Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Looking Ahead: Incorporating Ai In Mlis Competencies, Souvick Ghosh, Denise Mccoy

School of Information Student Research Journal

Libraries have long been essential for democratizing knowledge and providing reliable information, extending their services to meet diverse community needs, including educational programs and internet access (Pawley, 2022; Freudenberger, 2022). Librarians, as custodians of information and culture, possess core competencies in information organization, digital literacy, and research skills. The San José State University (SJSU) School of Information (iSchool) aims to educate professionals who significantly impact global communities through high-quality education, research, and technology innovation. This article examines the Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program at SJSU iSchool, focusing on the evolution of its 14 core competencies to incorporate …

Book Banning Trend Fuels Far-Reaching Effects, As Well As Challenges To Restrictions, Elizabeth Macdonald

Missouri Policy Journal

Recently, there has been a rapid rise in educational censorship efforts in Missouri and nationwide. There have been escalating book bans in Missouri schools accompanied by conservative backlash against diversity initiatives and manufactured outrage over Critical Race Theory (CRT). While public opinion opposes banning books, legislative efforts surrounding Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and Critical Race Theory initiatives have contributed to the rapid increase of bans. Conservative media misrepresents critical race theory to justify censorship in all academic settings. Postsecondary education faces unique challenges, with proposed bans on DEI initiatives threatening accreditation, academic freedom, and quality of education. With bans …

Do The Research!: Conspiracy Theorists And Public Libraries, Timothy Cole Hale

Georgia Library Quarterly

Since 2020, conspiracy theories have crossed into mainstream media with dastardly effects. In attempting to prove conspiracy theories to be real, “researchers” try to back their claims with information. As major institutions within the information society, libraries and archives play a unique role in a world in which more and more people are interested in misinformation and disinformation. This article uses a review of selected literature to address three questions in relevance to public library systems and conspiracy theorists. The first is: what is the ethical responsibility of information managers in providing misinformation and disinformation in regard to intellectual freedom? …

Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Analysis Tools For Timely Audits: Two Case Studies Of Carlsbad Libraries, Sarah Wilson

School of Information Student Research Journal

When libraries explore how their youth collections can be more diverse, equitable, and inclusive (DEI), it is beneficial to first identify where representation gaps exist amongst their holdings. Digital DEI audit tools can quickly target areas for improvement. The following studies use digital instruments to analyze the DEI representation in two youth library collections in Carlsbad, California. The fiction picture book collections were probed at both a Carlsbad elementary school in Encinitas Union School District (EUSD) and the Georgina Cole public library (Cole). Three digital instruments were used: Diverse BookFinder Collection Analysis Tool, TeachingBooks Collection Analysis Toolkit, and collectionHQ Diversity …

Genrefication In Secondary School Libraries, Lindsay Pulsipher

The Information Warrior Journal

Most school libraries organize fiction books alphabetically by an author’s last name. In order for a student to find and compare potential fiction reading material, the traditional school library model would have the student either search the library system for the topic and then go from stack to stack looking for books about the topic from any number of locations or seek advice from school library staff who would direct the student to potential titles as part of a reader’s advisory. In an effort to make fiction book selection easier for students, some school librarians have turned to genrefied fiction …

From Panels To Shelves: The Evolving Intersection Of Comics And Italian Libraries. History, Issues, Perspectives, Andrea Tosti

SANE journal: Sequential Art Narrative in Education

Despite comics' popularity and cultural significance in Italy, its integration into Italian libraries has been slow, problematic, and uneven. This is reflected in the scarcity of academic research on the topic, which demands further in-depth exploration.

In the context of Italian libraries, characterized by chronic underfunding and staffing shortages, comics might be perceived as a low priority. However, as essential cultural institutions, libraries must strive to reflect both the contemporary era and the evolving reading habits of their audience. Comics, in this regard, could prove to be – and in part already are – a critical resource, a 'booster' for …

Developing And Sustaining A Graphic Scholarship Collection For Academic Libraries, Stewart Brower, Toni Hoberecht, Zane Ratcliffe, Bethie Seay

SANE journal: Sequential Art Narrative in Education

In early 2021, the Schusterman Library at the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa satellite campus took a new step towards building a culture of interest by creating the Graphic Scholarship Collection. This new endeavor is a curated collection of graphic novels, primarily non-fiction, aligned with the academic programs on campus, as well as promoting University initiatives in diversity, equity, and inclusion. A new organizational structure for the collection materials and their circulation metrics will be examined in detail. There will also be consideration of the challenges of selection and acquisition by a mixed team of selectors, some of whom have no experience …