Library and Information Science Commons^™

Increasing Discovery Of Cuny Archival Collections Through Metadata, Kristen Fredericksen, Natalie Milbrodt

Publications and Research

At the time of this SUNYLA mid-winter meeting, the City University of New York enters Year 2 of a three-year, 2-million-dollar Mellon Foundation-funded project to explore and strengthen archival collections across their 30+ libraries and research institutes. A major part of this project is to set up a shared instance of Archives Space that includes every repository across the university. This panel will explore the approach of a working group whose goal is to integrate 18 existing individual ArchivesSpace instances into a shared, multi-repository instance. This requires metadata normalization, dataset clean-up, and a series of policy decisions the group reaches …

Bibliographic Instruction And The Need For “Librarian-First” Oer Repositories, Michael Kirby

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Building A Professional Learning Community To Improve Technical Services Librarians' Teaching Preparedness, Junli Diao

Publications and Research

The Applied Improvement Project (AIP) was conducted to address the inconsistency of academic librarians’ teaching engagement on the AIP site. The problem of practice was framed as the gap between having all librarians prepared to teach and technical services librarians’ unpreparedness to teach. The implemented intervention was developing a professional learning community among technical services librarians of different generations with a variety of teaching experiences to increase teaching preparedness by sharing, discussing, and reflecting. The learning topics covered library teaching basics, motivating students, self-assessment, planning to teach, using Wikipedia, embedded librarianship and credit-bearing courses, teaching and research, and building a …

Identifying Intangible And Biocultural Heritage Elements Toward Environmental Understanding: Engaging Stakeholders Through Art, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Grounded in a case study in Barbuda in the Caribbean, this research examines sustainability from the perspective of what arts and heritage can contribute to community engagement and local and broader understandings about the environment. This article documents a growing body of literature recognizing the role of arts and culture, including local knowledge and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), in climate change endeavors. Art and TEK present expansive world views. Contextual information situates research done on the island of Barbuda pre- and post-Hurricane Irma. Visual arts workshops engaged community members in mixed methods research. Results documented cultural elements, particularly intangible and …

Educating The Educators: Six Frames For Three Identities, Eric Silberberg, Laura Cameron, Christina Jones, Amy James, Alison Lehner-Quam, Robin Ewing, Margaret Gregor

Publications and Research

Educating tomorrow’s teachers is a complex and evolving process. !ey are preservice teachers in undergraduate programs, current teachers pursuing career advancement in master’s programs, and aspiring educational researchers in doctoral programs. Perhaps nowhere else on campus does information literacy instruction have more potential to affect generations of information users than when librarians educate the educators as education students will, in turn, impart information literacy skills to the students in their classrooms for many years.

Education students inhabit three overlapping identities as they progress through degree programs: as students fulfilling assignments, professionals conducting evidence-based research, and future teachers responsible for teaching …

Review Of Platform Power And Libraries, Michael Kirby

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Foreword: Censorship Is A Drag, Emily Drabinski

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

A Battle Of The Chatbots: An Exploratory Comparison Of Chatgpt, Gemini, Copilot, Claude, Perplexity And Huggingchat, Karen Okamoto

Publications and Research

This exploratory study compares the output of the free versions of six generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots—ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Claude, Perplexity and HuggingChat. Five questions were submitted to all of the chatbots and examined according to the length of the response, tone of the response, and any additional features provided by the chatbots such as citations, web links, and helpful follow-up questions. This comparison found that Perplexity excelled at responding to all of the questions though others provided strong outputs as well, pointing to the possible importance of using multiple chatbot for answers and for continually examining different chatbots given …

Review Of Digital Degrowth: Technology In The Age Of Survival, Michael Kirby

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

The Bib Record In The Age Of Digital Reproduction, Michael Kirby

Publications and Research

Taking both structural and thematic inspiration from Walter Benjamin’s “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,” this article posits that the movement from physical card catalogs to ALSs [Automated library systems] and ILSs [Integrated library systems] was not solely the result of technological progress. Rather, this transition had its genesis in a process Marx called primitive accumulation—in this case a form specific to the library profession. In other words, this article seeks to recast the history of digitized catalogs within libraries, seeing them, first and foremost, as harbingers of disenfranchisement and dispossession, specifically of catalogers. The article …

Coding With Those Who Show Up: Two Methodologies On Technical Committee Work, Mark E. Eaton

Publications and Research

This paper considers our library’s attempt at applying a “laissez-faire leadership” model to technical committee work. Since its introduction in the 1990s, scholarship on laissez-faire leadership has historically viewed the concept very negatively. However, we argue here that many of these perspectives are straw man arguments that do not adequately consider the possibilities of a laissez-faire model. Following some dissenting voices in the literature, we would like to reclaim the laissez-faire model as a way to facilitate library technical work under certain very specific circumstances. This paper will describe the organizational context where these laissez-faire methods worked for us. Our …

It’S So Liberating To Do The Work: Education In Archives Creates Space For People With Disabilities, Jen Hoyer, Julia Pelaez

Publications and Research

What are the barriers and possibilities archives education presents to the disabilities community? More specifically, how can archives education and teaching with primary sources provide opportunities for disabled students that they might not find in mainstream education settings? What matters when working with students with disabilities in archives, and what does it feel like to be a disabled educator in an archive? How can education in archives provide opportunities for vulnerability, connection, and liberation? Sharing a passion for the possibilities of education work in archives and special collections, Jen Hoyer and Julia Pelaez sat down for a conversation about these …

Bite-Size Market Research Tools: Micro Surveys And Usability Studies, Mark Aaron Polger

Publications and Research

Library marketing activities should always be informed with user data. When conducting market research, you don't need a large sample to see the "big" picture. Developing scalable micro assessments such as mini surveys, usability studies, interviews, and focus groups with only a few questions can add value to your library's marketing and outreach efforts. With quantitative research, you are expected to have a large sample. However, that is not the case when conducting market research. In this presentation, micro assessments will be shown to be more effective, easier to manage, and garners more responses than more lengthier surveys.

Evaluation Of Undergraduate Research Topic Skill Development, Vanessa Arce, Katelyn Angell

Publications and Research

Inspired by the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy frame Research as Inquiry, Lehman College Library conducted an assessment to measure its undergraduate students’ ability to formulate research questions that are appropriately scaled, encourage critical inquiry, and can be supported by available information resources. Using a sample of first-year students enrolled in an English composition class, the assessment revealed that students performed best at locating information resources and struggled most with scaling down a topic. Lessons learned from this study can be extrapolated to outside institutions to improve information literacy learning outcomes.

I Didn't Know You Could Do That In Alma!, Kristen Fredericksen

Publications and Research

Alma is constantly evolving, and it can be difficult to keep up with every feature. This session is a roundup of useful settings and tools in Alma that you may have missed. All areas of Alma functionality will be covered, including acquisitions, discovery, fulfillment, and resource management. Attendees are guaranteed to learn at least one new thing.

Alternatives To Commission On New Technology Uses Of Copyrighted Works (Contu) In Practice, Tokunbo A. Adeshina Jr, Silvia Cho

Publications and Research

In this panel discussion reviewed the 2020 White Paper, Modern Interlibrary Loan Practices: Moving beyond the CONTU Guidelines, with Laura Quilter, one of its co-authors. Three implementation cases where shared by speakers who have implemented alternative approaches to CONTU guidelines.

The News Is History: Building News Literacy Skills With Historic Primary Sources, Jen Hoyer

Publications and Research

The news is inescapable, and simultaneously headline-laden advertising-as-news follows us on scrolling video screens through public transit, at the gym, and on billboards lining the sidewalks. As the news and its lookalikes feel more and more omnipresent, the need for news literacy skills and their implementation feels more and more urgent. At the same time, continually morphing media platforms and news formats make it seem impossible to know: which of these things actually is the news? What’s most important for me to pay attention to?

What if, instead of teaching skills for understanding the next shiny news format, we turn …

Librarians Need Accomplices!, Robin Naughton Ph.D, Simone L. Yearwood

Publications and Research

The term “ally,” used to categorize a group of people from a dominant or majority group working to support marginalize people in the fight for justice is very active and well-known. Allies support without getting too involved or experiencing any trouble with their own life or profession. However, allies are not enough to fight for justice. People need to have accomplices, someone who will fight with them while the fight is happening, not stand idly by while injustices are being committed, and be an active partner and conspirator in the fight against racism, microaggressions, and injustice even if it means …

Cuny/Suny Alma Resource Sharing: A Review From Two Cuny Campuses, Tokunbo Adeshina, Silvia Cho

Publications and Research

On January 17, 2024, The City University of New York (CUNY) library system and the State University of New York (SUNY) library system went live with Alma Peer to Peer Resource Sharing partnership. This partnership significantly expanded CUNY and SUNY patrons’ ability to access materials easily and efficiently through their Onesearch interface, enabling them to browse through and request physical items from both library systems. Coming from a two-year community college and a graduate institution respectively at CUNY, the presenters shared their experiences and lessons learned in their different campus environments through this project. The discussion included initial concerns, priorities, …

Using Ifms To Pay For Lost Items, J. Silvia Cho

Publications and Research

In this presentation, I discuss using OCLC's IFMs (Interlibrary Loan Fee Management) to pay invoices for lost and damaged items borrowed via interlibrary loan. After starting with a discussion of the benefits and challenges of this method, I will share examples showing the process and how to check results. Using IFMs to pay invoices can help alleviate the time and transactional burdens of making such payments for interlibrary loan departments.

Change Is Possible: Implementing Assessment Of Library Instruction With The Help Of Change Management Theories, Carrie Jedlicka

Publications and Research

Kingsborough Community College Library was tasked with formally assessing our instructional sessions, in order to align with the college’s evaluation of students’ information literacy skills. We formed a working committee and soon realized that conducting assessment would necessitate that librarians make changes to their instructional work and routines. To make this transition more manageable and to help create buy-in among librarians, the committee has begun rolling out assessment incrementally, drawing inspiration from different change management models. This poster will describe the steps taken in our assessment’s soft launch, change management theories that we’ve found helpful, and our successes and challenges. …

Fostering Self-Reflection On Library Instruction: Testing A Peer Observation Instrument Focused On Questioning Strategies, Eric Silberberg

Publications and Research

This study demonstrates that a library instruction observation instrument can effectively foster critical self-reflection among academic library faculty and staff on their teaching practices. The paper outlines the instrument's design, which gathers low inference observations on instructors’ use of questioning as a pedagogical strategy based on recommendations from the LIS and education literature. To test and refine the instrument's design, the instructors’ utilised the instrument to collect data from classes taught by five participating instructors, who, during post-observation interviews, engaged in thoughtful reflections on their class planning, student participation, and teaching philosophy. They also provided valuable critiques of the usefulness …

Gender And Peer Review, Monica Berger

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Ebook Management In Ex Libris’ Alma: A Tale Of Two Workflows, Michelle Ehrenpreis, Sonali Sugrim

Publications and Research

In August 2020, CUNY transitioned to ExLibris’ Alma, a cloud-based Library Services Platform (LSP). Led by the Office of Library Services (OLS), the migration resulted in new processes to replace existing ones. This case study describes how Lehman College and Queens College, both part of CUNY, created new workflows for ordering, invoicing, activating, and cataloging eBooks in Alma. A new workflow for activating eBooks was also necessary because CUNY would now be using Ex Libris’ Primo VE, an upgraded discovery system. The article discusses the challenges of staff training and the role of the electronic resources librarian in designing and …

Library Publishing In The Global South: Research In Progress, Monica Berger

Publications and Research

Little is known about library publishing in the Global South which is varied in scale, format, and longevity. Library publishing is critical to the expansion of quality diamond open access that is robustly discoverable and properly preserved. The preliminary phase of a research project identified and analyzed Global South library publishers, and gathered data for publisher scale, geography, platform, format, and ethical best practices or other indications of external vetting.

Library Faith, Self-Care, And Academic Librarianship, John P. Delooper

Publications and Research

Librarianship has long been regarded as a service-oriented profession, compared with fields such as social work, teaching, nursing, and others with a high degree of emotional labor. The roots of this run deep, perhaps as far as Dewey, who spoke of a “library spirit,” which represented an extreme commitment to patron service. Dewey, who was obsessed with efficiency, both in his personal and professional life, created and popularized the American Library Association’s motto of “the best reading, for the largest number, at the least cost.” This motto, passed on as professional wisdom and taught in library schools for decades, was …

Beyond The Library: The Role Of Academic Libraries’ Chat Reference In Answering Campus Questions, Erin Owens, Vanessa Arce, Darcy Del Bosque, Robin Fowler, Silvia Sheffield

Publications and Research

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic drove most users online, chat was establishing itself as a core service for asking library-related questions of many types, from basic directional and reference to research queries of a more sophisticated nature. This investigation seeks to provide insight into how academic libraries are seen not only as a source of library assistance, but also as a means of filling an information gap on a wider subject: the university campus at large. The study’s methods involved analyzing chat transcripts from five large four-year public universities during a two-year period (2019- 2021), noting the frequency of campus-related …

Introduction, Predatory Publishing And Global Scholarly Communications (Chapter 1), Monica Berger

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Rachel Franks, Double Agent: A Librarian And A Crime Author - William Blick Interviews Rachel Franks (January 2024), William Blick

Publications and Research

The following is an interview from January 2024 with Librarian and Crime Scholar, Rachel Franks and was posted on the Captivating Criminality Blog:

Rachel Franks is the Coordinator, Scholarship at the State Library of New South Wales and an Honorary Associate Lecture at The University of Newcastle (Australia). She holds PhDs in Australian crime fiction (Central Queensland University) and in true crime texts (University of Sydney). A qualified educator and librarian, her extensive work on crime fiction, true crime, popular culture and information science has been presented at numerous conferences, as well as on radio and television. An award-winning …

Analysis Of Library School Syllabi Reveals Poor Design And Limited Content About Disability And Accessibility, Nandi Prince

Publications and Research

A Review of: Pionke, J. (2023). What are library graduate students learning about disability and accessibility? A syllabus analysis. Urban Library Journal, 29(1). https://academicworks.cuny.edu/ulj/vol29/iss1/2/