Library and Information Science Commons^™

On Why Library Workers Are Well-Suited To Serve During Disasters, Adam S. Davis, Chris Jankow

Collaborative Librarianship

Since 2015, staff at the Palm Beach County Library System have actively applied their skills and knowledge to participate in emergency management in preparation for and during disasters such as hurricanes. Library staff, along with their knowledge, skills, and experiences are invaluable in helping communities face and recover from devastation.

We're A Library, It's What We Do, Jen Lemberger

Collaborative Librarianship

From December 2017 through January 2018 the greater Santa Barbara community was impacted by the dual disasters of the Thomas Fire and the Montecito debris flows. Through these months, and the following year, the Santa Barbara Public Library (SBPL) engaged in a variety of disaster response activities to support the community, from participating as Information Officers in the Joint Information Center and handing out N95 masks to providing additional storytimes and recovery writing workshops. While SBPL was expertly positioned to be involved in information provision and community gatherings, this was not always the view of other coordinating organizations. Part of …

Public Libraries Respond To The Opioid Crisis In Collaboration With Their Communities: An Introduction, Michele Coleman, Lynn Silipigni Connaway

Collaborative Librarianship

The nation is experiencing an opioid epidemic. As communities across the country feel the epidemic’s impact, public health and human service organizations are implementing responses that include healthcare, education, law enforcement and the judicial system, emergency services, drug and addiction counseling, and community services. Public libraries around the country are choosing to be part of this response.

With funding from a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, OCLC and the Public Library Association will identify, synthesize, and share knowledge and resources that will help public libraries and their community partners develop effective strategies and community-driven coalitions that …

Communities In The Crossfire: Models For Public Library Action, Renate L. Chancellor

Collaborative Librarianship

From mass shootings in churches, nightclubs and schools to protests of statutes, discrimination and police brutality, civil unrests have become a part of our everyday life. Over the last decade, communities across the country have experienced an unprecedented number of crises that have been particularly hard-felt. Libraries in these towns often serve as safe spaces. However, not all libraries have risen to this challenge. This paper offers exemplary models for public library action during times of crisis and contends that based on the current social climate, there needs to be a new paradigm for public library services.

Libraries & Librarians In The Aftermath: Our Stories & Ourselves, Ashley R. Maynor

Collaborative Librarianship

Following her experience of the Virginia Tech campus shooting in 2007, filmmaker and librarian Ashley Maynor set out to explore the phenomenon of temporary memorials and so-called “grief archives” using both documentary filmmaking and other qualitative research methods. She subsequently published her findings about Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, and other public tragedies as Response to the Unthinkable: Collecting & Archiving Condolence & Temporary Memorial Materials Following Public Tragedies, to help fill a large gap in LIS literature about the best practices for libraries in responding to crises in their communities.

In the years since, her opinions and perspective on …

Preparing Early Career Librarians For Leadership And Management: A Feminist Critique, Camille Thomas, Elia Trucks, H. B. Kouns

University Libraries: Faculty Scholarship

This article explores the opportunities and challenges that early career librarians face when advancing their careers, desired qualities for leaders or managers of all career stages, and how early career librarians can develop those qualities. Our survey asked librarians at all career stages to share their sentiments, experiences, and perceptions of leadership and management. Through our feminist critique, we explore the relationships to power that support imbalances in the profession and discuss best practices such as mentoring, individualized support, and self-advocacy. These practices will be of use to early career librarians, as well as supervisors and mentors looking to support …

Recasting The Narrative: Acrl 2019 Zine, Annie Pho, Matthew Murray, Ann Matsushima Chiu, Elia Trucks, Katherine Ahnberg

University Libraries: Faculty Scholarship

Zine created by participants of the Association of College & Research Libraries 2019 conference, edited by Annie Pho, Matthew Murray, Ann Matsushima Chiu, Elia Trucks, and Katherine Ahnberg.

Electronic Theses And Dissertations Workflows: Interdepartmental Collaboration At The University Of Arkansas Libraries, Rachel Paul, Cedar C. Middleton

Collaborative Librarianship

Creating workflows that involve the work of multiple departments within a large organization can be challenging, especially when the procedures are complex and involve a number of stakeholders. This paper describes and evaluates the redesign of an interdepartmental workflow for the dissemination of electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) at a mid-sized academic library. The paper outlines the collaborative planning process within the library as well as the eventual outreach to additional stakeholders on campus, addressing the challenges of tackling such communication between the library and other ETD stakeholders. It then presents a detailed examination of the newly revised, semi-automated workflow, …

About Collaboration, Jill Emery, Michael Levine-Clark

Collaborative Librarianship

No abstract provided.

Out Of The Basement: Partnering To Enhance The Discovery And Use Of Graphic Novels, Wendy L. West, Rebecca A. Nous

Collaborative Librarianship

This paper presents a project designed to promote and increase the use of graphic novels, previously a seldom utilized collection, at the University at Albany Libraries. Several units in the Libraries collaborated to add additional graphic novels to the collection, augment bibliographic records with genre headings to enhance discovery, and promote this collection in the University Libraries and online. The Libraries used a variety of marketing techniques, including social media. Circulation statistics were recorded before, during, and after the promotional activities. This collaboration not only resulted in an increase in circulation activity for these titles while they were on display …

Going Beyond "Learn To Code" In The Library: Partnerships And Resources For Delivering Successful Advanced Technical Training, Jim Craner, Lori Bowen Ayre

Collaborative Librarianship

As more libraries offer "learn to code" and digital skills training programs to patrons of all ages, there is a significant opportunity to offer more sophisticated services for advanced learners, even up to the level of professional workforce development. By partnering with local institutions or online programs, libraries can potentially offer in-house training to their community members who might not be otherwise well-suited for traditional in-person or online training programs. In addition, we've identified a wealth of resources that libraries can use to support self-directed learners and institutional online learners in the community. We also note the critical importance of …

A-Z List Migration: Employing Collaborative Project Management At The University Of Guelph Mclaughlin Library, Kailey Brisbin, Melanie S. Parlette-Stewart, Randy Oldham

Collaborative Librarianship

From 2003 – 2016, the University of Guelph McLaughlin Library maintained a custom ColdFusion database of databases. Motivated by a myriad of issues, a project working group set the goal of decommissioning the ColdFusion A-Z list and migrating to SpringShare LibGuides platform A-Z list feature. This article focuses on our A-Z list migration, highlighting the collaborative approach we took to curating our list of journal databases and operationalizing and distributing this shared task across several teams within our library. This article describes our project and approach, lessons learned, recommendations and best practices, as well as future directions.

Strategies For Teaching Information Literacy To English Language Learners, Clara Y. Tran, Selenay Aytac

Collaborative Librarianship

Academic librarians are encountering a growing number of English Language Learners (ELLs) every day, as our classrooms have become more linguistically diverse every year. In this dramatically changing environment, academic librarians are expected to meet the needs of increasingly diverse students speaking multiple languages. The purpose of this paper is to present widely used teaching strategies to support ELLs based on an exhaustive literature review. Study also suggests collaboration among ESL or classroom instructors and librarians to enhance semester-long learning experience.

What Collaboration Means To Me: Library Collaboration Is Hard; Effective Collaboration Is Harder, Lorcan Dempsey

Collaborative Librarianship

In this short piece I argue that library collaboration is very important, so important that it needs to be a more deliberate strategic focus for libraries and the organizations that support them. This is especially so in a network environment, where scale is important in creating efficiencies and impact. Despite this importance, effective collaboration is hard and current arrangements are suboptimal. I discuss various reasons why this is so, and offer some suggestions for how matters might be improved.

Emotional Silos: A Review Of Doctoral Candidates’ Isolating Experiences And The Role For Academic Librarians In Campus-Wide Support Networks, Carrie L. Forbes, Jennifer Bowers

University Libraries: Faculty Scholarship

Introduction. Much of the research about how academic librarians can better support doctoral students has focused on information behaviour and advanced research skills but has neglected affective factors. An exploratory review of research literature on isolation and doctoral students suggests that feelings of isolation can have negative consequences for students’ progress on the dissertation. The review identifies themes, areas of support, and suggestions for future research.
Method. Library and information science, psychology, education, and interdisciplinary databases were searched for papers addressing issues of isolation experienced by United States doctoral students during the dissertation phase.
Analysis. Thematic analysis …

University Libraries Annual Report 2019, University Of Denver, University Libraries

University Libraries Annual Reports

2019 Annual Report from the University of Denver, University Libraries. The annual report highlights programs, projects, and activities that occurred during the year, as well as details of normal operations and brief statistics.

Creating Open Works, Nicolas Pares, Jenelys Cox

University Libraries: Staff Scholarship

Workshop materials for a course on Creative Commons Licensing of scholarly and creative works. The set contains 2 slide decks and handouts.

Making Social Media More Social: A Literature Review Of Academic Libraries’ Engagement And Connections Through Social Media Platforms, Elia Trucks

University Libraries: Faculty Scholarship

This chapter explores how academic libraries have used social media for broadcasting information, responsive communication, and engagement. Many libraries focus on the marketing aspect of social media, since it is a successful method of promoting events, services, and resources. However, exclusively using social media as a marketing tool ignores the best part of social media: the connections it fosters between people. The online community is just an extension of the in-person community that the academic library serves. This chapter examines the state of the literature on libraries’ use of social media through the lens of increasing engagement and connections with …

Why Can’T We Be Friends? Examining The Benefits And Challenges Of Maintaining Your Friends Of The Library, Maureen Rust, Julia Stringfellow

Collaborative Librarianship

One of the most fruitful collaborative relationships a library can have is with its Friends of the Library organization, providing that group is vibrant and progressive. This article provides insight into the history of the Friends of the Library group at a regional comprehensive university since its founding in 1962 to nearly becoming defunct in 2015. The steps taken in the transformation of the Friends of the Library since then from an inactive group with no clear direction, to a robust organization with an active board who have identified goals and strategies for successful library advocacy are described. The work …

Redefining The Review Process For Collaborative Librarianship, Jill Emery, Michael Levine-Clark

Collaborative Librarianship

No abstract provided.

A Problem None Can Solve Alone: Ra21 As Collaborative Effort, Jill O'Neill

Collaborative Librarianship

Stakeholders in the information community recognize the challenges surrounding user authentication in the context of licensed information resources. Resource Access in the 21st Century (RA21) is one cross-sector initiative that is intended to reduce those challenges for both academic libraries as well as content and technology providers. Further collaboration by stakeholders may assuage some of the hesitations regarding RA21.

What Collaboration Means To Me: How We Do & Don’T Collaborate At The Library Collective, Corey Halaychik, Ashley Maynor

Collaborative Librarianship

The Library Collective is a non-profit organization devoted to redefining the library professional development landscape by providing low-cost, high-value learning opportunities for librarians. At the heart of The Library Collective’s efforts is a unique style of collaboration. The following column outlines how the Co-Founders and Co-Directors use and don’t use collaboration to create a professional development environment that embraces creativity, celebrates failure, and doesn’t cost a fortune.

Providing Access To Government Information: A Survey Of The Federal Depository Library Community, Laura Sare

Collaborative Librarianship

The mission of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) is to provide free, permanent public access to federal government information now and for future generations. In the 20th century, depository libraries received tangible materials, in mostly print format, creating what is now often called the “legacy collection.” Currently the majority of government information is distributed in a born-digital format, sometimes with multiple avenues to online information through government agencies themselves and repositories collecting and digitizing materials. How are Federal Depository Libraries curating their government information collections, both tangible and digital? This study investigated what depository libraries are doing regarding collection …

Open Access And Its Impact On Access And Subscriptions, Michael Levine-Clark

University Libraries: Faculty Scholarship

In this paper the author examines from a library perspective some of the complications with transitioning to an open access model for journal publishing; how costs that support publishing efforts may shift from readers to researchers; what’s happening within the library community with regard to assessing the value of subscriptions; and what universities may come to expect from content providers as private funders take a more visible role in mandating the “openness” of research information.

The Liaison Connection Issue 11, University Of Denver, University Libraries

The Liaison Connection

Fall 2018 issue of the Library Liaison Advisory Group newsletter from the University of Denver, University Libraries. The newsletter provides information about library collections, services, and research instruction.

What Collaboration Means To Us, Jill Emery, Michael Levine-Clark

Collaborative Librarianship

No abstract provided.

What Collaboration Means To Me: Partnership As Praxis, Rhiannon M. Cates

Collaborative Librarianship

This column offers a reflective and theoretical perspective on the potential of collaboration to function as a tool to resist replicating dynamics of oppression and inequity, and as a strategy to challenge negative aspects of institutional climates and culture in library work.

The Baked-In Bias Of Algorithms, Lori Bowen Ayre, Jim Craner

Collaborative Librarianship

Algorithms are created by and used by humans in software programs and in everyday tasks. They are composed of input data, a series of steps, and output. When it comes to computer algorithms, we often see the results of algorithms but we don't see the processing steps or the input data that has determined the output. It is important to be aware that all these components are subject to mistakes and biases - the input data as well as the processing steps.For this reason, we should seek transparency in the algorithms that are put to use and which affect our …

Creating Community: Drawing On Staff Expertise To Break Down Silos In Academic Libraries, Lori Birrell, Marcy A. Strong

Collaborative Librarianship

A discussion of the strategies and outcomes behind a special collections and metadata collaboration effort at the University of Rochester, River Campus Libraries, to make finding aids more discoverable and interoperable. Through the use of a project charter and specific goals, the project managers sought to create buy-in and build a culture of teamwork amongst the participants, resulting in both improved finding aids and a model for collaborative work across departments.

Cultural Memory In Danger: Sustainable Information, Preservation, And Technology In The Humanities: A Theoretical Approach, Casey D. Hoeve

Collaborative Librarianship

Abstract

Management of library collections is an inherently collaborative process. Spanning multiple generations, materials are selected that support user communities, striving for the optimization of storage and access at the lowest cost.[i] While established partnerships are crucial for the survival of libraries, within any cooperative network, there exist opportunities for divergent practices. Alternative initiatives may have progressive intentions, but competing systems and groups have the potential to disrupt recognized standards and infrastructure, some of which can prove detrimental to information organizations.

Abrupt format changes and technological advancements have altered the way in which materials are currently acquired, accessed, and …