Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Interrogating How Information (Re)Produces Systemic Barriers Within Lgbtq+ Communities To Inform Global Lis Education, Vanessa Kitzie, Travis L. Wagner, Nick Vera, Valerie Lookingbill

Faculty Publications

This preliminary research examines the health information practices of South Carolina LGBTQ+ communities. Findings have the following implications for LIS education at a global level: building cultural competency regarding the role of information in marginalizing certain populations, and training students to engage in user outreach and advocacy. These implications address a global need for LIS education to encompass social responsibility and inclusion into program curricula.

“That Looks Like Me Or Something I Can Do”: Affordances And Constraints In The Online Identity Work Of Us Lgbtq+ Millennials, Vanessa Kitzie

Faculty Publications

This article examines how search engines and social networking sites enable and constrain the identity-related information practices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender,and queer (LGBTQ+) millennials in the United States.

“People Need A Strategy:” Exploring Attitudes Of And Support Roles For Scholarly Identity Work Among Academic Librarians, Marie L. Radford, Vanessa Kitzie, Stephanie Mikitish, Diana Floegel, Lynn Silipigni Connaway

Faculty Publications

Exploring Attitudes of and Support Roles for … This study explores this challenge by investigating academic librarian practice and potential support for SI management and addresses the following research questions: RQ 1. What, if any, practices do...“People Need a Strategy:”

Resituating Public Library Values To Leverage The Health Information Practices Of South Carolina Lgbtq+ Communities, Vanessa Kitzie, Travis L. Wagner, Alexander N. Vera, Valerie A. Lookingbill

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Leadership And Innovation Within A Complex Adaptive System: Public Libraries, Darin S. Freeburg

Faculty Publications

Viewing public libraries as Complex Adaptive Systems, the current study analyzed leadership within these systems in terms of complexity and innovation. This included a leader’s capacity for ambiguity and emergence, features of leadership in different contexts, and perceptions of success and innovation. From a list of current public library directors and managers, 15 participants completed a 30-minute phone interview that followed a semi-structured guide. By analyzing the intersection of complexity of approach with complexity of context, eight leadership approaches were uncovered through coding. Results suggest that most participants engaged with most of the leadership approaches at some point. In addition, …

Lessons Learned After A Disaster: Investigations Of Public Librarians’ Health Information Services To The Community And Community Members’ Information Needs Following A Catastrophic Flood, Feili Tu-Keefner, Jingjing Liu, Darin Freeburg, Elizabeth Hartnett, Denise Lyons, Mike Corbo, April Hobbs

Faculty Publications

In times of crisis, public libraries, in addition to health, fire, and police departments, are community outreach centers and sources of credible information. In October 2015, several counties in the state of South Carolina in the United States of America experienced catastrophic flooding that caused severe damage. Situation-specific research was conducted to investigate public libraries’ value to their communities in providing critical information services, as well as the libraries’ legitimacy as partners of public health agencies. The research framework is one recommended by public health experts for risk communication preparedness and implementation during pandemic influenza. In 2015, a case study …

Going Beyond The Text: Turning Classrooms Into Communities Of Practice To Uncover And Create Noncanonical Knowledge, Darin Freeburg

Faculty Publications

Every discipline has an existing canon – seen in textbooks, scholarly journals, conference proceedings, etc. – that explicitly outlines existing practice and thought. Recognizing the inadequacy of these canons, the current paper outlines an approach to classroom instruction that helps students move beyond these texts as they create and discover noncanonical knowledge. This noncanonical approach focuses on turning classrooms into Communities of Practice (CoP). There is myriad literature on the utility of such groups for knowledge creation and learning in organizations, yet this paper is unique in introducing it to classroom instruction. By turning classrooms into an adapted CoP, instructors …

Identifying Layers Of Intellectual Capital By Analyzing Unique Contexts, Darin Freeburg

Faculty Publications

This research analyzed the Intellectual Capital (IC) in churches, noting the contextually specific elements tied to unique definitions of success. It aimed to open up to questioning the traditional classifications of IC, while considering the importance of context. American churches were chosen to uncover unique layers and attributes of IC, as they represent a very different organization from those typically studied in IC research. The leadership teams of four churches engaged in 90-minute focus groups, where they discussed success, assets, liabilities, and attempts to leverage value from assets. By approaching it qualitatively, and without prompting participants about the traditional definitions …

Problems And Approaches In The Management Of Intellectual Capital In Religious Organisations: An Issue Of Complexity, Darin Freeburg

Faculty Publications

The current research uncovers problems with a religious organisation's Intellectual Capital (IC), and the approaches organisational leaders take to overcome these problems. It is situated as an issue of complexity, in which there are varying levels in both problem and approach. This is outlined according to David Snowden's Cyne¯n model. It is suggested that complex IC problems require complex IC approaches, while simple problems can make use of simple approaches. Two case studies with churches in the American South were used. Focus groups with these churches identi¯ed IC assets of strategic importance, problems, approaches, and current success. Surveys were distributed …

The Knowing Model: Encouraging Behavior Change In Organizations Through Awareness, Integration, And Knowing, Darin S. Freeburg

Faculty Publications

Leadership is often responsible for behavior change in their organizations. This paper outlines a context-based model—utilizing existing theories and models in Knowledge Management and Library and Information Science—to increase leadership’s effectiveness in this area. The Knowing Model approaches behavior change as an issue of information content, dissemination, and use of that information—all within a complex environment with additional social barriers. A behavior—one that an organization has unsuccessfully attempted to change in the past—is identified by leadership. These previous attempts serve as a baseline from which to measure success of the proposed model. The target behavior change is one that is …

The Knowledge Lens: Equipping Information Professionals To Spark Innovation Within Organizations And Society, Darin Freeburg

Faculty Publications

This article outlines the Knowledge Lens—a way of seeing more clearly the opportunities for knowledge creation within organizations and society. It is proposed as a model for schools of Library and Information Science (LIS) to follow when considering curriculum changes. Instead of producing two sets of graduates—those in information and those in knowledge, each lacking the insight of the other—this model provides a foundation for embedding knowledge throughout the curriculum to equip information professionals with the requisite skills and understanding to lead innovative knowledge work in whatever organization they join. It includes three groupings and six elements. The groupings bring …

The Guided Innovation Model: Messy Human Innovation, Darin Freeburg

Faculty Publications

This paper outlines the theoretical foundation and framework for the Guided Innovation Model, which puts nonprofit organizations in a position to increase innovation through the application of Knowledge Management tools. This is facilitated by information and knowledge professionals. It also outlines a suggested approach for implementation of the model. The purpose of the paper is to provide an in-depth foundation which future work can build upon in specific contexts. Given the complexity and constancy of social change, nonprofits must continually innovate to meet the needs of their community. This model provides a framework for how they can do this without …

The Openness Of Religious Beliefs To The Influence Of External Information, Darin Freeburg

Faculty Publications

Religious beliefs have important and wide-reaching impacts on society. They also tend to be viewed as impervious to the influence of information external to a religious setting. Eight focus groups were held with attendees of two United Church of Christ congregations. Participants were asked about their core religious beliefs, and transcripts were qualitatively coded for the interplay of belief and infor- mation. Analysis found that beliefs that were focused on people, processes and events external to the congregation showed the char- acteristics of being more open to external information. Specifically, the breadth of these external beliefs allowed for a wider …

The Value Of Public Libraries During A Major Flooding: How Digital Resources Can Enhance Health And Disaster Preparedness In Local Communities., Feili Tu-Keefner

Faculty Publications

In October 2015, several counties in South Carolina experienced catastrophic flooding that caused severe damage, including loss of residential homes and other calamities. Using a framework for risk communication preparedness and implementation about pandemic influenza for vulnerable populations recommended by public health experts, this case study investigates public libraries’ value to their communities and their legitimacy as partners of public health agencies during and after a disaster. Public libraries’ situation-specific information services in the target areas affected by flooding during and after the disaster were explored. The methodology was qualitative-based. Focus-group meetings with public library administrators and librarians, one-on-one interviews …

Examining Inclusive Programming In A Middle School Library: A Case Study Of Adolescents Who Are Differently- And Typically-Able, Clayton A. Copeland, Karen W. Gavigan Dr.

Faculty Publications

Numerous national and international studies have shown the importance of school libraries and librarians in students’ educations, including literacy skill development and academic achievement. However, published research investigating school library accessibility and services from the perspectives of students who are differently-able are extremely limited, as are studies of inclusive library programming, or programming serving both typically-able and differently-able students. This case study examines inclusive library programming with adolescents in a middle school library. Findings indicate that the impact of inclusive school library programming was meaningful and often extended beyond the library’s walls. Inclusive library programming resulted in skill development among …

Acceptance Of Knowledge Management Concepts In Religious Organizations: The Impacts Of Information And Willful Disengagement From Productive Inquiry, Darin Freeburg

Faculty Publications

This study analyzed how churches create cultures in which the recirculating of the same information is encouraged, or cultures in which new information is introduced regularly. It then analyzed how these cultures impact engagement with important knowledge management (KM) principles. Particular attention was paid to the factors that contribute to a church’s decision to engage in a critical questioning of assumed beliefs—productive inquiry (PI)—shown to be an important behavior in successful organizations. In eight, 90- minute focus groups, 28 congregants from Mainline Protestant churches were asked to discuss the information behavior surrounding their religious beliefs. Qualitative coding and analysis revealed …

Impact Of Cloud Computing On Librarians At Small And Rural Academic Libraries, Deborah Deloise Tritt, Kaetrena D. Kendrick

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Depictions Of Religion In Children’S Picture Books, Don A. Wicks, Darin Freeburg, Doug Goldsmith

Faculty Publications

How children are introduced to concepts of faith is a sensitive matter. One approach used by both religious and secular organizations is children’s literature, including children’s picture books. Picture books are books primarily for preschoolers. The books tell a story using illustrations and few words. This paper offers an exploratory study of how children are introduced to religion and spirituality through illustrative techniques and textual content in such literature. A content analysis of illustrations from 12 titles sampled from a larger collection of 21,000 picture books published in the past 40 or more years was conducted. The current sample comes …

A Community Of Practice Assessment Framework: A Typology For Effective Groups, Darin Freeburg

Faculty Publications

This paper outlines a typology for use in the qualitative assessment of communities of practice (COPs). COPs are groups of people who meet together to share knowledge and solve problems around a similar interest, and they are essential to intellectual capital development within organizations. This paper types COPs along two dimensions: trust and risk. These dimensions are used to analyze a COPs capacity for learning and collaboration outcomes. Trust requires an environment that fosters openness toward good and bad ideas, mistakes and accomplishments, and a structure that it is negotiated and agreed upon by the self-initiated membership. Productive inquiry provides …

Credibility On The Internet: Shifting From Authority To Reliability, R. David Lankes

Faculty Publications

Purpose – This paper seeks to understand how users determine credibility in the internet environment from a conceptual level and the implications of these new methods of credibility determination on internet tools (primarily software) and services.

Design/methodology/approach – The author first examines the underlying reasons for increased dependence on the internet for information, using electronic commerce as a starting point. The central concept of “information self-sufficiency” is introduced and then examined through the lens of the internet and conversation theory.

Findings – The author finds that users are shifting from more traditional “authority” methods of credibility determination, where users cede …