Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Benchmarking It Services In Academic Libraries, Rebecca L. Mugridge, Janetta Waterhouse

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

The presenters will share the results of a 2021 survey of the academic library members of the Association of Research Libraries to determine how information technology services are organized within the libraries and whether there is a trend toward centralizing IT activities at the institution level. Survey findings from the 72 responding libraries address 14 information technology services and activities and identify who is responsible for their technology services, their level of satisfaction with the services, whether the responsibility for them has changed recently, and if so, why. Respondents also provided information about IT assessment and top three challenges. The …

Copyright First Responders: Decentralized Expertise, Cultural Institutions, And Risk, Kyle K. Courtney, Emily Kilcer

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

Today librarians and other information professionals regularly intersect with intellectual property law. As our work increasingly encompasses copyright-intensive programs and projects (e.g., digitization, scholarly publishing, open access, streaming media, MOOCs, and more), questions about fair use, public domain, and copyright law invariably emerge. Libraries occupy a liminal space, they both serve knowledge creation and information access and enjoy special privileges under copyright law.

Unfortunately, comprehensive copyright training is still not a pillar of LIS programs,1 and while there are seminal resources to look to and professional development opportunities to explore (e.g., MOOCs, copyright bootcamps, or one-offs at conferences), this sort …

From Stacks To Screens: Creating A Virtual Browsing Experience, Lauren Puzier, Rebecca A. Nous

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

The University at Albany Libraries has integrated visually compelling, subject-based Curated Collections into its discovery tool, Primo VE. These collections encompass resources on specific subjects, that highlight authors or groups, celebrate a genre, or that bring together a variety of resources to address campus initiatives, current events, or popular research topics. Curated Collections is an opportunity for the Libraries' to highlight what is special, new, trending, important, or underappreciated in our collections. We propose this project as a virtual browsing model to fuel intellectual curiosity, and seek to explore similar initiatives at attendees’ libraries.

A Research Data Services Fairytale, Kathleen H. Flynn, Emily Kilcer

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

Whether for assignments or research, the faculty, staff, and students at all academic institutions will work with data. Some patrons seek assistance finding open data for their projects, while others would like lessons in data analysis or visualization. Data sharing is increasingly required by journals or funding agencies, and researchers may find this challenging while also navigating Data Use Agreements, confidentiality concerns, data documentation, locating a suitable repository, and more.

Furthermore, most funding agencies require a data management plan be included in grant proposals to ensure that researchers are prepared to follow best practices regarding the collection, storage, security, and …

Finding Harmony: Social Tags And Name Authority Records In The Popular Music Domain, Kabel Nathan Stanwicks, Hemalata Iyer

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

Libraries and cultural institutions use cataloging and metadata standards to describe works and those responsible for creating them. These standards are used to create name authority records (NAR) to collocate creators’ works under single, authorized versions of their names. NARs employ controlled vocabulary to describe individuals and disambiguate names. NAR production is costly; therefore, few are updated when standards are revised, and controlled vocabularies are slow to adapt to a rapidly changing information landscape. Artificial intelligence provides opportunities to leverage social tagging to update and enhance NARs, while simultaneously improving user search and discovery. Our research demonstrates that social tags …

Forging The Future: Connecting Research To Communities, Angela Hackstadt

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

Lightning talk delivered at the ACRL 2023 Conference in Pittsburgh, PA.

The literature suggests that information users beyond the academy rely on a variety of sources in the course of their work, most of which can be described as grey literature. However, academic researchers tend to focus their efforts on other research publications, like peer reviewed journal articles, because there is little perceived professional benefit to producing grey literature. A 2022 survey of state government and local nonprofit workers sheds some light on the gap between academic researchers and a potential audience for their work and illustrates the potential for …

Connecting Research To Policy And Practice: A Case Study Of A White Paper Collection In An Institutional Repository, Angela Hackstadt

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Reflections On Moving On And Scaling Up: Adapting Past Experience To Emerging Scholarly Communication Programs, Emily Kilcer, Julia Lovett, Mark Clemente

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

Scholarly communication librarianship is always evolving. It is inherently malleable and context-dependent. Relevant skills can be challenging to learn in most LIS programs.

As a result, the experiences that shaped our early careers in scholarly communication were essential. Time at institutions with well-resourced, well-established, and highly visible scholarly communication programs, at MIT, Harvard, and the University of Michigan, showed us what was possible with a team working toward shared goals: where to look for opportunities, how to engage in strategic decision-making, when to keep nudging, and when to back-burner an effort.

An interesting shift we have each navigated is what …

Werewolf On Campus: A Case Study In Inoculation Theory And Gamified One-Shot Library Instruction, Abigail Adams

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

This case study details the development and results of an information literacy game in which undergraduate students evaluated fictional sources to learn how to recognize a werewolf on campus. The game relied on inoculation theory and fiction to teach students to identify indicators of mis and disinformation outside of any real-world examples that might affect their learning experience. The game showed promise as students were far more engaged and demonstrated better retention later in the semester than students who received a more traditional lecture about disinformation and source evaluation. However, the game would likely be more effective if it were …

It Assessment In Arl Libraries, Rebecca L. Mugridge, Janetta Waterhouse

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

With the rapid pace of change and the high cost invested in information technology, it is important for academic libraries to evaluate the information technology solutions they use in their institutions to determine whether they are meeting the needs of their students, faculty, staff, and other users of their libraries and resources. This study presents the results of an online survey of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) academic library members to benchmark the assessment strategies that they used to evaluate their IT activities. This article compares their responses with earlier studies to identify trends and make recommendations for effective assessment …

The Organization Of Information Technology Activities In North American Research Libraries, Rebecca L. Mugridge, Janetta Waterhouse

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

This study presents the results of an online survey that benchmarked the organization of information technology (IT) functions in academic library members of the Association of Research Libraries. The survey investigated whether responsibility for 14 key areas resided in the libraries or in an institution-level information technology department, whether responsibilities have shifted over the past 20 years, satisfaction with services provided, assessment methods used to evaluate information technology services, and top challenges facing library IT. This paper considers the survey results addressing where the responsibility lies, satisfaction with the support, and whether and when the responsibility changed.

Beyond The Academy: Connecting Research And Policy, Angela Hackstadt

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

In April 2021, members of New York State Covid-19 and Minority Health Disparities Engaged Researchers Working Group began contributing a series of white papers to a collection in Scholars Archive, University at Albany's institutional repository. This poster reports on the reach of that collection after one year. The literature suggests that information users beyond the academy rely on a variety of sources in the course of their work, most of which can be described as grey literature. The poster will also present preliminary data collected from information users in the nonprofit and government sectors of New York State. It illustrates …

Design Thinking Repository Services: ​ Lessons Learned From Ualbany’S Covid-19 And Minority Health Disparities In Nys Collection And Scholars Archive, Emily Kilcer, Lindsay Van Berkom

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

In April 2020, the University at Albany was commissioned to study the factors causing disproportionate harm from COVID-19 for New York Latinx and Black individuals. Thirty-five interdisciplinary UAlbany Engaged Researchers partnered with colleagues and community organizations to research solutions to these disparities.

The UAlbany Libraries’ Scholarly Communication Team recognized the opportunity to collect, preserve, and distribute this Minority Health Disparities (MHD) project’s assets from the University’s repository, Scholars Archive.

Following early conversations with the project lead, an expert in digital government, the author successfully demonstrated the repository’s value. With her support, and with a design thinking approach, the authors …

Beyond The Academy: Readership And Impact Of A White Paper Collection, Angela Hackstadt

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

In April 2021, members of the NYS Covid-19 and Minority Health Disparities Engaged Researchers Working Group began contributing a series of white papers to a collection in Scholars Archive, University at Albany's institutional repository. This poster reports on the reach of that collection after one year and illustrates the potential for community-focused research published outside of traditional channels.

What Does Innovation Look Like? System Statuses In Discovery, Lauren Puzier, Rebecca A. Nous

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

"Is Facebook down" trended on Google, October 4, 2021, when Facebook became temporarily globally unavailable. Web-users proactively seek information when they encounter issues online. System statuses are one way libraries can leverage this behavior to share changes to resources or services and improve transparency, reference, and the user experience.

Reference Service, Government Information, And Covid-19, Angela Hackstadt, Abigail D. Adams

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

The authors designed and distributed two surveys to answer the questions of whether the 2020 federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic affected academic librarians’ trust in government information, and whether it affected the way they use government information professionally. The results showed a limited decrease in trust in 2020, somewhat mitigated by the administration turnover in 2021. Many librarians already discussed considerations such as bias, authority, and disinformation when recommending government information to students, and others indicated they are more likely to do so going forward. They will also use or suggest more caution with government documents than before. Reference …

System Statuses In Academic Libraries: Increasing Transparency And Improving The User Experience, Lauren Puzier, Rebecca A. Nous

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

"is facebook down" trended on Google on October 4, 2021, when Facebook became temporarily globally unavailable. Web users proactively seek information when they encounter issues online. System status dashboards are one way libraries can leverage this behavior to share changes to resources or services and improve transparency, reference services, and the user experience. The University at Albany Libraries Discovery Services Librarian and User Experience Librarian implemented Springshare’s System Status Management tool to share system statuses with library staff and the campus community. The institutional context, implementation, and impact are described in this article. The authors reviewed Association of Research Libraries …

Insiders' Perspectives On The Acrl Framework For Information Literacy, Jean-Michel Lapointe, Craig Gibson, Trudi E. Jacobson

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

This interview with the two U.S. librarians who co-chaired the Task Force that led to the creation of the Association of College & Research Libraries' Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education (ACRL 2016) revisits the process of its creation as well as the reception this document has received five years after its inception. The authors retrace the main conceptual debates that have shaped the Framework and propose a typology of contemporary currents in information literacy, providing insight into the issues that inform the evolution of different conceptions of the pedagogical role of librarians in higher education from yesterday until …

Telling The Technical Services Story: Communicating Value (Presentation), Rebecca Mugridge

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

Technical Services isn’t the hidden discipline it once was. Despite some cross-departmental interaction, misconceptions about the work are all too common. It’s incumbent on technical services staff to take a proactive approach by communicating to others their value to the library and institutional mission. This session spotlights successful initiatives and gives you the guidance to bolster communication within departments, across the library, and campus-wide.

Aligning Metaliteracy With Self-Directed Learning To Expand Assessment Opportunities, Trudi E. Jacobson, Thomas P. Mackey, Jako Olivier

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

Metaliteracy is a holistic model that emphasises information-related knowledge attainment whilst challenging individuals to take charge of their learning strategies and goals. It prepares learners to become informed consumers and responsible producers of information. Metacognition is a core concept in metaliteracy, just as it is in swelf-directed learning (SDL) and in methods of assessment appropriate to SDL, such as assessment as learning (AaL) and assessment for learning (AfL). This congruence provides clear avenues for using metaliteracy’s framework in ways that support SDL. The first part of the chapter explores metaliteracy and its connections with SDL and assessment. The remainder of …

Metaliteracy And The Perspectives Of Information Science In The Digital Age, Thomas P. Mackey, Trudi E. Jacobson

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

In a virtual roundtable to launch the Portuguese translation of the first metaliteracy book, Metaletramento (Metaliteracy), Tom Mackey and Trudi Jacobson presented Metaliteracy and the Perspectives of Information Science in the Digital Age (this is the full presentation with Portuguese translation via YouTube). This discussion was part of the XXI National Meeting of Research and Postgraduate Studies in Information Science (ENANCIB 2021) – Brazil and supported by The Brazilian Institute of Information in Science and Technology (Ibict), Research Unit of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI).

How Libraries Help Make Your Data Management As Easy As Pie, Jill Cofield, Carol Anne Germain, Lauren Puzier, Emily Kilcer

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

Academic libraries at Association of Research Libraries (ARL) & Carnegie R1 universities in the U.S. and Canada provide leadership to deliver comprehensive integrated Web-based data management services for faculty, graduate students, and researchers. Data management makes data more findable, usable, and reproducible; supports an ethical, responsible research environment; and meets funder and journal data-sharing requirements. Since the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s 2013 memorandum requiring federal agencies to increase public access to the results of federally funded research, many funders and journals have mandated data planning and sharing. Developing high quality data management plans take time and …

Embedding Metaliteracy In Learning Design To Advance Metacognitive Thinking: From Oer To Moocs, Thomas P. Mackey, Trudi E. Jacobson

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Visualizing The Convergence Of Metaliteracy And The Information Literacy Framework, Trudi E. Jacobson, Thomas P. Mackey, Kelsey L. O'Brien

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

Displaying information in a visual manner frequently enhances clarity. Highlighting thematic elements and their interrelationships can lead to understanding, even insights, that might not otherwise happen. While words describe, well-conceived graphics illuminate in both subtle and overt ways. Synergies between word and image are especially powerful.

The visualization at the heart of this chapter makes connections between two separate but related frameworks: information literacy and metaliteracy. The ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education acknowledges that it was influenced by metaliteracy, and in particular metacognition.1 Metaliteracy emerged prior to the development of the ACRL Framework and was similarly designed …

Hang On To Your Rights (Author Rights!): A Survey Of Author Rights Services On Library Websites, Lauren Puzier, Emily Kilcer, Carol Anne Germain

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

Author rights underpin many scholarly communication activities. For authors to openly distribute their work, and thereby enjoy great reach and impact, retaining the rights necessary to do so is essential. However, author rights may not be something familiar to authors. In cases where an author is working with a publisher who may not be supportive of these rights by default, they may not feel confident advocating on their own behalf. Libraries are well positioned to provide services that inform and support authors in efforts to retain their rights. In doing so, libraries can additionally nurture a more sustainable scholarly ecosystem. …

Content Analysis: A Research Method You Can Count On (Or Not), Angela Hackstadt

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

Content analysis is a flexible research method used by library scholars. This poster presentation describes some content analysis basics, differences between methods, such as quantitative vs. qualitative, and some examples of questions answered using this method by LIS researchers.

Building Synergy Between The Institutional Repository And Scholarly Communication, Emily Kilcer, Lauren Puzier, Carol Anne Germain

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

Institutional repositories remain a crucial tool for promoting, displaying, and encouraging open access to scholarly research. Institutional repository webpages can help deliver pertinent information about scholarly communication to visitors and authors. Scholarly communication aims to promote a more open, equitable, and sustainable scholarly ecosystem. Building a coherent synergy between scholarly communication services and open distribution through an institution’s repository benefits the user community by facilitating an efficient and effective portal. Designing the institutional repository’s homepage with a clear connection to the scholarly communication presence offers a deeper investment in scholarly communication for its visitors. This study investigates the number of …

A Review Of Grey Literature Cited By Food Loss Law And Policy Scholarship, Angela Hackstadt

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

In the United States, state and federal programs, rules, and legislation attempt to address the social, economic, and environmental impacts of food waste. Research on the efficacy of these interventions rely on a variety of grey literature resources. Grey literature is valuable to policy research but may be overlooked because it is not published commercially and is often deemed unauthoritative. This review focuses on the use of grey literature in food waste law and policy scholarship to identify the most used sources and to determine what, if any, archiving strategies authors use. Recommendations for librarians and researchers are discussed.

Authors Alliance Partner Program (A2p2) [Product Review], Emily Kilcer, Ann C. Kearney

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

The Authors Alliance Partner Program (A2P2; https://www.authorsalliance.org/a2p2/) is a recent addition to the educational content from the Authors Alliance. This nonprofit advocacy organization aims “to advance the interests of authors who want to serve the public good by sharing their creations broadly.” And this new initiative provides prêt-à-porter instructional material with the express purpose of supporting the scaling of rights–related programming—a goal that distinguishes A2P2 from other well-established and deeply valuable copyright-focused resources (Authors Alliance, 2020). While copyright touches nearly all we do in libraries, outreach in this area can often fall to scholarly communication or copyright librarians. As …

Including External Repositories In The Discovery Experience: Librarian Perspectives And Trends, Rebecca A. Nous

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

The transition to a more unified discovery environment that encompasses both traditional library catalog content along with articles, streaming media, institutional repository content, and other additional resources, has resulted in changes to the management of library resources and the research experience. A survey was conducted to assess librarian’s and library personnel’s attitude toward and experience with the inclusion of this additional content in their discovery tools’ search results, as well as to learn what content is being searched and who is involved in maintaining these systems. Respondents generally reported being satisfied with the discoverability of these additional resources in their …