Library and Information Science Commons^™

Just Roll With It? Rolling Volumes Vs. Discrete Issues In Open Access Library And Information Science Journals, Jill Cirasella, Sally Bowdoin

Publications and Research

INTRODUCTION Articles in open access (OA) journals can be published on a rolling basis, as they become ready, or in complete, discrete issues. This study examines the prevalence of and reasons for rolling volumes vs. discrete issues among scholarly OA library and information science (LIS) journals based in the United States. METHODS A survey was distributed to journal editors, asking them about their publication model and their reasons for and satisfaction with that model. RESULTS Of the 21 responding journals, 12 publish in discrete issues, eight publish in rolling volumes, and one publishes in rolling volumes with an occasional special …

Scientific Communication Before And After Networked Science, John Carey

Publications and Research

Recent decades have seen extensive changes in how researchers in the sciences work. Online platforms enabled by Web 2.0 technologies (collectively known as “open” or “networked” science) have created multiple new channels for informal communications, revolutionizing the ways in which scientists collaborate and share results. Meanwhile, digitization and open access publishing have brought fundamental change to modes of publication and distribution for scientific journals. Yet the primary vehicle for the formal publication of results, the scientific article, has been much slower to alter in format. This paper will examine the functions that peer-reviewed journals have served within the scientific community …

Law Enforcement And The Mentally Ill: Thirty Years Of Police Literature, Jennifer Noe

Publications and Research

This study applies the methodology of content analysis to 30 years of law-enforcement literature to determine whether online access to scholarly research in social work and mental health made a difference in police policy toward the mentally ill. Keywords from the controlled vocabulary of these fields were found in the body of content analyzed prior to easily accessible online resources in 1997 , yet the number of articles on the subject grew from approximately one per year prior to 1998 to nearly five per year by 2011. The imprint of these two fields from outside of law enforcement was discernible …

Educational Uses For The Ipad, Philip G. Swan Jr.

Publications and Research

These are bullet points of a talk regarding iPad apps suitable for use in higher education.

Cuny Librarians And Faculty Status, John A. Drobnicki

Publications and Research

Although the libraries in what were then known as the City Colleges of New York were made academic departments in 1938, all of the librarians did not have faculty status until 1946, and faculty rank did not come until 1965.

Do You See The Signs? Evaluating Language, Branding, And Design In A Library Signage Audit, Amy F. Stempler, Mark Aaron Polger

Publications and Research

Signage represents more than directions or policies; it is informational, promotional, and sets the tone of the environment. To be effective, signage must be consistent, concise, and free of jargon and punitive language. An efficient assessment of signage should include a complete inventory of existing signage, including an analysis of the types of signs, its location, language, and its design. This article outlines the steps involved in a comprehensive signage audit, which along with a literature review, provides the foundation for creating a signage policy, best practices guidelines, and a branding strategy for future signage.

Cuny's Critical Thinking Skills Initiative: Redesigning Workforce Education Through Information Literacy Learning, Irene Gashurov, Ann Matsuuchi

Publications and Research

In the wake of the recent financial upheaval, there is a feeling in academia that colleges should pay more attention to what employers are saying; and the common concern of employers is that many new hires are coming out of college unprepared.

In job situations that demand approaching problems from a variety of perspectives, using innovative approaches to find solutions, and communicating effectively, employers said these recent graduates were coming up short. They called on educators “to teach [students] the analytical skills, the critical thinking skills and the communication skills that are necessary for almost every job in today’s economy.”

Using Web Analytics For Mobile Interface Development, Junior R. Tidal

Publications and Research

Libraries are developing mobile Web sites to keep up with the dynamic landscape of emerging technologies. However, the development of a mobile Web site is not as simple as serving the existing desktop Web site on a handheld device. Library developers can use analytics software to better understand users and to develop a user-centered mobile Web site. This case study explores the use of a library’s traditional desktop Web site’s analytics information in creating a mobile interface. 2 Although Web analytics can provide a great amount of information about users, data should be used as supplementary information. Usability testing, focus …

Developing Sustainable International Library Exchange Programs: The Cuny-Shanghai Library Faculty Exchange Model, Sheau-Yueh Janey Chao, Beth Evans, Ryan Phillps, Mark Aaron Polger, Beth Posner, Ellen Sexton

Publications and Research

This article describes the City University of New York ( CUNY)-Shanghai Librarian Faculty Exchange Program. By observing and working in academic library services at CUNY, Shanghai University (SU), and Shanghai Normal University (SNU), participants were able to teach and learn from their colleagues, bringing their experiences back to further share with their home library patrons, colleagues, and colleges.

Digital Content Curation And Why It Matters To Librarians, Steven Ovadia

Publications and Research

The article discusses the concept of digital content curation. The idea behind curation, sometimes called aggregation, is linking and/or excerpting the work of others. This has far-reaching impact in terms of evaluation and attribution.

The Role Of Big Data In The Social Sciences, Steven Ovadia

Publications and Research

This article explores the role of big data in the social sciences and reviews some online sources of large data sets.

When Social Media Meets Scholarly Publishing, Steven Ovadia

Publications and Research

This article looks at the impact of social media on scholarly publishing, including altmetrics, which examine the impact of scholarly work in a social media context.

Planning A Reading And Discussion Series In An Academic Library, Rebecca Arzola

Publications and Research

Planning a reading series for an academic library takes an initial investment of time, energy and attention to detail. When you consider all the elements involved with planning and executing a reading, the initial investment of time and effort to devise a smoothly run event series is well worth the results. It can be as creative a venture as you have time for. Do what is comfortable for you

Working With The Plateaued Employee, Janet Butler Munch

Publications and Research

As supervisors, middle managers may observe employees who have lost interest in their work, have become demotivated, or seem to be in a rut. This phenomenon can happen to even the most productive employees. Managers can help mitigate negative aspects by supporting their librarians, and helping them to make self-enhancing decisions for their continual professional growth and development.

Decentralized Expertise: The Evolution Of Community Forums In Technical Support, Steven Ovadia

Publications and Research

This chapter discusses the authority structures found within the community support forums of open and closed source operating systems (Linux, Windows, and OS X), demonstrating how, because of these forums, technical expertise is shifting away from the organizations responsible for creating these systems and into the community using them. One might expect this kind of migration within Linux communities, where in theory anyone can contribute to the code of the project, but it is also being seen in closed source projects, where only certain people, usually employees, have access to the underlying code that controls the operating system. In these …

Marketing Library Workshops: A Model For Achieving Popular And Critical Success, Catherine Stern, Alexandra Rojas, Elizabeth Namei

Publications and Research

While drop-in workshops can often be a vital and important component of academic library instruction programs (Manuel, 2003), it is an ongoing challenge to keep them fresh and to attract sufficient numbers of attendees to make the enterprise meaningful and worthwhile. Workshops offer an opportunity to raise the library's profile within the institution and be recognized for the work librarians do to support the college's mission. LaGuardia Community College Library has sought to achieve both popular (good attendance) and critical (enhanced college-wide recognition) success with its workshop series. The outreach initiatives described in this article brought us closer to both …

Using Web Analytics For Mobile Interface Development, Junior R. Tidal

Publications and Research

Libraries are developing mobile Web sites to keep up with the dynamic landscape of emerging technologies. Library web developers can use analytics software to better understand users and to develop a user-centered mobile Web site. Evidence based design decisions can drive mobile web interface development.

Who's Spinning The Library? Responsibilities Of Academic Librarians Who Promote, Mark Aaron Polger, Karen Okamoto

Publications and Research

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the responsibilities and challenges faced by academic librarians whose major responsibilities include the overall promotion of the library.

Design/methodology/approach

– A questionnaire was sent to seven library listservs asking respondents to describe their work duties, promotional activities, academic background, and professional challenges and concerns.

Findings

– This study garnered 215 responses. Respondents who completed the questionnaire identified as academic librarians whose major responsibilities include the overall promotion of the library. Librarians who promote face a plethora of challenges, including time restraints, lack of funding and limited support for their promotional …

The Use And Availability Of Environmental Activism Collections In Academic Archives, Amy F. Stempler

Publications and Research

This study seeks to reveal the current state of environmental research in academic special collections and archives, with an emphasis on materials associated with environmental activism. The use and availability of archival environmental activism collections were assessed in a two-fold process. The use of such collections was evaluated through a citation analysis of related research articles published in Environmental History, the premier scholarly journal in the field of environmental history. The citation analysis reviewed the prevalence of archival collections sourced, and examined citations by repository type and material type in order to gain insight into the kinds of items used …

Technology Innovations In Publishing: New Directions In Academic And Cultural Communication., Elisabeth Tappeiner, Kate Lyons

Publications and Research

Over time, publishing technologies have not only influenced how people read, but also how knowledge is evaluated and authority is established. Social and mobile technologies represent relatively recent developments that have transformed the trade publishing world, but the extent to which they have affected academic publishing remains an open question. This article examines the rapid and disruptive transformations in the trade and digital publishing world, discusses how these developments have already intersected with the work of academics and considers how these changes might continue to transform the dissemination of academic research in the future.

Cuny Librarians And Reassignment Leave: What Is It? How Do I Get It?, John A. Drobnicki

Publications and Research

Although librarians in CUNY had achieved Faculty Status by 1946 and Faculty Rank in 1965, they were still never put on the Faculty Calendar with the Summer (or its equivalent) off. Professional Reassignment leave for library faculty was added to the contract in 1978 as a two-week research leave, and it has since expanded to a maximum of six weeks. However, as Professional Reassignment leave increased, the amount of annual leave for new librarians decreased.

Queering The Catalog: Queer Theory And The Politics Of Correction, Emily Drabinski

Publications and Research

Critiques of hegemonic library classification structures and controlled vocabularies have a rich history in information studies. This project has pointed out the trouble with classification and cataloging decisions that are framed as objective and neutral but are always ideological and worked to correct bias in library structures. Viewing knowledge organization systems from a queer perspective, however, challenges the idea that classification and subject language can ever be finally corrected. Engaging queer theory and library classification and cataloging together requires new ways of thinking about how to be ethically and politically engaged on behalf of marginal knowledge formations and identities who …

Beyond Physical Space: Implementing A Virtual Learning Commons At An Urban Community College, Heba Elsayed, Carlos Guevara, Rebecca Hoda-Kearse, Isabel Li, Kate Lyons, George Rosa, Varun Sehgal

Publications and Research

The administration, faculty, and staff at Hostos Community College strive to improve students’ computer and information literacy skills while meeting the distinct needs of Millennials. In 2007, Hostos initiated a project to reconfigure physical spaces throughout the campus (areas in the Library, Academic Learning Center, Educational Technology Office, and Academic Computing Center) and establish a unified virtual space, creating a cross-divisional entity: the Information Learning Commons (ILC).

This case discusses the formation of the ILC Committee, the group that envisions and manages physical ILC spaces’ renovation and also develops virtual spaces; the planning and implementation of physical learning commons spaces; …

Positioning Library Data For The Semantic Web: Recent Developments In Resource Description, Kimmy Szeto

Publications and Research

Recent developments in resource description standards and technologies have aimed at moving cataloging practice to the web environment and making library data available for exchange and reuse on the Semantic Web. As the library community looks outward and forward, library standards and technologies are converging with Web practices in three areas: content description, data models, and data exchange. This article captures the essence of the core standards and technologies that underlie the daily work of practitioners of library service, including Resource Description and Access (RDA), Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR), the Linked Data environment, Resource Description Framework (RDF), and …

Making Higher Education More Affordable, One Course Reading At A Time: Academic Libraries As Key Advocates For Open Access Textbooks And Educational Resources, Karen Okamoto

Publications and Research

Open access textbooks (OATs) and educational resources (OERs) are being lauded as a viable alternative to costly print textbooks. Some academic libraries are joining the OER movement by creating guides to open repositories. Others are promoting OATs and OERs, reviewing them, and even helping to create them. This article analyzes how academic libraries are currently engaged in open access textbook and OER initiatives. By drawing on examples of library initiatives across the United States, the author illustrates how libraries are facilitating the adoption and implementation of these affordable resources.

Open Access To Scholarly Articles: Good Policies Ensure Good Practices, Jill Cirasella

Publications and Research

Open access (OA) to scholarly journal articles is now widely accepted as a good thing. However, it will not become the norm without policies promoting openness. This presentation looks at policies that ensure that hundreds of thousands of articles become OA every year.

Queer Housing Nacional Google Group: A Librarian’S Documentation Of A Community-Specific Resource, Shawn(Ta) Smith-Cruz

Publications and Research

Beginning with a discussion of information access and its relationship to communities, this article is a first-person experience for creating a community-specific information resource, a queer housing listserv called Queer Housing Nacional. Written as a case study for how librarians may apply their skills to community as well as document the journey of this time capsuled listserv, one may find that this listserv may complicate librarianship’s promotion of open access, instead, encouraging closed participatory group structures, with collective distributions of power. Included are multiple email exchanges from the listserv, as well as Appendices of survey questions, notable responses, and …

Open Access To Scholarly Literature: Which Side Are You On?, Jill Cirasella

Publications and Research

Open access (OA) to scholarly literature recently hit a major milestone: Half of all research articles published become open access, either immediately or after an embargo period. Are the articles you read among them? What about the articles you write? Are the journals to which you submit open-access friendly? What about the journals for which you peer review? Are there any reasons why the public should not have access to the results of taxpayer-funded research?

This presentation explains the motivation for OA, describes the details of OA, and differentiates between publishing in open access journals (“gold” OA) and self-archiving works …

Like A Hurricane: A Citation Analysis Of Emergency Management Scholarly Literature, Jennifer Noe, Julia M. Furay

Publications and Research

This bibliometric study used citation analysis to uncover citing characteristics in the burgeoning academic field of emergency management. Of the 281 degree programs listed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency nationwide, those at community colleges accounted for 17 percent of the total. Using the interdisciplinary database of Academic Search Complete, a sample of 5,099 citations was collected from 146 articles published between 2002 and 2012. The most strongly represented disciplines revealed by the analysis were Social Science, Science/Technology and Medicine. A majority of citations (45%) came from academic journals, with nearly half (44%) of those from Social Science. When citing …

Local Connections To Global Collections: The Power Of Interlibrary Loan Services, Beth Posner

Publications and Research

Interlibrary loan services facilitate access to both print and digital information, be it from other libraries nearby or from around the world. ILL librarians and staff members also provide integrated, or global, access to library and information services, in general. They help patrons discover holdings in their own local collections, online open access material, and items available only for purchase from publishers or booksellers. By working closely with colleagues in other libraries, and despite copyright and license restrictions on the sharing of information, as well as limits in budget and staffing, library resource sharing specialists offer both global information and …