Scholarly Communication Commons^™

Character Demographic Assessment In An Academic Library's Graphic Novel Collection: Implications For Collection Development, Bridgette L. Whitt

The Southeastern Librarian

This article presents an analysis of the main character demographics across a graphic novel collection housed at the Paul Meek Library, University of Tennessee at Martin. The study evaluates the presence of specific identified character traits such as race, ethnicity, ability, emotional or psychological themes, and the settings of the 451 evaluated titles. The assessment also evaluates the genre distribution of fiction, nonfiction, and biographical content and how often the novels were set outside of the United States. The goal of this study was to better understand the narrative scope and representation within the graphic novel collection, with a focus …

The President's Column, Laura Slavin

The Southeastern Librarian

SELA President Laura Slavin's column for the Spring 2026 issue of the Southeastern Librarian

Mob Rule In The Ozarks: The Missouri And North Arkansas Railroad Strike, 1921-1923, Kristine Stilwell

The Southeastern Librarian

Author: Kenneth C. Barnes

Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 2025

ISBN: 9781682262627

304 pp., $24.95 (Pbk)

Building Community At An Academic Library With Bilingual Story Trails, Laura Bright, Janice S. Lewis

The Southeastern Librarian

A story trail is an activity that combines exercise and literacy as visitors read sequentially displayed book pages while walking. Story trails are often set up outdoors along existing paths and feature rotating selections of children’s picture books. Many story trails are set up and maintained by community groups, public libraries, or schools. Academic libraries can use story trails as opportunities to promote literacy, foster a sense of local community, support families, and encourage healthy habits. The authors of this article use City of Greenville (North Carolina) StoryWalks® created by staff at East Carolina University’s Joyner Library as an example …

Chet Atkins: Mr. Guitar, David W. Young

The Southeastern Librarian

Author: Don Cusic

Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2025

ISBN: 9780820373393

464 pp. $24.13 (Hbk)

Cultural Humility In Libraries: A Call To Action And Strategies For Success, Megan Callaghan

The Southeastern Librarian

Authors: Shannon D. Jones & Beverly Murphy, eds.

Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2024

ISBN: 9781538162156

196 pp. $39.95 (Pbk)

News From The States, Blake Denton

The Southeastern Librarian

Library news reports from SELA member states

From Print To Pixels: Preserving Alabama’S Historic Newspapers Through Digitization, David Ferrara, Melissa Young

The Southeastern Librarian

This article presents a case study of the Alabama Digital Newspaper Project (ALDNP), a grant-funded initiative to digitize Alabama’s historic newspapers. It outlines the establishment and history of ALDNP, including its accomplishments, and the challenges faced and overcome by University of Alabama Libraries Special Collections (UALSC) staff. This case study details ALDNP’s workflows, including title selection, metadata creation, technical standards, and microfilm digitization. This article also highlights outreach efforts, including collaborations with regional archives, student workers, and community educators. In addition to providing details on the accomplishments of ALDNP, it also outlines potential areas for growth and expansion. Detailing a …

Editor's Notes, John H. Barnett

The Southeastern Librarian

The Southeastern Librarian editor's column for the Spring 2026 issue

Sela Leadership: Officers, Executive Committee, State Representatives, Committees, Sections, Round Tables, And Ad Hoc Committees, John H. Barnett

The Southeastern Librarian

List of SELA Officers, Executive Committee, State Representatives, Committees, Sections, Round Tables, and Ad Hoc Committees for the Spring 2026 issue

Medical Journals As Complex Adaptive System (Cas) Reports: Reframing Journals As Structured Detection, Interpretation, And Feedback Systems In Healthcare, James Espinosa, Alan Lucerna

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background Healthcare operates as a complex adaptive system (CAS) characterized by distributed agents, nonlinear interactions, and emergent behavior. Effective adaptation depends on mechanisms capable of detecting and redistributing signals from across the system.

Objective To conceptualize the medical journal as a structured CAS report and to examine its role in supporting system awareness among clinicians.

Conceptual Model Recurring journal sections—including original research, reviews, editorials, clinical cases, perspectives, humanities, and letters—function as distinct sensing and signaling channels. Together, they provide a multi-dimensional representation of system activity.

Implications Journals serve not only as repositories of knowledge but as adaptive communication nodes that …

Sharing Research Posters With The World: Clinical Education Posters Can Demonstrate Global Diffusion And Conceptual Portability--Evidence From Readership Maps, James Espinosa, Alan Lucerna

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background

Traditional academic metrics emphasize citation counts and journal impact factors as measures of scholarly influence. These metrics often overlook the early and informal diffusion of ideas across global clinical communities. Educational posters and case-based teaching materials frequently circulate through digital repositories, yet little attention has been paid to how readership analytics may illuminate patterns of knowledge diffusion across healthcare systems.

Objective

To explore the concept of conceptual portability and to introduce readership mapping as a framework for understanding how clinical ideas travel across diverse global contexts.

Methods

We examined readership analytics from an institutional digital repository hosting clinical posters …

Writing As A Process Of Inquiry In Autoethnography For Meaning-Making: Reflections And Some Points For Consideration, Niroj Dahal

The Qualitative Report

This article explores writing as a process of inquiry and meaning-making in the autoethnographic tradition, offering reflections on the recursive, emergent, and dialogical/dialectical nature of writing, along with some points for consideration. Drawing on perspectives from qualitative research and narrative inquiry (Riessman, 2008), I argue that autoethnographic writing serves as a method of inquiry and/or discovery, generating ontological, epistemological, and axiological-driven cultural meaning that functions as a site of reflection, interrogation, and re-storying of lived experiences. This recursive, often messy, and reflexive act allows researchers to excavate, analyze, and interpret their lived experiences. Rather than viewing writing as a final-stage …

Reforming Academic Publishing To Support The Sustainable Development Goals: A Call For Leadership, Seán Lacey

Publications

Paywalls and high article processing charges in academic publishing restrict access to scientific knowledge, limiting who can produce, use, and benefit from research. These barriers disproportionately affect researchers and institutions in low- and middle-income countries, reinforcing global inequalities in research capacity and evidence-informed policymaking. Addressing these challenges requires determined system leadership to reform funding models, expand equitable open access pathways, and ensure publicly funded research is freely available. Without coordinated action, the promise of inclusive, globally shared scientific progress central to the Sustainable Development Goals will remain unrealised.

The Impact Of State And Federal Policies On Academic Researchers: Findings From A National Survey, Dylan Ruediger, Chelsea Mccracken, Jonathan Barefield

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

Key findings

● State and federal policies targeting divisive concepts or DEI are shaping research agendas at scale and across disciplines. Twenty percent of all respondents, and 29 percent of researchers working in states with divisive concepts or similar laws, reported having avoided certain research topics because of state laws and policies.

● Eight percent of respondents representing a wide range of disciplines reported having had a federal grant cancelled in 2025.

● Eleven percent of respondents reported that federal and state policies restricting research activities are compelling them to seek employment out of state, to leave the academy, or …

Book Review: Social Justice Design And Implementation In Library And Information Science Edited By Bharat Mehra, Ellie F. Kawada

School of Information Student Research Journal

Social Justice Design and Implementation in Library and Information Science, edited by Bharat Mehra, is an engaging volume that explores the pursuit of social justice in its many forms in the field of Library and Information Science (LIS). The included chapters cover case studies of social justice implementation in library services, theoretical frameworks for subversive methods of research and education, and the future of library advocacy for social justice. While the volume is centered on English-speaking countries and lacks the perspective of paraprofessional library staff, the themes and examples presented in the book are invaluable to any LIS students, professionals, …

Decolonizing The Academic Library: Examining The Successful Indigenization Of Ubc And Unm’S Library Services, Emily T. Villars

School of Information Student Research Journal

This article examines decolonization and indigenization initiatives at two academic libraries: the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the University of New Mexico (UNM). It asks how these institutions have implemented indigenization in their libraries and what lessons can inform broader reconciliation work across North America. Through a comparative lens, it analyzes how national and organizational frameworks, such as the Canadian Federation of Library Associations (CFLA-FCAB) Truth and Reconciliation Report and Recommendations and the American Indian Library Association’s (AILA) organizational goals, can shape these efforts. The study highlights three core strategies: decolonizing access and classification, transforming library spaces, and expanding …

Book Review: Academic Librarian Burnout: Causes And Responses Edited By Christina Holm, Ana Guimaraes, And Nashieli Marcano, Brianna Gaffney

School of Information Student Research Journal

No abstract provided.

A Reflection On Research Limitations And Conclusions, Pearl Kim

School of Information Student Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Letter From The Dean: Research As A Way Of Becoming, Mehrdad Aliasgari

School of Information Student Research Journal

No abstract provided.

How Journal Editors Are Addressing Challenges With No-Fee Open Access, Colleen Lyon, Christopher Hollister

All Things Open

No-fee or “diamond” open access embodies the principles of the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science, particularly openness, inclusivity, and collaboration. This model of publishing strengthens equitable access to knowledge, promotes multilingualism, and democratizes science.

Unique among open access models, no-fee open access eliminates both APCs and subscription fees, making it completely free for both authors and readers. This model is often funded by academic institutions, governments, or non-profit organizations, focusing on equity, inclusivity, and accessibility.

To investigate the efficacy of this model, the presenters administered a survey of North American no-fee journal editors to explore the challenges of managing no-fee …

Greenaissance? Zero-Embargo Funder Mandates And Green Open Access, Josh Cromwell

All Things Open

Recently, several funder-driven Open Access mandates, such as Plan S in Europe or the NIH Public Access Policy in the US, have indicated a desire to shift away from allocating funds for article processing charges (APCs) and have instead called for significantly reducing or eliminating embargo periods on accepted manuscripts (AMs) to make them a viable pathway to compliance for researchers.

This talk will address how these policies can significantly revitalize Green Open Access and open repositories, and will discuss strategies for researchers and librarians to use these new policy changes as an opportunity to share their research openly without …

Make It Make Cents: Creating A Rubric To Evaluate Potential Read-And-Publish Agreements, Olivia Chin, Luke Mcdonald

All Things Open

Negotiating read-and-publish agreements for institutions can be tricky! There are many different aspects to consider: cost, publisher ethics, publishing data, open access discounts, etc. How do you decide which agreements to choose? What are your dealbreakers? In the summer of 2025, the License Negotiation Team from the University of Tennessee Knoxville Libraries created a rubric to evaluate potential read-and-publish agreements with vendors. The rubric allowed us to prioritize our principled negotiations approach and standardize how we approach these decisions. This presentation will demonstrate how academic libraries can create and implement rubrics to address the publishing criteria most important within their …

Exploring The Landscape Of Indian Library And Information Science Journals: A Bibliometric Perspective On Publication Productivity And Authorship Patterns, Shiva Kumara S U, Sampath Kumar Bt

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The present study aims to ascertain the publication productivity, authorship patterns, and the Degree of collaboration in two Indian Library and Information Science (LIS) journals. The related data was extracted from two LIS journals viz., “Annals of Library and Information Studies” (ALIS) and “DESIDOC Journal of Library & Information Technology” (DJLIT). The study findings show that there is a gradual decline in the number of publications published in both journals from 2015 to 2022. It is also noticed that collaborative research is on the rise in LIS literature and two-authored papers are the most common. The average degree of collaboration …

Jumping Into The Deep End: Lessons Learned From Editing A Book About Open Movements, Abbey K. Elder, Bryan T. Ricupero, Shannon M. Smith

All Things Open

In 2023, we had a great idea: let’s make an open access book about open movements! Little did we know, this experience would change us all as we learned and grew alongside the authors who contributed to our volume, Open Movements: Recognizing Challenges and Building Connections.

Open Movements is about a lot of things: it’s about the institutional initiatives that support open scholarship, the vendors and programs that connect practitioners to the ideals of openness, and the barriers we run into when we try to communicate all that “Open” can be. Despite coming from separate institutions with backgrounds spanning …

Free To Read, Free To Publish: Library Publishing And Global Scholarly Communication, Jonathan D. Grunert

All Things Open

Open access is a right exercised by scholars and their institutions, not a privilege granted by publishers. From this perspective, library publishing is not peripheral to the open access movement but a necessary extension, and when libraries take on publishing roles, they reclaim functions long outsourced to commercial actors and re-center scholarly communication within academic communities. The partnership among libraries, institutions, and researchers is foundational to the production, evaluation, and sharing of knowledge. Library publishing shows that open access can be sustainable and scholar-driven without reliance on paywalls, article processing charges, or exclusivity.

Since 2014, library publishing has evolved from …

Addressing Legal Uncertainties In Article Versions And Institutional Copyright Policies To Support Immediate Public Access To Federal Grant-Funded Publications, Yuanxiao Xu

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

New federal public access policies—mandated by the 2022 OSTP Memo and already adopted by several key federal grant-making agencies—require authors funded by federal grants to deposit peer-reviewed publications for immediate public access. This paper explains how grant- receiving institutions and their affiliated authors can dispel legal uncertainties and comply with the new public access policies. Section I delineates how valid prior licenses enable public deposit of manuscripts notwithstanding later publishing agreements transferring copyright to the journals. Section II discusses the different versions of a manuscript created during the publication process. Section III describes the different types of third-party contributions incorporated …

Cuny Academic Works: What It Is And Why You Should Submit Your Works, Jojo Karlin

Publications and Research

CUNY Academic Works was launched in 2014 to serve the faculty, staff, and students of CUNY. The root of this open access institutional repository was a response to the Budapest Open Access Initiative of 2002, which led to a CUNY University Faculty Senate Resolution in 2011. These slides were used in a presentation given at Lehman College and were developed from a presentation given at La Guardia Community College.

Building A Better Landscape For Research Dissemination, Scott Horowitz

Chemistry and Biochemistry: Faculty Scholarship

Let’s take a moment to think about where we’ve come to in scientific publishing. Once upon a time, journals and their publishers played an absolutely critical role in science’s growth and successes.  Many journal publishers are for-profit enterprises, and they still want to make profits even if they no longer serve an important purpose. By controlling the information, they can still force people to pay for services that are obsolete and manipulate the system in ways that stymie progress to maintain their market. Open access did not have the power to change this. Altogether, things are in bad shape. I …

Resources To Support Research And Scholarly Communication Processes, Tracy Cole

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

This is a presentation by Tracy Cole who co-presented with Clista Clanton at the request of the Office of Research during the 2026 Responsible Conduct of Research training series. Their presentations covered the topic of USA Institutional Resources to Support Research and the Scholarly Communication Processes.

Knowing what institutional resources are available to support research and scholarly communication processes are not always apparent. This presentation highlights platforms that support open access archiving of scholarly products (JagWorks), and  also discusses publishing trends and what transformative agreements are available to help open access publishing be more equitable and accessible to the USA …