Journal of New Librarianship

A Tale of Two Studies

Gina Genova — 2024-02-05

In institutions where librarians hold tenure-track faculty status, they are expected to conduct and publish original research. Much attention is given to formulating ideas for research, but the recruitment process is equally important for common methods such as surveys, interviews, and focus groups. In this column, an early-career librarian discusses her experiences with recruitment for two IRB-approved research projects and offers some considerations for librarians planning survey- or interview-based research.

Integrating DEI in Public Library Book Clubs

Wei Goh — 2024-02-05

The killing of George Floyd in 2020 propelled the Black Lives Matter movement into the global spotlight, calling attention to the racial inequities still persisting in America. In response, public libraries have hosted anti-racist book clubs as a way to address and discuss pressing issues of social and systemic inequity. These book clubs are often explicitly marketed as “anti-racist” and have been beneficial to the promotion of DEI within their communities. However, regular book clubs hosted by public libraries can and should still integrate DEI within their processes and discussions, even if they do not have an overt anti-racist theme. In this column, I will share the DEI strategies I have successfully embedded in the monthly book club I host at the public library where I work, including how I make title selections and how I have navigated the subsequent discussions. I hope this column is useful for library staff members who are interested in proactively embedding DEI in their libraries’ book club programming.

Organizational Behavior and New Librarians

Alessandra Otero-Ramos — 2024-04-28

Learning about organizational culture and behavior sets the foundation to navigate an institution as a new employee. In the following column, two faculty librarians from SUNY Geneseo share their experiences as new faculty and their reflections on organizational behavior, exploring how concepts from that field helped them to learn about their new institution and to grow as librarians.

Empowering Librarians Worldwide

Alexander Dodd — 2024-04-28

This paper details the analytical process and presents recommendations for the enhancement of the International Librarians Networking Program (ILNP), informed by participant feedback. The work was done as part of the 2023 American Library Association’s (ALA) Emerging Leaders program. The recommendations span four critical dimensions: communication enhancement, application process revision, poster project refinement, and the establishment of an alumni group. These proposed enhancements aim to effectively address the challenges articulated by ILNP participants, elevate the program’s overall quality, and align it with the overarching objectives of the International Relations Round Table (IRRT). IRRT’s mission revolves around empowering librarians worldwide through networking and the exchange of professional knowledge, making these proposed improvements integral to realizing this mission.

Imposter Syndrome

Maddie Cummings — 2024-04-28

This column will showcase different aspects of the journey from musical theatre professional to director of a rural public library: how this came to be, findings of a library outsider, and recommendations for overcoming imposter syndrome. The author mentions the successes and failures she experienced in her first year as a library supervisor, and the sharp contrast between growing up in an urban setting and working in a rural city/county public library. This column concludes with the idea that how one presents oneself and the tangible actions one takes towards working in and advocating for their library can speak more highly of their abilities than being a perfect job candidate on paper.

Review of Twenty-First-Century Access Services: On the Front Line of Academic Librarianship, 2nd Edition

Lorelei Sterling — 2024-02-05

Review of Twenty-First-Century Access Services: On the Front Line of Academic Librarianship, 2^nd edition, edited by Michael J. Krasulski and Trevor A. Dawes. Association of College and Research Libraries. 320 pp. ISBN: 978-0-8389-3931-4 $76

Review of Integrated Library Planning: A New Model for Strategic and Dynamic Planning, Management, and Assessment

Duane Strojny — 2024-02-05

This is a review of Integrated Library Planning: A New Model for Strategic and Dynamic Planning, Management, and Assessment by Myka Kennedy Stephens. Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries. 160 pp. ISBN 978-0-8389-3937-6 $62

Review of Trans and Gender Diverse Voices in Libraries

Derya Hodge — 2024-04-28

Review of Adolpho, K.K., Kreuger, S.G., & McCracken, K. (Eds.) (2023). Trans and gender diverse voices in libraries. Sacramento: Library Juice Press. 547 pp.

Review of Integrating Pop Culture into the Academic Library

Rachel Trnka — 2024-04-28

Review of Johnson, M.E., Weeks, T.C., and J.P. Davis, (Eds.). (2022). Integrating pop culture into the academic library, Rowman & Littlefield. 309 pp.

Review of Thriving as a Mid-Career Librarian: Identity, Advocacy, and Pathways

Semhar Yohannes — 2024-04-28

Review of the book Thriving as a Mid-Career Librarian: Identity, Advocacy, and Pathways, edited by Brandon K. West & Elizabeth Galoozis. Association of College and Research Libraries Press. 358 pp. ISBN: 978-0-8389-3941-3 $92

A Content Analysis of News Analyses

Stacy Gilbert — 2024-02-05

While the news industry and news databases have changed over the last 20 years, little is known about the type of news content studied and how the ways researchers access content have evolved. This paper aims to identify trends in news analysis studies by examining 216 print and online news analyses published in communication, journalism, and media studies journals by U.S. authors between 2002 and 2020. Each publication was coded for their methodological attributes. Findings show most studies analyze text articles. Subscription-based news aggregator databases like LexisNexis, NewsBank/Access World News, ProQuest, and Factiva are the most popular resources to access news content, and there has been a statistically significant increase in the use of news websites and public databases. Librarians can use these findings to assess their news collections and advise researchers on resources to access news content for news analysis projects.

Belonging in the Urban Information Specialist Program

Benjamin Bradley — 2024-02-05

The Urban Information Specialist Program lasted only one year, from 1970-1971, at the University of Maryland School of Library and Information Service (SLIS). While short lived, the program raised big questions that resonate still today about who could become a librarian and what role a librarian plays. The program sought to diversify librarianship by recruiting students with experience working and serving diverse communities and eliminating barriers such as the requirement of a Bachelor’s degree. The program’s end was met with protest and debate about racism within the university and in the SLIS. This article looks at contemporary student publications to better understand how library science programs can improve to promote diversity within a primarily white profession and in Primarily White Institutions (PWI).

Free for All

Victoria Elmwood — 2024-03-23

Periodic website redesign projects have become essential -- though often complex and costly -- measures that libraries take to ensure users’ ease of access to resources. Though administrators often enlist university web designers or even outside contractors to undertake these projects, librarians themselves can and should be at the center of any library website redesign. This is easier for libraries with employees who have considerable web development-related skills, but it is also within reach for libraries with smaller staff and limited web development skills. Indeed, free UX testing applications, basic office software, and open source or freely available CMSes such as Drupal make library website redesign projects both feasible and affordable. Generating buy-in and recruiting content editors to help build the new site are two vital measures for a successful redesign, as well as ongoing, post-launch maintenance. During our library website redesign, we leveraged both the communication of UX testing results and periodic peer training activities to create support, invite feedback or input, and recruit partners for content creation on the new site. As our site launched, we sustained the momentum of our peers’ involvement with the site by providing training materials, tech support, and targeted documentation. By combining freely available, user-friendly applications with a strategic, inclusive implementation process, even libraries with limited resources can successfully complete significant website redesign projects.

The Academic Library as Workplace

Maggie Albro — 2024-04-28

This study seeks to explore the academic library as a workplace and understand indicators of successful performance and areas that indicate a need for improvement. A survey containing the Knowledge Intensive Work Environment Survey Target (KIWEST) was sent to academic library listservs and received 351 complete responses eligible for analysis. Respondents were library workers employed in an academic library in the United States at the time of taking the survey. Academic libraries performed best in the areas of job autonomy, task completion clarity, competency demands, and meaning of work. Academic libraries indicated less positively in the areas of perceived investment in employee development, engagement (dedication), social support from supervisors, and role conflicts. Findings were consistent with previous studies about the individual factors in the library workplace, and this study demonstrates consistency with academic library strengths and areas of growth in the rapidly changing post-COVID workplace environment.

A Scientific Communication Initiative at a Medical Military Library

Lyubov Tmanova — 2024-04-29

Implementation of new scholarly communication library service in the digital age is characterized by the competitive forces between the old library information services and the ambiguity of future information services. This research analyzes the development process of scientific initiative and collaborative partnership in the military medical library environment aimed to enhance the quality of scientific communication and information skills in military residents and clinicians. The hindering internal and external forces and facilitators of developing and implementing scientific initiative service in the military medical library are evaluated. The environmental analysis was conducted to determine the scholarly communication needs in the scholarly military medical environment. The ambassador-based model was used for the development of scientific communication initiative (SCI) at the military medical library. The SCI consisted of two components: library information communication and scientific communication. This implementation in the military medical environment enhanced scholarly communication, research skills development, and information education. A collaborative Scientific Hub, and liaison partnerships with military graduate medical education program directors and clinicians enhanced the scientific communication and information skills in residents. The Ambassador model, used in the development of scientific initiative in academic and military environments, was valuable for developing and implementing specialized interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary information services in the academic and military environment. Higher education hierarchy, educational needs, organizational hierarchy, academic culture, and educational environment influence the implementation of information services in academic and military environments.