Archival Science Commons^™

Pathways To Discovery For Lgbtq+ Archival Materials: An Analysis Of Discovery Tools And Descriptive Quality In Online Finding Aids, Ashlee Dale Parker, Mlis

SLIS Connecting

This study investigated and assessed the availability of online archival finding aids and descriptive metadata for LGBTQ+ materials at research universities in the Southeastern United States.

A Quantitative Analysis Of Digitized Archival Collections From Mississippi’S Public Universities, Sarah Parrish, Mlis

SLIS Connecting

This study provides a quantitative analysis of the digitized archival collections made available online by public, 4-year universities in Mississippi to determine how many collections have been digitized and to reveal which topics are most represented in digitized archival materials.

Archives And Cemeteries, Jeffery Hirschy, Ph.D.

SLIS Connecting

After a conversation on alternative definitions of archives in LIS 646: Introduction to Archival Theory, Mandy Hornsby, of the Biloxi Public Library, invited classmates to a tour of the Old Biloxi Cemetery in Biloxi, Mississippi. These types of valuable experiences offer connecting with students and fostering a sense of community here at the School of Library and Information Science.

Poster Presentation, Sarah Williams, Stacy Creel, Ph.D.

SLIS Connecting

Posters are an important part of scholarly and professional communication. In an effort to encourage students at the School of Library & Information Science to be active participants in these types of events, students may participate in an optional student symposium, but they are required to create research posters in their capstone LIS 695. These are helpful resources and recent examples.

From The Gas: Congratulations, Publications, Presentations, Stacy Creel, Ph.D., Teresa S. Welsh, Ph.D.

SLIS Connecting

Words from the SLIS graduate assistants about what makes being a SLIS GA "a good thing" beyond the job duties: outreach, office work, recruitment, teaching, research, data collection, transcribing, course preparation, and social media creation. News, updates, and congratulations from students, alumni, and faculty.

Spotlights: Faculty, Alum, Kaigler Children's Book Festival, Stacy Creel, Ph.D.

SLIS Connecting

Dr. Sarah Mangrum joined the School of Library and Information Science faculty at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) as an Assistant Teaching Professor in Fall 2021. Carlos B. Crockett, Reference Library at the Terrebonne Parish Main Library earned his Master’s in Library and Information Science at The University of Southern Mississippi (2013). A star-studded Virtual 2022 Fay B. Kaigler Children’s Book Festival takes place on April 6-8, 2022 with Brian Selznick (Medallion winner), Jen Bryant, Nic Stone and Angie Thomas, Lesa Cline-Ransome and James Ransome, Raúl the Third, Eric L. Tribunella and Donna Washington.

Slis Director's Report, Stacy Creel, Ph.D.

SLIS Connecting

Welcome to the Fall/Winter issue of SLIS Connecting. Since Dr. Welsh’s retirement in August of 2021, it has been a busy and exciting fall and start of the spring semesters with the return to in-person activities on campus and continued growth and productivity in SLIS.

Slis Connecting, Volume 10, Issue 1, Spring/Summer 2021, Stacy Creel, Ph.D., Teresa S. Welsh Ph.D.

SLIS Connecting

No abstract provided.

The History And Current Challenges Of Libraries In Japan, Francis A. Alix

SLIS Connecting

Japan's libraries have many positive attributes and continue to evolve. However, many library sectors struggle with serving users because of staff outsourcing, library leadership, and a focus on circulation statistics that prevent them from developing into 21st-century information and community centers. This paper reviews the history and current status of each library sector, including their services and staffing. It then examines their current challenges and how professionalism, librarian education, and community engagement are the main challenges to their success and suggests recommendations to elevate them to compete in the global arena.

Locating Banned Books: A Collection Analysis Of Libraries In Arkansas And Tennessee, Floyce Thomas

SLIS Connecting

No library can make everything available to its patrons. However, libraries should adhere to the American Library Association (ALA) for guidance on what items are banned from the library's collections. Censorship and intellectual freedom have gained attention for how it affects libraries and the restraints it individualized for banned or forbidden items. Difficulties are characterized as formal, composed complaints recorded with a library or school asking for specific materials to be expelled from view because the substance may not be considered appropriate for the users.

The purpose of this study is to compare a selected set of previously banned books …

Reaching Out: A Publication Trend Analysis Of Scholarly Articles Discussing Graphic Novels And Reluctant Or Struggling Readers, Mary Kirkham

SLIS Connecting

Graphic novels combine short text and pictures to tell a story or convey information while still engaging the reader visually. This is a potentially useful tool for reaching out to struggling and reluctant readers. Struggling readers have difficulty reading and understanding what it is they are reading. Pictures allow for more context clues than just text alone, allowing for the potential for greater success in comprehension for struggling readers. Reluctant readers, on the other hand, may have more of a distaste for reading. In some cases, they are capable of understanding what they read, but they do not enjoy the …

Ethics And Cyber Libraries: Challenges Facing The Values And Ethics In Lis, Jessica Omer

SLIS Connecting

Cyber libraries face many challenges when it comes to access. These challenges can lead to cyber libraries failing in following the guidelines for the values and ethics of the LIS professional. Some authors have argued that cyber libraries are the future of libraries. They argue that patrons want information immediately at their fingertips. The fact that library budgets are shrinking and electronic sources can be cheaper cause many libraries to lean more towards the idea of cyber libraries. However, while digital libraries do have their advantages, they are not perfect. We live in a time where librarians have their feet …

Out-Of-Print Books As E-Books: A Collection Analysis, Mary Frances Calix

SLIS Connecting

In recent years, archival institutions have begun to digitally archive or preserve the items in their collections. This way, items are more accessible to those wanting to perform research but not necessarily handle the original documents and are not likely to be permanently damaged. One example of a digital preservation project is the one that forms the basis for this paper- the Oklahoma Historical Society's collection of out-of-print historical books that have been made available as e-books. Created over three years ago, this collection contains 22 books about Oklahoma and Texas history. The original publication dates of the books cover …

Thriving Places, Thriving People: A Look At Usm's Master Of Library And Information Science, Karlie Herndon

SLIS Connecting

Article in Arete (Winter 2020/21, p. 9-11) featuring two recent MLIS graduates, Carrie Pennington Mastley and Laura Valliant. Reprinted with permission from USM Graduate School.

From The Gas: Congratulations, Publications, Presentations, Teresa S. Welsh Ph.D.

SLIS Connecting

News and congratulations from SLIS Director and Graduate Assistants for student, alumni, and faculty accomplishments, publications, and presentations.

Spotlights: Faculty, Alumna, Kaigler Children's Book Festival, Stacy Creel, Ph.D.

SLIS Connecting

Spotlighting SLIS Faculty Dr. Laura Clark Hunt, SLIS alum Floyce Thomas, and the Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival.

Slis Director's Report, Teresa S. Welsh Ph.D.

SLIS Connecting

News and updates from Southern Miss School of Library and Information Science Director, Dr. Teresa Welsh.

The Reading Room Goes Virtual: Retooling First Year Experience Class Encounters With Archives And Primary Sources In The Wake Of Covid-19, Deedee Baldwin, Jessica Perkins Smith, Melody Dale

The Primary Source

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Fall of 2020, Mississippi State University librarians who taught archives-based First Year Experience classes had to make significant changes to their syllabi. In addition to the classes no longer meeting in the library itself, activities like archival visits, interactions with the physical materials, scavenger hunts, group projects, and games had to be replaced with in-class assignments and projects based on items available in the digital collections. Ultimately, the semester, with all of the stress and unknowns that came with it, gave instructors an opportunity to try new strategies, to increase students’ …

Volume 9, Issue 2, Fall/Winter 2020/21, Stacy Creel Ph.D., Teresa S. Welsh Ph.D.

SLIS Connecting

SLIS Connecting refereed open-access e-journal, Volume 9, Issue 2 (Fall/Winter 2020/21)

The Value Of Local Authors: A Survey Of The Mission Statements And Submission Guidelines Of Local Author Collections, Rachel Mcmullen

SLIS Connecting

This research examines the mission statements and submission guidelines of local author collections in public libraries to determine in what ways these collections emphasize the communities they represent, the extent to which all members of the community are represented by the collection, and how these collections are accessed by the community.

The Natchez Museum Of African American History And Culture, Danielle A. Terrell

SLIS Connecting

The Natchez Association for the Preservation of African American History and Culture (NAPAC) is a repository of local history that spotlights the life of black citizens from the turn of the century to the modern-day. What makes the NAPAC Museum unique is that it collects history that is only native to Natchez, Mississippi. The rich heritage of the African American culture is interpreted through artifacts and other relics that allow one to focus on what was then and what is now. The purpose of this study is to document the collections, organization, events, and degree of digitization of the museum.

Exploring Data Mining Research In West Africa: A Bibliometric Analysis, Oladosu O. Oladimeji, Olayanju O. Oladimeji

SLIS Connecting

This research paper's main objective is to quantify and analyze the research output of data mining in West Africa, including (1) growth in publications as measured by the Relative Growth Rate (RGR) and Doubling Time (Dt), (2) productivity and quantification of research output for different institutions of the region (West Africa).

A De Grummond Primer: Highlights Of The Children’S Literature Collection, Ellen Hunter Ruffin

SLIS Connecting

The first book-length project on the Collection, edited by Carolyn J. Brown, Ellen Hunter Ruffin, and Eric L. Tribunella, includes unique aspects of the holdings in scholarly essays written by children’s literature “notables.” Along with over ninety full-color images, the book examines the Collection’s strengths: Fairy tales, 19^th Century periodicals, African American children’s literature, the Golden Age of illustrated books, early books for children, and many more.

From The Gas: Congratulations, Publications, Presentations, The University Of Southern Mississippi

SLIS Connecting

News and congratulations from SLIS Graduate Assistants for student, alumni, and faculty accomplishments, publications, and presentations.

Spotlights: Faculty, Alumna, And Courses, Stacy Creel Ph.D.

SLIS Connecting

Spotlighting SLIS Faculty Ms. Ashley Marshall, SLIS alum Angie Manfredi, and elective courses LIS 445/545SL: Information Needs of Underserved Populations, a service-learning course.

Slis Director's Report, Teresa S. Welsh Ph.D.

SLIS Connecting

News and updates from Southern Miss School of Library and Information Science Director, Dr. Teresa Welsh.

Volume 9, Issue 1, Spring/Summer 2020, Stacy Creel, Ph.D., Teresa S. Welsh Ph.D.

SLIS Connecting

SLIS Connecting refereed open-access e-journal, Volume 9, Issue 1 (Spring/Summer 2020)

Public Health At The Public Library: Preventive Health Programs Implemented In Large Public Libraries, Uday Aj Patil

SLIS Connecting

Amid the opioid epidemic and COVID-19 pandemic, the public sector is consumed with health promotion and disease prevention. Preventive programs serve a significant purpose in ensuring population health and reducing burden on the healthcare system (Cohen et al., 2008; Neumann & Cohen, 2009). People are increasingly turning to educational resources outside of the traditional healthcare sector to ward off diseases or alleviate pre-existing conditions (Eakin et al., 1980; Eng et al., 1998). Public library systems often carry such resources, in print and multimedia form, at no cost. Some libraries are providing health programming to supplement, contextualize, or incentivize the use …

The Medical Library Association’S Role In Disseminating Information Related To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Michele Buscher

SLIS Connecting

The Medical Library Association (MLA) has been part of the library and information science field since 1898 (The Medical Library Association, 2020). According to the website, the mission of the organization is to promote library and information science knowledge and make it available and accessible to medical information specialists and the general public. This content analysis examines the Medical Library Association’s (MLA) role in the 2019/2020 COVID-19 public health crisis, specifically the ways in which the MLA has provided resources about the pandemic to libraries and librarians as well as the public.

An Analysis Of Library Closures And Covid-19: Are U.S. Libraries Closing Due To The Covid-19 Pandemic?, Garrett W. Jennings, Msls

SLIS Connecting

As of March 20, 2020, there have been 15,219 reported cases of COVID-19 in the United States of America (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2020b; Pan American Health Organization [PAHO], 2020). There are 16,568 public library buildings in the United States (American Library Association, 2019). Since they are community centers and publicly owned institutions, libraries are charged with ensuring that their patrons are taken care of and that they are serving their communities to the best of their ability.

The purpose of this study is to examine the rate of COVID-19 infections reported to the CDC in the …