Library and Information Science Commons^™

Response To David S. Lindsay Regarding “Self-Archiving Of Publications From The Journal Of Parasitology”, Sue Ann Gardner

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Response to ASP President, David S. Lindsay, regarding his editorial in volume 36, numbers 3-4, of the ASP Newsletter, titled “Self-archiving of publications from the Journal of Parasitology.” Concludes that the Society's contract with Allen Press will expire at some point and, in the interim, there is an opportunity renegotiate with them thoughtfully, or to look for a better outlet for the time-honored Journal of Parasitology. There are many publishing ventures arising from universities themselves, in libraries and academic departments, on viable and stable electronic platforms, that require very little overhead to administer. If even a fraction …

Looks Matter: The Impact Of Visual And Inclusive Design On Usability, Accessibility, And Online Learning, Sigrid Anderson Cordell, Melissa Gomis

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

The recent expansion of digital scholarship has largely failed to take into account issues of accessibility and inclusive design. Likewise, the connection between accessibility and visual design is often overlooked in creating online learning tools. This gap is most often caused by an emphasis on delivering content rather than designing sites to be both visually appealing and effective in teaching concepts to students of all abilities and learning styles. In this chapter, we will argue that an emphasis on visual design in the creation of online learning objects enhances both accessibility and pedagogy.

Library Publishing Is Special: Selection And Eligibility In Library Publishing, Paul Royster

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Traditional publishing is based on ownership, commerce, paid exchanges, and scholarship as a commodity, while library activities are based on a service model of sharing resources and free exchange. I believe library publishing should be based on those values and should not duplicate or emulate traditional publishing. University presses have mixed views of library publishing, and libraries should not adopt those attitudes. Library publishers are not gatekeepers; their mission is dissemination. Libraries need to publish because traditional publishing suffers from high rejection rates, required surrender of intellectual property, long production schedules, high cost of products, and limited dissemination. Nebraska’s Zea …

Librarians Going Mobile: Applying “Threshold Concepts” To The Design Of E-Booklets For Library Instruction., Lorna M. Dawes

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Assuming that students no longer read printed handouts, many librarians have stopped producing printed handouts after observing the piles of paper that remain after library sessions. Libraries have transitioned comfortably to providing online access to handout information via subject and course guides, and now need to make a more complete transition to making them mobile. Although only four in ten college students own a tablet, 75% own a smart phone, and over a third of students intend to purchase either a tablet or a smart phone in the next six months. (“Pearson Student Mobile” 7). Librarians are all aware that …

Don’T Fear The Reader: Librarian Versus Interlibrary Loan Patron-Driven Acquisition Of Print Books At An Academic Library By Relative Collecting Level And By Library Of Congress Classes And Subclasses, David C. Tyler, Joyce C. Melvin, Marylou Epp, Anita M. Kreps

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Recently, a great deal of literature on patron-driven acquisition (PDA) has been published that addresses the implementation and results of PDA programs at academic libraries. However, despite widespread worries that PDA will lead to unbalanced collections, little attention has been paid to whether patrons’ and librarians’ purchasing differ significantly. This study analyzes librarians’ and PDA patrons’ acquisitions at an academic library by relative collecting level and by subject (that is, Library of Congress class and subclass) to determine whether concern over patrons’ collecting are warranted.

Foxes Propose New Guidelines For Henhouse Design: Comments On Niso’S Proposed Open Access Metadata Standards, Paul Royster

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

This commentary is in response to: NISO RP-22-201x, Open Access Metadata and Indicators (draft for comment), which is available at: http://www.niso.org/apps/group_public/document.php?document_id=12047

NISO is the National Information Standards Organization, a non-profit industry organization whose mission statement reads: “NISO fosters the development and maintenance of standards that facilitate the creation, persistent management, and effective interchange of information so that it can be trusted for use in research and learning.” Their recently-issued proposed guidelines for new metadata fields to be attached to scholarly works purport to address and clarify issues of access and re-licensing surrounding the electronic distribution of journal articles. Briefly, they …

Second Life Librarianship And The Gendered Work Of Care In Technology, Scout Calvert

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Of the persistent images of librarians, one in particular caricatures them as stubbornly refusing to adopt new information technologies. From outside the field of library and information science, this perception is unsurprising, given the pop-cultural image of the librarian as a joyless and sexless spinster, hell-bent on protecting books from the hands of the unwashed—the literally heathen—patron. From within the field, though, the stereotype smarts all the more because the visage of the technophobic librarian appears to be empirically unfounded, and it would seem, therefore, counterproductive for those working within the discipline to perpetuate this view. As I will argue, …

African Poetry Book Fund-African Poetry Library Manual: How To Manage And Set Up The Library., Lorna M. Dawes, Charlene Maxey-Harris

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

The African Poetry Library Initiative, an initiative of the African

Poetry Book Fund, is a collaborative venture to establish

accessible and user-friendly small poetry libraries on the African

continent to support aspiring and established poets and to give

them access to contemporary poetry in books and journals, and

to serve as a resource for poets interested in publication in Africa

and around the world. The initiative will be guided by

collaboration between US and UK publishers of poetry, literary

arts organizations, poet’s libraries and literary journals and

African libraries, writers co-ops or cultural centers, and poets and

will be coordinated …

The Language Of Academic Librarianship: The Discourse Of Promotion And Tenure, Mary K. Bolin

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

This article examines the discourse of appointment, promotion, and tenure (APT) documents for academic librarians. Discourse analysis can illuminate the social role of language, social systems, and social practices. This qualitative research analyzes the APT documents for librarians from a group of US universities (n= 50) whose librarians are tenured faculty (n = 35). Linguistic features were examined to identify genre (text type) and register (language variety) characteristics. The documents showed strong relationships with other texts; vocabulary from the language of human resources (HR); grammatical characteristics such as nominalization; passive constructions; few pronouns; the “quasi-synonymy” of series of adjectives, nouns, …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Tools For Online Database Instruction, Yvonne Mery, Erica Defrain, Leslie Sult, Elizabeth Kline

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

The intent of this study was to evaluate the Guide on the Side (GotS), an online learning tool developed by the University of Arizona Libraries, and a screencast tutorial for teaching information literacy and database searching skills. Ninety undergraduate students were randomly assigned into three groups: group 1 completed a GotS tutorial; group 2 viewed a screencast presenting identical content; and a control group. Each group completed an identical 16-item post-test. An analysis of variance revealed statistically significant differences between the control group and both treatment groups; however, there was no statistical difference between treatment groups. Limitations of the study …

Management Of Content Development And Subject Engagement Through An Arts Matrix Model: A Case Study, Casey D. Hoeve, Ellen R. Urton, Thomas W. Bell

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

From 2007 - 2009, Kansas State University Libraries (K-State Libraries) committed to strategically assess and redevelop their organizational structure. The Libraries’ Strategic Plan and position redistributions commenced in 2007 and 2009 respectively, with adjustments in 2010 to accommodate the university’s “K-State 2025” Strategic Plan. Together, these plans changed the roles of former subject librarians, dividing and transferring responsibilities for outreach, reference, instruction, and collection development. Among the more significant changes was the creation of departments devoted to patron groups, rather than specific academic disciplines. Illustrating how the reorganization changed the roles of traditional library services, this chapter will outline the …

Why, How, And Where We’Re Going Next: A Multi-Institution Look At Data Management Service, Kiyomi D. Deards

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

This study compares the relationship of four university libraries with their institutions’ data management policies, services, resources, and plans for the future. It combines an examination of public documentation and services advertised by the universities and their libraries with interviews of librarians involved with data management. Four members of the Association of Public and Land- Grant Universities of similar size were selected for comparison: Iowa State University, Oklahoma State University, Kansas State University, and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The study identifies how and why campus collaborations were created and describes possible next steps for expanding or refining existing data management …

High-Impact Educational Practices: An Exploration Of The Role Of Information Literacy, Catherine Fraser Riehle, Sharon A. Weiner

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

There is an expectation that college students graduate with competency in information literacy. Ideally, institutions of higher education integrate these competencies throughout their curricula in a progressive manner. High-impact educational practices contribute to student success. The purpose of this article is to examine recent literature about five of the high-impact educational practices (capstone experiences, learning communities, service learning and community-based learning, undergraduate research, and writing-intensive courses) to understand the extent to which they include the integration of information literacy competencies. The article includes recommendations for practice and research in the areas of assessment, pedagogy, and program planning.

Certified Angus, Certified Patriot: Breeding, Bodies, And Pedigree Practices, Scout Calvert

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

The pedigree chart is a cornerstone technology for producing bodies and value in livestock pure breeding. It organizes a cluster of processes, technologies, and discourses gathered under the rubric “pedigree practices.” Angus breeders commonly use artificial insemination to import performance “genetics” into their herds, using the “expected progeny differences” predicted by massive pedigree databases that now also contain phenotype data reported by cattle growers. Discourses of biological inheritance, good breeding, and pedigrees arose in the eighteenth century, concomitant with a fascination with races, species, and other biological kinds. A case study from Angus cattle breeding illustrates pedigree practices and the …

Making An Impact: Campus-Wide Collaboration For Course And Learning Space Transformation, Clarence Maybee, Tomalee Doan, Catherine Fraser Riehle

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Most of us would agree that the roles of librarians have been changing with an almost mind-reeling rapidity. While this can be challenging, it also can provide excellent opportunities to support our students in their academic endeavors in new and meaningful ways. At Purdue University such an opportunity arrived in the shape of a provost-initiated, campus-wide course redesign program called Instruction Matters: Purdue Academic Course Transformation (IMPACT). This initiative aims to bring active-learning to foundational courses traditionally taught through lectures. Involved since the onset, Purdue librarians recognized the IMPACT initiative as one way to enter the conversations blooming on our …

Reviews Of Science For Science Librarians: Drought In The Agricultural And Geosciences Literature, Leslie M. Delserone, Adonna Fleming

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Drought is a hot topic, given the climatic events of summer 2012 in the United States. This article provides a fundamental understanding of drought—its definitions, classifications, ratings, and impact on agriculture. Also included are introductions to drought-related research areas in the geosciences—specifically geology, hydrology, and atmospheric sciences—as well as pointers to reliable sources of information about drought from the agricultural and geosciences literature.

Nebraska Students In Transition: The Evolution Of A Partnership, Toni Anaya, Charlene Maxey-Harris

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Since 2010, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) libraries have been collaborating with the Office of Admissions on an innovative program working with high school seniors through the Nebraska College Preparatory Academy (NCPA). Over the past 10 years, Nebraska has been affected by Nebraska's dramatic changes in racial and ethnic diversity. Despite a rapid rise in ethnic diversity over the past 10 years, the state was still 90 percent white at the time of the 2010 census. Over the past decade, UNL has been interested in actively recruiting students and faculty from ethnically diverse backgrounds. This initiative centers on recruitment strategies …

Gendered Narratives Of Innovation Through Competition: Lessons From Science And Technology Studies, Scout Calvert

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Library and information science is a technologically intensive profession with a high percentage of women, unlike computer science and other male-dominated fields. On the occasion of the 2011 Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) conference, this essay analyzes the theme “Competitiveness and Innovation” through a review of social psychology and science and technology studies literature. Both theme concepts have ramifications for library and information science (LIS) education. Librarianship and teaching are both professions that resist commodification because they rely on embodied labor and personal interaction. Competition, as a management or learning style, may not promote meaningful innovation in …

Rda: Preparing For The Change Together, Sue Ann Gardner, Robin Bernstein

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Details the origin and purpose of the Nebraska RDA Practice Group, active in 2012.

Up From Under The “Open Access” Bus, Paul Royster

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

For most of the past seven years I had thought I was working to promote open access to academic scholarship and creative works. I helped place more than 40,000 articles and documents in a freely accessible repository, from which they could be (and were) browsed, downloaded, saved, printed, and linked to.

But I find now that these efforts failed to meet the standards of the open access advocates as represented by (among others) SPARC, the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition, a library membership organization formed and sponsored by the Association of Research Libraries. As was made excruciatingly clear at …

Announcement Of Website: "The Treaty Of Waitangi, 1840: A Levenshtein Edit Distance Analysis Of English Language Variants", Charles D. Bernholz, Brian T. O'Grady, Brian Pytlik Zillig

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

The British, in their worldwide program of colonization, consummated treaties with the indigenous peoples of North America, Africa, Asia, and the Far East and Pacific in a process to administer these acquisitions. The Treaty of Waitangi, 1840 is the primary document illustrating this behavior in New Zealand but, over time, variants of this important instrument have appeared. A text analysis of forty-three of these renditions was performed by applying Levenshtein’s edit distance algorithm.

Table I and Table II (Excel spreadsheets) are attached (below).

Papers Resulting From Research Conducted At Arapaho Prairie, Arthur County, Nebraska, Kathleen H. Keeler, Sue Ann Gardner, Scott Lyell Gardner

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

The Nature Conservancy owns Arapaho Prairie, a 1,298-acre property in Arthur County, in western Nebraska.

On the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Cedar Point Biological Station, Habitats Web page (available at http://cedarpoint.unl.edu/research/habitats/index.shtml), Arapaho Prairie is described: “Arapaho Prairie [is] home to numerous experiments that have shaped our understanding of nature. … Arapaho Prairie, owned by the Nature Conservancy, is two square miles of ungrazed sandhills prairie in Arthur County. It is managed by Cedar Point and was purchased expressly for our researchers and courses. There is a …

Announcement: The Indians Of The Northern And Southern Districts Of North America: Levenshtein Comparisons Of The Tribe Lists From The 1764 ‘Plan For The Future Management Of Indian Affairs.’, Charles D. Bernholz, Brian T. O'Grady

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

The Northern and Southern Districts of the British government in America contained tribes of Indians that were specifically enumerated prior to the preparation of the 1764 Plan for the future management of Indian affairs. That Board of Trade policy reassigned the responsibility for Indian affairs to the imperial government, rather than leaving it to be mediated by the individual colonies. Fourteen variants of those lists, from official and public sources, were compared with Levenshtein’s edit distance algorithm to assess similarity and provenance. Table I and Table II (Excel spreadsheets) are attached (below).

Rda: Nebraska’S Approach To Preparing For The Change, Sue Ann Gardner, Robin Bernstein

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Details the origin and purpose of the Nebraska RDA Practice Group, active in 2012.

Adding Website Flair With Buttons, Marcia Dority Baker

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Dority-Baker discusses how librarians at the University of Nebraska Schmid Law Library developed a plan of action to corral a specific number of resources for faculty pages using hotlinked buttons, such as those for the UNL Digital Commons, SSRN, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

The Quantification Of A Forced Convergence Of Similar Texts: The 1870 And The 1875 Okmulgee Constitution And Levenshtein’S Edit Distance Metric - Website Announcement & Link, Charles D. Bernholz

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Government Documents and the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries are pleased to announce the release of a World Wide Web site, entitled The quantification of a forced convergence of similar texts: The 1870 and the 1875 Okmulgee Constitution and Levenshtein’s edit distance metric.

The Okmulgee Constitution, created in the Creek capital of the Indian Territory in December 1870, provided a model for a new full-fledged and federally supported Indian state to replace the Territory. In a previous study, the variants of that document’s text from the official and unofficial record were …

Preservation And Access In An Age Of E-Science And Electronic Records: Sharing The Problem And Discovering Common Solutions, Claire Stewart

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

As academic libraries grapple with the challenge of preserving their own digitized special collections, intensification of interest in preserving other electronic content may present opportunities to collaborate with organizations on campus. This article offers a brief introduction to some of the core issues in digital preservation and suggests an orientation to the problems that can be helpful in thinking about how to join forces with others on campus.

Cresting Toward The Sea Change: Literature Review Of Cataloging And Classification 2009-10, Sue Ann Gardner

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

This review covers cataloging and classification literature published in 2009 and 2010, including relevant explorations of knowledge organization systems and theory. Only English-language literature is reviewed, though not all of the literature covered is U.S.-based. Overarching themes presented in the literature include the merging of library metadata into the Web environment, the continuation of cooperative cataloging in libraries, the role of both controlled and uncontrolled headings in catalog records, and reconsiderations of workflow in light of impending changes to cataloging rules. Notably, several relevant foundational documents were either completed or revised during the review period.

West Of Eden: Resource Wars And Nature-Cultures In The American West, Scout Calvert

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

The richness and variety of the western landscape is what is at stake in hot political contests for the resources of the West: much of this public land is available to economic activity, including for mining, grazing, logging, and recreation. These uses threaten to outpace the land’s ability to renew these resources along with others, like air and water. Now in the first decade of the millennium with a new environmental awareness emerging partly from media coverage of global warming and peak oil, The American West at Risk offers a wide-ranging look at the degradation of the environment in the …

Insights From Editions Of The Annual Register Regarding Later Variants Of The Royal Proclamation Of 1763: An Application Of Levenshtein’S Edit Distance Metric - Website Announcement & Link, Charles D. Bernholz, Brian T. O'Grady

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Variants of King George III’s Royal Proclamation of 1763, found in ten editions of the sixth volume of The Annual Register for that year, were examined through the application of Levenshtein’s edit distance metric to identify textual discrepancies across these renditions. Induced textual errors were carried into later editions of the 1763 Annual Register. The presence of distinct faults in Proclamation texts taken from other independent publications indicated that the latter must have used deviant Register versions as their sources.

Table I and Table II (Excel spreadsheets) are attached (below).