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 …

Advancing Research Appointments: Enhancing Patron Satisfaction Through Assessment, Kytt Everdeen Moore, Tera A. Ray, Laura B. Wright

The Southeastern Librarian

As research appointments continue to be a service offered across reference departments, it is important to regularly assess their effectiveness at meeting patrons’ needs and to seek improvement. To do this, patrons were surveyed after scheduling a research appointment to understand their reasons for scheduling an appointment, preferred formats, expectations, knowledge gained, and overall satisfaction. The findings revealed that most patrons were students, and the most common way to learn about appointments was from instructors. Patrons primarily scheduled appointments online, citing convenience and location as main reasons for their choice. Their main expectation was to learn effective search strategies. Recommendations …

Evaluating And Supporting Transformative Agreements: Five Institutional Perspectives In Discussion, Anna R. Craft, Peggy Kain, Danica Lewis, Camille Mccutcheon, William Joseph Thomas

Libraries Professional Work

Transformative—or Read and Publish—deals are impacting the open access (OA) publishing landscape, allowing libraries to test new models for funding and incentivizing OA publishing, while also providing direct benefits for authors, including discounts and waivers on article processing charges (APCs). But how sustainable are transformative deals in light of library materials budgets and workloads for personnel who negotiate these deals, manage the implementations, and support campus authors? And how can libraries evaluate the perceived value of these deals in relation to the specific needs of their institutional users?

Enhancing Access And User Engagement Through The Implementation Of The Library Mobile App, Kebede H. Wordofa

The Southeastern Librarian

Mobile applications (apps) are prevalent across all sectors, including libraries. Today, libraries are in-creasingly adopting mobile technologies to enhance the delivery of resources and services to smartphone and tablet users (Singh & Madhusudhan, 2023). This article presents a case study of the implementation of the Ex Libris Library Mobile App by the Woodward Library at Austin Peay State University (APSU) to improve access to library resources, enhance service delivery, and promote user interaction. The article discusses the app platform, design features, the app’s benefits, and the various resources and services made available through the app. It also highlights the app …

Library Experience Day: Fostering Student Engagement And Recruitment Through A Community Partnership, Melissa Dennis, Amanda T. Osborne

The Southeastern Librarian

This study explores the creation of a community engaged partnership between a university librarian and high school librarian. The article underscores the significance of university-school collaborations in ad-vancing K-12 education, offering insights for academic and educational institutions seeking to strength-en community engagement and recruitment initiatives. The authors discuss how the collaboration helped bolster an academic library’s strategic initiative to foster community engagement, particularly with local K-12 schools, and advance college readiness skills for area students. Collaborating with four high school librarians, the authors designed an interactive day on campus with activities and tours high-lighting the diverse roles within an academic …

Pdxscholar Multi-Year Annual Report (2022-2024), Julia Stone, Sherry Buchanan, Bertrand Robinson, Stacey Schlatter, Carolee Harrison

Library Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

We are excited to share our 2022-2024 PDXScholar Multi-Year Annual Report. This multi-year report covers the period between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2024. PDXScholar, Portland State University's institutional repository, provides access to the scholarly and creative output of PSU faculty, students, and staff. In this report, we aim to highlight PDXScholar’s growth and impact through readership data, new content and collections, and feedback from our users.

Usability, Visibility, And Style: Libguides Usability Testing To Support Students’ Needs, Tera A. Ray

The Southeastern Librarian

The study aimed to discover the level of knowledge students have regarding LibGuides, the preferred navigational layout, and how students use guides to conduct research. Ten undergraduate students par-ticipated in a mixed-methods study consisting of semi-structured interviews and usability tasks. The study revealed that the usability test was the first time any of the participants had interacted with a guide, resulting in data free from bias or previous experience. Participants did not exhibit a clear prefer-ence for navigation style, and an emphasis was placed on the importance of an aesthetically pleasing design and a functional search bar. The study's findings …

Accessibility In The Academic Library: Assessing The Web Accessibility Of Neflin Member Library Websites, Cody Michaels

Publications

Web accessibility has been a topic of discussion in organizations for decades. Much ink, physical and digital, has been spilled urging developers, designers, and web administrators to build their online environment so that users of all abilities can access their content. Despite this, web accessibility remains out of reach across swathes of the Internet. The organization WebAIM conducts annual studies reviewing the accessibility of the 1,000,000 most popular websites’ homepages.1 The results for 2025 found that these pages had an average of 51 errors per page. While this represents a decrease from the previous year, there remains much work to …

The Decline Of The Traditional Reference Desk: How Library Reference At Francis Marion University Is Adjusting To The Shifting Trend Compared To Other Academic Libraries, Bernadette Johnson

The Southeastern Librarian

In a world of advanced technology, traditional reference faces the ever-increasing challenge to maintain its relevance and significance. Statistics show a drastic decline in reference desk transactions in academic libraries nationwide over the last few decades. As academic libraries around the nation are now transforming their services to adjust to the changing needs of today’s library users, how does the Reference department at Francis Marion University compare to its peers in keeping pace with this trend?

“1st Amendment Rights, Baby!”: Banned Books Week On A College Campus, Abigail E. Higgins, Carrie D. Hill, Piper L. Cumbo

Alabama Libraries

Since 2021, the American Library Association has reported a marked increase in the number of book challenges in the United States. Public and school libraries, where most of these attempts at censorship occur, frequently celebrate Banned Books Week each fall, to raise awareness about the ongoing threat to intellectual freedom. College and university libraries face fewer book challenges and might not celebrate Banned Books Week; however, given the rise in number and visibility of conversations surrounding book banning, hosting events on the week’s theme offers academic libraries a way to engage their students thoughtfully in civic conversations. This practical article …

Making Publishing Less Painful: Shifting To A Relational Peer-Review Process, Sajni Lacey, Kristina Clement, Lalitha Nataraj, Nicole Pagowsky

Urban Library Journal

Navigating confusing peer-review structures in publishing can be daunting for librarians at all stages of their career. In this paper, the authors will differentiate peer-review models and reflect on their experiences with these formats in the context of the [redacted] special issue of [redacted]. Additional discussion will include the hidden curriculum of publishing; areas for growth in peer-review related to diversity, equity, and inclusion; and peer-review as an individual and collective form of professional development that shapes how we engage with scholarship in LIS.

Addressing Challenges & Reactions To Covid-19 In Academic Libraries, Teisha Robertson, Edna Foxhall, Monica Hodge

Alabama Libraries

The unprecedented COVID-19 crisis has impacted many universities and academic libraries resulting in normal operations ceasing temporarily. Overall, academic libraries at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic immediately adjusted to the so-called new normal and accommodated disrupted work operations to operate successfully. This article discusses the procedures implemented, positive and negative reactions to these changes, and the challenges experienced at Alabama State University, Levi Watkins Learning Center, and other libraries. This article will also highlight implemented procedures carried out by other university libraries, including difficulties and successes that libraries experienced during peak periods of the COVID-19 pandemic. To conclude, academic …

Overdrive On An Academic Campus, Hassna Ramadan, Ashley Eaton

Alabama Libraries

No abstract provided.

Research Support Services: An Analysis Of Top Science And Technology Institutions, Vijay Kumar Verma, Charu .

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Purpose – This research article aims to find out the different types of research support services provided by the top fifty libraries listed under science and technology institutions category in the QS ranking 2022. The analysis results will provide an in-depth view of the research support services offered by these institutions and will be helpful to libraries everywhere in designing their research support service.

Design/methodology/approach – The top 50 institutions listed in the 2022 QS World University Rankings in the category of science and technology were taken. Out of them, 44 libraries were selected on the basis of research support …

Awareness And Use Of Intellectual Freedom Policy In Academic Libraries In Ilorin Metropolis, Muritadho Abiodun Taiwo, Abdulakeem Sodeeq Sulyman

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study investigates the awareness and use of intellectual freedom policy in academic libraries in Ilorin metropolis. To accomplish its objectives, it raises four research questions while its scope is restricted to academic libraries within Ilorin metropolis. It uses descriptive survey research method to examine eleven academic libraries in Ilorin metropolis. Out of 195 staff of the selected academic libraries, 55 staff are purposively sampled as respondents among the academic librarians and staff of acquisition department of the selected academic libraries. Questionnaire titled “Awareness and Use of Intellectual Freedom Policy in Academic Libraries” is designed to obtain data from the …

Availability And Accessibility Of Electronic Information Resources In Academic Libraries As Predictors Of Academic Performance Of Students, Fausat Kehinde Adenariwo, Abdulakeem Sodeeq Sulyman

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper argues for the availability and accessibility of EIRs in academic libraries as predictors of academic performance of students of tertiary institutions. It raises the problem that the growing influx of EIRs has revolutionised academic libraries' operations and led to radical changes in libraries' services by making information available to students in new ways to support scholarly publications and identifies e-journals, e-books, e-theses and dissertations, databases, CDs/VCDs/DVDs, etc., as EIRs that can be made available and accessible to boost students' academic performance. It outlines space economy, ease of access through numerous metadata, search engines, online catalogues (OPAC), and protocols, …

Who Are We Missing? Conducting A Diversity Audit In A Liberal Arts College Library (Preprint), María Evelia Emerson, Lauryn Grace Lehman

Library and Information Science: Faculty Scholarship & Creative Works

This is a pre-print version of the original article:

Emerson, Maria Evelia and Lauryn Grace Lehman. (2022). “Who Are We Missing? Conducting a Diversity Audit in a Liberal Arts College Library.” The Journal of Academic Librarianship 48(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2022.102517

For the full, edited text please visit the link above.

In the spring of 2021, Thomas Tredway Library at Augustana College undertook an audit of the library's print book collection to determine if there were gaps in representation of the voices of authors of differing races/ethnicities; genders; or sexual orientations. With the results of this audit, Augustana College librarians now have a …

Pdxscholar Annual Report 2021, Karen Bjork, Sherry Buchanan, Bertrand Robinson, Stacey Schlatter

Library Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

This report details the eleventh year of operation for PDXScholar, Portland State University's institutional repository. The report covers the period between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021.

The 2021 report highlights the continued growth of PDXScholar with over 2.7 million (2,704,624) full text downloads.

Academic Libraries And Writing Centers: Collaborations At Us Public Research Universities, Mary K. Bolin

School of Information Student Research Journal

The websites of 71 US research universities were the source of data on the relationship of academic libraries and campus writing centers, which provide support for developing written communication skills. All 71 institutions have writing centers, generally administered by the academic success operation, the English department, or a college such as arts and sciences. Just under half (n=35) of the institutions have a writing center located in the library. In 16 of those institutions, the library is the only location of the writing center. The general issues of academic success and “library as place,” as well as the space that …

Promoting A Policy For Social Media Use In Nigeria, Adetola Akanbiemu

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The paper discusses the development and promotion of social media policy in academic libraries in Nigeria. Academic libraries are charged with the responsibility of supporting their parent organisation in achieving the institutional objectives which involve providing support for research and educational activities. Having such crucial roles to carry out, the use of social media has become a helpful tool in the delivery of services to users. Social Media has provided new opportunities for libraries and librarians in the world. In academic libraries, they are used as a powerful tool for communication by providing an excellent platform for an active and …

Filling In The Gaps: A Diversity Audit Toolkit From Tredway Library, María Evelia Emerson, Lauryn Grace Lehman

Library and Information Science: Faculty Scholarship & Creative Works

In the spring of 2021, the Tredway Library at Augustana College (Rock Island, IL) implemented an audit of the library's print book collection to see if there were gaps in representation of the voices of authors of differing races/ ethnicities; genders; or sexual orientations. With the results of this audit, Augustana librarians now have a better understanding of which voices and perspectives are missing and/or underrepresented in the print collection. This toolkit is intended to assist other libraries / information organizations in undertaking similar diversity audits of their own.

The authors now have an article on this topic, available at: …

Academic Library As Scholarly Publisher Bibliography, Version 2, Charles W. Bailey Jr.

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

Introduction

The Academic Library as Scholarly Publisher Bibliography includes over 175 selected English-language articles, books, and technical reports that are useful in understanding the digital scholarly publishing activities of academic libraries since the late 1980's, especially their open access book and journal publishing activities. The bibliography covers the following subtopics: pioneering academic library publishing projects in the 1980's and 1990's, early digital journals and serials published by librarians (as distinct from libraries), library-based scholarly publishing since the Budapest Open Access Initiative, technical publishing infrastructure, and library and university press mergers/partnerships and other relevant works.

Here is the Library Publishing …

User Experience Desires Personalization From Academic Library Websites, Sarah Wilson

School of Information Student Research Journal

No abstract provided.

A Multi-Institutional Model For Advancing Open Access Journals And Reclaiming Control Of The Scholarly Record, Christopher V. Hollister, Karen Bjork, Stewart Brower

Library Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

The open access journal Communications in Information Literacy (CIL) began publication in 2007. After ten years of continuous growth, CIL migrated from Online Journals Systems (OJS) and a commercial web host to Portland State’s Digital Commons (bepress) publishing platform, PDXScholar. The presenters provide brief overviews of CIL and PDXScholar, and they detail the challenges and ultimate successes of this multi-institutional model for advancing open access journals and reclaiming control of the scholarly record. They highlight the content migration process from OJS to PDXScholar, post-migration actions to correct metadata, the introduction of functioning DOIs, and coordinating with both …

Pdxscholar Annual Report 2020, Karen Bjork, Sherry Buchanan, David Coate, Bertrand Robinson, Stacey Schlatter

Library Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

This report details the tenth year of operation for PDXScholar, Portland State University's institutional repository. The report covers the period between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020.

The 2020 report highlights the exponential growth of PDXScholar with almost 2.1 million (2,094,796) full text downloads. This is an increase of approximately 800,000 downloads from 2019, representing a 62% increase.

The report also focuses on our work to bring online new collections and to highlight research impacting our communities, academics, and personal lives.

Academic Libraries And Open Access Books In Europe: A Landscape Study, Agata Morka, Rupert Gatti

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

Executive Summary

The last fifteen years have witnessed the emergence of a new role for academic libraries. Besides fulfilling their fundamental task of providing access to knowledge, besides being called everything from temples of knowledge to disturbing heterotopias, libraries have become one of the crucial stakeholders in the open access book publishing space. They act as funders for OA book fees, they support collaborative funding schemes, and sometimes they assume the role of publishers themselves.

In an attempt to create a sustainable publishing environment, in which OA books could blossom, it is therefore necessary to gain a sound understanding of …

No Money For Oer Program? How To Support Oer And Students In A Time Of Covid, Karen Bjork, Amy Hofer

Library Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

Open Educational Resources (OER) ensure students have equal and immediate access to course materials needed to succeed. The pandemic has left institutions in a budget crisis as they scramble to safely deliver a quality educational experience. Students face unemployment in increasing numbers. Libraries need low cost and no cost tactics to ensure quality OER content and programs continue to meet growing demand. This hour-long webinar will provide viewers with tactics and information libraries need to continue to deliver quality OER materials to students and faculty.

Key topics:

• Conversation about copyright guidance and deals regarding textbooks
• Textbook statements and adding open …

Academic Libraries As Enablers To Prepare Graduate Students For Open Scholarship, Adrian K. Ho

Library Presentations

A plethora of digital tools have become available in the past decade to facilitate different tasks in the scholarly communication process. Meanwhile, research funders have established policies that require grant recipients to practice open scholarship by sharing their research deliverables online. Graduate students as junior scholars may feel overwhelmed due to their unfamiliarity with some digital tools and how to be in compliance with research funders’ requirements. To prepare them for academic success and open scholarship, academic libraries have partnered with graduate schools to educate students about scholarly communication issues.

With the focus on a public university in the U.S., …

Building On What We've Learned: Approaches To Library Publishing From Three Different Universities, Johanna Meetz, Karen Bjork, Annie Johnson

Library Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

Panelists from Portland State, Pacific University, and Temple University will discuss three different models for library publishing, with a focus on collaboration, sustainability, and accessibility. Panelists come from small programs with one or two people at the helm, as well as a program that includes people with diverse publishing backgrounds. We will discuss how our programs grew out of different priorities within our libraries, including a desire to address the high cost of textbooks for our students, as well as an interest in advancing open access more generally. Other things that shaped our programs include a repository platform that supported …

A Multi-Institutional Model For Advancing Open Access Journals And Reclaiming The Scholarly Record, Christopher V. Hollister, Karen Bjork, Stewart Brower

Library Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

Numerous factors contributed to the development of the journal Communications in Information Literacy (CIL), which began publication in 2007. Countering the monopolistic and exclusionary practices of commercial journal publishers was a leading concern. The co-founders were motivated by the possibilities of what was then an awakening open research environment to create a truly open access journal, filling a gap in the literature, and helping the library field to commence with reclaiming control of its scholarly record. There were many challenges to this undertaking; among them was the lack of institutional capacity to host or support a library publishing initiative. Accordingly, …