Association Of College And Research Libraries Research Articles

Health Sciences Librarianship's Status as a Profession Is Unclear, According to Its Members

A Review of: Koenig, R. A., Rodriguez, V. A., & Sima, A. P. (2021). Attitudinal attributes of professionalism in health sciences librarians. Journal of Library Administration, 61(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2020.1845544 Objective – To determine health sciences librarians' attitudes toward professionalism and to examine relationships between professionalism attributes and participant characteristics as defined by the Richard H. Hall Professionalism Inventory. Design – Cross-sectional online survey using the Richard H. Hall Professionalism Inventory. Setting – Electronic mailing lists of the Medical Library Association (MLA), the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL), the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Health Sciences Interest Group, and the Canadian Health Libraries Association (CHLA). Subjects – There were 430 participants. Methods – The online survey, created in REDCap, was distributed electronically across multiple mailing lists during June and July of 2019. Quantitative analysis included descriptive statistics and ANOVA conducted in R with reliability determined by Cronbach's alpha. Main Results – Professionalism scores for health sciences librarians were lowest in public service and self-regulation, and highest in professional organization as referent, autonomy, and sense of calling. Individuals with a degree in health sciences scored lower on a sense of calling than individuals with Library and Information Science (LIS) degrees. Faculty benefits such as tenure decreased sense of calling. There were statistically significant differences according to role (e.g., archives, administration). Subject specialty librarians had lower scores in most attributes. Conclusion – Health sciences librarianship does not clearly meet the criteria of a profession. Its heterogeneity of specializations and receptiveness to diverse backgrounds and perspectives are possible threats to its ability to create a cohesive identity. Further, duties that can be considered non-library work appear to correlate with lower professionalism scores, even when they are associated with faculty status.

Information literacy in the age of internet conspiracism

The 21st century has been riven by information challenges, from mis/disinformation campaigns, fake news, and propaganda to online conspiracy theories. At a time when more people are literate than perhaps at any other time in history, we still see the rise and viral global spread of unhinged conspiracy theories across the web. The existence of such crowd-sourced conspiracy theories presents unique challenges for scholars and teachers of information literacy (IL), who face intractable challenges in inculcating healthy information practices. This is especially visible when we compare current IL frameworks with principles espoused within these conspiratorial movements. The online conspiracy theory QAnon demonstrates a particularly thorny problem for IL efforts because QAnon operates according to many of the same principles espoused in literacy frameworks. Since its inception in 2017, QAnon has become one of the most complex online conspiracy theories precisely because it relies on a complex set of informational practices enacted by thousands of followers known as anons. In this article, I argue that internet conspiracies such as QAnon weaponise IL through incitement to “do your own research”. I apply a qualitative approach to compare established principles advocated by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) to social media posts by Q and his anons to demonstrate the striking similarity in orientation toward questions of authority, context, literacy and research. In my analysis, we need new models for IL to combat conspiracism through a better understanding of the political contours of information ecosystems precisely because these similarities preclude effective engagement, and I conclude by gesturing toward future interventions.

Scholarly communication: a concept analysis

Purpose“Scholarly Communication” is a frequent topic of both the professional and research literature of Library and Information Science (LIS). Despite efforts by individuals (e.g. Borgman, 1989) and organizations such as the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) to define the term, multiple understandings of it remain. Discussions of scholarly communication infrequently offer a definition or explanation of its parameters, making it difficult for readers to form a comprehensive understanding of scholarly communication and associated phenomena.Design/methodology/approachThis project uses the evolutionary concept analysis (ECA) method developed by nursing scholar, Beth L. Rodgers, to explore “Scholarly Communication” as employed in the literature of LIS. As the purpose of ECA is not to arrive at “the” definition of a term but rather exploring its utilization within a specific context, it is an ideal approach to expand our understanding of SC as used in LIS research.Findings“Scholarly Communication” as employed in the LIS literature does not refer to a single phenomenon or idea, but rather is a concept with several dimensions and sub-dimensions with distinct, but overlapping, significance.Research limitations/implicationsThe concept analysis (CA) method calls for review of a named concept, i.e. verbatim. Therefore, the items included in the data set must include the phrase “scholarly communication”. Items using alternate terminology were excluded from analysis.Practical implicationsThe model of scholarly communication presented in this paper provides language to operationalize the concept.Originality/valueLIS lacks a nuanced understanding of “scholarly communication” as used in the LIS literature. This paper offers a model to further the field's collective understanding of the term and support operationalization for future research projects.

What do six questions and fourteen years reveal about librarians? An analysis of ACRL’s Members of the Week

The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) was founded in 1940 and represents more than 8,000 academic and research librarians. Since 2008, the staff-produced ACRL Insider blog has provided information on ACRL activities, services, and programs. The blog features information on publications, events, conferences, and online learning opportunities, along with podcasts and other media. A regular feature of the ACRL Insider blog is the “Member of the Week” (MOTW), a selection that has highlighted more than 650 academic librarians to present. The MOTW designation spotlights the diversity and accomplishments of the ACRL membership and serves to promote academic and research librarianship to those who may be considering academic librarianship as a career. Those profiled are primarily self-nominated, although some are occasionally selected by ACRL or nominated by a colleague. It’s a popular, easy, and effective way to virtually meet professional colleagues.

The information ecosystem concept in information literacy: A theoretical approach and definition

AbstractDespite the prominence of the concept of the information ecosystem (hereafter IE) in information literacy documents and literature, it is under‐theorized. This article proposes a general definition of IE for information literacy. After reviewing the current use of the IE concept in the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy and other information literacy sources, existing definitions of IE and similar concepts (e.g., “evidence ecosystems”) will be examined from other fields. These will form the basis of the definition of IE proposed in the article for the field of information literacy: “all structures, entities, and agents related to the flow of semantic information relevant to a research domain, as well as the information itself.”

Exhibits in Archives and Special Collections Libraries. By Jessica Lacher-Feldman. [Review

In 2008, to provide continuity across the profession and acknowledge skills needed for effective stewardship of special collections materials, the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) approved Competencies for Special Collections Professionals. This document explicitly contends that those responsible for special collections materials must be “committed to promoting the appreciation and use of special collections materials to a variety of audiences. . . . ” and “skilled in planning and implementing programs and publications that promote and interpret collections, such as exhibits. . . . ” Indeed, at one time or another, most archivists and special collections librarians face curating a display or exhibit. Despite this, modern resources on exhibit preparation geared to special collections are lacking, leaving staff to glean guidance from general library exhibit publications or to turn to colleagues in the museum field for the most current materials on exhibits. Jessica Lacher-Feldman’s book, Exhibits in Archives and Special Collections Libraries, attempts to fill this void in the literature.

Descriptive Review of ISTL: The Journal of the Science and Technology Section of ACRL

Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship (ISTL), a publication of the Science and Technology Section (STS) of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), was created as a web-based, open access journal in 1996. This article is a descriptive review of ISTL contributions during the last twenty-five years.

Instrument Development for Information Literacy Assessment through Analysis and Synthesis Skills in Post Covid Higher Education

Information literacy is a collection of skills in accessing, analyzing, and utilizing information. These skills become very important in a life that is flooded with information in print and digital form. Information literacy skills have also become an integral part in schools and education, but information literacy is still abstract so it is difficult to measure. This study aims to interpret the reference standards contained in the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) and develop instruments to measure information literacy skills, as well as validate instruments. This instrument aims to assess the ability to analyze and synthesize abstract scientific writings, through the criteria, namely (i) selection of information sources, (ii) selection of topics, (iii) evaluation of topics, and (iv) citation skills. The instrument validation uses action research methods involving 120 undergraduate students consisting of first year students and final year students.

Finding Our Way: A Snapshot of Scholarly Communication Practitioners' Duties & Training

INTRODUCTION Scholarly communication has arisen as a core academic librarianship competency, but formal training on scholarly communication topics in LIS is rare, leaving many early career practitioners underprepared for their work. METHODS Researchers surveyed practitioners of scholarly communication, as defined by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), regarding their attitudes toward and experiences with education in scholarly communication, job responsibilities, location within their academic libraries, and thoughts about emerging trends in scholarly communication librarianship. results Few scholarly communication practitioners felt well-prepared by their graduate training for the core set of primary and secondary scholarly communication responsibilities that have emerged. They deploy a range of strategies to fill the gap and would benefit from support in this area, from more robust education in graduate programs and through continued professional development. discussion The results of this survey support the assertion that as academic libraries and academic library work have increasingly recognized the importance of scholarly communication topics, library school curricula have not developed correspondingly. Respondents indicated a low level of formal pedagogy on scholarly communication topics and generally felt they were not well-prepared for scholarly communication work, coming at a significant opportunity cost. CONCLUSION Scholarly communication practitioners should create and curate open teaching and learning content on scholarly communication topics for both continuing education as well as adoption within LIS curricula, and LIS programs should develop accordingly, either through “topics” courses or by integrating scholarly communication into and across curricula as it intersects with existing courses.

Academic Library Residency Programs and Diversity

Academic Library Residency Programs and Diversity Julie Garrison (bio) Since the 1940s, academic and research libraries have offered post-masters' residency programs (called internships, residencies, or fellowships interchangeably) to provide professional training and mentoring for new librarians entering academic library careers. Those who participate in residencies tend to appreciate the experience and find that it supports individual career growth. They report gaining useful knowledge, marketable skills, and professional connections. They also derive benefits from growing their networks, participating in professional-level work and meaningful projects, and experiencing the academic library culture.1 By the early to mid-1980s, residency programs began focusing on recruitment of minority librarians. Initially, these programs were inspired by affirmative action, a United States government policy that supported members of disadvantaged groups who had suffered discrimination. More recently, residency programs shifted to addressing the desire to grow a workforce more representative of society in general.2 Despite these efforts, however, change has been slow.3 Residents and Librarians: Still Predominantly White In 1997, Julie Brewer surveyed 230 prior post-master's residents. The majority of survey participants were white women, overrepresenting "the older, larger residency programs in government libraries." Only 19 of the 109 respondents stated they had taken part in a program "targeted to racial and ethnic minorities."4 Another survey of residency programs in 2013 more narrowly focused on evaluating residencies for librarians of color. It explored "the general structure of residencies, such as the number of residents in a cohort, efforts to promote diversity, and professional skills." Of the 68 who responded, nearly 40 percent (26) were white, and 84.8 percent identified as female.5 While the number of respondents from racially or ethnically diverse backgrounds in both surveys was small, each suggested that residencies attracted individuals who would not have otherwise considered academic librarianship as a career choice and succeeded in retaining professionals in library-related positions. [End Page 405] An examination of American Library Association (ALA) demographic data and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) information indicates that the library profession remains predominantly white (86.7 percent according to the ALA in 2017, 87.8 percent per the BLS in 2019) and overwhelmingly female. While diversity has improved since the 2006 ALA membership report, in which 89 percent of members identified as white, the needle has scarcely moved toward building a more representative profession.6 A review of who received master's degrees in library and information science suggests that graduates have not increased in diversity either. A comparison of 2011 and 2017 graduation rates reported by the Association of Library Information Science Education (ALISE) shows that the percentage of Hispanic graduates doubled (6.2 percent in 2017 compared to 2.96 percent in 2011), but those from other racial groups increased by less than 1 percent. Given that fewer individuals graduate from LIS programs, the number of underrepresented minorities entering the profession remains nearly static. One caveat to these data is that both years report a relatively large pool of "unknown" and "international" students, and in 2017 an additional 2 percent (150) identify as "two or more races."7 The ACRL Diversity Alliance In 2014, when Jon Cawthorne became dean of libraries at West Virginia University (WVU) in Morgantown, he attempted to breathe new life into residency programs by forming the Diversity Alliance, a group of academic libraries that pledged to offer residencies to underrepresented groups. In addition to establishing a new institutional residency program at WVU, Cawthorne recruited like-minded institutions to do the same, growing a network of residencies aimed at supporting professionals from diverse backgrounds in "getting the experience they need to be successful in the academic library world." In 2016, the Diversity Alliance partnered with the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) to further expand its reach and broaden residency opportunities.8 For decades, ACRL had studied and analyzed opportunities for adding to the mix of ethnic and racial groups in the library profession. It had developed guidelines and stated its commitment to diversity in its strategic plans. It had produced reports with recommendations for advancing diversity efforts, and it had embraced the goal of recruiting a more representative workforce within academic libraries. The ACRL...

Special Issue Editors’ Introduction

In 2009, responding to a new level of challenges to academic libraries brought on by the recession, the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) created the Value of Academic Libraries (VAL) initiative and allocated funding for a systematic review of existing literature, resulting in the 2010 Value of Academic Libraries report by Megan Oakleaf. To take this work forward, the value of academic libraries became a goal in ACRL’s Plan for Excellence in 2011, with a committee dedicated to furthering work in that area.

Portal: Libraries and the Academy 2020 Johns Hopkins University Press Award for Best Article

portal:Libraries and the Academy 2020 Johns Hopkins University Press Award for Best Article Marianne Ryan (bio) The Best Article Award Committee has announced the selection of "'Just Because You Can Doesn't Mean You Should': Practitioner Perceptions of Learning Analytics Ethics" as recipient of the 2019 Johns Hopkins University Press Award for the best article featured in portal: Libraries and the Academy during 2019. Written by Kyle M. L. Jones, the article appears in volume 19, number 3 (2019), pages 407–28 and can be accessed at https://muse.jhu.edu/article/729196. As noted in the committee's report, this timely and well-written essay uses qualitative research to address ethical issues regarding learning analytics, the gathering and analysis of a wide range of data about students to assess their academic progress and improve their educational outcomes. The article provides valuable context for the uptake of learning analytics in academic libraries in response to findings and recommendations from the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) 2010 publication The Value of Academic Libraries: A Comprehensive Research Review and Report by Megan Oak-leaf. Learning analytics is a topic of growing importance for libraries as they attempt to demonstrate their role in student success and their value to higher education. Members of the portal Editorial Board called Jones's essay "a good introduction to the ethical questions surrounding learning analytics" and "an important contribution to the literature." Jones raises important questions, including whether assessment findings justify potentially compromising student privacy and whether the information libraries gather by using learning analytics is worth the ethical dilemmas that doing so can create. The article suggests that institutional review boards may lack familiarity with the emerging issues of data ethics, which may result in overly lenient examination of library learning analytics research. It theorizes that current learning analytics practice may not be consistently guided by the American Library Association (ALA) Code of Ethics. This inconsistency has fueled heated debate, particularly in discussions of data [End Page 411] ethics. Jones also offers practical and actionable suggestions for how libraries might navigate these challenging waters. Comments from the board consistently noted the timeliness of this topic and Jones's balanced and thoughtful treatment. One member observed that Jones's essay "demonstrates, through a literature review, analysis of current practice, a focus on professional ethics for librarians (especially user privacy), and methodologically sound interviews with library practitioners, just how much of an ethical minefield [learning analytics] is for academic libraries." Another called the essay "an effective article for me to point to for others to read and join the conversation locally." Still another said, "This is a conversation that needs to happen." Kyle M. L. Jones is an assistant professor in the Department of Library and Information Science in the School of Informatics and Computing at Indiana University–Purdue University, Indianapolis. His research primarily focuses on student privacy issues that emerge from mining sensitive or confidential student data and information, which institutions use to match courses and majors to students' interests, to support interpersonal relationships, and to improve learning outcomes. His secondary research interest concentrates on emerging educational technologies and their efficacy in library and information science (LIS) graduate programs and for LIS professional development. Jones is currently coprincipal investigator for two Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) research grants: the first to investigate faculty perspectives of student privacy and their practices in relation to learning analytics, and the second to develop continuing education for academic library practitioners to address student privacy and deal with the emerging ethical issues of learning analytics. He teaches courses on database design and information policy, and publishes extensively on the topics of student confidentiality and data ethics with respect to library learning analytics. Articles selected for portal's Best Article Award are chosen through a multistep process by which Editorial Board members nominate a pool of articles from each volume. The entire board then votes on a short list of the most nominated articles. Criteria used in the selection process examine the quality of the research methodology; the extent to which the article places library issues in a broader academic or higher education context; the degree to which...

The Past, Present, and Future of Special Collections Library Literature

The field of bibliometrics provides a lens through which to explore how a journal’s environment is shaped by the professionals that contribute to its creation and maintenance. Despite a rich legacy of bibliometric studies in Library and Information Science scholarship more generally, to date no studies have explored bibliometrics related specifically to special collections library literature. This study considers the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (RBMS) of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) journals, RBML and RBM, to explore what it is possible to learn about late twentieth and early twenty-first century American special collections librarianship as a profession through an aggregate consideration of the professional literature. This study uses existing tools from author affiliation studies to explore the professional literature and available data about the perspectives that shaped the RBMS journals, RBML and RBM, to gain a better understanding of the particular ecosystem that informs research and publication in the field of American special collections librarianship.

Developing Tomorrow's Library Leaders

Developing Tomorrow's Library Leaders Brian E. C. Schottlaender (bio) One of the hallmarks of the professions is the commitment to, if not the requirement for, continuing education. This is as true of librarianship as it is of medicine, the law, or teaching. In fact, the American Library Association is on record as saying that: Education and Continuous Learning is one of five key action areas adopted by the American Library Association to fulfill its mission of promoting the highest quality library and information services for all people . . . For librarians, continuous learning is critical to renewing the expertise and skills needed to teach and assist members of the public in the new information age.1 Continuing education encompasses a spectrum of possible activities, including workshops, credit-granting classes, professional development programs, leadership development programs, and training—or (shudder) "trainings." Any of these can be certificated, or not; and, increasingly, many take place online, in whole or in part. While professional and leadership development are often considered interchangeable, they are actually different—at least in their focus and intent. Professional development is learning intended to help one earn or maintain professional credentials, while leadership development is the acquisition of skills and knowledge to expand one's capacity and capability for performing in leadership roles within organizations.2 In what follows, I will consider the latter. One of the first post-master of library science (MLS) development efforts of the modern era was launched in 1968 by the Council on Library Resources (CLR): the CLR Fellows program. While one can debate the point, I consider it to have been professional development, not leadership development. The following description, extracted from the College & Research Libraries News announcement of the eighth cohort in 1976, supports this view: "Each fellow will spend three months or more pursuing a self-developed study project, aimed at improving his or her competence in the substantive, administrative, or technical aspects of librarianship."3 This language is much like that used to describe what is arguably the program's follow-on nearly four decades later, the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program that CLIR4 began in 2004: "Fellows work on projects that forge and strengthen connections among collections, educational technologies, and current research."5 The program lists leadership [End Page 227] first among its core goals, followed by awareness, changing roles, relevant resources, and young scholars.6 Nevertheless, its focus strikes me as one of professional development, rather than leadership development. In 1982, Robert Hayes, dean of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), launched the longest-standing leadership development program in librarianship, Senior Fellows. Following my retirement from UC San Diego in 2017, I was appointed director of that program. I shall describe it in greater detail following this brief overview of cognate programs. In the mid-1990s, CLR and Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, helped launch the Digital Leadership Institute, which rapidly matured in 1999 into the Frye Leadership Institute. Named for the former chancellor of Emory—Billy E. Frye—and cohosted by Emory, CLIR, and EDUCAUSE, the mission of the Frye Institute was to "provide continuing education opportunities for individuals who currently hold, or will one day assume, positions that make them responsible for transforming the management of scholarly information in the higher education community."7 The two-week, annual, Emory-based program continued as such through the first decade of the 2000s, until it evolved again and emerged in 2012 as the Leading Change Institute (LCI). As its name indicates, the latter's remit is more narrowly focused on change leadership and is specifically "designed for leaders in higher education, including CIOs, librarians, information technology professionals, and administrators, who are interested in working collaboratively to promote and initiate change on critical issues affecting the academy."8 With that evolution, the institute also moved to Washington, D.C., and reduced its on-site component from two weeks to one. Launched in 1999, the Harvard Leadership Institute for Academic Librarians is a collaboration between the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) and the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This weeklong on-site offering is intended to help "college-level librarians and...

Interesting Patterns Found When Academic and Public Library Use by Foreign-born Students Is Assessed Using ‘Super-Diversity’ Variables

A Review of:
 Albarillo, F. (2018). Super-diversity and foreign-born students in academic libraries: A survey study. portal: Libraries and the Academy, 18(1), 59-91. https://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2018.0004
 Abstract
 Objective – To evaluate the relationship between academic and public library usage and various characteristics of foreign-born students.
 Design – Survey questionnaire.
 Setting – Medium-sized public liberal arts college in the northeastern United States.
 Subjects – 123 foreign-born students enrolled at the institution in fall 2014.
 Methods – The researcher emailed a five-part survey to participants who indicated on a screening survey that they were foreign-born students currently enrolled at the college. Of the participants emailed, 94 completed the survey. The survey used a super-diversity lens to assess academic and public library use by foreign-born students in relationship to multiple variables, including student status, race and ethnicity, immigration status, first-generation student status, gender, age, age of arrival in the United States (US), years living in the US, and ZIP Code (used to approximate median income based on the US Census Bureau’s 2014 American Community Survey). Respondents reported frequency of use on a Likert-type scale of 1=Never to 6=Always. The author adapted items from the In Library Use Survey Instrument (University of Washington Libraries, 2011). Usage types included: computer, Wi-Fi, staff assistance, electronic resources, physical resources, printing/scanning/photocopying, program attendance, and physical space. Independent sample t-tests were used to evaluate mean differences in reported library usage based on demographic variables. The author used Somers’ d statistical tests to explore the relationship between library use and age, age on arrival in the US, years lived in the US, and median income. The survey asked participants to describe both academic and public libraries in five words. To show term frequency, the author used word clouds as a visualization technique.
 Main Results – The study reported on the results of the library use survey section. Overall, foreign-born students used college libraries more frequently than public libraries. The author reported on findings that were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.5), focusing on those with mean differences ≥ 0.5. Key findings included: undergraduate students used public libraries and Wi-Fi/e-resources onsite at college libraries more often than graduate students; first-generation students gathered at the library with friends more frequently; no significant difference was reported in library resource use by gender; and non-white students used the college library more frequently as a study space and for printing. The author was surprised no significant differences in usage were found between participants with permanent vs. temporary immigration status. Somers’ d associations showed an inverse relationship between age and Wi-Fi use and age of arrival in the United States and likelihood of eating in the library. Overall, both library types were positively described in open-ended responses as places with social and academic value.
 Conclusion – The author suggested the concept of super-diversity equips librarians with a more inclusive approach to studying library user perspectives and behaviors. The author used survey data and the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Diversity Standards (2012) to highlight library service considerations for foreign-born students. Examples of suggested service improvements included supporting printing in Unicode non-English fonts, cultivating a diverse library staff, and providing culturally appropriate library orientations and outreach. The author recommended that more research with foreign-born students was needed to assess culturally appropriate areas for eating and socializing, unique information needs, and expectations and awareness of library services. The author suggested first-generation students’ use of the library for socializing and non-white students’ higher use of libraries for studying as two areas for further qualitative study. The author also suggested creating services and partnerships between public and academic libraries could support foreign-born students, even recommending cross-training of library staff.

Exploring Innovative Ways to Incorporate the Association of College and Research Libraries Framework in Graduate Science Teacher Education ePortfolio Projects

This article investigates ways in which student voice informed design-based research into information literacy instruction. The instruction occurred across a year-long graduate science education ePortfolio culminating project. Library and science education faculty partnered in a two-year project to create communities of secondary science education students, in two cohorts, who used the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education to support their own research and reflections into information literacy. The overarching goal was to improve the course design to help science teachers develop their professional competencies in information literacy to conduct research to support their practice. Examination of students’ responses to research experiences enabled faculty to improve the students’ information literacy experience from one year to another. Findings show that students became more familiar with ways to use the ACRL Framework to interrogate their own and their colleagues’ research processes as they shared their own reflections on research and information literacy. We also found that this was fostered by shifts in when and how the ACRL Framework was introduced. Education students can benefit from knowledge of an information literacy framework to impact the way that they conduct their own professional research, work with students on research projects, and participate in scholarly conversations.

Development of WebOPAC Training Information Literacy Scale

Many studies proved that WebOPAC training during library orientation programs contributes most to individual’s information literacy skills development. The irony is that there is no standard measurement on this WebOPAC training which measures the scores of information literacy skills. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop a scale to measure the information literacy skills for WebOPAC training. This scale is based on standard one, standard two, standard three and standard five of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) information literacy competency standards which is expected to assist institutions in identifying library users’ ability to locate, evaluate, and use information effectively when it is needed. Information literacy competency standards of the instrument were tested with a group of thirty (30) first year degree students. Exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach’s alpha internal reliability coefficient were used to measure reliability and validity of the scale. Finally, a valid and reliable 28-item WebOPAC training information literacy scale was developed which could be a guideline to future information professionals, librarians, and researchers in measuring individual’s information literacy skills during WebOPAC teaching and learning sessions.

Geospatial Information Literacy Instruction: Frameworks, Competency, and Threshold Concepts

As librarians are developing library instruction curricula for map and geography libraries, there are many places where one can find guidance. Instructional frameworks can help organize and teach key competencies and develop literacy of geospatial information for learners. The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education has become the quintessential guiding document for information literacy instruction in academic libraries. One does not teach the framework directly, rather the instructor (librarian) identifies threshold concepts, knowledge practices, and dispositions guided by six core concepts and disciplinary context. Librarians in special collections must consider how to apply such frameworks to specific disciplines, collections, institutions, and curricula. This paper focuses on geospatial information literacy instruction, best represented by librarians offering instruction services on geospatial data and/or technologies to classes ranging from GIScience courses to humanities classes incorporating digital scholarship. The unique blend of geographic literacy incorporating geography, primary-source, map, and spatial literacies as well as data and digital literacies, including data information literacy and the emerging Cyber GIScience literacy make GIScience a discipline where map and geography librarians are well positioned to impact the success of learners and advance pedagogy development.

Mapping Concepts to Locate Learning Opportunities: Aligning the ACRL Framework to the GIS&T Body of Knowledge

The adoption of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education in 2016 coincided with the launch of the digital edition of the Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIS&T) Body of Knowledge. The GIS&T Body of Knowledge and the ACRL Framework share a common goal of providing a flexible, community-driven, living document to support teaching and learning in higher education. The Body of Knowledge serves as a representation of the GIS&T knowledge domain, while the ACRL Framework aids librarians in integrating core information literacy concepts into instruction in their respective knowledge domains. Despite this connection, no attempt to evaluate how these guiding documents can be aligned to one another to inform instructional practice has yet been reported. This study uses a relative crosswalk approach to map connections between the knowledge practices and dispositions in the ACRL Framework and the learning objectives in the GIS&T Body of Knowledge. This analysis highlights alignment between these documents and can serve as a conceptual foundation to make it easier for map, geospatial, and subject librarians to identify practical opportunities for integrating information literacy instruction into GIS&T education, both independently and in collaboration with disciplinary faculty.

Expanding Academic Librarians’ Roles in the Research Life Cycle

Abstract Research depends on prior results. The cycle of transforming research output to disseminated knowledge is changing to engage more researchers to openly discover and thereby shape future contributions to scholarship. No established framework helps librarians understand the opportunities that transition offers librarians. However, through four propositions, this paper addresses some of the changes facing academic librarians as they expand their roles: 1) Research cycles embrace interactive sharing and reuse of data; 2) Managing open research data expands librarians’ roles; 3) Intellectual entrepreneurship roles provide a model to empower others; 4) Librarians demonstrate their entrepreneurial leadership by creating partnerships outside the library. Now academic librarians have opportunities to strengthen their role in how higher education shapes research by shifting greater focus toward research data management [RDM]. Two seasoned administrators and librarians illustrate pathways to prepare academic librarians for these new roles. They offer two practitioners’ impressions of the demands and opportunities for librarians to extend their expertise to support RDM, and illustrate how academic librarians have begun doing so through professional association work (through the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL)) and at one academic library (at Drexel University). They urge academic librarians to step out of their comfort zones of organizing, preserving and servicing discovery of information resources and embrace emerging roles for which their values and expertise have prepared them. If librarians ignore these opportunities, they risk being bypassed in efforts to ensure that managing research data and scholarship are central to research protocols.