Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Library Orientation Practices In Special Libraries, Melissa Fraser-Arnott

Faculty Publications

Purpose The library orientation session is an important marketing tool because it offers the first opportunity for library staff to connect with new clients (Craft and Ballard-Thrower, 2011; Rhoades and Hartsell, 2008). This paper aims to explore library orientation practices in special libraries and information centers with the goal of surveying current practices and identifying guidance for successful orientation program design and delivery.

Design/methodology/approach This study explored library orientation practices in special libraries and information services through an electronic survey. The survey questions were developed based on themes that emerged from case studies on library orientations from the academic …

Chinese College Students' Health Information Seeking Behavior: Implications For Academic Libraries, Yanxia Shi, Lili Luo

Faculty Publications

In 2016, Zexi Wei, a 21-year old Chinese college student died after receiving experimental treatment for synovial sarcoma at the Second Hospital of the Beijing Armed Police Corps. He learned about this treatment from a promoted result on the Chinese search engine Baidu (the equivalent of Google in China), and ultimately discovered that the hospital had misled patients by providing fraudulent information about the treatment's success rate. Wei's death prompted Chinese regulators to investigate Baidu's advertising practices, and drew widespread attention from the public about the ill-regulated practices of online dissemination of health information. As academic librarians, this tragic incident …

Irrt Councilor Update, Sandra Hirsh

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Supporting Open Information Literacy Via Hybridised Design Experiments, Kristen Rebmann

Faculty Publications

This report discusses a project that forms connections between design experiment and informed learning approaches to designing learning activities supportive of open information literacy and scholarly communication among library and information science graduate students. Open information literacy is defined as information literacy relating specifically toward leveraging open access and open educational resources. Focus is placed on implications for research and practice by exploring one example of a hybridised, informed learning design experiment that fused subject content and open information practice. This project report represents an early step in thinking about the possibilities of infusing informed learning research structures and strategies …

Minimizing And Addressing Microaggressions In The Workplace: Be Proactive, Part 2, Shamika Dalton, Michele Villagran

Faculty Publications

Our nation’s history plays a huge role in the way we perceive underrepresented groups. From slavery to segregation, to the inequality in compensation for women and people of color, to the refusal to wed same sex couples, discrimination and opposition has plagued the United States for decades. Since the Civil Rights Movement, discrimination towards underrepresented groups has shifted from overt acts to subtle and semiconscious manifestations called microaggressions. These manifestations reside in well-intentioned individuals who are often unaware of their biased beliefs, attitudes, and actions. They can lead to inequities within our relationships and affect our work productivity.

Minimizing And Addressing Implicit Bias In The Workplace: Be Proactive, Part One, Shamika Dalton, Michele Villagran

Faculty Publications

Librarians and information professionals cannot hide from bias: a prejudice for or against something, someone, or a group. As human beings, we all have biases. However, implicit biases are ones that affect us in an unconscious manner. Awareness of our implicit biases, and how they can affect our colleagues and work environment, is critical to promoting an inclusive work environment. Part one of this two-part article series will focus on implicit bias: what is implicit bias, how these biases affect the work environment, and best practices for reducing these biases within recruitment, hiring, and retention in the library workplace.

Bringing Culture Back: Managing Unconscious Bias To Strengthen Your Corporate Culture, Michael Sholinbeck, Michele Villagran

Faculty Publications

Have you ever examined the sources of unconscious bias and how bias can influence interactions with others? Have you ever explored how cultural values impact our own biases and interactions? Cultural awareness and seeking to understanding unconscious biases are critical first steps towards improving our performance; however, we cannot stop there. Awareness alone does not guarantee success; individuals need to put that awareness into action in order to ensure these biases do not influence judgments about others. When done effectively, these actions can have a direct and positive impact on a library’s inclusive work environment and the strength of the …

The Global Transformation Of Libraries, Lis Education, And Lis Professionals (American Library Association Annual Conference), Sandra Hirsh

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Experiencing Evidence-Based Library And Information Practice (Eblip): Academic Librarians' Perspective, Lili Luo

Faculty Publications

This study investigates practitioners’ involvement in Evidence-Based Library and Information Practice (EBLIP) at an academic library. Through focus group interviews, the study reveals that most of the evidence-bases decisions in academic library practice are considered “Know-what (works)” and serve the “instrumental” purpose, seeking to determine what actions will lead to desired outcomes in addressing a specific problem. Practitioners use a wide range of evidence sources to support their decision making. Challenges they encounter in EBLIP related to time, mentoring/training, availability and accessibility of evidence, organizational culture, and personality. Study findings will help increase the awareness of evidence-based practice in academic …

Vignettes: Implications For Lis Research, Allison Benedetti, John Jackson, Lili Luo

Faculty Publications

Vignettes, brief descriptions of fictional characters and situations, serve as a tool to study people’s lives, perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes about specific situations. Although not widely used in library and information science (LIS) research, vignettes can depersonalize responses to controversial situations or behavioral responses related to abstract concepts when employed in focus groups, in-depth interviews, or surveys. We use two research projects, one focused on the Association of College and Research Libraries’ Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education and one on the vocabulary used to describe library services, to discuss the strengths of vignettes and implications for LIS research.

How Cultural Intelligence Makes A Difference In The Information Profession: Are You Culturally Competent?, Michele Villagran

Faculty Publications

It is not enough to simply be ‘aware’ anymore. We must go beyond our own self-awareness and awareness of others to understand the impacts of how we work and interact effectively in culturally diverse situations, whether domestic or global. As the information profession operates in an ever changing, global environment, we need to be prepared to handle any diverse situation. As our workforces become more diverse, we face an even greater challenge and problem: that is how to successfully manage increasingly diverse interactions. To address this concern, organizations are applying the framework of cultural intelligence.Cultural intelligence is a person’s capability …

Publishing Basics: How To Get Started & Where To Begin: Tips For First-Time Writers Looking To Get Published, Shamika Dalton, Michele Villagran

Faculty Publications

The world of publishing can be overwhelming, especially for first-time writers and newer librarians. Is my idea good enough? Is my article articulated well enough? Will anyone read it? These are all common questions you might have. Most importantly, you want to make a good first impression among your colleagues. The intent of this article is to acknowledge the common internal fears of first-time writers, explore publication opportunities, and provide suggestions on how to get started. Here we offer a writer’s survival toolkit to help throughout the publication process

Health Information Programming In Public Libraries: A Content Analysis, Lili Luo

Faculty Publications

Health information programs, defined as library programs focusing on health-related topics, are an essential way for public libraries to reach out to their user communities, raising awareness of and interest in healthy lifestyle, promoting access to quality health information, and ultimately enhancing health literacy of the citizenry. This study presents a content analysis of the health information programs provided by a large urban public library system in the past year, seeking to strengthen the professional understanding of how public libraries can contribute to health literacy improvement through effective programming, and help other libraries gain insights on health information program planning …

Engage With Your Cultural Side: Cultural Intelligence, Michele Villagran

Faculty Publications

It is not enough to simply be ‘aware’ anymore. As our workforces become more diverse, we face a greater challenge and problem; that of how to successfully manage increasingly diverse interactions. To address this concern, organizations are applying the framework of cultural intelligence (CQ). Cultural intelligence is a person’s capability for successful adaptation to new cultural settings. This session’s learning goals include: what is cultural intelligence; how is CQ used as a practical tool for embracing differences and increasing work performance; how do you improve your own CQ capabilities including the four factors; and how do you apply CQ within …

The Global Transformation Of Libraries, Lis Education, And Lis Professionals (Library Company), Sandra Hirsh

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Global Transformation Of Libraries, Lis Education, And Lis Professionals (Rikkyo University), Sandra Hirsh

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

How Cultural Intelligence (Cq) Makes A Difference In Your Professional Environment, Michele Villagran

Faculty Publications

As workforces become more diverse, we face the challenge of managing increasingly diverse interactions. Many organizations apply the framework of “cultural intelligence” (CQ)—a person’s capability to adapt to new cultural settings or an unfamiliar cultural context. Rooted in academic research, CQ is a globally recognized way of assessing and improving effectiveness in culturally diverse situations. Leading organizations in business, education, government, and healthcare use CQ. This session will give an overview of CQ and its application within the information profession. It is designed for any individual that interacts with diverse cultures in any organizational segment.

Changing Roles Of Legal Information Professionals: Adapting Your Skills To New Challenges, Michele Villagran

Faculty Publications

Michele will explain the concept of cultural intelligence or cultural quotient (CQ)—a person’s capability for successful adaptation to new cultural settings. She’ll also demonstrate how info pros can reinvent themselves by understanding their CQ and applying differing techniques in the workplace when confronted with change.

Using The Anti-Racism Digital Library And Thesaurus To Understand Information Access, Authority, Value And Privilege, Anita Coleman

Faculty Publications

The new ACRL Framework for Information Literacy, specifically the six threshold concepts about information mirror the experiences of the author as a researcher studying the representation of anti-racism in bibliographic information systems. Anti-racism, in general, is a great concept to use when teaching information literacy and the paper discusses how antiracism information literacy can be taught and learned as part of theological and religious studies education. Since the conference is in Atlanta, the article begins with two stories about the scholar Dubois who lived there and that illustrate some of the IL concepts discussed.

Tv White Spaces In Public Libraries: A Primer, Kristen Rebmann, Emmanuel Te, Donald Means

Faculty Publications

TV White Space (TVWS) represents one new wireless communication technology that has the potential to improve internet access and inclusion. This primer describes TVWS technology as a viable, long-term access solution for the benefit of public libraries and their communities, especially for underserved populations. Discussion focuses first on providing a brief overview of the digital divide and the emerging role of public libraries as internet access providers. Next, a basic description of TVWS and its features is provided, focusing on key aspects of the technology relevant to libraries as community anchor institutions. Several TVWS implementations are described with discussion of …

Developing Online Communities For Librarian Researchers: A Case Study, Lili Luo, Marie Kennedy, Kristine Brancolini, Michael Stephens

Faculty Publications

This study examines the role of online communities in connecting and supporting librarian researchers, through the analysis of member activities in the online community for academic librarians that attended the 2014 Institute for Research Design in Librarianship (IRDL). The 2014 IRDL cohort members participated in the online community via Twitter and a Facebook group page. A content analysis of their posts and an online survey among them identified different patterns of engagement and four primary types of content—posts related to completing the IRDL research project required for each cohort member, announcements about research-related resources and opportunities, posts reminiscing about the …

Threshold Concepts And Core Competences In The Library And Information Science (Lis) Domain: Methodologies For Discovery, Virginia Tucker

Faculty Publications

Researchers have used a variety of methodologies for investigating threshold concepts, and this paper considers these approaches for library and information science (LIS) domains. The focus is on specific benefits of constructivist grounded theory for eliciting evidence of core knowledge, and elements of research design for this purpose are discussed, including the importance of collecting experiences from the learners themselves as well as effective protocols for data gathering and analysis through the use of active tasks and semi-structured interviews. The discussion extends to implications of the research design for how it may be applied to thematic analysis more broadly and …

Annual California Library Association Conference: Swing Into Action, Michele Villagran

Faculty Publications

From November 3rd-6th, the 2016 annual California Library Association conference took place in our capitol, Sacramento, CA. The theme of the conference was Swing into Action. I had the privilege of traveling to Sacramento to work for our University of North Texas booth, host our alumni & student reception and present two conference sessions.

[Review Of] Not Free, Not For All: Public Libraries In The Age Of Jim Crow , Anthony Bernier

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Webinar 1: Marketing And Branding: Asserting Your Value, Michele Villagran

Faculty Publications

Promoting and Enhancing the Advancement of Rural Libraries (PEARL) project: Rural & Small Libraries 4-part Webinar Series with Dr. Michele A. L. Villagran.

Library 2.015 Conference: An Open Dialog About The Future Of Libraries, Laurie L. Putnam

Faculty Publications

The Library 2.0 Virtual Worldwide Conference series aims to create an open dialog about the future of libraries in the digital age. At Library 2.015, the fifth conference in the series, thousands of participants gathered online to share their knowledge, experience, and ideas on the evolution of libraries and the information profession. This article reports on some highlights of the October 20, 2015, conference. Archived conference presentations remain free, online, and open to all at http://tinyurl.com/Libr2015presentations.

Trans-Pacific Doctoral Success – A Collaborative Cohort Model, Helen Partridge, Christine Bruce, Sandra Hirsh, Ken Haycock, Sylvia Edwards, Cheryl Stenstrom, Susan Gasson

Faculty Publications

The San Jose Gateway PhD program is a doctoral partnership between the School of Information at San Jose State University (SJSU) in the USA, and the Information Systems School at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Australia. Because of Californian legislation, SJSU has not been able to offer PhD degrees. The Gateway Program therefore provides a research pathway for SJSU’s coursework students. It also helps the School to grow the research capacity of academic staff. For QUT, the Program provides the opportunity to advance research agendas and to build strong international connections and partnerships. The Program began in 2008. …

Tackling Culturally Diverse Situations With Ease, Michele Villagran

Faculty Publications

It is not enough to be simply “aware” anymore. We must go beyond our own self-awareness and our awareness of others to really understand how we work and interact effectively in culturally diverse situations, whether domestic or global. As law firms and corporate entities operate in an ever-changing, global environment, we need to be prepared to handle any diverse situation. As our workforces become more diverse, we face the challenge of how to successfully manage increasingly diverse interactions. To address this concern, organizations are applying the framework of cultural intelligence, or CQ.

Library 2.015: An International Conference For An Interconnected Profession, Sandra Hirsh

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Mobile Health-Care Information For All: A Global Challenge, Geoff Royston, Christine Hagar, Lesley-Anne Long, Dennis Mcmahon, Neil Pakenham-Walsh, Nand Wadhwani

Faculty Publications

Access to health-care information for citizens is a key determinant to reach both the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the emerging post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals, but this challenge has repeatedly been relegated to the sidelines.1 What might kickstart progress? An obvious candidate is the mobile phone, which is becoming ubiquitous in low-income and middle-income countries.