Square Peg in a Round Hole? The Framework for Information Literacy in the Community College Environment

Column Editor's Note. Community college libraries are deeply underrepresented in the professional literature and organizations of academic librarianship. As a result, the challenges and successes that take place in the community college world are largely invisible to others. This JLA column lifts the curtain to reveal the uniqueness of community college libraries as described by their most passionate advocates: the librarians who work there. Articles in this column pay tribute to the commitment and creativity of community college librarians by providing a platform where they can share their professional perspectives and stories. Want to write for this column? Interested authors are invited to submit articles to the editor at kimreed@cwidaho.cc.

Standards, frameworks, or threshold concepts? The Association of College &; Research Libraries’ efforts to update and revise the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education (2000) have opened extensive dialogue not only about the content of the new standards, but about the very nature of the document. Its proposed replacement, The Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education (2014) took a more theoretical path to describing what an information literature individual understands and how they behave. One common objection to the Framework, however, is that it is too advanced to be applicable in the undergraduate environment, and particularly in community colleges. In this essay, a community college library director takes a critical approach to the Framework to assess its relevance to the two-year college curriculum, grounding the discussion by mapping Knowledge Practices to Performance Indicators in the original Standards. The author recommends that community college librarians take an à la carte approach and integrate relevant elements of the Framework where they are useful without trying to address the entire document.     

Academicism Versus Professionalism in LIS Programs

The Future Voices in Public Services column is a forum for students in graduate library and information science programs to discuss key issues they see in academic library public services, to envision what they feel librarians in public service have to offer to academia, to tell us of their visions for the profession, or to tell us of research that is going on in library schools. We hope to provide fresh perspectives from those entering our field, in both the United States and other countries. Interested faculty of graduate library and information science programs who would like their students' ideas represented in these pages are invited to contact Nancy H. Dewald at nxd7@psu.edu.

Martha Stortz is a student in the Library and Information Science (LIS) program at the University of Western Ontario. In this essay she offers her perspective on the teaching of librarianship.

The University of Western Ontario's LIS program is part of the Faculty of Information and Media Studies (FIMS) and enjoys the benefits of interdisciplinarity brought about by collaboration with other FIMS programs such as Journalism and Media Studies. Originally founded as the independent School of Library and Information Science in 1967, the school merged with other programs in 1996 to form FIMS. Two major LIS programs of study are offered: one leading to the Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) and the other to the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). The MLIS program is accredited by the American Library Association.

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Health sciences librarian competency perceptions: a survey of national community college librarians

Objective:The primary objective of this study was to determine how community college health sciences librarians perceive their proficiencies in the essential skills, knowledge, and abilities necessary for the practice of a health information professional as defined by the Medical Library Association (MLA) Competencies for Lifelong Learning and Professional Success. A secondary objective was to determine their current level of engagement with the professional community and identify barriers to further professional development.Methods:A survey was posted to various email discussion lists, and volunteer follow-up interviews were conducted.Results:The survey was completed by seventy-five community college health sciences librarians, and seven follow-up interviews were performed. Survey results indicated that community college health sciences librarians perceived themselves as having intermediate or advanced intermediate proficiency in the six MLA competencies. Survey and interview results indicated that community college health sciences librarians were engaged with the profession and faced the same barriers to continued professional development and continued education as other academic librarians.Conclusion:The results affirm that community college librarians who are responsible for collections and services in the health sciences meet the MLA competencies, which fills a gap in the literature regarding how these librarians develop professional competencies and are involved in professional associations. The results suggest that community college librarians can improve their skill levels by continuing their education and following trends in the literature.     

Changing Models of Library Education to Benefit Rural Communities

ABSTRACT

Rural libraries whose librarians have expertise in digital literacy and a deep understanding of unique communities contribute to improving quality of life for residents. However, many library education programs do not include the development of students as future leaders of community growth. In this article we describe efforts to build on prior research in the Appalachian region. Offered by Texas Woman’s University School of Library and Information Studies (TWU SLIS), a designated Hispanic-serving institution in Texas, the program extends library roles by getting librarians out into their communities, working with community leaders and residents to facilitate needed and wanted change.     

Lessons from a Joint-Use College/University Library

Community college libraries are deeply underrepresented in the professional literature and organizations of academic librarianship. As a result, the challenges and successes that take place in the community college world are largely invisible to others. This JLA column lifts the curtain to reveal the uniqueness of community college libraries as described by their most passionate advocates: the librarians who work there. Articles in this column pay tribute to the commitment and creativity of community college librarians by providing a platform where they can share their professional perspectives and stories. Want to write for this column? Interested authors are invited to submit articles to the editor at kimreed@cwidaho.cc.

Joint-use libraries aim for the most effective use of resources in supporting the needs of multiple institutions, whether high schools, colleges, or universities. However, these streamlined organizations are challenging to design, complex to administer, and often suffer from staffing conflicts and territorial disputes. In this article, the author describes a successful model of a joint-use library, The University Library of Columbus, whose multilayered evolution has generated a multi-institutional library that serves students from a community college, a university, and a technical college. By describing the history and development of their model, as well as details about their agreements and functions, the author shares tips and provides guidance for those who may be developing future joint-use models.     

The Disaster Information Specialist: An Emerging Role for Health Librarians

ABSTRACT

This article describes the emergence of disaster information (DI) specialists, with particular focus on their presence in health libraries. Although literature on the subject of disasters and libraries is dominated by accounts of librarians preserving collections and ensuring continuity of library operations following a flood, fire, or other disaster event, the work of DI specialists extends beyond these traditional roles. DI specialists conduct outreach in the community, providing information services to emergency managers and other disaster workers. This article recounts a history of disaster information service in which public librarians served communities during disaster recovery periods, and health librarians became involved in organizational disaster planning activities. DI products from the National Library of Medicine are introduced in addition to federal funding opportunities for DI outreach projects. The development of the Medical Library Association's Disaster Information Specialization Program is presented, and the article shares recommendations for library administrators to encourage DI training for librarians and support the development of outreach services to disaster workers.     

Mentorship programs in academic libraries

Abstract

Academic librarians new to the profession, or seasoned with mid-career changes, have questions and challenges as they progress in their professional careers. Often, librarians need answers and guidance beyond a supervisor and may seek help from their peers. These mentor-mentee relationships can happen either informally or formally, within their home library, or across the profession. Many academic libraries have mentorship programs in place, but mentorship is not a standardized practice and seldom is a one-size-fits-all program. The library and information science (LIS) literature contain articles that describe and analyze the value of these mentorship programs from a variety of interesting angles.     

Essential Skills for Corporate and Special Librarians

Abstract

Library science programs must be responsive to the wide variety of workplace needs to ensure that graduating students are prepared with appropriate knowledge and skills regardless of where their career path brings them, and to do so they must understand the various needs and expectations of the field. Through a nationwide study of over 2,000 current professionals and LIS faculty, this study examines the knowledge, skills, and abilities identified as core for special and corporate librarians. The results help establish a baseline of skills for corporate and special librarians, which will be of interest to current and emerging professionals interested in a career in these settings and could have implications for LIS education.     

Web Duplicate Materials Exchange Program: The Library of Congress Takes International Exchange to the Internet

ABSTRACT

Despite demonstrated credentials, vast subject expertise, and knowledge of foreign languages and cultures, immigrants educated in schools of library and information science (LIS) in Eastern Europe (EE) and the former Soviet Union (FSU) face numerous challenges when trying to gain work as professional librarians in Canada. We introduce a model for retraining EE-and FSU-educated librarians to expedite their entry into professional librarianship in Canada without their having to undertake the formal requirements of a host-country graduate LIS degree. Taking into account and building upon their existing foreign-earned degrees, this retraining program will result in an ALA-accredited LIS degree that will allow foreign-educated immigrant librarians to compete on a level playing field with domestically educated librarians, thus eliminating discrimination based on what one labor economist calls the 'national origin of an individual's human capital.'     

Investigation and analysis of university library organizational climate in China

This paper investigates and analyzes the organizational climate of Chinese university libraries to provide references for library management decision-making. Using the Chinese Library Organizational Climate Scale, a survey study was conducted among 1054 librarians nationwide and 438 librarians from 11 university libraries in Jiangsu Province of China. The results show that the job satisfaction of university librarians in China is low; the weaknesses of the management are mainly concentrated in the two areas of Climate for Management Justice and Climate for Staff Support; the Climate for Innovation has begun to be valued by the leadership of libraries, but it lacks effective policies and support systems; Interpersonal Harmony and Employees' Sense of Responsibility are the two aspects that perform well.     

Bridging the Gap Between Library Services in Academic Libraries: A Visiting Librarian Model

ABSTRACT

This article discusses an experience of the University of Central Florida (UCF) Library when hosting a visiting librarian from Tongji University Library in Shanghai, China, in 2015. Unlike most other visiting programs in the U.S., UCF's hosting experience offers a year-long, broad-based training in several functional areas facilitated by library administration and two bilingual librarians. The initial goals were to promote dialogue and understanding between the academic systems of the two countries, and ultimately to enhance the international users' library experience in their quest to study at foreign institutions. Through describing this visiting program and discussing its findings and assessments, the authors concluded longer term visiting programs like this can benefit both the visiting and hosting libraries and bridge the gap of academic libraries across the world.     

Diversity in the Classroom

Summary

Graduate schools of library and information science (LIS) are rediscovering civic engagement. Examples illustrate how LIS students further diversity efforts through service-based learning experiences. LIS students involved in the American Library Association's Spectrum Initiative helped plan the leadership institute and the longitudinal study of scholars. Students prepared pathfinders for faculty at tribal community colleges and tribal schools. LIS students helped develop and operate “If I Can Read, I Can Do Anything,” a national reading program for schools serving Native children. LIS students helped create a virtual tour of the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI).     

Many Voices: Building a Biblioblogosphere in Ireland

ABSTRACT

Blogging has been associated with the Library and Information Science (LIS) community for some time now. Libfocus.com is an online blog that was founded in 2011. Its goal was to create a communal communication space for LIS professionals in Ireland and beyond, to share and discuss issues and ideas. The content of the blog is curated by an editorial team and features guest bloggers from across all sectors and experience levels. Using a qualitative methodological approach, open-ended surveys were conducted with twelve previous guest bloggers, in order to explore how and why Irish-based LIS professionals choose to communicate through blogging. It is hoped that this evidence will provide a greater understanding of both the value and effectiveness of blogging as an outreach and communication tool within the profession, helping both libraries and librarians to be more strategic in their use of it as a medium.     

The Impact Factor: Implications of Open Access on Quality

The Future Voices in Public Services column is a forum for students in graduate library and information science programs to discuss key issues they see in academic library public services, to envision what they feel librarians in public service have to offer to academia, to tell us of their visions for the profession, or to tell us of research that is going on in library schools. We hope to provide fresh perspectives from those entering our field, in both the United States and other countries. Interested faculty of graduate library and information science programs who would like their students’ ideas represented in these pages are invited to contact Nancy H. Dewald at nxd7@psu.edu.

Sara E. Grozanick is a student in the School of Information and Library Science (SILS) at the Pratt Institute, New York. Recognizing the significance of the Open Access movement to the advancement of scholarship, here she writes a bibliographic essay on research into the citation impact of open access journal articles.

The School of Information and Library Science (SILS) at the Pratt Institute located in Manhattan and offering LIS education since 1890, features a curriculum based on Cultural Informatics and World Information, Society & Environments (WISE). The program reflects the arts orientation of Pratt and its alliance with cultural institutions in the city such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Public Library, and the Brooklyn Museum. The nearly 400 students who attend Pratt-SILS onsite have the opportunity to select a master's program resulting in a MS in Library and Information Science or a MSLIS with Library Media Specialist Certification, archives certificate, or dual degree programs resulting in a MSLIS/MS History of Art, a MSLIS/MFA Digital Arts, or a MSLIS/JD with Brooklyn Law School.

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PART IX: THE LIMITS OF MARKETPLACE SOLUTIONS AND THE NEED FOR COLLABORATION

Abstract

As distance education (DE) and its support needs proliferate, schools of library and information science (LIS) need to address the education of librarians for the provision of DE services. This paper discusses current efforts of LIS programs in this regard, difficulties of establishing curricular units in this area, and steps the profession can take to ensure that education for DE services becomes an integral part of all LIS curricula.     

Maximizing Access to Resources: A Distance Learning Librarian Joins Forces with Colleagues at Supporting (Proximal) Libraries

ABSTRACT

Saint Leo University faculty provide instruction at SCE sites located on eight community college campuses and three military bases in the Florida region. This article will examine ways in which the Distance Learning/Reference (DL/Ref) librarian facilitates off-campus student access to both the university library's online and print resources and to library resources at nearby supporting, or “proximal,” libraries for students who are too far from the University Campus to use anything except the Ask-a-Librarian, 1–800 reference, and Interlibrary Loan services. These students must rely on proximal libraries, which include large public library systems, library consortia, community college libraries, and military base libraries, for access to print resources as well as Internet access to the university's online content. Providing library access services for such a large, disparate group requires the additional combined efforts of administrators, other faculty librarians, and supporting libraries.     

Institutional Repositories and Faculty Participation: Encouraging Deposits by Advancing Personal Goals

The Future Voices in Public Services column is a forum for students in graduate library and information science programs to discuss key issues they see in academic library public services, to envision what they feel librarians in public service have to offer to academia, to tell us of their visions for the profession, or to tell us of research that is going on in library schools. We hope to provide fresh perspectives from those entering our field, in both the United States and other countries. Interested faculty of graduate library and information science programs, who would like their students' ideas represented in these pages, are invited to contact Nancy H. Dewald at nxd7@psu.edu.

Brigitte Burris is a graduate student at Drexel University's iSchool and also works as a librarian at the University of Pennsylvania. At a time when many librarians hope for the expansion of open access to scholarly resources, Burris here proposes a method of adding attributes to articles in institutional repositories in order to increase faculty members' incentive for depositing their scholarly articles.

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The iSchool at Drexel's Master of Science in Library and Information Science, MS(LIS), is the second oldest program of its kind in the nation, and one of just 56 ALA-accredited programs. More technologically oriented than other programs, the MS(LIS) prepares graduates for a wide variety of positions including academic librarian, knowledge management specialist, systems librarian, digital librarian, Web developer, and competitive intelligence analyst. The 2009 edition of U.S. News & World Report's “America's Best Graduate Schools” rated the MS(LIS) program 11th in the nation overall, with specialties in information systems and digital librarianship ranking fifth and sixth, respectively. The iSchool at Drexel's faculty has been nationally recognized, ranked by Academic Analytics, a third party company benchmarking academic excellence, as 8th in the nation for scholarly productivity.