Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Trans-Inclusive Design, Erin White

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

The choices web designers make impact the online and offline experiences of real people who are transgender, non-binary, or gender-variant—choices that can affirm or exclude, uplift or annoy, help or harm. This article shines light on the decisions web professionals make every day and offers specific ideas for how to make content, images, forms, databases, IA, privacy, and algorithms trans-inclusive.

Who Asked You? Consent, Self-Determination, And The Report Of The Pcc Ad Hoc Task Group On Gender In Name Authority Records, K. Adolpho

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

This book chapter discusses the Program for Cooperative Cataloging Ad Hoc Task Group on Gender in Name Authority Records report of recommendations on recording gender in name authority records. The author argues that, although the work of the Task Group is a well-intentioned attempt to mitigate trans-exclusion in RDA 9.7, their overall report and proposed best practices are rooted in Western-centric, cisnormative understandings of gender that deny gender diverse people both agency over their own identities and decision-making power over the frameworks that seek to include them.

Advertising Icons: Preserving The Cultural Record Of Brand Ambassadors, Patricia Sobczak, Sam Byrd

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

The authors discuss the background and implementation of the Brandcenter Advertising Icons image collection, available at https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/brandcenter_icons/

The Information-Fluent English Language Learner: Cultural And Pedagogical Considerations, Megan Hodge

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Teaching English Language Learners To Vet Their Sources In The Post-Truth Paradigm, Megan Hodge

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

According to the Institute of International Education's Open Doors report, the number of international students studying in the United States exceeded one million for the first time in 2016. Many of these students have insufficient command of the English language to pass the TOEFL or IELTS examinations required for enrollment at U.S. institutions of higher education, and as a result, programs designed to teach proficiency in the English language have been developed at some of these universities. In addition to English grammar and vocabulary, some programs also seek to acculturate students to Western academic norms such as critical thinking, academic …

Online Learning Through Libguides For English Language Learners: A Case Study And Best Practices, Megan Hodge

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Many of the international students in the U.S. first experience American education through English language programs, so the cultural norms taught by these programs are vital to the academic success of these students: without them, students struggle to recognize plagiarism in their writing, find reliable sources, and more, resulting in lower grades and honor code sanctions including expulsion. Librarians are uniquely equipped to meet this instructional need. This chapter introduces best practices for making the most of these opportunities for significant impact via Springshare's LibGuides platform.

Copyright For Creators: Bridging Law And Practice, Carla-Mae Crookendale, Hillary Miller, Sue Robinson

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Everyone is a publisher, a maker, or a creator in the digital age, and understanding copyright is a foundational skill. Artists, designers, and arts scholars need acute awareness of the legal landscape and fair use. To help meet this need, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Libraries, in concert with the VCU School of the Arts, created a series of programs on the nuances of copyright for artists, designers, and art scholars.

One Root, Many Trees: Reviving Collections Practices, Patricia D. Sobczak, Kevin D. Farley, Ibironke Lawal, Emily Davis Winthrop

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Collections are undergoing intense change and pressure from technology, budgetary uncertainties, and emerging perspectives on future approaches. Our case study -- drawn from our experiences as collections librarians -- examines these complex issues facing academic collections, large or small, across the profession. Through the development of “collections of distinction” within the local collection, collaborations and scholarly partnerships with colleagues and faculty, and advocacy for the importance of dedicated oversight to ensure that collections investments fulfill the academic mission, we explore possible solutions to the complicated issues defining contemporary collections practices.

Search Process Checklist, Roy E. Brown

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

The Search Process Checklist is a tool that is used in instructional sessions with nurses in reference to evidence-based practice and literature searching. It is intended as a reference handout.

It is under a creative commons license. If you would like a version that can be rebranded for your organization to use, please contact the author for an editable version.

Database Searching Tips, Roy E. Brown

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

This is a handout that is used as a reference for those who are learning to more effectively search databases for assignments and evidence-based practice projects.

Please contact the author for a version that can be reused and rebranded.

Vcu Health Nursing Inquiry Process Diagram (Version 2), Roy E. Brown

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

This diagram outlines the nursing inquiry process to help answer questions that arise in the clinical setting. The diagram further helps a nurse understand how to distinguish whether a situation calls for evidence-based practice, performance improvement or research. It also guides a nurse through clarifying the initial question, gathering the evidence, and through each step in the subsequent process.

Professional Development In Libraries: One Size Does Not Fit All, Patricia D. Sobczak, Agnes K. Bradshaw

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

With the constantly changing landscape in 21st century libraries, it would seem that professional development would be more important than ever. However, research indicates that few libraries have formal professional development programs and there are mixed messages from library leaders regarding the necessity and importance of professional development. It is no secret that libraries always seem to be facing budget cuts and funding for professional development is often seen as a low priority. We were curious to understand how professional development is viewed and executed in other academic libraries.

Professional development means different things to different people. To some, professional …

Fake Fur, Fruit Leather, And Ferrofluids: Challenges To Managing A Materials Library In The Middle East, Amy J. Andres, Richard J. Lombard

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

The Materials Library at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar is the only one of its kind in the Arab Gulf region. The library's mission is to provide students and faculty with access to various industries’ most innovative materials and products. But collection efforts are frequently challenged by the school's geographical location. How can a diverse and eclectic materials collection develop and expand in the face of strict customs regulations, exorbitant shipping costs, and, most recently, a political crisis that has severely restricted the country's airspace and shipping routes? A supportive administration and a creative approach to materials procurement have helped …

The Missing Piece: Assessing Implementation Fidelity, Megan Hodge, Laura W. Gariepy

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Two years ago, our library merged three desks as well as people from three different departments to staff that desk. As part of this consolidation, we developed a new model for answering patron questions that incorporated chat/text, an on-call system, and referrals.

Before assessing whether this new service model was an improvement for our patrons, we first assessed whether we had implemented the model as it was originally envisioned in order to determine whether any failures were a result of the model itself or how the library had implemented the concept of the model. This recipe will introduce the concept …

Rubrics As A Method For Assessing & Improving Library Instruction, Megan Hodge, Laura W. Gariepy, Jenny Stout

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Taken together, our team of instruction librarians provides course-integrated instruction for 70-80 sections of a sophomore-level research and writing course each semester. In order for the department to assess our instruction of this course consistently across librarians without detracting valuable time from the sessions themselves, an authentic learning exercise and rubric for scoring that exercise were developed and an IRB-approved study of the assessment results undertaken.

Creating A Sustainable Graduate Student Workshop Series, Bettina Peacemaker, Martha Roseberry

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Purpose - This paper reports on librarians’ experience creating and sustaining a workshop and webinar series for graduate students over the course of four years.

Design/methodology/approach - Difficulties hosting and promoting stand-alone graduate workshops and a collaborative method for planning workshop days and webinars are described in this case study. Attendance data were collected and recorded for each event and additional quantitative data were collected via registration forms and post-event surveys.

Findings - Working collaboratively as a department eased planning and promotional responsibilities, allowing for a sustainable workshops series. Focusing on a limited number of events per semester and developing …

Green On What Side Of The Fence? Librarian Perceptions Of Accepted Author Manuscripts, Jimmy Ghaphery, Sam Byrd, Hillary Miller

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

INTRODUCTION There is a growing body of accepted author manuscripts (AAMs) in national, professional, and institutional repositories. This study seeks to explore librarian attitudes about AAMs and in what contexts they should be recommended. Particular attention is paid to differences between the attitudes of librarians whose primary job responsibilities are within the field of scholarly communications as opposed to the rest of the profession. METHODS An Internet survey was sent to nine different professional listservs, asking for voluntary anonymous participation. RESULTS This study finds that AAMs are considered an acceptable source by many librarians, with scholarly communications librarians more willing …

Choosing A Repository Platform: Open Source Vs. Hosted Solutions, Hillary Corbett, Jimmy Ghaphery, Lauren Work, Sam Byrd

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Discusses selection of a locally hosted, open-source system (DSpace/Fedora) versus a cloud-hosted, proprietary system (Digital Commons), it is important to note that these examples are merely illustrative. Libraries have a range of choices for repository software that includes open source and proprietary in any number of support environments, and exemplary repositories are flourishing on a variety of systems, both open source and proprietary. This chapter focuses on the differences between proprietary and open-source solutions, but also demonstrates how and why libraries choose a repository system. In writing about this process, we realized that it was important to acknowledge that there …

Keytag It: An Exploration Of A Creative And Customizable Research Guide Promotion, Martha Roseberry, Bettina Peacemaker

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

The research guide is a common tool librarians use to communicate with and instruct their audiences. Despite their prevalence and value to users, research guides remain underused. There are many examples of efforts encouraging guide use, but few studies have measured the effectiveness of that promotion. Academic Outreach librarians at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) promote research guides through inexpensive and small keytags--similar to retail customer loyalty keychain tags. Findings of a quantitative analysis suggest the keytags have positively influenced guide use and support anecdotal reports of increased interaction with intended audiences.

Data Management Roles For Librarians, Margaret E. Henderson

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

In this Chapter:
● Looking at data through different lenses
● Exploring the range of data use and data support
● Using data as the basis for informed decision making
● Treating data as a legitimate scholarly research product

The Right Place At The Right Time: Creative Spaces In Libraries, Eric Johnson

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Purpose

This essay explores the recent trend in libraries: that of the establishment of spaces specifically set aside for creative work. The rise of these dedicated creative spaces is owed to a confluence of factors that happen to be finding their expression together in recent years. This essay examines the history of these spaces and explores the factors that gave rise to them and will fuel them moving forward.

Design/Methodology/Approach

A viewpoint piece, this essay combines historical research and historical/comparative analyses to examine the ways by which libraries have supported creative work in the past and how they may continue …

Connecting Best Practices In Public Relations To Social Media Strategies For Academic Libraries, Bettina Peacemaker, Sue Robinson, Emily Hurst

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Academic libraries worldwide use social media to inform and connect with users. VCU Libraries is no different and must keep up with rapidly evolving platforms and user expectations. When our presence stretched across 22 channels, we needed to ensure social media efforts were managed in the most effective and efficient manner possible. To develop a research-based, unified vision for communication for new media, we scanned the literature in the library and public relations fields and then surveyed librarians to address identified gaps. Based on results, we offer recommendations focused on best management practices and strong content strategies.

Embedding Information Literacy In An Mfa Novel Workshop, John Glover

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Strengthening The Pipeline— Talent Management For Libraries: A Human Resources Perspective, Agnes K. Bradshaw

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

In order to both increase the pipeline of new librarians and develop “bench strength” (which is a human resources term used to refer to the capabilities and readiness of potential successors to move into key professional and leadership positions), librarians of color can work to form and develop strong, sustaining professional networks (in and outside the employing library) in order to help navigate the hiring process and to develop a support network that can be utilized throughout a professional career.

Embedding Into The Nursing Community On An Academic Health Center Campus, Roy E. Brown

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Objectives: To describe and evaluate the process by which a librarian became embedded into the nursing community on an academic health sciences center campus from 2010-2014. These efforts will be evaluated through qualitative and quantitative measures to determine the success of serving the nurses on campus and to address potential improvements.

Methods: In 2010, the library liaison program was enhanced with the goal of embedding into the professional schools. The nursing liaison leveraged relationships with faculty, staff and students to address the educational, research and clinical needs of the school of nursing as well as the nurses in the health …

The War Justified, Margaret T. Kidd

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

This article explores how Methodist ministers, particularly Richmond Christian Advocate editor Rev. James A. Duncan, justified their support of the Confederacy and slavery. Also discussed is the Address to Christians Throughout the World, written by Duncan and signed by ministers of various denominations. It was billed as the "Christian response" to Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.

Looking For Links: How Faculty Research Productivity Correlates With Library Investment And Why Electronic Library Materials Matter Most, Michael M. Rawls

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Objective – This paper summarizes two studies that share the same research question: do universities produce more scholarly research when they invest more in their libraries? Research libraries spend a great deal of effort reporting their expenditures, collections statistics, and other measures that serve as a basis for interlibrary comparison and even rankings. The straightforward assumption implied by this activity is that libraries better serve their student and research communities when they are well-funded and well-resourced. The studies examined here both ask if that notion can be validated empirically, not because research libraries require some sort of justification, but because …

Vcuhs Inquiry Process Diagram, Roy E. Brown, Dale Wright, Vcuhs Ebp Translation Committee

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

This diagram outlines the nursing inquiry process when it comes to answering questions that arise in the clinical setting. The diagram shows how a nurse proceeds through the process and when the question is answered though either a evidence based practice project (EBP), a performance improvement (PI) project or when it becomes a research project.

Pedagogy For Librarians, Megan Hodge

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Most librarians are required to take classes on reference, collection development, and information organization in library school; courses on pedagogy, on the other hand, are usually optional, if they’re offered at all. This leads most librarians who end up with instruction duties to learn on the job. Activities and assessments can be learned on the fly fairly easily, but these often have little to no bearing on how much students actually absorb and recall weeks later because alone, they are usually insufficient to ensure deep learning. This chapter seeks to add the basics of pedagogy, a subject comprehensively covered in …

Starting A Research Data Management Program Based In A University Library, Margaret Henderson, Teresa L. Knott

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

As the need for research data management grows, many libraries are considering adding data services to help with the research mission of their institution. The Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Libraries created a position and hired a director of research data management in September 2013. The position was new to the libraries and the university. With the backing of the library administration, a plan for building relationships with VCU faculty, researchers, students, service and resource providers, including grant administrators, was developed to educate and engage the community in data management plan writing and research data management training.