IOPN Journals (Illinois Open Publishing Network)
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The Great Depression and the New Deal: Transient Division Newsletter from Macon, Georgia
No full textVol 4. No. 2 (2023). This issue of SourceLab introduces readers to New Deal, a transient camp newsletter published in Macon, Georgia in 1934. This publication is part of the digital documentary edition series SourceLab, based at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Our Editorial Board conducts rigorous peer-review of every edition
Closing the Gap: Supporting Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Plans in the Modern Library
No full textEquity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) plans and initiatives are at the forefront of many libraries’ strategic planning (Mallon, 2019). Efforts, big or small, such as mandatory all-staff EDI training sessions (Downers Grove Public Library, 2021), EDI focused patron programming, or simply promoting the local library as a place of opportunity for all (ALA, 2019), demonstrate the American Library Association (ALA)’s Core Values in practice (ALA, 2006). In fact, Diversity is one of eight key action areas that are used as guiding principles for investment of energies and resources (ALA, 2007). These key action areas represent priorities and clear focuses within the ALA’s own strategic plan (ALA, 2017), which serves to outline the organization\u27s long-term goals and high-level outcomes (Hirsh, 2022). The ALA has historically promoted themselves as supporters, allies, and anti-racists, playing an important role in many libraries’ strategic plans and philosophies. But, despite libraries being regarded as the ‘most inclusive’ institutions in the United States (Jaeger, 2018), there appears to be internal and external gaps in truly achieving these EDI goals. It is necessary to further explore where these gaps are and propose solutions to ensure clearer action is being taken to support and highlight these strategies
Inclusive Library Leadership: ILLID Focus Group
Get PDFAlumni of the 2008 Indiana’s Librarians Leading in Diversity (ILLID) Fellowship Program will participate in focus groups to provide insight into the longitudinal impact of the program on their academic and professional experiences. Preliminary discussions with ILLID fellows surfaced both high and low program points, many aligning with the challenges identified in the 2017 IMLS Forum Report, Positioning Library and Information Science Graduate Programs for 21st Century Practice. Fellows expressed that the cohort experience and mentorship were key to their development and success as library and information science professionals. Several fellows expressed while they attained a full-time professional position, the library work cultures were not wholly conducive to work satisfaction or personal well-being. The ILLID program focused on successful attainment of the MLIS degree and a professional position. It did not however address the climate of the library environments into which the new professionals would enter. The focus group findings (along with other inputs) will inform the creation of a next generation diversity initiative one that connects recruitment and retention, one that will build a bridge between learning and working environments. We hope to learn and share from the focus groups the impact of the original program on the fellows and how that impact influenced the profession. The knowledge we gain from the fellows’ last 15 years of experiences in libraries has the potential to contribute to improving learning environments and curriculum within LIS programs, to developing inclusive leadership approaches, and to promoting work cultures where diverse individuals can thrive
Data Science Curriculum: An analysis of LIS schools and iSchools in North America
Get PDFWith an increase in technology use and rapid generation of information and data, graduate-level programs with data science curricula have grown exponentially to match the demand for information professionals with data-related skills. However, a gap has formed between skills learned in school and skills information professionals need post-graduation. Previous research indicates a skills gap among data scientists who lack LIS training in areas like data curation, preservation, etc., which data science programs should address (Ortiz-Repiso et al., 2018). This study, as part of a broader project funded by IMLS (Grant # RE-250066-OLS-21), attempts to address current and future workforce demands in data librarianship and analytics, employer skill demand, and acquisition of skills.
This poster reports on part of the larger project - content analysis of 294 distinct graduate program curricula involving significant data science coursework in 43 LIS schools and iSchools across North America. After collecting over 1,000 data science/librarianship-related courses from institutional websites, we coded them into seven categories using their titles and descriptions. Data analysis, curation, governance, and discovery were the most popular subjects, followed by data professions, miscellaneous courses, and data assessment. In conjunction with job ad analysis and surveys of stakeholders in data science and librarianship education by others, our study could serve as input for graduate programs/curricula design. Results from our study will increase understanding of the nature and structure of data science curricula in iSchools and LIS departments while giving students requisite skills to meet future needs as data science professionals/data librarians
“To connect, you have to listen”: Bringing real-world social justice experiences into LIS education
Get PDFLibrary and information science (LIS) scholarship has increasingly become aware of disconnects between the traditional curriculum and real-world soft skills employers value in future public library professionals, particularly in regards to being able to engage with underserved communities. To address this gap, MLIS students at two iSchools participated in a field-based social justice assignment that required them to identify an underserved community group they wanted to learn more about, and then collaborate with and interview a member of the group or a community organization that was working with the group. Students completed a written reflection about the experience that the researchers analyzed to understand how a field-based social justice assignment can foster soft skill development for LIS students. Findings indicate that the field-based assignment supported students’ development of three soft skills important for both LIS careers and social justice work: cultural competency, communication, and reflexivity
The Impact of Academic Library Expenditure on College Graduation Rates
Get PDFSome higher education institutions have announced plans for cutting funding for academic libraries in response to fiscal difficulties. However, academic libraries provide essential resources and experiences for college students, and a number of studies have investigated how institutional expenditure for academic libraries is associated with student graduation. Yet, these studies are limited in that they only examine cross-sectional correlations, do not control for other factors that can influence student success, or only examine a relatively small number of institutions. To address these limitations, we use longitudinal data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data Systems (IPEDS) to analyze the relationship between institutional expenditure on academic libraries and student graduation rates. In particular, we examine how library expenditure is associated with not just overall graduation rates, but the graduation rates of low-income students (i.e., recipients of the federal Pell Grant). Preliminary results indicate that institutional expenditure for academic libraries is positively associated with both overall student graduation rates and the graduation rates of low-income students, net of multiple institutional characteristics linked to graduation rates. Our findings support the importance of investing in academic libraries for student success and evidence against the budget cut of academic libraries. Our study also sheds light on academic libraries’ relevance for the performance of low-income students in universities
A Scoping Review of Collaborative Information Behavior: Definitions and Collaborative Tools
Get PDFMany researchers have mischaracterized collaborative information behavior (CIB) with its sub-processes, including collaborative information seeking (CIS) and collaborative information retrieval (CIR). To learn about the most prominent CIB definitions, the phases involved in the CIB process, and the various collaboration tools that facilitate CIB, we sifted through a wide range of LIS research papers. Using a scoping review to correspond with the research questions, we conducted several iterations to exclude irrelevant studies while concurrently including pertinent ones. The “C5 model of collaboration” developed by Shah provides a framework for coding our data during content analysis and concept mapping. Our findings indicate that CIB has no generally adopted definition. Additionally, traditional workplace tools and technologies are the collaborative tools utilized for various collaborative activities. More CIB research is needed in the information science field to stay ahead of the rapid growth of collaborative AI technologies, particularly those that foster human-AI collaborations
LIS Associations’ Commitment and Effort in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): Content Analysis, Term Analysis, and Topic Modeling
Get PDFIn this study, we investigated 28 LIS associations’ DEI efforts as evidenced through their websites. We report results of content analysis, along with term analysis and topic modeling of DEI definitions, diversity statements, position statements, competency frameworks, and codes of conduct. Despite notable gaps in associations’ DEI practices, their commitment to DEI, community, culture, professional practice, and their members is evident. Results show that associations have been steadfast with DEI principles, keenly aware of current events to declare and advocate their positions, and to condemn discrimination and violence against marginalized communities. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the role of associations in promoting DEI through specific actions. LIS associations should make a consistent and visible effort to lead their professional communities towards robust work in DEI on all fronts and to enhance, advance, and sustain those efforts by forming a coalition to advance DEI progress in our profession
Data Science Education in iSchools across the Asian-Pacific Region
Get PDFIn this poster, we report preliminary findings of our investigation of data science education in iSchools around the world. For our analysis, we randomly sampled 20 iSchools within the regions of Asian-Pacific, European, and North American. We report here the findings from the 20 iSchools in the Asian Pacific region: these iSchools come from 9 different countries/areas, including China (n=9), Korea (n=3), New Zealand (n=2), Australia (n=1), Malaysia (n=1), Thailand (n=1), Indonesia (n=1), Philippines (n=1), and Taiwan, China (n=1). Of 20 iSchools, 15 had DS course information, with an average of 8.13 per program, range 1-21, and mode 4. The majority of the programs offered DS courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels (n=11, 73.33%), three (20.00%) offered at the graduate level only, one (6.67%) only offered at the undergraduate level.
In terms of the course coverage, there were 30 unique topics, with 15 topics included in multiple iSchools’ curriculum, and the remaining 15 were uniquely offered by one iSchool. The most common course topics were Data Structure or Data Organization (n=10, 66.67%), Data Mining & Data Warehouse (n=9, 60.00%), Data Visualization (n=6, 40.00%), Introduction to Data Science (n=6, 40.00%), Machine Learning (n=6, 40.00%), and NLP Text Analysis/Text Mining (n=5, 33.33%). Other repeated topics include Research Data Management, Big Data, AI, Programming, Data governance, Data Analytics, and more. Examples for unique course topics were blockchain, Data Asset Management, Data Security, UX, and more. Further coding and analysis for all three regions are in progress
Have We Realized the Full Potential of the Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes?
Get PDFThis poster will illustrate the current stage of an ongoing qualitative study of the assessment of student learning outcomes in master’s-level programs in Library and Information Science (LIS) in a sample of eighteen representative American Library Association (ALA)-Accredited MLIS programs in the U.S. Given that the proposed study aims to construct models for assessing learning outcomes in LIS programs based on identified best practices, this analysis of current literature was conducted to identify and understand the issues associated with current practices in learning outcome assessment across other disciplines and professional programs such as nursing and engineering. The analysis identifies the challenging issues, including what learning is being assessed and how to assess it, managing data collected, engaging stakeholders, both students and administrators, and transforming findings into practice to improve programs. This analysis will be followed by interviews conducted with selected faculty to identify best practices. The interview data will be analyzed and coded according to emerging categories for ease of interpretation. Subsequently, the results of the survey and interviews will be utilized to construct models for assessing student learning based on best practices