Communication Commons^™

The Pursuit Of Happiness, Carla Kimbrough

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

Gretchen Rubin of New York City takes the pursuit of happiness seriously. A few years ago, Rubin decided that what she wanted from life was to be happy. Although she had much to be happy about, she said she realized she wasn't as happy as she could be and that her life wouldn't change unless "I made it change."
Now, she's writing a memoir about a year she spent testing every tip and theory related to achieving happiness, "The Happiness Project" (www. happiness-project.com ). I asked her to share three of her best lessons:
First, take care of your body. …

Increasing Impact Of Scholarly Journal Articles: Practical Strategies Librarians Can Share, Laura Bowering Mullen

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

Abstract

Researchers are extremely interested in increasing the impact of their individual scholarly work, and may turn to academic librarians for advice and assistance. Academic librarians may find new roles as consultants to authors in methods of self-archiving and citation analysis. Librarians can be proactive in this new role by disseminating current information on all citation analysis tools and metrics, as well as by offering strategies to increase Web visibility of scholarship to interested faculty. Potential authors of journal articles, especially those faculty seeking greater research impact, such as those seeking promotion and tenure, will find practical suggestions from librarians …

Back To Basics: Reviving Ethical Practice In Library Management, Suzanne Milton

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

Abstract

This paper examines the last twenty years of literature on the subject of organizational ethics. It reflects on the cultural tide and reasserts the need for establishing core values as a basis for management practice. It concludes with steps towards achieving a viable organization.

Old Maids, Policeman, And Social Rejects: Mass Media Representations And Public Perceptions Of Librarians, Maura Seale

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

Abstract This paper investigates the relationships between mass media representations of librarians and users’ perceptions and consequent use of librarians and libraries by asking three questions: 1. How are librarians depicted by the mass media? 2. How does the public perceive librarians and how might these views relate to mass media representations? 3. What are the potential effects of these representations and perceptions? Representations of librarians by the mass media generally fall into one of five somewhat discrete categories. Public perceptions of librarians are somewhat different; although librarians are often described in positive terms, there is nearly no awareness as …

Trend Setters: Computers In The Commons Environment, Kim Granath, Sue Samson

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

Abstract

A multi-year, trend study of public computer usage was conducted to determine use patterns of The University of Montana Mansfield Library public computers before, during, and after the implementation of an Information Center commons environment. Sampling methodology was developed and implemented in 3-year increments beginning in 1999. Analysis provided information for data-driven decisions on staffing patterns, expansion of public computer access, decisions on software and imaging management, and the modification of study design. Results were compared to other library data and underscore the need to embed assessment in academic library services to maintain continuity with the changing needs of …

Perceptions Of Lis [Library And Information Science] Professionals About Digital Libraries In Pakistan: The Pakistani Perspective, Ashfaq Hussain, Khalid Mahmood, Farzana Shafique

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

Abstract

The concept of the digital library is new in Pakistan. Although LIS professionals in Pakistan are users of digital libraries, setting up local digital libraries is very rare here. This study analyzed the perceptions of Library and Information Science (LIS) professionals in Pakistan concerning digital libraries. Six research questions were asked:

1. What is the concept of the digital library?
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of digital libraries?
3. What is the situation of digital libraries in Pakistan?
4. What are the problems in setting up digital libraries in Pakistan?
5. What are the needs and requirements for setting up digital libraries …

Give A Gift To Yourself: Take A Retreat, Carla Kimbrough

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

Getting away from it all is a valuable gift to yourself and to those around you. That's the premise I use when planning my annual women's retreat, where I hope women will reignite their emotional attachments to their dreams and goals.

I am sure that many retreat organizers consider questions similar to what I ask myself: Will the women who attend be glad they traveled to Estes Park for the retreat? Will the speakers touch the participants' lives in a meaningful way? Will the women be able to apply their new ideas and knowledge when they leave the mountaintop experience? …

Branding Your Community, Milan Wall

Heartland Center for Leadership Development Materials

Connections: Using a Brand Creation Approach to Community Identity

Origins of the Branding Concept

Even far back in the middle ages when artists and artisans began to form guilds or associations together, many hallmarks or identifying symbols were used as a signatures by artisans to lay claim to the result of his or her work. Another important, and American reference, comes from the days before fences divided up the frontier and cattle owners found a way to mark and identify their own cattle by branding them with a personalized symbol. Even today, many purebred horses are carefully inspected and only …

Branding Your Community, Milan Wall

Heartland Center for Leadership Development Materials

Branding Your Community

Table of Contents:

Connections: Using a Brand Creation Approach to Community Identity

Case Study: Superior, Nebraska

Mapping Community Assets: An Overview

SOAR Analysis

About Appreciative Inquiry

The Marketing Process: Attention, Attraction and Action

Marketing Your Community

Back Home Ideas

Tips for Creating Community Brands

Workshop Evaluation

Change Happens: Deal With It, Carla Kimbrough

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

Some journalists have been around long enough to witness the evolution of media: from newspapers and typewriters to radio and television to computers and web sites. The basic way we work is changing. Work has changed from that leisurely coffee break to craft that perfect lede and nutgraph to the quick trip to a coffeehouse with Wi-Fi to send over the latest update. Today's journalists also are coping with other typesof changes that hit other industries long ago. Downsizing. Early retirement. Job elimination. Job restructuring. Corporate takeovers. Change, in other words, is getting personal. Change forces you to come to …

Intergenerational Support And The Role Of Grandparents In Post-Divorce Families: Retrospective Accounts Of Young Adult Grandchildren, Jordan Soliz

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

The purpose of the current study was to examine grandparent support to grandchildren following the divorce of parents. Participants (N = 42) responded to questions focusing on the enactment of support and relationships with grandparents. Through these retrospective, self-report accounts, six categories of grandparent support were identified. Additionally, four barriers to grandparent sup-port emerged from the responses of the grandchildren. These categories of and barriers to intergenerational social support are discussed as they relate to characteristics and expectations of provided support in post-divorce families.

Mississippi’S Social Transformation In Public Memories Of The Trial Against Byron De La Beckwith For The Murder Of Medgar Evers, Kristen Hoerl

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

In 1994, Byron de la Beckwith was convicted for the 1963 murder of civil rights activist Medgar Evers. Journalistic coverage of the trial and the 1996 docudrama Ghosts of Mississippi crafted a social values transformation myth that depicted Beckwith as the primary villain of the civil rights past and cast his conviction as a sign that racism had been cleansed from Mississippi. Popular media naturalized this myth intertextually though narrative repetition and through symbolic cues that established the film as a source of historic understanding. These cues deflected critical attention from contemporary social conditions that have maintained racial inequity and …

Reflections On Discursive And Psychological Approaches To Leadership From Around The Globe, Kathleen J. Krone

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

As I write, the year has not yet ended, but by mid-November 2007, an Amazon.com advanced search of book titles and materials published on leadership yielded 15,601 hits, more than double the 7,519 titles appearing just 10 years earlier. Although I cannot comment on all 15,601 titles, I know that one of these—Gail Fairhurst’s Discursive Leadership: In Conversation With Leadership Psychology (2007)—promises to make a meaningful difference in how leadership is understood and practiced. With this forum, we highlight the book’s contribution by providing space for a group of management and communication scholars from a variety of locations to reflect …

Abstract: Global Advertising Exposed: How J. Walter Thompson Conquered Western Europe, Frauke Hachtmann

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

Western Europe's transformation from a group of countries that was almost completely destroyed as a result of World War II to the development of the prosperous European Union in the twenty-first century was a combination of many factors, including substantial monetary aid from the United States but also business know-how in the form of U.S. companies that decided to expand to Europe in search for consumers that were hungry for American products and services. The purpose of this historical paper was to explore how J. Walter Thompson, a U.S.-based global advertising agency, developed from a purely domestic business into one …

As Newsrooms Make Cuts, Put Training First, Carla Kimbrough

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

If your newsroom is shrinking, this is the time to pour more resources into helping your staff become the best they can be. And, it doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. Understanding staff needs is the first step in creating a staff-development program. As the top editor, decide what skills you would like to see your staff polish over the coming months or year. Then, go into the newsroom to ask the staff their needs. Keep the survey simple, so that staff members won't be turned off. With the vision and the needs in mind, use a …

New Liaison Librarians: Factors Influencing Confidence Levels And The Type Of Activities Undertaken, Ramirose Attebury, Sara Holder

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

Abstract

Although library literature related to liaison work is not uncommon, most of what has been written takes the form of advice to new liaisons or else describes liaison program implementation and evaluation. This study seeks to identify what types of activities liaison librarians are employing nationwide and what factors influence the decision to undertake these activities. It also investigates what factors affect self-reported confidence levels of new liaison librarians.

Subject Guides: Putting A New Spin On An Old Concept, Nedelina Tchangalova, Amanda Feigley

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

Abstract

The wide application of digital technologies in the library environment has changed the format and content of subject guides. Given the advent of new Internet tools and the explosive growth of electronic resources available on the Web, the reference librarians at the University of Maryland (UM) College Park were facing many issues when keeping up with new technologies and creating subject guides that meet library users’ satisfaction. The goal of this paper was to explore the challenges librarians are facing and to identify new technologies to assist them in creating subject guides. The literature revealed a wide variety of …

The Business Of Academic Publishing: A Strategic Analysis Of The Academic Journal Publishing Industry And Its Impact On The Future Of Scholarly Publishing, Glenn S. Mcguigan, Robert D. Russell

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

Abstract

Academic libraries cannot pay the regularly escalating subscription prices for scholarly journals. These libraries face a crisis that has continued for many years revealing a commercial system that supports a business model that has become unsustainable. This paper examines the “serials crisis,” as it has come to be known, and the economics of the academic journal publishing industry. By identifying trends within the industry, an analysis of the industry is undertaken using elements of the five forces framework developed by Michael Porter. Prescriptions are offered concerning what can be done and what should be done to address this problem.

The Need For Subject Librarians In Ghanaian Academic Libraries, K. Agyen-Gyasi

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

Abstract

The rapid development of information and communications technology with its proliferation of information resources, pressures from the expanding higher education system, the rise in student numbers, and the new economic and administrative frameworks are posing greater challenges to professional librarians in Ghana. Currently, information can be found in different formats such as e-books, CD-ROM, online journals and other electronic databases, in addition to the traditional paper formats. The introduction of the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications supported e-resources project has opened up access to full-text e-journals, e-books, and other databases on the Web to the State …

Distance Education Library Services Assessment, Judy Block

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

Abstract

The primary purpose of assessment in academia is to support high-quality learning. To accomplish this tracking, monitoring and documenting student activity is important to providing excellent library service. By gathering information on student learning, assessments can pinpoint areas for improvement. Ideally, assessment should be quantitative, qualitative, and ongoing and have the ability to address different skills. Assessment is most effective when based on faculty teaching and student learning. Outcomes assessments are the only credible assessment for the distant learner. They are necessary to improve student learning results and are a means of gathering information about student learning that is …

Fabric As A Narrative: Constructing A Global Quilting Tradition, Evan Bland, Laura Chapman, Ashley Ermel, Takako Iwatani, Tanna Kimmerling, Linsey Marshall, Audrey Pribnow, Antona Beckman, Metta Cederdahl, Madeline Donovan, Sara Lackey, Kristin Limoges, Alicia Roth, Maika Bauerle, Michaela Stevens, K. J. Hascall, Katie Nieland, Shannon Smith, Kirk Fellhoelter, Jill Havekost, Rick Alloway, Nancy Anderson, Timothy G. Anderson, Charlyne Berens, Stacy James, Marilyn Hahn, Anna Mostek, Bruce Thorson

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Student Media

OVERVIEW – The tradition of quilting is engaging people of all ages, genders and classes around the globe
CULTURE – Quilting empowers women and provides them an outlet for expression
MUSEUMS – Museum exhibitions and academics have shown quilting in a different light
THE WHITNEY – The exhibition that changed it all
IQSC – A strong quilting tradition prompts a couple to let their 900-quilt collection establish a museum
AQSG – High standards in quilt-related studies
DOCUMENTATION – Preserving and cataloging quilts make sure information is not lost for future generations
ART QUILTS – As the perception of quilting changes, …

Remembering And Forgetting Black Power In Mississippi Burning, Kristen Hoerl

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

Although critics are correct to point out that Mississippi Burning did not faithfully depict historical events surrounding the real-life disappearances of [civil rights activists] Chaney, Schwerner, and Goodman, I argue that these criticisms overlook some of the ways in which the film advances the cause of racial justice. On a formal level, Mississippi Burning evokes the struggles experienced by members of the Black Power movement, a social movement that emerged on the heels of civil rights. Looking at the film in the context of this movement, I argue that Mississippi Burning is a homology for the Black Power movement. Barry …

Housing As A Community Asset, Milan Wall

Heartland Center for Leadership Development Materials

Slides of a presentation, Housing as a Community Asset, presented by Milan Wall, Co-Director of the Heartland Center for Leadership Development, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA, created December 19, 2007.

How Would You Describe Housing in Your Community?

Forum: Diverse Voices And Alternative Rationalities: Forum Introduction, Kathleen J. Krone

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

As I thought of what I might say to introduce a Forum calling for diverse voices and alternative rationalities in organizational communication research, I found myself reflecting on my own experience as an organizational communication scholar. For the past 20-some years, I have worked as a faculty member in five very different communication departments in five different colleges, in five different universities in the Southwest and Midwest United States. Based on what feels like a rather broad range of experience (at least here in the United States), it is hard sometimes to understand myself as part of a field with …

Board Of Directors Training, Heartland Center For Leadership Development

Heartland Center for Leadership Development Materials

Board of Directors Development

Roles and Responsibilities

Time Devoted to Six Basic Elements

Obstacles

Strategies

Ethics

Recruitment

Put Your Own Life Under The Microscope, Carla Kimbrough

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

Hilary Rodham Clinton. John Edwards. Rudy Giuliani. John McCain. Barack Obama. Bill Richardson. Mitt Romney. Fred Thompson. So many choices.

Honesty. Integrity. Knowledge. Wisdom. Experience. Intelligence. Leadership. Strength. Prosperity. Family dynamics. Health. Such high standards.

As journalists, we are charged with exploring the issues and the candidates, revealing to voters the candidates' stances on the issues and who they are as individuals and leaders. We look at their experience, or lack thereof. Their voting record, or lack thereof. We look at their professional and personal lives. Their health, their wealth, their associations, their decisions are subject to scrutiny. We do …

The 'Platinum Route' To Open Access: A Case Study Of E-Jasl: The Electronic Journal Of Academic And Special Librarianship, Paul G. Haschak

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

Abstract

Introduction. In 1999, with no money and no support from any library organization, the author partnered with the International Consortium for Alternative Academic Publication (ICAAP), later renamed the International Consortium for the Advancement of Academic Publication, to found a new electronic journal, The Journal of Southern Academic and Special Librarianship, renamed E-JASL: The Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship in 2002.

Description. This case study is based on the author’s own experiences founding and developing a professional, independent, permanently archived, peer reviewed, open-access, electronic library journal, employing a scholar-led model of publishing. The author’s partnership …

A Little Time Can Bring Big Rewards, Carla Kimbrough

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

Academic fraud in the men's basketball program. The unseen world of cancer survivors. Limited ambulance service in low-income areas. The topics can be explored in Anytown USA. And they'll give readers information that illuminates the world around them. And guess what? They're the stuff of Pulitzers — really.

In 2000, George Dohrmann of the St. Paul Pioneer Press won a Pulitzer for beat reporting when he uncovered academic fraud within the University of Minnesota's men's basketball program. In 2005, Amy Dockser Marcus of the Wall Street Journal won a beat-reporting Pulitzer for her stories about patients, families and physicians facing …

Mario Van Peebles’S Panther And Popular Memories Of The Black Panther Party, Kristen Hoerl

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

The 1995 movie Panther depicted the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense as a vibrant but ultimately doomed social movement for racial and economic justice during the late 1960s. Panther’s narrative indicted the white-operated police for perpetuating violence against African Americans and for undermining movements for black empowerment. As such, this film represented a rare source of filmic counter-memory that challenged hegemonic memories of U.S. race relations. Newspaper reports and reviews of Panther, however, questioned the film’s veracity as a source of historical information. An analysis of these reviews and reports indicates the challenges counter-memories confront in popular culture.

Job Search Should Be Balanced, Organized, Carla Kimbrough

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

You're out of a job and overwhelmed by the job search process. Don't worry, there's hope. The feelings of being pressured to find a job and being overwhelmed with the job search can be shared by veterans and newcomers alike. Veterans may be wondering what they can possibly do after spending a career in journalism, while newcomers are hunting for their first big break. A balanced and organized approach to the job search is key to your success. Here are some tips to guide you.