Collaborating Off Campus

2016 ◽  
pp. 245-274
Author(s):  
Adam T. Brisk ◽  
Kim Pittman ◽  
Matt Rosendahl
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Lake Superior ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Professional Development Needs ◽  
Effective Community ◽  
Compare And Contrast

This chapter describes how academic libraries can partner with public, school, and special libraries – despite differences in mission or size – to meet the professional development needs of librarians, support staff, administrators, trustees, and volunteers. Using Lake Superior Libraries Symposium as a model, the chapter will explore methods for initiating and sustaining an effective community of practice. By joining forces with colleagues off campus, academic library staff members can better meet the needs of increasingly technologically sophisticated students and faculty and provide the highest quality service. The chapter will provide a literature review about communities of practice and look at how librarians can establish and nurturing a productive group of library professionals. Additional examples of academic librarians' involvement in regional, homegrown library networks and organizations is included to compare and contrast with LSLS.

scholarly journals Adult education and academic libraries

2018 ◽  
Vol 119 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 422-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Bordonaro
Keyword(s):  
Adult Education ◽  
Adult Learners ◽  
Adult Learning ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Learning Theories ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Library Users

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to offer practicing academic librarians an overview of adult education theories as a way to more deeply understand and further foster adult learning in academic libraries. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a literature review. Findings This review introduces academic librarians to a range of specific adult education learning theories; it offers examples of academic library users engaging in these types of adult learning; it considers how academic libraries can further foster adult learning; and it identifies major characteristics of adult learners. Originality/value This literature review offers a summative overview of adult education in a way that has not appeared in the library literature to date, along with explicit connections between adult education theories and academic library practices.

scholarly journals Library Staff are More Motivated to Engage in Professional Development When Encouraged by Library Leadership

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-61
Author(s):  
Hilary Bussell
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Professional Skills ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Library Leadership ◽  
Professional Self ◽  
Library Staff

A Review of: Johannessen, H. T. D. (2018). The need to grow, learn and develop – how does management affect motivation for professional development? LIBER Quarterly, 28(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.18352/lq.10238 Abstract Objective – This study explores whether there is a correlation between academic library leaders’ support for professional development and their employees’ professional self-esteem and motivation to participate in professional development. Design – Survey questionnaire. Setting – Academic libraries in Norway. Subjects – 1,637 full time equivalent (FTE) staff. Methods – The theoretical framework for this study is knowledge management. The author defines this as “The creation and subsequent management of an environment which encourages knowledge to be created, shared, learnt, enhanced, and organized for the benefit of the organization and its customers” (Sarrafzadeh, Martin, & Hazeri, 2006, p. 624, quoted on p. 3). An anonymous quantitative survey was made available to staff working in Norwegian academic libraries. The survey included questions about to what extent their leader encourages them to attend conferences, to what extent their leader understands their skills and competencies, personal belief in their own skills and competencies to perform their work tasks, and number of professional development activities they attended in 2015 (including conferences, continuing education seminars, and interdepartmental seminars). Main Results – 626 survey responses were collected, for a 38% response rate. The responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Over 50% of all survey respondents reported high satisfaction with their professional skills and competencies. There is a difference when broken down by gender, with 77% of men reporting confidence in their professional skills versus 63% of women. Education level, on the other hand, does not make a difference. The study found a correlation between perception by library staff that their library leader has a “good overview” of their professional skills and staff members’ confidence in their ability to perform their job well. Library staff with leaders who encouraged professional development were more likely to participate in external professional development activities. Participation in internal professional development activities was not affected by library leaders’ encouragement. Conclusion – When library staff are encouraged by library leadership to participate in professional development, they are more likely to do so. Library staff who perceive that their library’s leaders recognize and value their professional skills and competencies have a higher sense of professional self-esteem. Library leaders can use knowledge management to come to a better understanding of the knowledge and skills their staff members already possess, and to encourage communities of practice and the sharing of knowledge in the organization. This recognition can result in employees who are happier and more motivated to learn.

Managing and accessing indigenous knowledge for national development: The role of academic libraries in Ghana

2021 ◽  
pp. 026666692110099
Author(s):  
Paulina Afful-Arthur ◽  
Paulina Nana Yaa Kwafoa ◽  
Matilda Ampah-Johnston ◽  
Vida Mensah
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
National Development ◽  
Target Audience ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Effective Management ◽  
Collaborative Efforts

This paper is to examine the role academic libraries can play to organize and make indigenous knowledge accessible for national development. The target audience for the paper are academic librarians in Ghana, researchers of African studies in Ghana and other stakeholders. This is a qualitative study with data from interviews with the librarians and a desk-top literature review. Academic librarians in Ghana recognize the importance of indigenous knowledge organization, but little has been done by way of research. Most academic libraries in Ghana have the basic resources to manage indigenous knowledge. Academic librarians need to be proactive in their collaborative efforts to manage indigenous knowledge. Academic librarians in Ghana should be proactive towards effective management of indigenous knowledge, for easy accessibility. Again, academic libraries need to be well resourced to manage indigenous knowledge. Finally, academic libraries need to create awareness about the importance of indigenous knowledge using different media platforms to all stakeholders.

scholarly journals Academic Librarians Have Concerns about Their Role as Teachers

2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 73
Author(s):  
Virginia Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Professional Identity ◽  
Teacher Identity ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Significant Feature ◽  
Structured Interviews

A Review of: Walter, Scott. “Librarians as Teachers: A Qualitative Inquiry into Professional Identity.” College and Research Libraries 69.1 (2008): 51-71. Objective – This study explores how academic librarians are introduced to teaching, the degree to which they think of themselves as teachers, the ways in which being a teacher has become a significant feature of their professional identity, and the factors that may influence academic librarians to adopt a “teacher identity.” Design – A literature review extended by qualitative semi-structured interviews. Setting – The research took place at an American university with the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching designation of “Doctoral/Research — Extensive.” Subjects – Six academic librarians. Methods – The main feature of the article is an extensive literature review around the themes of LIS, teaching, and qualitative research methodologies. The literature review is supplemented by qualitative research consisting of semi-structured interviews of between 45 and 90 minutes each, which were conducted during spring 2004 with six librarians (five women and one man), whose length of professional service ranged from 2 to 32 years. All of the participants worked at the same institution. The data collected were reviewed throughout the process using field memos and a research log. The data were analyzed using a coding process where discrete ideas that emerged from the data were used to identify a small number of themes. The initial conclusions in the study were validated through member checking during the writing phase. “Member checking involves sharing draft study findings with the participants, to inquire whether their viewpoints were faithfully interpreted, whether there are gross errors of fact, and whether the account makes sense to participants with different perspectives” (Centre for Health Evidence). Main Results – Five themes around teaching and teacher identity as they pertain to academic librarians emerged from the data. The first theme was the centrality of teaching. Each participant sought out a position where the teaching role was valued. The role of teacher spilled over into the other roles of the librarian, i.e., reference service, collection development, etc. The next theme was the importance of collegial and administrative support, which is critical to the ability to focus on work as a teacher. The stress of multiple demands emerged as a theme, as time dedicated to teaching was often at the expense of something else. Another theme was the problems with professional education around teaching. Instruction course offerings in library schools were reported to be meagre, and some were badly planned and executed. The fifth theme involved stereotypes and misperceptions. Studies have shown that the academic library profession has been poorly understood by students and faculty. Study participants believed that many of their campus colleagues were either unaware of what they did, or were misinformed by popular culture stereotypes of librarians. Conclusions – The small sample size precluded the making of any definite conclusions based on the study results. Other limitations of the study include the relatively short amount of time spent in the interview process and the narrow range of librarians chosen to participate. The author notes that a subject pool more representative of academic librarians’ full range of opinions regarding the importance of teaching as a professional responsibility would have resulted in more complex themes emerging. While the author is aware of the study’s limitations, he feels there is value in the qualitative research design, in giving voice to individual librarians, and in the provision of insight into some of the research questions found in the literature of learning to teach and of teacher identity. Given the limitations, Walter makes three conclusions about his findings. He points out the lack of a formal introduction to teaching in many library programs which has been explored by other studies and concludes that his study “suggests that continuing lack of attention to this issue results in a difficult introduction into the profession for new academic librarians” (64). Regarding continuing and professional education, Walter concludes that “this study suggests that there are a number of important questions about the content and conduct of these opportunities for instruction librarians that have not been explored in the literature” (64). Finally, Walter concludes that “this study suggests that there is an important connection between research on student perceptions of academic librarians, the study of teacher identity, and the future of the profession” (64).

scholarly journals Replicable services for reproducible research: a model for academic libraries

Bibliosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 33-45
Author(s):  
F. Sayre ◽  
A. Riegelman
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Reproducible Research ◽  
Library Services ◽  
The Public ◽  
Data Intensive ◽  
Academic Librarianship ◽  
Core Areas ◽  
Research Faculty

Over the past decade, evidence from disciplines ranging from biology to economics has suggested that many scientific studies may not be reproducible. This has led to declarations in both the scientific and lay press that science is experiencing a “reproducibility crisis” and that this crisis has consequences for the extent to which students, faculty, and the public at large can trust research. Faculty build on these results with their own research, and students and the public use these results for everything from patient care to public policy. To build a model for how academic libraries can support reproducible research, the authors conducted a review of major guidelines from funders, publishers, and professional societies. Specific recommendations were extracted from guidelines and compared with existing academic library services and librarian expertise. The authors believe this review shows that many of the recommendations for improving reproducibility are core areas of academic librarianship, including data management, scholarly communication, and methodological support for systematic reviews and data-intensive research. By increasing our knowledge of disciplinary, journal, funder, and society perspectives on reproducibility, and reframing existing librarian expertise and services, academic librarians will be well positioned to be leaders in supporting reproducible research. Citation: Sayre F., Riegelman A. Replicable services for reproducible research: a model for academic libraries.

Leveling the Professional Development Playing Field

2014 ◽  
pp. 196-208
Author(s):  
James Thull ◽  
Mary Anne Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Tribal College ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Grant Writing ◽  
Tribal Community ◽  
Playing Field ◽  
Tribal Communities ◽  
Professional Development Needs ◽  
Library Professionals

Tribal college librarians comprise a unique group of library professionals who typically serve in a dual role as both academic librarians and public librarians. Most tribal college libraries are the only library in their respective tribal community, and thus they serve the information needs of both their academic clientele and those of the general public. Additionally, their location in tribal communities necessitates that these library professionals have a deep cultural understanding and appreciation in order to work effectively with their largely Native clientele, whether they themselves are Native or not. This chapter describes the unique professional development needs of tribal college librarians and successful efforts to meet these needs. Advice on grant writing, tips and information on grant seeking with a look towards future trends is also provided.

Building Digital Libraries

2010 ◽  
pp. 90-107
Author(s):  
Kshema Prakash ◽  
Jason A. Pannone ◽  
K. Santi Swarup
Keyword(s):  
Digital Libraries ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Bibliographic Instruction

Blogging is a relatively recent phenomenon, and its use in academic libraries is in nascent stage. The authors of this chapter use blogs as part of their outreach to patrons, though in slightly different contexts and for slightly different purposes. Blogging can be an important component of digital libraries, one that allows for timely two-way communication of news, information, bibliographic instruction, and the like. While challenges have been raised to the worth and value of academic library blogs (e.g., Gorman, 2005), the authors believe, based on the research and their experience, that blogging is a useful tool for academic librarians and digital libraries.

scholarly journals Retention Initiatives are Employed in Academic Libraries, Although not Necessarily for this Purpose

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 56
Author(s):  
Laura Newton Miller
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Electronic Mail ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Professional Experience ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Retention Initiatives ◽  
Retention Programs ◽  
Flexible Schedules

Objective – To study methods that support retention of academic librarians. Design – Exploratory research using an online survey; non-random sample. Setting – Academic libraries, nearly all located within the U.S. (97.2%). Subjects – A total of 895 professional academic librarians. Methods – The researchers sent an online survey link to professional electronic mail lists and directly to heads of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries. The 23-item survey was available from February 19, 2007, through March 9, 2007, and contained questions about the professional experience of respondents, their libraries, and their universities. Subjects were asked to identify retention activities that were currently offered at their workplaces (both library-specific and university-wide) and to rate their satisfaction for each available initiative. The list contained fifteen initiatives based on the researchers’ literature review. Main Results – Almost half (46.3%) of respondents were 50 or older and 7.5% under 30 years old, leaving 46.2% between the ages of 30-50 years old (although this percentage is not explicitly stated in the paper except in a table). Nearly half of the subjects were in the first ten years of their careers. 80.2% had held between one and four professional positions in their careers, and even when length of professional experience was factored out, age had no effect on the number of positions held. Most job turnover within the past three years (3 or fewer open positions) was in public service, while other areas of the library (i.e., technical services, systems, and administration) reported zero open positions. Only 11.3% of respondents noted that their libraries have deliberate, formal retention programs in place. Despite this, there are several library- and university-based initiatives that can be considered to help with retention. The most reported available library-based retention initiative was the provision of funding to attend conferences (86.8%). Librarians also frequently reported flexible schedules, support and funding for professional development and access to leadership programs. University-based retention programs included continuing education funding, new employee orientations, faculty status, and the chance to teach credit-bearing courses. Only 22.2% of subjects reported formal mentoring programs as a retention strategy. Librarians were very or somewhat satisfied with schedule flexibility (79.6%). They were generally satisfied with other initiatives reported. In response to 22 five-point Likert scale descriptions of positive library work environments, subjects most agreed with statements that allowed librarians to have control of their professional duties, that allowed for personal or family obligations, and that supported professional development. Librarians agreed less often regarding statements about salaries, research support, and opportunities for advancement. Conclusion – Academic librarians are involved in and are benefitting from some library and university-based retention initiatives, even though retention may not be the primary strategic goal.

scholarly journals McClure and Samuels’ Study on Information Sources Used for Decision Making and the Connection to Organizational Climate Still Resonates Today

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 78
Author(s):  
Denise Koufogiannakis
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Organizational Climate ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Information Dissemination ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Information Use ◽  
Democratic Governance ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Sources Of Information

A Review of: McClure, C. R., & Samuels, A. R. (1985). Factors affecting the use of information for academic library decision making. College & Research Libraries, 46(6), 483-498. Abstract Objective - To investigate the use of information sources for decision making within academic libraries; specifically looking at what sources of information are used, whether information use is related to organizational climate, and what organizational factors lead to optimal information use in decision making. Design - Cross-sectional survey on a random sample of libraries. Setting - 18 medium to moderately large academic libraries from across the United States. Subjects - 356 academic librarians holding a variety of positions and levels of responsibility within their organizations. Methods - A questionnaire was mailed to participants in order to measure relationships between four main variables: information acquisition, information dissemination, information evaluation, and library climate. All instruments were validated and tested for reliability. Participants were given 10 library decision situations to consider, together with a list of potential information sources to inform the decision, and then choose which information source they would use primarily in each situation. Participants’ perception of their library climate was measured with five scales covering innovation, support, freedom, democratic governance, and esprit. Main Results - The study found that academic librarians prefer internal sources of information, such as interpersonal communication with library staff, and library committees, for making decisions. However, paraprofessional staff members were not seen as meaningful sources of information within this grouping. The participants rarely chose to consult external information sources, such as other professionals outside of the library, or library users. Information sources such as conducting research, continuing education, past experience, or personal opinion were not found to be important to the participants’ decision making. Written documents such as articles, books, and brochures were also seldom used. Democratic governance was the organizational climate dimension found to be most closely linked to information dissemination. Conclusion - The authors conclude that the study suggests that academic librarians are not using a full complement of information sources to assist with their decision making, and that the “information that is used tends to be ‘opinion-based’ rather than empirically based” (p. 495). Proximity of information plays a role, with information that is closer and easier to obtain being used more frequently. The authors strongly stress, with concern, that, “current academic library decision-making processes encourage ineffective activities since they preclude or limit clientele input, empirical research, and additional environmental input” (p. 495).

scholarly journals Building a Strong Foundation: Mentoring Programs for Novice Tenure-Track Librarians in Academic Libraries

2015 ◽  
Vol 76 (7) ◽  
pp. 914-933 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mandi Goodsett ◽  
Andrew Walsh
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Mentoring Programs ◽  
Tenure Track ◽  
Successful Academic

Increasingly, new librarians graduate to face a world of changing technology and new ways of interacting with information. The anxiety of this shifting environment is compounded for tenure-track librarians who must also meet scholarship and instruction requirements that may be unfamiliar to them. One way that librarians can navigate the transition to tenure-track professional positions is to participate in mentoring programs for new academic librarians. This study examines the effectiveness of mentoring programs for novice tenure-track libraries in a variety of library settings, and provides examples of successful academic library mentoring programs already in place with the intent that librarians use the data and findings to construct or improve their own library mentoring programs.

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