Communication Commons^™

The Next Step In Scholarly Communication: Is The Traditional Journal Dead?, Jeanne Galvin

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Electronic journals have been applauded as a solution to the serials pricing crisis, a step toward environmentally responsible behavior and a means for scholars to expedite and expand their modes of communication. On the other hand, until fairly recently some scholars regarded electronic journals as ephemeral and inaccessible to all but the technologically proficient. As rising prices force libraries to cancel subscriptions each year and publication delays slow scholarly communication and academic careers, electronic journals seem to offer some promise. The article will review the recent advances made by electronic journals and the current challenges remaining for scholarly communication.

Blue-Collar Work, Career, And Success: Occupational Narratives Of Sisu, Kristen Lucas, Patrice M. Buzzanel

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

This study examined underground iron ore miners’ occupational narratives to uncover how their stories socialize miners into blue-collar careers and reinforce their work identities. Through the root theme of sisu (Finnish for inner determination), underground miners create a status hierarchy that is used to construct a sense of pride around their work and to establish milestones of success for themselves and others in their workgroup. Furthermore, they communicatively construct exemplars that guide their performance and decisions during the unfolding of their work experiences. Their discourses provide alternatives to white-collar conceptualizations and practices of careers and success.

Review Of Consumer Behavior And Culture: Consequences For Global Marketing And Advertising By Marieke De Mooij, Frauke Hachtmann

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

A book review by Frauke Hachtmann of Consumer Behavior and Culture: Consequences for Global Marketing and Advertising by Marieke de Mooij.

Document Delivery: An Analysis, Jeff Luzius

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

This paper will take a look at in-house document delivery activities in college research libraries. The process of document delivery will be explained and the amount of work at one institution will be displayed. An examination of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) members will also take place to see who is providing document delivery and if the patron is charged. Lastly, a commentary on the value and service provided and things to consider will be touched on.

Usability Of E-Journals And Preference For The Virtual Periodicals Room: A Survey Of Mathematics Faculty And Graduate Students, Lutishoor Salisbury, Emilio Noguera

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Introduction

Using several variables, the University of Arkansas Libraries conducted a survey in 2002 to measure the nature and extent of journal use in the Mathematics Reading Room, the Virtual Periodicals Room and Mullins Library.

The aims of this survey were two-fold: firstly, to collect information on the current level of support for electronic-only journals to aid in collection development, and secondly, to ascertain whether a Virtual Periodicals Room is a viable alternative to the physical Reading Room for the Mathematics faculty.

Conclusion

It is obvious from the results of the survey that greater use is being made of the …

Digital Reference Evaluation: Assessing The Past To Plan For The Future, J. B. Hill, Cherie Madarash-Hill, Ngoc Pham Thi Bich

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Historically, libraries have routinely evaluated their reference services both quantitatively and qualitatively. With the increasing volume of digital reference transactions, there is a need to modify and apply to digital reference, the same evaluation techniques that have been used successfully in the evaluation of traditional reference service. At Southeastern Louisiana University, a recent evaluation of the library's Ask a Librarian digital reference service included an unobtrusive observation of current practice through a detailed examination of archived reference transactions, as well as an assessment of future needs through a survey of users. Through this evaluation, it was possible to assess the …

Paper Use And Recycling In Academic Libraries, Michele Calloway, Darren Callahan

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Conclusions

While it is difficult to predict what the future may hold in regard to paper use and recycling, without a doubt, academic libraries are sites of enormous consumption and they should be proactive in institutional improvements in waste management. A paperless society is unlikely to become a reality for a very long time, if ever, but what can libraries do now to discourage paper waste and encourage recycling? According to the results of this survey, libraries are taking steps to divert recyclables from the garbage. In the future, as people become even more accustomed to working in the electronic …

Bibliographic Instruction: Two Models Converging In A Common Goal, Stephen J. Shaw

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Introduction

This essay will explore research in the undergraduate curriculum by examining the divergent ways research is understood. The debate centers around the ways that the typical student perceives the role of the library in her education at the university. To limit the discussion to the relation between the student and the librarian misses the larger issue at stake. What needs does the average undergraduate have after completion of the B.A., if they have no plans to continue education further? Are research skills necessary only for the graduate student, or is there some truth to the humanistic notion of 'knowledge …

An Often-Tumultuous Saga Of Books And Book-Places In The World: A Review, Dayne Sherman

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Book review of Battles, Matthew. Library: An Unquiet History. W.W. Norton, New York, NY, 2003. $24.95.

Excerpt:

Library: An Unquiet History dignifies the work of librarians as a profession, something needed more now than ever before, as we encounter this chaotic Communication Age. It tells us why we are here toiling in the library by telling us how we arrived as keepers of books and guardians of democracy.

“Parent Teams” And The Everyday Interactions Of Co-Parenting In Stepfamilies, Dawn O. Braithwaite, M. Chad Mcbride, Paul Schrodt

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

Family scholars have yet to explore substantially the day-to-day interactions of stepfamily systems. Our focus was on the everyday interactions of parent teams, adults who are co-parenting within different stepfamily households, describing the characteristics of their communication. Twenty-two parents, stepparents, and partners (N = 22) kept diaries for two weeks, each time they interacted with an adult in the other household. Results detail the frequency, timing, location, and length of interactions; initiator, channel, and topics; and reasons for interaction. Interactions were short, everyday encounters rather than extended, planned meetings. The majority of the interactions were via telephone, followed by …

The Ignored Disease: The Aids Epidemic 1981–1987, Heather L. Graff, Heather Graff Bloom

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

Less than six months after Ronald Reagan was inaugurated as the 40th president of the United States, the federal Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta reported pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, in five gay men. In the United States, AIDS was first diagnosed among gay men in New York City and San Francisco. There were several media trends for AIDS coverage in the 1980s. In the early 1980s, AIDS was mainly thought of as a gay-related disease. In the mid- l 980s, AIDS cases were found in hemophiliacs, intravenous drug users and "celebrities." Coverage in the late 1980s focused on heterosexuals and …

How People With Disabilities Communicatively Manage Assistance: Helping As Instrumental Social Support, Dawn O. Braithwaite, Nancy J. Eckstein

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

While social support is often conceptualized as a temporary need in crisis situations, people with visible physical disabilities face an ongoing challenge of balancing the need for instrumental social support against receiving unwanted help on a daily basis. Our goal was to study instrumental support interactions from the perspective of support recipients; in this case, people who are disabled, focusing on how physical assistance is communicatively managed with strangers and newer acquaintances. A qualitative/interpretive analysis was carried out on transcripts of in-depth interviews with 30 participants who had visible physical disabilities. Participants and interviewers discussed how help was communicated and …

The Virtual Case Study: Using Computer-Mediated Communication In Group Problem Solving, Kristen Lucas

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

In today’s technologically advanced business world, organizations are increasingly relying on computer-mediated communication (CMC) in their day-to-day operations. Employees are teleworking instead of commuting to the office, business travel is being replaced by videoconferencing, and problem-solving sessions are moving from conference rooms to computer monitors. This major shift in how business is conducted in the “real world” poses a new set of challenges for effective group communication—challenges for which communication instructors should prepare their students. This activity offers one way in which communication instructors can address the challenges of CMC and achieve the goals of CMC education identified by Witmer …

Usability Testing At Florida International University Libraries: What We Learned, Sarah J. Hammill

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

The Florida International University Libraries’ Web site’s new look was launched in Fall 2001. As a result of the new look, a group formed to undertake a usability study on the top page of the site. The group tested three target groups to determine the usability of the top page. The study pointed out some revisions for the top page; however, more importantly, it suggested areas for future research.

Cuba: An Elusive Truth, Dakarai Aarons, Joe Duggan, Sarah Fox, Matthew Hansen, Melissa Lee, Shane Pekny, Cara Pesek, Jill Zeman, Marilyn Hahn, Catharine Huddle, Ken Blackbird, Lindsay Grieser, Quentin Lueninghoener

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Student Media

Depth Report No. 32
Table of contents
Where have you gone, Jose Martí? by Matthew Hansen
Racism no light matter by Dakarai Aarons
Double shifts by Melissa Lee
Diverging journeys by Dakarai Aarons
Truth and propaganda by Shane Pekny
One student’s experience by Dakarai Aarons
An international icon by Cara Pesek
Medicating political ill will by Matthew Hansen
Papa blurs borders, time by Matthew Hansen
A blessing with a catch by Joe Duggan
A single ray of light by Melissa Lee
Perception vs. reality by Cara Pesek
Husker haven in Havana by Joe Duggan
The jaded generation by Cara Pesek …

Digitization In An Archival Environment, Sally Mckay

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Introduction

Cultural institutions such as museums, libraries, archives, and historical societies house remarkable collections of cultural artifacts. It is the responsibility of the staff working for those institutions to preserve, protect and provide responsible stewardship for the materials, and to the best of their ability, provide continued long-term access (Russell, 2000).

Advances in technology allow institutions to provide expanded access and education; however, there are important priorities that must be addressed prior to embarking on a digital conversion project.

Digitization in an archival environment includes taking a physical object or analog item, such as an art object, a tape recording, …

Perceptions Of Communication In A Family Relationship And The Reduction Of Intergroup Prejudice, Jordan Soliz, Jake Harwood

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

From a contact theory perspective, links between variation in young adults’ perceptions of communication with their grandparents and attitudes toward older adults are examined. The analysis pays particular attention to variation in communication with multiple grandparents and finds links be-tween that and perceived variability in the older adult population as a whole. More variation in perceptions of communication with grandparents is associated with perceptions of older adults as more heterogeneous. However, variation in grandparent relationships is associated with more negative attitudes toward older adults on measures of attitudinal central tendency. The results are dis-cussed in terms of intergroup communication processes, …

Reframing Rhetorical Theory And Practice Through Feminist Perspectives (Book Review), Kristen Hoerl

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

In Feminist Rhetorical Theories, Karen Foss joins Sonja Foss and Cindy Griffin to provide deeper insight into the origins of their critique of rhetoric and their advocacy of invitational rhetoric by reviewing the backgrounds of and arguments made by several feminist theorists who suggest that patriarchal values are embedded within the core tenets of traditional rhetorical theory. The first two chapters of the book review the core concepts of rhetoric, feminism, and theory and provide a brief overview of feminist scholarship that has been published within communication studies over the past thirty years. Following these introductory chapters, Foss, Foss, …

Challenges, Strategies, And Tools For Research Scientists: Using Web-Based Information Resources, Danielle Bodrero Hoggan

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Scientists face many challenges in harnessing web-based resources. Information overload, misinformation, fees, poorly designed navigation, and loss of browsability all hamper the scientist searcher. In addition, many scientists rely on only one or two databases and often miss unique information that is available through other sources. Librarians can team up with scientists to develop strategies to overcome the challenges of web-based information. For example, a librarian can teach effective information seeking techniques, including how to use controlled vocabularies, how to evaluate information on the web, and how to complement web-based resources with print resources. Librarians can also help scientists to …

Instituting Blended Learning At A Small College: A Library Director’S Perspective, Odin L. Jurkowski

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Saint Anthony College of Nursing (SACN) is a small private Catholic institution that offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Founded in 1915 as a school of nursing offering only diplomas it is now fully accredited regionally by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association (NCA) and program specific by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLN-AC). As a single purpose institution with 13 faculty, 11 staff, and fewer than 100 students, SACN has continued to strive to modernize the program over the past decade with limited resources. Recent technological improvements led by the …

The Coverage And Duplication Of Journals In Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (Csa): Bioengineering Database And Other Science And Engineering Databases, Lutishoor Salisbury, Emilio Noguera

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

As collection development librarians we aim to provide comprehensive information access to our users in order to support their research and curricular needs. For academic libraries, like the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, that support the information needs within a range of subject areas in science and technology, it makes economic sense to attempt to provide this access in discipline-oriented databases. Discipline-oriented databases cover a range of subjects but also provide depth in coverage.

Bearing this in mind, the journals that are indexed in Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA) Bioengineering database were analyzed to ascertain the degree of overlap with other …

The Development Of The China Digital Library, Yang Guihua, Zhang Tong

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

This article describes the China Digital Library (CDL) and explains how to use the computer network in China. It also explores the advantages of the China library in establishing the CDL. Finally, it examines the future construction and development plans for the CDL.

China is a large country that contains 5% of the world’s population. Along with the rapid development of the Internet worldwide, China has advanced her steps. The digital library has become a focal point in the high-tech world. At the same time, it is also a very important symbol with which to evaluate the basic facilities of …

Monstrous Youth In Suburbia: Disruption And Recovery Of The American Dream, Kristen Hoerl

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

Although the American Dream myth idealizes youth who grow up in suburbia as culture types of imminent success, the Columbine High School shootings demonstrated that all not suburban youth will grow up to succeed. The extensive news media coverage of the tragedy reflects broader anxieties about the declining status of the suburbs in American society. In the wake of the shootings, the news media created a myth of monstrous youth in suburbia that functioned to repair suburbanites’ waning faith in the myth of the American Dream.

Contradictions Of Interaction For Wives Of Elderly Husbands With Adult Dementia, Leslie A. Baxter, Dawn O. Braithwaite, Tamara D. Golish, Loreen N. Olson

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

The researchers used a dialectical framework to examine interviews with wives whose elderly husbands experienced adult dementia from Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRD), centering on how wives coped communicatively with their husbands’ illness. These “married widows” experienced a primary contradiction between their husbands’ physical presence and cognitive/emotional absence. Interwoven with the presence-absence contradiction were three additional contradictions: certainty-uncertainty, openness-closedness, and past-present. Results describe the ways these wives communicatively negotiated the web of contradictions as they interacted in the present with husbands they once knew. Applications for practitioners and caregivers working with ADRD patients and their wives, including formal and …

“The Policy Exists But You Can’T Really Use It”: Communication And The Structuration Of Work-Family Policies, Erika L. Kirby, Kathleen J. Krone

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

Although work-family benefits are increasingly important organizational policies, limited research addresses the impact of communication on benefit utilization. However, communication is significant because the perceived appropriateness of work-family benefits emerges through interaction. For example, when coworkers complain about “picking up the slack” for those using family leave, their discourse may impact future decisions of other workers regarding whether they utilize the work-family benefits available to them. We apply Giddens’ (1984) Structuration Theory to examine organizational members’ discursive responses to conditions (and contradictions) present in utilizing work-family benefits in a governmental organization. We argue the daily discursive practices of individuals can …

Trends In The Job Market For Librarians: 1985-2000, Kelly Blessinger

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

This article discusses the major influence that the information age has had on librarianship. Computer-related technology has changed the way librarians do their jobs, their duties and has created a whole new realm of opportunities for librarians. Data from the Library Journal annual salary surveys and the ALA Placement Center are included in charts and figures to track job market trends from 1985-2000. Issues such as salary, job mobility and education are also discussed.

Prospero Power: Web-Based Document Delivery Allowing Libraries To Exchange Documents Through Interlibrary Loan, Gentry Lankiewicz Holbert, Ellen N. Sayed, Sally D. Murray

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Prospero, a free, Web-based document delivery program created by the Prior Health Sciences Library at Ohio State University in Columbus, can help librarians meet the needs of users for convenient electronic document delivery with control over copyright issues.

Gnosis Ii: A Library Tutorial For Undergraduate Students, Elvira Saurina Solanes, Alicia Gaete

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Library use instruction in the Library System of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile is an important issue that involves librarians, faculty and students. The Library System aims to have autonomous library users by teaching and engaging them in effectively using the resources offered by the library. Web tutorials offer a relaxing environment to students who can learn at their own pace and when they require it.

Gnosis II is a web-based tutorial, in Spanish, built by three librarians of the Library System, a faculty from the School of Nursing and staff from the Computer Department of the University. It …

The English-Speaking Librarians' Club Of The Ukrainian Library Association, G. Jaia Barrett, Janet Dolya

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

We decided to tell this story of the English-Speaking Librarians' Club in this article with the hope that English-speaking librarians living and visiting elsewhere in the former Soviet Union will look for similar opportunities. To our knowledge, none of the library associations in the other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States have yet established such a professional unit. For readers in the U.S., we add a word about the name of the group. The word "club" is commonly used in Ukraine for groups that come together around a common agenda but it does not carry the connotations associated with …

Performing Marriage: Marriage Renewal Rituals As Cultural Performance, Leslie A. Baxter, Dawn O. Braithwaite

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

This interpretive study examined how the marriage renewal ritual reflects the social construction of marriage in the United States. Two culturally prominent ideologies of marriage were interwoven in our interviews of 25 married persons who had renewed their marriage vows: (a) a dominant ideology of community and (b) a more muted ideology of individualism. The ideology of community was evidenced by a construction of marriage featuring themes of public accountability, social embeddedness, and permanence. By contrast, the ideology of individualism constructed marriage around themes of love, choice, and individual growth.