Library and Information Science Commons^™

Positionality: The Interplay Of Space, Context And Identity, Rebecca Y. Bayeck

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

This article considers the way in which positionality shifts and is formed during a cross-cultural study to reveal the complexity of the insider-outsider status. As a researcher in a male-dominated game setting, I reflect on the research process and my interactions with participants to show the interplay of space, context, and identity in shaping a researcher’s status. I discuss the process of gaining access to the research site and participants, and data collection in relation to space, context, and identity. The interaction of my identities with space, and context informed my status at various moments. This interplay constructs a complex …

Level Down To Level Up: The Impact Of Item-Level Description On Finding Aid Discoverability, Paul Daybell, Andrea Payant, Becky Skeen, Liz Woolcott

Library Faculty & Staff Presentations

Utah State University Libraries Cataloging and Metadata Services unit investigated the discoverability of local Encoded Archival Description (EAD) finding aids using different levels of description. The research team created two nearly identical versions of the same finding aid for five collections and posted them online. The only difference in the finding aids was the level to which the collection contents were described. For each collection, one version of the finding aid was described at the file (box or folder) level and the other version was described at the item level. Over a year later the team pulled the analytics for …

Collective And Creative Learning To Enhance Interlibrary Loan, Lars Leon, Carol A. Kochan

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

The resource sharing community has a proud history of sharing knowledge through conferences, workshops, and online resources in support of training and development. People have enjoyed these opportunities and received various levels of benefit depending on access and whether instruction aligns with the methods they learn best. However, it is clear there aren't enough collective actions to meet the needs. We hosted a series of focus groups on training and development to find out from participants what has worked for them, what is still needed, how they learn best, and the types of training and information that will help them …

"To Keep The Church Record And History": The Evolution Of The Church Historian's Office, Cory L. Nimer

Journal of Western Archives

Authors looking at the development of the field of Mormon history have often evaluated it in terms of historiography—as its progression from the domain of amateurs to the output of academics. However, studies of the composition and development of the larger history profession have focused on the discipline's fragmentation and the formation of an "archival divide" between those that write history and those collecting and preserving its sources. This latter approach provides a useful framework for understanding the evolution of the Church Historian's Office of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, from its origins in 1831 to its …

Media Moguls: Finding And Using Creative Commons Media In The Classroom, Erica Finch

Library Faculty & Staff Presentations

Pictures, videos, music, and other types of media can help engage your class, but how do we find and use media in a way that sets a good example for students? As students navigate the confusing landscapes of copyright, citation, and media use in their course work, can we help them chart a path to success by engaging in practices they can emulate?

Creative Commons licenses make it easy to use media with confidence and avoid copyright pitfalls. This session will explore what Creative Commons licenses are, how they work, and how to find Creative Commons media. Come ready to …

Open Educational Resources: Wherever, Whenever, Forever, Stephanie Western

Library Faculty & Staff Presentations

"OER are teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their free use and repurposing by others. Open educational resources include full courses, course materials, modules, textbooks, streaming videos, tests, software, and any other tools, materials, or techniques used to support access to knowledge." (William and Flora Hewlett Foundation)

Review Of Archival Virtue: Relationship, Obligation, And The Just Archives, J. Gordon Daines Iii

Journal of Western Archives

Review of Archival Virtue: Relationship, Obligation, and the Just Archives by Scott Cline.

Documenting A Move Using Archival Description: Tools For Bridging The Gaps Between Physical And Intellectual Control, Bolton Doub

Journal of Western Archives

Following the move of approximately 40,000 linear feet of archival material between offsite storage facilities, the University of Southern California (USC) Libraries began a project to document these holdings’ new locations using ArchivesSpace. This case study explores a combination of tools--including the ArchivesSpace API, Python scripts, OpenRefine, and spreadsheet applications--that the USC Libraries used to batch-edit and create container data in ArchivesSpace following the move. The paper discusses the challenges and shortcomings of these tools for editing particular forms of legacy data entered into USC’s instance of ArchivesSpace long before the move. When the creators of this past description prioritized …

Review Of “All Shook Up”: The Archival Legacy Of Terry Cook, Grant G. Mandarino

Journal of Western Archives

Review of “All Shook Up”: The Archival Legacy of Terry Cook.

Usu 1730 Online Library Workshop (Outdated), Usu Libraries

All E-Learning Resources

Attention: As of 2026 updated versions of this item will no longer be available on Digital Commons. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

Introduces students to information literacy, evaluating sources, and Donovan's Dilemma.

A Tale Of Two Levels: Analyzing The Discoverability And Impact Of Item-Level Description In Ead Finding Aids, Paul Daybell, Andrea Payant, Liz Woolcott, Becky Skeen, Anna-Maria Arnljots, Kurt Alan Meyer

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

As part of a multi-faceted research project examining user engagement with various types of descriptive metadata, Utah State University Libraries Cataloging and Metadata Services unit (CMS) investigated the discoverability of local Encoded Archival Description (EAD) finding aids. The research team put two versions of the same finding aid online with one described at the file (box or folder) level and the other at the item level. Over a year later, the team pulled the analytics for each guide and assessed which descriptive level was most frequently accessed. The research team also looked at the type of search terms patrons utilized …

Co-Designing Ai-Based Orchestration Tools To Support Dynamic Transitions: Design Narratives Through Conjecture Mapping, Luettamae Lawrence, Boyuan Guo, Kexin Yang, Vanessa Echeverria, Zimmy Kang, Vikrant Bathala, Christina Li

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Dynamically transitioning between individual and collaborative learning has been hypothesized to have positive effects, such as providing the optimal learning mode based on students’ needs. There are, however, challenges in orchestrating these transitions in real-time while managing a classroom of students. AI-based orchestration tools have the potential to alleviate some of the orchestration load for teachers. In this study, we describe a sequence of three design sessions with teachers where we refine prototypes of an orchestration tool to support dynamic transitions. We leverage design narratives and conjecture mapping for the design of our novel orchestration tool. Our contributions include the …

Mapping The Complexities And Benefits Of Research-Design Partnerships, Emma Mercier, Luettamae Lawrence, June Ahn, Christopher Wegemer, Maya Benichou, Yael Kali, Yotam Hod, Marcela Borge, Kimberley Gomez, Ung-Sang Lee, Susan Mckenney, Cindy Poortman, Paula Arce-Trigatti, Britte Haugan Cheng

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Increasingly our field is recognizing the necessity of close, collaborative relationships with educators, policy makers, students and other potential stakeholders if our design and research work is to have a lasting and more equitable impact on education. However, this work is not easy or quick, and we lack both detailed examples of how it is done and training for new (and current) scholars in how to do it. This symposium brings together a group of scholars who actively engage in RPPs and DBIR in order to highlight the lessons that have been learned and extend our discourse into the realities …

Ai And Ambitious Learning Practices, Cindy E. Hmelo-Silver, Sadhana Puntambekar, Krista Glazewski, Luettamae Lawrence, Nikol Rummel, Vincent Aleven, Gautam Biswas, Suraj Uttamchandani, Asmalina Saleh, Haesol Bae, Thomas Brush, Bradford Mott, James Lester, William Goss, Dana Gnesdilow, Rebecca Passonneau, Purushartha Singh, Chanmin Kim, Marcelo Worsley

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

This symposium will provide opportunities for discussion about how Artificial Intelligence can support ambitious learning practices in CSCL. To the extent that CSCL can be a lever for educational equitable educational change, AI needs to be able to support the kinds of practices that afford agency to students and teachers. However, AI also brings to the fore the need to consider equity and ethics. This interactive session will provide opportunities to discuss these issues in the context of the examples presented here.

Land Acknowledgments At Land-Grant Libraries And Archives: A Systematic Review, Kimberly Anderson

Journal of Western Archives

Increasingly, land-grant universities are acknowledging their history of benefitting from colonization and the dispossession of Indigenous communities through the Morrill Act of 1862. This study looks at whether academic libraries and archives acknowledge this history in the form of online land acknowledgments; and, where such acknowledgements exist, whether the university also acknowledges its occupation of Indigenous lands. A systematic review of the websites of land-grant colleges and universities and their libraries and archives was conducted. The results indicate that a majority of 1862 land-grant colleges and universities do have a land acknowledgment for the entire campus, but most academic libraries …

None Of Our Business: Examining The Economics And Business Dynamics Of The Library And Information Industry, Jason Folkman, Alex J. Sundt, Robert Heaton, Erica Finch, Stephanie Western, Nick Gittins

Library Faculty & Staff Presentations

Librarians are often referred to as information professionals and talk of the "information industry," but how much do we actually know about the business side of publishing and library vendors? As vendors and publishers continue to consolidate, and costs increase for libraries and our communities, the business side of libraries deserves greater scrutiny from the library community which often shies away from critically examining our role in the greater information industry. Building our awareness and engaging in critical discourse of the library industry is essential for securing our bargaining power, navigating our role as stewards of our collections, and situating …

Avoiding A "Level Of Discontent" In Finding Aids: An Analysis Of User Engagement Across Ead Levels, Paul Daybell, Andrea Payant, Becky Skeen, Liz Woolcott

Library Faculty & Staff Presentations

USU Libraries Cataloging and Metadata Services unit investigated the discoverability of local Encoded Archival Description (EAD) finding aids. The research team put two versions of the same finding aid online with one described at the file (box or folder) level and the other described at the item level. Over a year later the team pulled the analytics for each guide and assessed the descriptive level most frequently accessed as well as the search terms patrons utilized and where they were found in finding aid tags. Presenters will discuss the methodology of the project and research outcomes.

University Treasure – Collections Of Secrets: How Utah State University Libraries Modernized Their University Archives, Paul Daybell, Quinn Gerber, Heather Housley, Kelly Rovegno, Becky Skeen, Liz Woolcott

Library Faculty & Staff Presentations

Starting in 2018, Utah State University Libraries undertook a largescale cataloging project to modernize the University Archives. Before 2018 the University Archives was largely inaccessible to patrons with only 2% of collections having online finding aids and no existing electronic shelf list inventory. Using a workflow-driven approach, a team of catalogers, archivists, and student technicians embarked on a four-phase journey to inventory over 21,000 items, create EAD finding aids and MARC catalog records for over 2700 unique collections, and ingesting all collections into the Library’s newly implemented archival management system. Presenters will discuss the process developed, tools used, and outcomes …

Review Of Reference And Access For Archives And Manuscripts, Cindy Brightenburg

Journal of Western Archives

A review of the book Reference and Access for Archives and Manuscripts by Cheryl Oestreicher.

To The Moon And Mars And Back To The Archives: Working With Modern Space Collections At The University Of Arizona Libraries, Molly Stothert-Maurer, Lisa E. Duncan

Journal of Western Archives

With a long history at the University of Arizona with excellence in the lunar and planetary sciences, the University of Arizona Libraries Special Collections has increased its collecting of the History of Science and Technology. These large, modern space collections pose unique challenges and require specific needs to be addressed in order for the collections to be stored, processed and made available for access. It is essential for archivists working with these collections to ask their donors the right questions and learn the limitations and restrictions that often come with acquiring modern space collections. Archives around the country have started …

Review Of Archival Accessioning, Julia Stringfellow

Journal of Western Archives

Review of Archival Accessioning by Audra Eagle Yun.

Research Impact Fluxkit: A Playful Exploration Of Research Assessment, Erica Finch

Library Faculty & Staff Presentations

Librarians sure do love their toolkits—but what happens when the tools we use reinforce systems of discrimination and exclusion? The Research Impact Fluxkit is a playful and interactive interpretation of the library toolkit intended to spark discussion about how we assess the impact of our research.

Review Of Metadata, Greg Reeve

Journal of Western Archives

Review of the third edition of Marcia Lei Zeng’s and Jain Qin’s monograph Metadata. Metadata is the definitive guide to the metadata landscape for information professionals in the Information Age.

Review Of Advancing Preservation For Archives And Manuscripts, Michael Don Fraser

Journal of Western Archives

Review of Advancing Preservation for Archives and Manuscripts by Elizabeth Joffrion and Michèle V. Cloonan.

How To Read A Scientific Article, Usu Libraries

All E-Learning Resources

Attention: As of 2026 updated versions of this item will no longer be available on Digital Commons. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

This module will provide tips for reading and analyzing a scientific article.

On Your Marc, Get Set, Code!, Anna-Maria Arnljots, Paul Daybell, Kurt Alan Meyer, Andrea Payant, Becky Skeen, Liz Woolcott

Library Faculty & Staff Presentations

How are MARC records performing in our search environment? This presentation will look at the process and results of a research project that analyzed how users’ search terms matched up with MARC fields, as well as how and where MARC records were displayed in search results lists. Presenters will discuss the process, the results of the project, and outline how attendees can implement similar research projects at their institutions, including tools and techniques they can use to analyze how their own records are surfacing in a search environment.

Collaboration And Mentorship In The Organization Of An American Indian Family Collection: A Case Study In Service Learning At The University Of Oklahoma, Ben Keppel, Dolores Subia Bigfoot, Bridget Burke, Kasimir L. Mackey, Tamah Minnis

Journal of Western Archives

This case study examines an experiment in archival practice and mentorship undertaken at the University of Oklahoma (OU) during the spring semester of 2019. The project concerned the inventory of an important privately held archive in American Indian history. The case study describes the process and documentation involved in an institution assuming temporary custody of a private collection, including legal and ethical considerations of temporary custody, and explores the mentorship relationship among group of interdisciplinary faculty and students, as well as the products, both archival and non-archival, that resulted form this collaborative effort.

Engaging ≠ Engagement: Assessing Students' Behaviors Following Gamified Orientation, Katie Strand, Makenzie Boatright, Pamela N. Martin

Library Faculty & Staff Presentations

What do students retain from first-year workshops? In fall 2019, Utah State University Libraries assessed our interactive orientation when it became optional rather than required for USU’s first-year seminar, creating two populations to study, participants and nonparticipants. By convening focus groups and analyzing campus data, we investigated if the orientation helped freshmen engage with library spaces, services, and materials. Findings revealed workshop strengths and weaknesses, as well as broader student preferences, behaviors, and expectations. Join librarians and students to discuss first-year students’ anxieties and needs concerning not only the library, but also campus belonging and student independence.

Review Of Compact Copyright: Quick Answers To Common Questions, Amanda D. Howard

Journal of Western Archives

Review of Compact Copyright: Quick Answers to Common Questions by Sara R. Benson.

The Los Seis De Boulder Sculpture Project: A Case Study Of Socially Engaged Archivist/Artist Collaboration At The University Of Colorado Boulder, Megan K. Friedel, Jasmine Baetz

Journal of Western Archives

As academic institutions and archivists around the nation grapple with the question of how to address existing monuments to racist histories at their institutions, how can archivists support the creation of new monuments on college and university campuses that reflect suppressed or oppressed histories of people of color? This case study explores the Los Seis de Boulder Sculpture Project, a socially engaged art project at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder), in which archivists in the CU Boulder Libraries' Archives supported and collaborated with a student artist and community members to create a public monument commemorating the deaths of …