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1 – 5 of 5Laura Sare and Stephen Edward Bales
This qualitative study aims to analyse veteran academic librarians’ perceptions of librarianship to develop a grounded theory that models this group’s understandings of the…
Abstract
Purpose
This qualitative study aims to analyse veteran academic librarians’ perceptions of librarianship to develop a grounded theory that models this group’s understandings of the profession. In addition, this study compares its findings to a previous grounded theory study that modelled novice academic librarians’ perceptions of the profession.
Design/methodology/approach
Using the long interview technique, the analysts interviewed 15 veteran academic librarians, i.e. those with 10 or more years continuous experience as professional academic librarians, who work in Texas universities and four-year colleges. Qualitative analytical methods were used to develop a substantive grounded theory from the data.
Findings
Two theoretical categories emerged that model academic librarian perceptions of the profession: orienting self (and others) to a shifting profession and driving change in the field. These categories depict academic librarianship as a profession focussed on change, and the theory valuates both mentoring and practitioner research as important elements of this change.
Practical implications
The results of the study may provide useful information to help orient librarians new to the field.
Originality/value
There is a dearth of systematic empirical analyses that explores the personal meanings that academic librarians attach to professional identity. This paper works to fill this gap and to complement the existing critical/cultural and quantitative research concerning the professional identity of librarians.
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Jane Stephens, Laura Sare, Rusty Kimball, Margaret Foster and Joel Kitchens
The Research Committee at Texas A&M University (TAMU) Libraries provides a model of tenure support that includes funding of research projects and an annual Research Forum. The…
Abstract
Purpose
The Research Committee at Texas A&M University (TAMU) Libraries provides a model of tenure support that includes funding of research projects and an annual Research Forum. The purpose of this article is to review these support mechanisms and their outcomes. An argument for the benefit of such a model is presented.
Design/methodology/approach
Tenure support provided by the Research Committee and the broader supportive environment in which it functions is described. Each supported project was reviewed to determine its outcome (publication or conference presentation).
Findings
This model of support benefits tenure‐track librarians at Texas A&M University Libraries.
Practical implications
This model of support would likely benefit other academic libraries that require librarians to engage in scholarly communication. Thus this paper should be of interest to academic librarians and to library managers seeking to enhance tenure support for their faculty librarians.
Originality/value
Much of the literature on tenure support advocates mentoring. While TAMU's Research Committee functions within a library that requires mentors for its untenured faculty, this article provides an argument for the retention, or adoption of the kind of support provided by TAMU's Research Committee, including research funding and the opportunity to present research results to colleagues.
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Stephen Bales, Laura Sare, Catherine Coker and Wyoma vanDuinkerken
The purpose of this paper is to assess the use of journal‐ranking lists for academic librarian promotion and tenure (P&T) decision.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to assess the use of journal‐ranking lists for academic librarian promotion and tenure (P&T) decision.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a case study, the researchers analyzed a proposed journal‐ranking list created for P&T decisions. A quantitative analysis of peer‐reviewed journal articles was performed to support this analysis.
Findings
The paper shows that the use of journal‐ranking lists for P&T decisions inadequately conflates academic librarians with teaching faculty members.
Research limitations/implications
The study relied primarily on a single case study, so it may not be scientifically generalized.
Social implications
This study identifies journal‐ranking lists as an inadequate tool for the evaluation of academic librarians and encourages action to divorce the valuation of intellectual achievement from quantitative structures.
Originality/value
The analysis of the quantitative/metric underpinnings of intellectual labor in higher education is necessary for academic freedom.
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The purpose of this paper is to offer a reflective analysis of project planning for the legal disposition of a large Federal Documents Collection in an off‐site storage facility.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to offer a reflective analysis of project planning for the legal disposition of a large Federal Documents Collection in an off‐site storage facility.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper provides a case study.
Findings
This paper examines specific steps in a project plan for relocation and disposition of Federal Documents received under the Federal Depository Library Program.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to the discussion of library space needs, the disposition of tangible resources in an increasingly electronic age and the challenges libraries face in managing collections.
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Terhi Junkkari, Maija Kantola, Leena Arjanne, Harri Luomala and Anu Hopia
This study aims to increase knowledge of the ability of nutrition labels to guide consumer choices in real-life environments.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to increase knowledge of the ability of nutrition labels to guide consumer choices in real-life environments.
Design/methodology/approach
Food consumption and plate waste data were collected from two self-service restaurants (SSR) with different customer groups over six observation days: three control and three intervention (with nutrition labelling) periods. Study Group 1 consisted of vocational school students, mostly late adolescents (N = 1,710), and Group 2 consisted of spa hotel customers, mostly elderly (N = 1,807). In the experimental restaurants, the same food was served to the buffets during the control and intervention periods.
Findings
The nutrition label in the lunch buffet guides customers to eat fewer main foods and salads and to select healthier choices. Increased consumption of taste enhancers (salt and ketchup) was observed in the study restaurants after nutritional labelling. Nutrition labelling was associated with a reduction in plate waste among the elderly, whereas the opposite was observed among adolescents.
Originality/value
The results provide public policymakers and marketers with a better understanding of the effects of nutrition labelling on consumer behaviour. Future studies should further evaluate the effects of nutrition labelling on the overall quality of customer diets and the complex environmental, social, and psychological factors affecting food choices and plate waste accumulation in various study groups.
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