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1 – 10 of 626Kay Womack and Karen Rupp‐Serrano
Many libraries utilize graduate assistants in a variety of programmatic areas. Little research, however, has been conducted as to how such students are recruited, selected and…
Abstract
Many libraries utilize graduate assistants in a variety of programmatic areas. Little research, however, has been conducted as to how such students are recruited, selected and employed. Reports the results of a survey of main and undergraduate library reference departments at US academic institutions conferring an ALA‐accredited MLIS or equivalent degree. The survey solicited information about the employment of graduate assistants in such departments in six areas: recruitment, appointment, training, assignments, supervision and evaluation.
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Sandra Shropshire, Jenny Lynne Semenza and Karen Kearns
The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive assessment of promotion and tenure for librarians in light of increased scrutiny and expectations by the administration of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive assessment of promotion and tenure for librarians in light of increased scrutiny and expectations by the administration of Idaho State University (ISU). This increased rigour was prompted by a move up in the Carnegie Classification System.
Design/methodology/approach
A literature review was performed using library databases, as well as assessing peer institution promotion and tenure documents. Additionally ongoing feedback from University administrators was solicited. The process took for the creation of a new promotion and tenure document for ISU library took two years from the beginning of the project to the final approved document.
Findings
The study found a dearth of performance benchmarks in both literature and peer institution policies and required the authors, along with other library faculty, to create evidence based benchmarks for ISU aligned with traditional standards of teaching, research and service.
Originality/value
This paper is an inclusive assessment of the literature on faculty promotion and tenure, the policies of ISU’s peer institutions, and the change of Carnegie Classification’s impact on the ISU policies.
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The purpose of this paper is to foster discussion of the role of government information librarians in the design and implementation of information literacy instruction. Increased…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to foster discussion of the role of government information librarians in the design and implementation of information literacy instruction. Increased accessibility to government information through the internet is bringing all librarians into increased contact with government information, thereby becoming ad hoc documents librarians. Through collaboration with experts in government information, shared knowledge results in opportunities for richer and more comprehensive information literacy instruction.
Design/methodology/approach
This review examines evidence of commonality and collaboration between librarians through content analysis of both general and specialized library publications.
Findings
Collaboration is a common practice in library instruction to share workload and expertise, yet most literature on this practice focuses on librarian‐faculty collaborative efforts. Limited evidence exists for collaboration between librarians and a severely limited body of literature exists when examining instructional design collaboration to include government information in information literacy instruction.
Practical implications
Collaborative instruction proactively addresses resolving perceived barriers and expands instruction resource repertoires and shares workloads.
Originality/value
Examination of the collaborative process between librarians is infrequent. This adds to the body of literature and increases awareness of additional resources in the provision of information literacy instruction.
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The purpose of this study is to investigate the composite influence of perceived work relationship, work load and physical work environment on the job satisfaction of librarians…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the composite influence of perceived work relationship, work load and physical work environment on the job satisfaction of librarians in South-West, Nigeria.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopted a descriptive survey design. A multi-stage sampling technique was used for this study. The instrument used for data collection was a self-structured questionnaire, and a total of 102 academic librarians responded to the questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis.
Findings
The results indicate that there is a significant linear relationship among work relationship, workload, work environment and job satisfaction. Among the variables examined, workload is not a statistically significant predictor of the job satisfaction of librarians, but work relationship and work environment have a statistically significant relative effect on the job satisfaction of librarians.
Research limitations/implications
Further studies should evaluate the causal link between work relationships, work load and work environment on job satisfaction using randomized control.
Practical implications
The important result in this study is that there is a significant linear relationship among work relationship, workload, work environment and job satisfaction; therefore, if these factors are adequately taken care of, there will be increased employee motivation, reduced staff turnover and increased job satisfaction among librarians in Nigerian universities. The university library management could take advantage of workshops and seminars on how to build and maintain work relationship and work environment (hygiene factors) to improve employees’ job satisfaction. The seminars and workshop will increase the knowledge of university library management on how to develop coherent friendly co-workers policy practices and workload policy practices to enhance the job satisfaction of librarians in public universities in Nigeria. Librarians should be assigned tasks that are moderately demanding because both overload and under load could lead to job dissatisfaction. Regarding research, this study offered a basis for a continuing debate on work relationship, organizational relationships, work environment, work load and job satisfaction.
Originality/value
Despite the growing global concern for workers well-being in organizations, not much attention has been given to the influence of workplace relationship, work load and work environment on the job satisfaction of librarians in Nigeria. Thus, the results of this research contribute to the body of knowledge regarding job satisfaction among librarians and provide significant evidence on the influence of work relationship, work load and work environment on the job satisfaction of librarians.
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Carolyn Caffrey, Hannah Lee, Tessa Withorn, Maggie Clarke, Amalia Castañeda, Kendra Macomber, Kimberly M. Jackson, Jillian Eslami, Aric Haas, Thomas Philo, Elizabeth Galoozis, Wendolyn Vermeer, Anthony Andora and Katie Paris Kohn
This paper presents recently published resources on library instruction and information literacy. It provides an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper presents recently published resources on library instruction and information literacy. It provides an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography of publications covering various library types, study populations and research contexts. The selected bibliography is useful to efficiently keep up with trends in library instruction for busy practitioners, library science students and those wishing to learn about information literacy in other contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
This article annotates 424 English-language periodical articles, monographs, dissertations, theses and reports on library instruction and information literacy published in 2021. The sources were selected from the EBSCO platform for Library, Information Science, and Technology Abstracts (LISTA), Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), Scopus, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, and WorldCat, published in 2021 that included the terms “information literacy,” “library instruction,” or “information fluency” in the title, abstract or keywords. The sources were organized in Zotero. Annotations summarize the source, focusing on the findings or implications. Each source was categorized into one of seven pre-determined categories: K-12 Education, Children and Adolescents; Academic and Professional Programs; Everyday Life, Community, and the Workplace; Libraries and Health Information Literacy; Multiple Library Types; and Other Information Literacy Research and Theory.
Findings
The paper provides a brief description of 424 sources and highlights sources that contain unique or significant scholarly contributions.
Originality/value
The information may be used by librarians, researchers and anyone interested as a quick and comprehensive reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy within 2021.
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Janet L. Mayo and Angela P. Whitehurst
The primary aim of this study is to determine the uses and prevalence of temporary librarians in libraries at four‐year universities during the current economic downturn. The…
Abstract
Purpose
The primary aim of this study is to determine the uses and prevalence of temporary librarians in libraries at four‐year universities during the current economic downturn. The paper also seeks to determine the temporary librarians' conditions of employment.
Design/methodology/approach
These objectives were achieved by surveying a representative sample of four‐year institutions in both the authors' state and nationwide.
Findings
The study found that, as in several previous surveys, temporary librarians are still being used sparingly. They are used to fill vacancies due to open positions or faculty leaves of absence, special projects, grant‐funded projects, fellowships and sometimes to offer spouses of teaching faculty an employment opportunity. They are employed in both technical and public services roles, but not in managerial positions. They are expected to have the same education as full‐time librarians, are compensated similarly and sometimes also receive benefits. Conditions for contract renewal included employee performance, availability of funding and perceived need for the continuation of their duties.
Research limitations/implications
The study was limited by a small pool, so results may not be generalizable to a larger population. Because of many of the participants being in the same state, there may be unintentional consistency in the responses.
Practical implications
This study may provide guidance to administrators in making decisions on the future use of temporary librarians, both in how many to hire and in what ways to employ them.
Originality/value
The value in this study lies in the fact that it updates previous studies by generating current data on the topic.
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The purpose of this article is to introduce the concept of racial capitalism in the context of academic libraries.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to introduce the concept of racial capitalism in the context of academic libraries.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper draws on Leong's (2013) extended theory of racial capitalism and identifies how neoliberalism and racial capitalism are tied as well as how it is manifested in academic libraries through tokenism, racialized tasks, consuming racial trauma, cultural performance demands, workload demands and pay inequity.
Findings
The article ends with some suggestions in how to address these problematic practices though dismantling meritocratic systems, critical race theory in LIS education and training, and funding EDI work.
Originality/value
The article explores a concept in the academic library context and points to practices and structures that may commodify racialized identities.
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The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze Eastern Washington University's Student Research Skills initiative, a three‐year ongoing project, in which librarians work…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze Eastern Washington University's Student Research Skills initiative, a three‐year ongoing project, in which librarians work with faculty members from selected departments, to aid them in articulating and integrating information literacy skills into their curricula.
Design/methodology/approach
The library selected two departments in 2007‐2008 and another two departments in 2008‐2009. Librarians met with department faculty members multiple times. Librarians asked the faculty: What library research skills do you want students to demonstrate? At what point during the major will they demonstrate the skill? How will you know whether they have the skill? What should the librarian's role be in this process?
Findings
Participating faculty wrote specific information literacy learning outcomes, and revised at least three courses in order to strengthen students' information literacy skills. All of the faculty who answered the survey (12 out of 15) found value in the project, and said they would recommend this project to other faculty. Based on faculty response, the initiative has successfully increased information literacy instruction across the EWU curriculum. Also, it was found that department faculty value librarians' technological skills.
Originality/value
Many institutions do not have a campus‐wide program to incorporate information literacy across the curriculum. This paper provides a detailed strategy for librarians to work with department faculty, in order to accomplish this goal. Here, department faculty write their own information literacy learning outcomes. In addition, the EWU project is successful at least in part because the library pays faculty for their time.
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Anna Marie Johnson, Amber Willenborg, Christopher Heckman, Joshua Whitacre, Latisha Reynolds, Elizabeth Alison Sterner, Lindsay Harmon, Syann Lunsford and Sarah Drerup
This paper aims to present recently published resources on information literacy and library instruction through an extensive annotated bibliography of publications covering all…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present recently published resources on information literacy and library instruction through an extensive annotated bibliography of publications covering all library types.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper annotates English-language periodical articles, monographs, dissertations and other materials on library instruction and information literacy published in 2017 in over 200 journals, magazines, books and other sources.
Findings
The paper provides a brief description for all 590 sources.
Originality/value
The information may be used by librarians and interested parties as a quick reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.
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Keywords
Tessa Withorn, Jillian Eslami, Hannah Lee, Maggie Clarke, Carolyn Caffrey, Cristina Springfield, Dana Ospina, Anthony Andora, Amalia Castañeda, Alexandra Mitchell, Joanna Messer Kimmitt, Wendolyn Vermeer and Aric Haas
This paper presents recently published resources on library instruction and information literacy, providing an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper presents recently published resources on library instruction and information literacy, providing an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography of publications covering various library types, study populations and research contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper introduces and annotates English-language periodical articles, monographs, dissertations, reports and other materials on library instruction and information literacy published in 2020.
Findings
The paper provides a brief description of all 440 sources and highlights sources that contain unique or significant scholarly contributions.
Originality/value
The information may be used by librarians, researchers and anyone interested in a quick and comprehensive reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.
Details