IOPN Journals (Illinois Open Publishing Network)
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Cloning: A Technofeminist Narrative of Posthumanism on Tomie\u27s Character in Anime Junji Ito Collection (2018)
Get PDFThis study examines the shifting meaning of subjectivity and the blurred boundaries between humans and nonhumans. Additionally, it explores the impact of technology intervention on gender, drawing from the principles of posthumanism philosophy. Cloning is one of the issues highlighted in the posthuman realm. This study seeks to examine the incorporation of posthumanism and technofeminism in the character Tomie in the anime Junji Ito Collection (2018, Itô Junji "Korekushon"), with the intention of challenging the sexualization of shôjo while remaining skeptical using the narrative analysis method. The results and findings show that Tomie presents a posthuman idea centered on her super regeneration ability and cloned creations to defy the limits of humanity. This idea also promotes elements of technofeminism that lead to the use of biotechnology related to reproduction. Nevertheless, in the end, Ito tries to invite the audience to remain critical in responding to the issue of technofeminism, both in terms of ethics and objectivity
Native Faculty in Library and Information Science, 1990–2022
Get PDFWe assessed the representation of Native faculty in LIS programs from 1990 to 2022. We comparative representation in LIS against trends in postsecondary education in the U.S. We utilized ALISE and federal data sources. We found that in both fields, Native faculty held lower ranking positions, predominantly as assistant professors. We also revealed that the quantity of Native LIS faculty was extremely low throughout the period assessed, with the possibility of a very few outlier LIS programs driving national statistics. Our study suggests that factors affecting representation of Native faculty in LIS might be similar to those in postsecondary education
Trust in Materials: Library Workers’ Adoption and Adaptation of Open Educational Resources
Get PDFThis paper reports on an exploration of library workers’ perceptions of open educational resources (OER) and the characteristics that support adoption. Library workers play important roles in connecting educators to relevant OER and in developing OER that are used in library instruction and library and information science (LIS) education. In this focus group study, we investigated the characteristics and qualities of OER that library workers identify as essential in supporting adoption, including trustworthiness of OER, examples and stories of use, adaptability of materials, modular organization, and clear metadata. This paper overviews these characteristics and offers recommendations for library workers and library and information science faculty who are developing OER
Collaborations to Support the SJ4A Curriculum in Archival Studies and Social Justice Intersections: Training of Community-Embedded Paraprofessional Archivists Who Are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
Get PDFThe Institute of Museum and Library Services’ Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program recently awarded a $463,238 grant titled “Training of Community-Embedded Social Justice Archivists” (SJ4A) to the School of Library and Information Studies atthe University of Alabama. The grant’s goal is to recruit/train 17 community-embedded paraprofessional archivists who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color to complete their master’s degree part-time from January 2023 – December 2024 in the SLIS’ synchronous distance education program. SJ4A meets an urgent need to diversify the professions and for archivists to apply social justice competencies in work experience and community-embedded practice with graduate instruction and curriculum support. This paper identifies ongoing collaborations to support curriculum development in the SJ4A phases, including recruitment of students,needs assessment of archives-related professionals about social justice services, implementation of educational activities, mentoring, evaluation of program outcomes, dissemination of results, and post-graduation career tracking
Exploring Intellectual Freedom and Collection Development Policies in School Libraries: Perspectives from US and Kenya.
Get PDFInformation is one of the essentials for decision making and intellectual development, thus it is difficult for democratic societies to exist without access to diverse information (Knox, 2011). Within school libraries, access to information resources should be enhanced through the selection, evaluation, and acquisition of diverse resources in different formats to cater to the different needs of students, support the curriculum and promote their intellectual freedom. The fight for intellectual freedom in schools is not a recent development and the number of challenges and book bans is escalating and anticipated to continue rising in the years ahead (ALA,2022). While issues regarding intellectual freedom and censorship are global affairs, much is known about the US, but this study also focuses on Kenya, two countries with varying approaches on different issues thus addressing a significant research gap on intellectual freedom beyond the US.
Employing a mixed methods approach, the study involves semi structured interviews among school librarians (10 from the US and 10 from Kenya) and an analysis of the school’s collection development policies. A qualitative thematic analysis of the data is being carried out to identify school librarians’ perspectives on censorship and advocacy for intellectual freedom through policies. The study aims at creating an awareness of the social reality regarding intellectual freedom between the two contexts. School librarians, administrators and policy makers will be able to restructure existing policies to enhance intellectual freedom for students
Exploring the Impact of Information and Health Literacy on Health Management of Senior Adults with Hypertension
Get PDFThis research examines the relationship between information literacy and health issues in senior adults with age-related conditions such as hypertension. Utilizing Chatman\u27s Theory of Life in the Round and drawing from data sourced from Reddit posts, surveys, and interviews, the study investigates the influence of higher education and literacy levels on the frequency of health-related inquiries among a marginalized group, seniors. It also identifies the digital divide as a notable barrier to accessing health information for specific senior individuals. The study underscores the significance of factors such as physical exercise, stress management, educational attainment, and a well-balanced diet in shaping seniors\u27 management of hypertension. Additionally, it emphasizes the vital role of information and health literacy in empowering seniors to make informed decisions about their well-being and health.Furthermore, the study sheds light on seniors\u27 proactive approach to seeking health information and recommends targeted interventions to ensure comprehensive access to health information for all seniors. These interventions are crucial in addressing the unique challenges this demographic faces. The findings from this dissertation provide valuable insights that could aid in designing valuable and practical guidelines and best practices for supporting the management of hypertension in seniors, contributing significantly to understanding how information literacy and health literacy can be harnessed to help seniors effectively manage their health
Understanding Information Literacy Instructional Practices: Implications for Preparing Pre-Service Librarians
Get PDFThe role of academic librarians in supporting people to navigate the changing information environment is fundamental to librarianship and is critical in the current information environment. This poster focuses on the implications for educating pre-service librarians about the realities and challenges associated with that role, drawn from a national survey of instructional librarians in the U.S. The project speaks directly to the conference theme, “The Ethics and Evolution of Truth and Information,” as the survey respondents engage directly on the frontline of these issues. Implications for shaping the expectations of future instructional librarians will be revealed from findings of a national online survey currently underway. The survey returns to a series of questions motivating longitudinal surveys of librarians’ instructional practices conducted in other countries, and most recently conducted in the U.S. in 2016 (Julien 1998, 2000, 2005; Julien, Gross, & Latham, 2018; Julien & Leckie, 1997; Julien, Tan, & Merillat, 2013; Polkinghorne & Julien, 2018). These data paint a detailed picture of the daily practices of these professionals and the challenges they face. Despite changing technology, introduction of the ACRL Framework (2015), and the explosion of artificial intelligence use, many of the instructional practices and the pressures associated with the instructional role have remained stable (although the recent pandemic moved instruction online, at least for a time). Developing realistic expectations for the workplace is as relevant as is developing conceptual understanding, skills, and attitudes. Thus, the survey data provide an excellent opportunity to inform the education of master’s students
Community Archives as Agency: Intersectionality as a Framework to Document Chinese American Experiences in the United States
Get PDFThe U.S. has a history of anti-immigrant and anti-Asian. Asian Americans strive for agency in defining their identities. Intertwined with their history of exclusion is the absence and misrepresentation of Asian Americans in archives.
In this dissertation, I first explore Chinese Americans’ understanding of their identity and its reflection of social inequality. Then, I investigate what they want to preserve to document their history to counter injustice. Lastly, I examine how Chinese Americans want to use community archives to enhance agency and fight against social injustice.
I use interviews, workshops, and ethnographic methods to collect conversations with 17 participants who self-identify as Chinese descendants in the U.S.
My dissertation finds that participants’ racial and ethnic identities shape their experiences of discrimination, pressure to assimilate to White society, a lack of belonging, and difficulty fitting into the Asian American Pacific Islander group. Furthermore, gender identity influences their experiences. For example, Chinese American women often face social expectations to prioritize family over themselves. Alongside unjust experiences, community members share lived experiences of resilience, joy, and achievements. My dissertation proposes intersectionality as a framework to understand the representational value of community archives. The intersectionality framework asserts, “it is not enough to simply ‘add race and stir’” (Smooth, 2013).
My dissertation finds that participants challenge a thing-oriented approach that prioritizes preservation alone. Instead, they prefer an engagement-oriented approach that uses archives to transform counter-stories into agency, specifically into what Yosso (2005) calls cultural wealth, such as aspirational and social capital
Exploring Perspectives on Data Science Competency: Insights from Students, Professionals, and Employers
Get PDFGraduate-level data science programs at iSchools have increased in recent years in response to growing needs in the field and demand for professionals with data-related skills due to technology advancements and the ubiquity of information and data. However, a perception gap still exists regarding skills taught in classrooms and those needed in the workplace. Hence, we systematically analyzed graduate-level data science programs and courses and conducted a survey of relevant stakeholders (current students, data professionals, and employers) on their perceptions of the skills and knowledge necessary for an effective data science professional or data librarian.
In the questionnaire, 116 participants rated the importance of data science competencies and topics using a seven-point Likert scale. The survey participants rated most data competency areas as important, very important, or extremely important, indicating a strong consensus among respondents regarding the significance of technical skills like data analysis, foundational skills like problem-solving, and soft skills like communication. Overall, students rated the importance of most technical skills higher than employers and professionals did. However, employers rated the importance of soft skills, such as communication, higher than students. A Kruskal-Wallis H test confirmed significant differences in the rating of multiple data competency importance among the three groups. When asked about the importance of data topics, participants rated topics like data ethics, privacy, and access as important. These findings could inform and assist administrators and faculty at LIS and iSchools with curricula design for graduate programs while working to prepare students for careers in the information professions