scholarly journals Promoting Racial and Ethnic Diversity among Canadian Academic Librarians

2014 ◽  
Vol 75 (4) ◽  
pp. 492-556 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Kandiuk
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Climate ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Ethnic Diversity ◽  
Institutional Support ◽  
Nationwide Survey ◽  
Racial Minority ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Diversity Awareness ◽  
Advancement Opportunities ◽  
And Training

This study examines racial and ethnic diversity among Canadian academic librarians and discusses the findings of a nationwide survey. The survey posed questions related to equity plans and programs as well as recruitment practices for academic librarians from equity-seeking groups with a focus on Aboriginal and visible/racial minority librarians. It explored the needs and experiences of Aboriginal and visible/racial minority librarians employed in Canadian academic libraries by examining questions of organizational climate, mentoring, institutional support, advancement opportunities, and the roles of library associations. The findings reveal a need for more diversity awareness and training and leadership with respect to diversity on the part of academic libraries and the profession at large in Canada.

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).

Not a token! A discussion on racial capitalism and its impact on academic librarians and libraries

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Vong
Keyword(s):  
Critical Race Theory ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Cultural Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Racial Trauma ◽  
Racial Capitalism ◽  
And Training

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to introduce the concept of racial capitalism in the context of academic libraries.Design/methodology/approachThis 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.FindingsThe 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/valueThe article explores a concept in the academic library context and points to practices and structures that may commodify racialized identities.

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.

Academic libraries national conference program evaluation : meeting learner needs in a changing profession

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Julia Katherine Hart
Keyword(s):  
Learning Style ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Comprehensive Evaluation ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
University Of Missouri ◽  
National Conference ◽  
Conference Organization ◽  
Quantitative Results ◽  
The University

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] The Academic Libraries National conference is a professional development opportunity for academic librarians. This study analyzed differences in preferred learning style of conference attendees based on years of library experience and the ability of the conference to meet the stated mission. Quantitative results indicated insignificant differences between preferred learning style and years of library experience. Qualitative results revealed support for meeting two of three mission components. Recommendations support modifications in practice for conference organization at the overarching, survey design, and future areas of study. These recommendations support efforts to create comprehensive evaluation of the conference.

Assessing Entrepreneurial Competencies and Innovative Behaviour in Academic Libraries

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 131-139
Author(s):  
Haziah Sa’ari
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Research Universities ◽  
Idea Generation ◽  
Strategic Thinking ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Academic Librarian ◽  
Innovative Behaviour ◽  
Entrepreneurial Competencies

Objective - This paper identifies entrepreneurial competencies and the outcomes measured as innovative behaviour demonstrated by academic librarians. Methodology/Technique - – we sought through interviews the interpretation and viewpoints of the academic librarians which we consider vital data when exploring entrepreneurial competencies and innovative behaviour in the three academic libraries. Findings - we discovered that the antecedents of entrepreneurial competencies include recognizing opportunities, initiating innovation and strategic thinking. These antecedents influence academic librarians' innovative behaviour which was evaluated based on idea generation, idea championing and idea implementation. Novelty - This study explores entrepreneurial competencies and innovative behaviour in Malaysian research universities. Type of Paper - Conceptual Keywords: Entrepreneurial competencies, Innovative behaviour, Academic librarian, Malaysian universities.

scholarly journals Perceived Competence and Comfort in Respiratory Protection

2013 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 103-115
Author(s):  
Barbara J. Burgel ◽  
Debra Novak ◽  
Candace M. Burns ◽  
Annette Byrd ◽  
Holly Carpenter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Nationwide Survey ◽  
Perceived Competence ◽  
Respiratory Protection ◽  
Institute Of Medicine ◽  
Educational Preparation ◽  
Health Nursing ◽  
And Training ◽  
Occupational Health Nursing

In response to the Institute of Medicine (2011) report Occupational Health Nurses and Respiratory Protection: Improving Education and Training, a nationwide survey was conducted in May 2012 to assess occupational health nurses' educational preparation, roles, responsibilities, and training needs in respiratory protection. More than 2,000 occupational health nurses responded; 83% perceived themselves as competent, proficient, or expert in respiratory protection, reporting moderate comfort with 12 respiratory program elements. If occupational health nurses had primary responsibility for the respiratory protection program, they were more likely to perceive higher competence and more comfort in respiratory protection, after controlling for occupational health nursing experience, highest education, occupational health nursing certification, industry sector, Association of Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare membership, taking a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health spirometry course in the prior 5 years, and perceiving a positive safety culture at work. These survey results document high perceived competence and comfort in respiratory protection. These findings support the development of targeted educational programs and interprofessional competencies for respiratory protection.

scholarly journals How Canadian librarians practice and assess individualized research consultations in academic libraries

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 148-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karine Fournier ◽  
Lindsey Sikora
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Assessment Methods ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reference Services ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Evaluation And Assessment

Purpose Though we live in a digital era, libraries offer significant hours of in-person reference services, in combination with online reference services. Nevertheless, an increase in requests for in-person, individualized research consultations (IRCs) over the last few years has been observed. IRCs between librarians and students are common practice in academic institutions. While these sessions can be deemed useful for patrons, as they are tailored to their specific needs, however, they can also be time consuming for the librarians. Therefore, it is important to evaluate this service, and assess its impact in order to ensure that the users are getting the most out of their sessions. The purpose of this paper is to gather information on the evaluation and assessment tools that Canadian institutions are using to obtain feedback, measure their impact and improve their consultation services. Design/methodology/approach A bilingual (French and English) web-based questionnaire was issued, with a generic definition of IRCs provided. The questionnaire included general demographics and background information on IRC practices among Canadian academic librarians, followed by reflective questions on the assessment process of such practices. The questionnaire was sent to Canadian academic librarians via e-mail, using professional librarian associations’ listservs, and Twitter was used for dissemination as well. Findings Major findings of the survey concluded that the disciplines of health sciences and medicine, as well as the arts and humanities are the heaviest users of the IRC service model. On average, these sessions are one hour in length, provided by librarians who often require advanced preparation time to adequately help the user, with infrequent follow-up appointments. It was not surprising that a lack of assessment methods for IRCs was identified among Canadian academic libraries. Most libraries have either no assessment in place for IRCs, or they rely heavily on informal feedback from users, comments from faculty members and so on. A small portion of libraries use usage statistics to assess their IRCs service, but other means of assessment are practically non-existent. Research limitations/implications The survey conducted was only distributed to Canadian academic libraries. Institutions across the USA and other countries that also perform IRCs may have methods for evaluating and assessing these sessions which the authors did not gather; therefore, the evidence is biased. As well, each discipline approaches IRCs very differently; therefore, it is challenging to compare the evaluation and assessment methods between each discipline. Furthermore, the study’s population is unknown, as the authors did not know the exact number of librarians or library staff providing IRCs by appointment in academic Canadian institution. While the response rate was reasonably good, it is impossible to know if the sample is representative of the population. Also, it needs to be acknowledged that the study is exploratory in nature as this is the first study solely dedicated at examining academic librarians’ IRC practices. Further research is needed. As future research is needed to evaluate and assess IRCs with an evidence-based approach, the authors will be conducting a pre-test and post-test to assess the impact of IRC on students’ search techniques. Originality/value Evidence-based practice for IRCs is limited. Very few studies have been conducted examining the evaluation and assessment methods of these sessions; therefore, it was believed that a “lay of the land,” so to speak, was needed. The study is exploratory in nature, as this is the first study solely dedicated at examining the evaluation and assessment methods of academic librarians’ IRC practices.

Receptivity to Racial and Ethnic Diversity

1999 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann C. Baker
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Ethnic Diversity ◽  
Training Programs ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Behavioral Patterns ◽  
And Training

This paper describes a study of receptivity to diversity suggesting that in three groups ( ns = 9, 10, and 6) the graduate students who showed more receptive behavioral patterns tended to take more initiative and to be more engaged in networking relationships and also may show more empathetic behavior and more self-control. Opportunities for education and training programs are suggested if data from larger samples are consistent.

scholarly journals Creating an Outreach Plan That Accounts for the Seen and Unforeseen

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-40
Author(s):  
Zoe Bastone
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Recent Literature ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Academic Year

Outreach is a necessary component of an academic library’s operations and often requires extensive time for the planning, approval, execution, and assessment depending on the personnel involved and the scope of the event. Recent literature has started to examine how academic libraries are planning outreach to align strategically with the goals of their larger institutions, but not how they balance these efforts when new opportunities arise throughout the academic year. This article will provide a brief analysis of the literature which addresses issues that academic librarians who plan outreach face. The second half of this article will provide a case study of how the author planned, created, and implemented an outreach plan at her academic branch library. This case study will detail the process of how she used an outreach plan to establish outreach that was efficient and impactful with limited staffing, while also aligning strategically with the goals of her library and the larger institution. In addition, this case study will detail how she used this outreach plan throughout the 2019-2020 academic year to guide decision making when new outreach opportunities would arise. This article will conclude with lessons learned from this process.

scholarly journals Hydrological education and training needs in Sub-Saharan Africa: requirements, constraints and progress

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 10565-10587
Author(s):  
D. A. Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Critical Mass ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Institutional Support ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
Training Needs ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Hydrology And Water Resources ◽  
And Training

Abstract. This paper represents a perspective on the education and training needs related to hydrology and water resources science within the sub-Saharan Africa region and discusses the requirements of the region, some of the relatively recent developments and initiatives and some of the constraints that exist and remain difficult to surmount. The requirements include the development of academic research capacity and technical skill for both the private and public sector at a variety of levels. Some of the constraints that exist include a lack of adequate funding, lack of follow-up after short training courses, lack of institutional support to continue training, and competition for major water resources development projects from organizations outside the region. One of the main conclusions is that to sustain both educational and practical expertise in hydrology and water resources science within the region there is a need to build a "critical mass" of local expertise. Part of this could be achieved by increasing networking within the region and promoting the sharing of information, tools and expertise. There is also a need to promote institutional support.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document