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Question: How can an existing library instruction program be reconfigured to reach basic sciences graduate students and other patrons missed by curriculum-based instruction?
Setting: The setting is an academic health sciences library that serves both the university and its affiliated teaching hospital.
Methods: The existing program was redesigned to incorporate a series of seven workshops that encompassed the range of information literacy skills that graduate students in the basic sciences need. In developing the new model, the teaching librarians made changes in pedagogy, technology, marketing, and assessment strategies.
Results: Total attendance at the sessions increased substantially in the first 2 …

Information-Seeking Behavior Of Basic Science Researchers: Implications For Library Services, Laura L. Haines, Jeanene Light, Donna O'Malley, Frances A. Delwiche

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Objectives: This study examined the information-seeking behaviors of basic science researchers to inform the development of customized library services.

Methods: A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted on a sample of basic science researchers employed at a university medical school.

Results: The basic science researchers used a variety of information resources ranging from popular Internet search engines to highly technical databases. They generally relied on basic keyword searching, using the simplest interface of a database or search engine. They were highly collegial, interacting primarily with coworkers in their laboratories and colleagues employed at other institutions. They made little use …

Think Locally, Act Globally: Understanding Home Institution Library Engagement Among Study-Abroad Students, Laurie Kutner

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

This study focuses on developing an understanding of U.S. study-abroad students’ knowledge and confidence levels in using their home institution libraries from abroad. Data from a questionnaire survey administered to students at the time of active engagement in ten different study-abroad programs in Costa Rica are presented; the data reveal relative uncertainty by the students about the possibilities of interfacing with their home institution libraries while abroad. Further consideration of this distinct user group is warranted, and the article includes data-driven recommendations for better serving our study-abroad students.