Library and Information Science Commons^™

Technology Transfer And Innovation Policy At Canadian Universities: Opportunities And Social Costs, Samuel Trosow, Michael B. Mcnally, Laura E. Briggs, Cameron Hoffman, Cassandra D. Ball, Adam Jacobs, Bridget Moran

FIMS Publications

This report, supported by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Knowledge Synthesis Grant, critically examines the role of universities in transmitting knowledge in the forms of technology transfer mechanisms, intellectual property agreements and other knowledge diffusion policies. In reviewing and synthesizing the recent literature on the topic, we seek to provide some initial evidence-based policy recommendations in order to generally strengthen Canada‘s innovation ecosystem and more specifically to maximize the return on the nation‘s investment in higher education research and development.

Dungeons And Downloads: Collecting Tabletop Fantasy Role-Playing Games In The Age Of Downloadable Pdfs, Dan Sich

Western Libraries Publications

Purpose – This paper aims to provide libraries with collections advice regarding fantasy role-playing games.

Design/methodology/approach – Current and emerging publication and sales models of pencil and paper, tabletop fantasy role-playing games are explored. Details of print, print-on-demand, free and purchasable downloads, and subscription-based options for major fantasy role-playing games and alternatives are provided.

Findings – Many options are available to libraries wishing to provide support for fantasy role-playing game programming. While an overwhelming quantity of publications are often available for purchase, usually only a bare minimum is required to run a role-playing game. Free or modestly priced options are …

Provision Of Pandemic Disease Information By Health Sciences Librarians: A Multisite Comparative Case Series., Robin Featherstone, Gabriel Boldt, Nazi Torabi, Shauna-Lee Konrad

Western Libraries Publications

Objective: The research provides an understanding of pandemic information needs and informs professional development initiatives for librarians in disaster medicine. Methods: Utilizing a multisite, comparative case series design, the researchers conducted semi-structured interviews and examined supplementary materials in the form of organizational documents, correspondence, and websites to create a complete picture of each case. The rigor of the case series was ensured through data and investigator triangulation. Interview transcripts were coded using NVivo to identify common themes and points of comparison. Results: Comparison of the four cases revealed a distinct difference between “client-initiated” and “librarian-initiated” provision of pandemic information. Librarian-initiated …

Scholars Geoportal: A New Platform For Geospatial Data Discovery, Exploration And Access In Ontario Universities, Elizabeth T. Hill, Leanne Trimble

Western Libraries Publications

The need to support and promote the use of geospatial data and available collections has grown at Ontario Universities in recent years. These data, along with numeric data collections, are used to enhance research and expand the skill set of students graduating from a broad array of disciplines. Providing access to these types of data collections has proven challenging, and access points available to large groups of people inside academia, in government and public domains have been made possible through online portal implementations. The defined need for a geospatial portal at Ontario Universities is outlined in the first part of …

Intellectual Property And Its Alternatives: Incentives, Innovation And Ideology, Michael B. Mcnally

Research Day (Arts & Humanities, FIMS, and Education)

This dissertation examines the ability of intellectual property (IP) and its alternatives to both facilitate and impede innovation. Over the past 30 years there has been both an expansionary IP policy regime marked by significant increases in IP protection and a flourishing of alternatives to IP as digital technologies empower end users to create and disseminate intellectual works. However, it remains unclear as to whether alternatives to IP can mitigate the problems of exclusionary IP rights while also encouraging innovation. This dissertation provides a theoretical framework for analyzing alternatives to IP focusing on the incentives structures utilized, ability to produce …

Observing Graduate Students' Use Of Library Space, Marni Harrington, Amanda Humphreys

Research Day (Arts & Humanities, FIMS, and Education)

Based on a “sweeps” study in public libraries (Given & Leckie, 2003), this observational research tracks how the physical space and resources are used in a faculty-supported graduate library. We create a snapshot of what is going on in the library at a given moment in time, and then compile the results to determine how users behave in our space. These results will inform planning for an upcoming move.

Rethinking Tradition: The Impact Of Technology & The Loss Of Serendipity On The Historical Research Process, Anabel Quan-Haase, Kim Martin

Research Day (Arts & Humanities, FIMS, and Education)

The move towards the digital humanities will see a growing interest in tools such as Ebooks. This study examines how historians perceive Ebooks and other technologies as impacting their research process. Findings indicate that historians are concerned that the digital environment reduces the possibility of chance encounters with a text. They continue to recreate the environment that encourages serendipity to occur within their field, and would readily welcome tools that facilitate this.

Technology Transfer And Innovation Policy At Canadian Universities: Opportunities And Social Costs, Samuel E. Trosow, Laura Briggs, Michael B. Mcnally

Research Day (Arts & Humanities, FIMS, and Education)

This project examines the role of universities in transmitting knowledge in the forms of technology transfer mechanisms, intellectual property (IP) agreements and other knowledge diffusion policies.

Respect Des Fonds D'Archives: Theory And Application, Danielle Lee-Muma

Data and Test Instruments

This paper examines the principle of Respect des fonds, its history and reason for becoming a dominant principle, and what its aspects mean: interpreting original order as an internal arrangement, and discussing external arrangement in the principle of provenance. Case studies (both real world examples and hypothetical examples based on real fonds and archives) will be used to discuss how the twin principles of respect des fonds, original order and provenance can be put into practice. The case studies are used to discuss what problems can arise in the application of respect des fonds.

Democratizing Access To Knowledge: Find Out What Open Educational Resources (Oer) Have To Offer, Michael B. Mcnally

FIMS Presentations

This presentation provides an overview of Open Educational Resources (OER). It begins by describing what OER are and why they are important. It then examines where OER can be found and provides some screenshots of the OER Commons, MIT`s Open Courseware Initiative and Multimedia Educational Resources for Learning and Online Teaching (MERLOT). The presentation also covers copyright and licensing issues, including a description of the Creative Commons licensing system. It concludes with a brief discussion of how to create OER and provides additional references and resources.

The New Service Desk Model At Uwo’S Allyn & Betty Taylor Library, Rachel Sandieson, Bridget Morant

Western Libraries Presentations

No abstract provided.

Canadian Academic Library Support For International Faculty: Library Experience And Information Needs Of Chinese Visiting Scholars At The University Of Western Ontario, Shiyi Xie

Western Libraries Publications

International faculty constitute a relatively small proportion of the library user community in Canadian post-secondary institutions, but they are underserved when compared to other user groups on campus, particularly international students. The author obtained first hand information about Chinese visiting scholars at the University of Western Ontario, and in this paper she presents conclusions from her experience regarding the visiting scholars' use of libraries as well as some recommendations for serving international faculty. The author suggests that academic libraries carefully consider international faculty when planning relevant services for diverse user groups. Providing necessary and satisfying library services for this group …

School Closure Decision-Making Processes: Problems And Prospects, Bill Irwin, Mark Seasons

Faculty Publications

This paper explores the issue of the permanent closures of public schools in Ontario. School closure processes are highly (and bitterly) contested, rife with conflict, and with few exceptions, harshly criticized by school and community stakeholders who see closures as a loss of irreplaceable social infrastructure. There is a need for a more nuanced planning style that acknowledges the realities of politics, unequal power relations and the validity of community residents' needs and values.To better understand the consequences of school closures upon communities, the authors evaluate the historical and current school closure decision-making process in Ontario. This entails a four …

‘America’S “Engagement” Delusion: Critiquing A Public Diplomacy Consensus’, Hamilton Bean, Edward Comor

FIMS Publications

The Obama administration has embraced ‘engagement’ as the dominant concept informing US public diplomacy. Despite its emphasis on facilitating dialogue with and among Muslims overseas, this article demonstrates that, in practice, engagement aims to leverage social media and related technologies to persuade skeptical audiences to empathize with American policies. Indeed, its primary means of implementation – participatory interactions with foreign publics – is inherently duplicitous. Through the authors’ description of how engagement is rooted in long-standing public relations and corporate marketing discourses, and in light of the historical and structural foundations of anti-Americanism, this contemporary public diplomacy strategy is shown …

Public Library Use Of Free E-Resources, Heather Hill, Jenny Bossaller

FIMS Publications

This article describes a multi-method research project examining the use of various freely available online collections and projects, such as Project Gutenberg, the Internet Archive, and Creative Commons-licensed ebooks, by public libraries. This research begins with the questions: what are libraries doing with freely available materials? Are there barriers to incorporating them into the collection? What role are librarians playing in expanding access and awareness of these resources?

What Is Public Library Management Outsourcing?, Heather Hill

FIMS Publications

No abstract provided.

The Firm Foundation Of Organizational Flexibility: The 360 Contract In The Digitalizing Music Industry, Matt Stahl, Leslie Meier

FIMS Publications

The devaluation of the recorded music commodity under digitalization has destabilized the recording industry. One primary record industry response is the new “360 deal” form of the recording contract. By securing rights to individual acts’ live performance, music publishing and licensing, and merchandizing activities, this new deal expands record companies’ access to more profitable fields of music industry activity (if in piecemeal fashion). We examine the context, evolution, and varieties of the 360 deal, and argue that it re-secures record industry profitability and further stratifies the population of recording artists by shifting risk onto performers.

Social Media For Academic Libraries, David J. Fiander

FIMS Publications

This chapter discusses the value of the academic library engaging with its users via social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. The chapter provides some background on research into how libraries have experimented with using Facebook for outreach and how the user community has responded. It gives a brief outline of the process for creating a rich Facebook page for an academic library system and tips for how to market a Facebook page or Twitter account, and how to use social media accounts to promote the library’s services. Finally, it provides some guidance for how an academic library should think …

Open Textbooks And Provincial Government Policy: A Look At The Issues, Lisa Di Valentino

FIMS Publications

In 2012, the British Columbia government announced a plan to fund a program that will result in the creation of open access textbooks for 40 lower-year university courses — the first such program in any of the provinces. This paper will argue that Ontario should follow British Columbia’s lead and invest in the development of a project to create and promote the use of open textbooks. The introduction will discuss the concept of open textbooks and the various initiatives and legislation that have been introduced in the United States, and British Columbia’s plan will be described in more detail. The …

Discerning Truth From Deception: Human Judgments And Automation Efforts, Victoria L. Rubin, Niall Conroy

FIMS Publications

Recent improvements in effectiveness and accuracy of the emerging field of automated deception detection and the associated potential of language technologies have triggered increased interest in mass media and general public. Computational tools capable of alerting users to potentially deceptive content in computer–mediated messages are invaluable for supporting undisrupted, computer–mediated communication and information practices, credibility assessment and decision–making. The goal of this ongoing research is to inform creation of such automated capabilities. In this study we elicit a sample of 90 computer–mediated personal stories with varying levels of deception. Each story has 10 associated human deception level judgments, confidence scores, …

Is The Uses And Gratifications Approach Still Relevant In A Digital Society? Theoretical And Methodological Applications To Social Media, Anabel Quan-Haase

FIMS Publications

A wide range of new theories, approaches, and methodologies have been proposed as a response to the changes occurring in the digitization of content, the creation and distribution of digital artifacts (e.g., documents, images, and videos), and the increasing production and dissemination of news on the Internet. These new trends have also motivated scholars to revive traditional theories in the field of mass communication and journalism, which could aid in examining digital communication. In this editorial note, the uses and gratifications approach (U&G) is presented as a theoretical lens and empirical means for studying how audiences engage with digital media. …

Kevin Major's Hold Fast And The Critical Reception Of A Milestone Canadian Novel For Young Adults, Paulette Rothbauer

Data and Test Instruments

No abstract provided.

Creating And Hosting Student-Run Research Journals: A Case Study, Adrian K. Ho

Western Libraries Publications

This case study aims to examine an academic library’s roles in facilitating the creation and hosting of open access student-run research journals. In addition to providing an online platform to host the journals, the library acquaints students with scholarly publishing, assists them in securing various resources available on campus, and offers support for content management. There are challenges and opportunities for the library as it undertakes the responsibility of hosting student journals. The article concludes with a discussion of possible topics for future research.

Academic Libraries Should Consider A Strategic Approach To Promotion And Marketing Of E-Books, Nazi Torabi

Western Libraries Publications

No abstract provided.

From Seven Years To 360 Degrees: Primitive Accumulation, The Social Common, And The Contractual Lockdown Of Recording Artists At The Threshold Of Digitalization, Matt Stahl

FIMS Publications

This article examines the apparent paradox of the persistence of long-term employment contracts for cultural industry ‘talent’ in the context of broader trends toward short-term, flexible employment. While aspirants are numberless, bankable talent is in short supply. Long-term talent contracts appear to embody a durable axiom in employment: labor shortage favors employees. The article approaches this axiom through the lens of recent reconsiderations of the concept of primitive accumulation. In the case of employment, this concept highlights employers’ impetus to transcend legal and customary barriers to and limits on their capacity to capture and compel creative labor, and to appropriate …

Internet Filtering In The Public Library: The Case Of London Ontario, Samuel E. Trosow

FIMS Presentations

No abstract provided.

Supporting Alternative Incentive Mechanisms For Digital Content: A Comparison Of Canadian And Us Policy, Michael B. Mcnally

FIMS Publications

This paper compares the Government of Canada’s copyright focused approach for encouraging the production of digital content with the U.S. Government’s adoption of a range of incentive systems for the production of content through a content analysis of government policy papers. The first part of the paper examines Canadian policy outlined in the Improving Canada’s Digital Advantage consultation paper and the proposed amendments to the Copyright Act (Bill C-32). The paper argues the government is overly reliant on copyright to encourage the production of creative digital content. Though Bill C-32 would expand the definition of fair dealing and create a …

Mentoring In English Canadian Academic Libraries, Marni R. Harrington, Elizabeth Marshall

Western Libraries Presentations

Presented in Halifax at CLA's 2011 conference, this peer-reviewed research presentation presented preliminary data about mentoring in Canadian college and university libraries. This research examines mentoring expectations of recent graduates, perspectives of practicing academic librarians and library directors from across Canada.

Library Publishing Services At The University Of Western Ontario: Policies And Processes, Adrian K. Ho

Western Libraries Presentations

No abstract provided.

Putting The Pieces Together: Endometriosis Blogs, Cognitive Authority, And Collaborative Information Behavior, Diane M. Neal, Pamela J. Mckenzie

FIMS Publications

Objective:

A discourse analysis was conducted of peer-written blogs about the chronic illness endometriosis to understand how bloggers present information sources and make cases for and against the authority of those sources.

Methods:

Eleven blogs that were authored by endometriosis patients and focused exclusively or primarily on the authors' experiences with endometriosis were selected. After selecting segments in which the bloggers invoked forms of knowledge and sources of evidence, the text was discursively analyzed to reveal how bloggers establish and dispute the authority of the sources they invoke.

Results:

When discussing and refuting authority, the bloggers invoked many sources of …