Master Library Research Articles

Students’ Perceptions and Use of AI in MLIS Courses

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been a buzzword on the Internet due to the development of ChatGPT. AI, especially generative AI, can create original text, audio, and images in response to users’ questions and needs. These programs have the potential to enhance students’ learning and creativity if used ethically. Especially for graduate students in the library and information science (LIS), AI can be used to help students outline essays or produce creative content (e.g., videos, slides, visual presentations) that mimic human intelligence and creativity. However, considering this is yet new technology, research needs to be done to understand how students perceive and use AI ethically in their coursework and research in higher education settings. Specifically, this study aims to explore students’ views on the ethical implications of AI in LIS research and class assignments in a course in the Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) program at a university and gather students’ perspectives on its responsible or irresponsible utilization. Content analysis of students’ online discussions revealed that students perceived that AI could enhance educational efficiency, foster creativity, and provide technical support. Students found AI helpful in personalized learning experiences, resource access, streamlining tasks, and critical thinking and problem-solving. However, they had concerns about incorrect citation, copyright, plagiarism, bias, misinformation, privacy, and the risk of diminished creativity. This inquiry will contribute to gaining insights into how to help MLIS students prepare with ethical understanding and use of AI for their professional activities.

Re-imagining Librarianship: An Observation of Job Advertisements for Librarian Positions in the US

In the current artificial intelligence (AI) and post-pandemic era, libraries are compelled to accelerate digitalization and automation (Nugroho et al., 2023; Pressreader Team, 2023). Revisiting the core values of librarianship is critical to understanding the opportunities and challenges for libraries and librarians in this trend. Advertisements define, convey, and uphold ideologies by including specific ideas and excluding others (McIntosh & Cuklanz, 2014). Job advertisements for librarian positions, therefore, are designed to convey the values of librarianship in the United States. The study aims to identify the values by answering the following research questions: (1) How do libraries describe themselves in job advertisements? (2) How do libraries describe ideal librarians in job advertisements? Between February 15 and March 15, 2023, we collected job advertisements for librarian positions in the US on ALA JobLIST and Indeed. We will use a qualitative research design to analyze the data. The codes are generated from the core values of librarianship, including sustainability, service, intellectual freedom, literacy and learning, equity of access, privacy, democracy, and public good (American Library Association [ALA], 2024; Gorman, 2015). By investigating the values embedded in library job advertisements, we reflect on what core values of librarianship affirm professionalization in social transformation and whether new principles need to be added to the core values. The study also responds to the burnt-out among librarians by emphasizing the boundaries of librarianship. Additionally, it offers insights into Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) programs on how to prepare future librarians for the job market.

Examining Diversity and Equity in LIS Education: A Syllabus to Reading List Analysis

To determine how effectively the Master of Library and Information Science curriculum at Indiana University - Indianapolis is addressing the new ALA core competency related to social justice, we analyzed all the course syllabi and are now in the process of analyzing all course readings, using various text analysis methods. We found the initial review of syllabi to lack the level of granularity that would have revealed the different kinds of diversity and equity issues in the curriculum. Additionally, courses we know for certain that covered topics related to social justice, the syllabus alone indicated otherwise. For these reasons, we decided to examine the readings that comprised the entire curriculum. With 68 courses and over 3000 readings to date, gathering the data for analysis has taken several months of time. Metadata and PDFs of course readings were stored in Zotero and extracted from there for analysis. Terminology, as identified from the study that examined all ALA-accredited LIS program course descriptions, will be used to frame the textual analysis (Dill, Grote, & Hardin, 2023). We will present the topics and trends identified through bibliometric analysis, topic modeling, and visual analysis of the citation data. This analysis will shed light on areas of strength and for improvement within curriculum with the goal of preparing students to effectively work in socially just library environments.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access Coverage in Technology-focused Courses

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA) is a controversial topic. Technological improvements help to incorporate DEIA to everyday life, but it also comes with its own problems like algorithmic bias, and legal issues. Computing technology is not neutral; adversely affecting marginalized groups through policy decisions and their creators’ unconscious biases; the limitations of the programs and equipment. The American Library Association Core Competences (ALACCs) require basic knowledge on social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion gained through LIS education. This study will analyze technology-focused Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) courses to assess how DEIA principles are addressed in the light of ALACCs in technology requirement. Syllabi from select ALA accredited MLIS programs on the Eastern United States are collected. Preliminary results will be presented at the Conference. Efforts to collect the remaining syllabuses are continuing. Study hopes to fill a major gap by providing a concrete data about technological biases that inversely affect specific populations as well as possible remedies to it.

Protecting More Than Just Books: A Curricula Study of Traditional Cultural Expression in U.S. LIS Programs

More and more, librarians’ day-to-day job responsibilities include working with Traditional Cultural Expressions (TCEs) and their divergent needs. Nevertheless, TCEs—and their specialized care—lack adequate attention and appropriate training in Library and Information Science (LIS) pedagogy. This indicates that LIS students may be less prepared to ethically work on TCE-related inquiries in the future. This study conducts a curricula content analysis of 35 ALA-accredited Master of Library and Information Science (MSLIS) programs to preliminarily assess the current state of TCE-related topics represented in LIS programs. Through investigating course descriptions, the research evaluates the depth and breadth to which LIS students’ coursework incorporates topics related to TCEs and their care. The synthesized findings demonstrate that only a small number of LIS programs even offer TCE-centric courses; of these, very few programs explicitly require students to take them. Failure to integrate TCEs into the core curriculum results in students being unprepared for the corresponding challenges in their prospective workplaces, especially as most TCEs are not covered by copyright law. The implication of this study could be a fruitful and rigorous invitation for LIS educators to revise their LIS curriculum to keep pace with the ever-evolving information needs that arise in contemporary library contexts for diverse populations.

Factors affecting the students’ knowledge sharing through social media technologies: A structural equation modeling approach

This study investigates factors affecting students’ knowledge sharing over social media platforms. An online survey was conducted on 1470 distance education students, enrolled in an online Master of Library and Information Science program in a public sector university, Islamabad, Pakistan. Using the theory of reasoned action and factors, namely, trust, facilitation conditions, perceived reciprocal benefits, and individual creativity, a comprehensive research model was developed. Following the positivist paradigm, a quantitative survey research design was employed to conduct this study. Using IBM-SPSS and AMOS (version 21.0), structural equation modeling was applied to analyze the data, testing hypotheses, and research model. The research findings disclosed that the students used different social media platforms for knowledge sharing. Subjective norms and trust positively influenced students’ knowledge sharing behaviour intention. Facilitation conditions and behaviour intention were found to be key factors in students’ knowledge sharing through social media. Among the factors, student behavioural intention was found to be the most influential factor. However, attitude, perceived reciprocal benefits, and individual creativity did not influence knowledge sharing. Overall, the research model measured significant students’ knowledge sharing over social media platforms. There is a dearth of literature about the factors influencing knowledge sharing over social media from the Pakistani perspective. This study addressed the hitherto under-researched issue and developed a theoretical framework by extending the theory of reasoned action for social media-driven knowledge sharing from the Pakistani distance education students’ perspective.

Electron ionization mass spectrometry feature peak relationships combined with deep classification model to assist similarity algorithm for fast and accurate identification of compounds.

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) combines chromatography and MS, providing full play to the advantages of high separation efficiency of GC, strong qualitative ability of MS, and high sensitivity of detector. In GC-MS data processing, determining the experimental compounds is one of the most important analytical steps, which is usually realized by one-to-one similarity calculations between the experimental mass spectrum and the standard mass spectrum library. Although the accuracy of the algorithm has been improved in recent years, it is still difficult to distinguish structurally similar mass spectra, especially isomers. At the same time, the library capacity is very large and increasing every year, and the algorithm needs to perform large numbers of calculations with irrelevant compounds in the library to recognize unknown compounds, which leads to a significant reduction in efficiency. This work proposed to exclude a large number of irrelevant mass spectra by presearching, perform preliminary similarity calculations using similarity algorithms, and finally improve the accuracy of similarity calculations using deep classification models. The replica library of NIST17 is used as the query data, and the master library is used as the reference database. Compared with the traditional recognition algorithm, the preprocessing algorithm has reduced the time by 4.2h, and by adding the deep learning models 1 and 2 as the final determination, the recognition accuracy has been improved by 1.9% and 6.5%, respectively, based on the original algorithm. This method improves the recognition efficiency compared to conventional algorithms and at the same time has better recognition accuracy for structurally similar mass spectra and isomers.

Evolution and Revolution: Exploring Pedagogical Alternatives for Conducting Research in a Research Methods Course

This article describes the evolution of a required Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) research methods course moving to a focus on evidence-based library and information practice (EBLIP). It describes how a research methods course was revised, beginning with results from a “typical” course review and morphing into work that is now informing a broader program review. Implications of this work include a reconsideration of how best to provide a quality education while allowing for grace for faculty and students.

Re-envisioning Our Future: The Library Master Planning Process at the University of South Carolina Beaufort

The authors relate their experiences with participating in a master planning process for the multi-campus University of South Carolina Beaufort Library.

Assessing the Effectiveness of an Information Literacy Instruction Course in Teaching Additional Skills

Library and information science (LIS) graduates work in a variety of jobs that require well-developed information literacy (IL) skills. They not only apply IL skills in everyday interactions with patrons but also use their conceptual understanding to design instructional programs and interventions. In this small-scale, pilot study the instructor of an MLIS (Master of Library and Information Science) elective course on information literacy instruction included a pre- and post-course exercise to better understand how effectively conceptual understanding was delivered alongside content focused on instruction. The ability to define or articulate the meaning of IL is not an explicit learning outcome in the course, so the activity measured how students’ abilities to define IL changed over the course of the semester. At the end of the course, a majority of students demonstrated some or clear growth in understanding of information literacy through their ability to define it, and these pilot data suggest that a user instruction course based around information literacy also improves students’ ability to articulate and define IL.

Class Size Determination and Decision Making in LIS Online Education

The purpose of this study was to develop a national landscape of the decisions made by LIS programs regarding online course enrollment caps. Online education expands learning opportunities for all students and is particularly attractive to nontraditional students who are more likely to have employment and family obligations that make attending traditional face-to-face classes difficult. At the same time, online learning can exacerbate existing opportunity gaps between certain student groups, depending on how well-prepared students are for online learning. This survey methodology study investigated course enrollment caps and the reasons behind the limits placed by Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) programs nationwide, in an effort to identify ways online education structures at the University of South Carolina iSchool could be transformed to ensure a resilient future of diverse library and information science (LIS) professionals.

Consistency Matters

This study compares the student learning outcome assessments of an online Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program offered in traditional 14-week semesters and an accelerated 7-week term program. Louisiana State University’s School of Information Studies (SIS) offers the MLIS program through two delivery platforms: SIS Online (14-week semester program) and LSU Online (7-week term program). The study explores the differences in student performance between SIS Online and LSU Online and investigates the impact of term length on students’ ability to achieve the program’s SLOs. The findings provide insights into the effectiveness of different online program delivery formats and suggest ways to improve student learning outcomes in online MLIS education.

Development of Training for the Master’s Degree in the Direction “Library and Information Activities”

The purpose of the article is to trace the retrospective of training for the library Master’s degree, to comprehend the accumulated experience in order to find new solutions for its development in the context of the rejection of the Bologna system of education. On the agenda is the restructuring of the entire education system in accordance with the proposals of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. The transformation of the higher library education, including library Master’s degree, is also ahead. It arose and evolved in the 2000s, in line with the introduction of the Bologna system in the higher library education in Russia. The normative framework for regulating training for Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in the field of library and information activities was consistently developed in the form of Federal State standards of higher professional education of the first, second and third generations, model educational programs for the library Master’s degree. The comparison of the mandatory part of the curricula for the preparation of masters of library and information activities in the leading specialized universities showed the existing significant discrepancies in the composition, number, volume of credits and sequence of disciplines taught. During the existence of the library Master’s degree, the model of its graduate has not finally developed, despite the overabundance of general cultural, general professional, professional competencies that, according to Federal State standards of higher professional education, he must cope with. The situation with the employment of graduates of the library Master’s degree has changed cardinally since March 1, 2023 due to the introduction of the Professional Standard of a specialist in library and information activities. At the present stage, many problems of the library magistracy functioning that arose earlier remain. The article presents them as requiring professional discussion and working out a coordinated approach to their solution.

Considering Community Partnerships and New Projects: Advice from the Field

There are many considerations to take before embarking on a new project or creating a new community partnership. Many such considerations are undocumented and not widely taught in Master of Library and Information Science programs. This article fills in the gap with suggested steps to take before implementing a new service or partnership. Recommendations stem from the author’s own experiences and aim to help public library workers—from staff to administration—avoid possible pitfalls and become effective advocates for focus and intentionality.

The Knowledge Organization Education Within and Beyond the Master of Library and Information Science

By analyzing 63 English-speaking institutions that offer ALA-accredited master’s programs in library and information studies, this research aims to explore the education for knowl­edge organization (KO) at different levels and across fields. This research examines the KO courses that are the required courses and elective courses in the MLIS programs, that are offered in other master’s programs and graduate certificate programs, that are adapted to the undergraduate degree and certificate programs, and that are particularly developed for programs other than MLIS. The findings indicate that the great majority of MLIS programs still have a focus on or a significant component of knowl­edge organization as their required course and include the knowl­edge organization elective courses, particularly library cataloging and classification, on their curriculum. However, there is a variety of the offerings of KO related courses across the programs in an institution or in the same program across the institutions. It shows a promising trend that the traditional and new KO courses play an important role in many other programs, at different levels and across fields. With the conventional, adapted, or innovative content, these courses demonstrate that the principles and skills of knowl­edge organization are applicable to a wide variety of settings, can be integrated with other disciplinary knowl­edge and emerging technologies, and meet the needs of different career pathways and groups of learners.

Contract Academic Librarians in Canada

The temporary contract is often framed to Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) graduate students as a key gateway into the field of academic librarianship (Lacey 2019), and yet outside of a few important studies and personal reflections, literature on this topic is relatively scarce. This paper reports on the demographics of participant academic librarians who have held temporary contracts in Canada, their career paths, the conditions under which they held contracts, and their experiences of workplace integration and other positive and negative outcomes. Study participants (n=95) have held one or more temporary contracts as an academic librarian in Canada during their career. An online survey was distributed, asking closed and open-ended questions. The data were analyzed using Excel, Qualtrics, NVivo, and manual methods. Participants derived new skills, new networks, satisfaction and confidence from their contract experiences (though sometimes only in retrospect), while others felt excluded, overworked, undervalued, and prevented from making life decisions. And many felt all these things at the same time, meaning that contract academic librarians are caught in a difficult set of competing structural and emotional experiences.

Changes in the Library Landscape Regarding Visible Minority Librarians in Canada

Objective – As a follow-up to the first 2013 survey, the Visible Minority Librarians of Canada (ViMLoC) network conducted its second comprehensive survey in 2021. The 2021 survey gathered detailed information about the demography, education, and employment of visible minority librarians (VMLs) working in Canadian institutions. Data from the 2021 survey and the analysis presented in this paper help us better understand the current library landscape, presented alongside findings from the 2013 survey. The research results will be helpful for professional associations and library administrators to develop initiatives to support VMLs. Methods – Researchers created online survey questionnaires using Qualtrics XM in English and translated them into French. We distributed the survey invitation through relevant library association electronic mail lists and posted on ViMLoC’s website, social networking platforms, and through their electronic mail list. The survey asked if the participant was a visible minority librarian. If the response was “No,” the survey closed. Respondents indicating "Yes" were asked 36 personal and professional questions of three types: multiple-choice, yes/no, and open-ended questions. Results – One hundred and sixty-two VMLs completed the 2021 survey. Chinese remained the largest ethnic identity, but their proportion in the survey decreased from 36% in 2013 to 24% in 2021. 65% were aged between 26 and 45 years old. More than half received their library degree during the 2010s. 89% completed their library degree in Canada, a 5% increase from 2013. The majority of librarians had graduated from University of Toronto (25%), followed closely by University of British Columbia (23%), and Western University (22%). Only 3% received their library degree from a library school outside North America. 34% of librarians earned a second master’s degree and 5% had a PhD. 60% of librarians had less than 11 years of experience. Nearly half worked in academic libraries. Most were located in Ontario and British Columbia. 69% of librarians were in non-management positions with 5% being senior administrators. 25% reported a salary above $100,000. In terms of job categories, the largest group worked in Reference/Information Services (45%), followed by Instruction Services (32%), and as Liaison Librarians (31%). Those working in Acquisitions/Collection Development saw the biggest jump from 1% in 2013 to 28% in 2021. 58% of librarians sought mentoring support, of whom 54% participated in formal mentorship programs, and 48% had a visible minority mentor. Conclusion – 35% more VMLs responded to the 2021 survey compared to the 2013 survey. Changes occurred in ethnic identity, generation, where VMLs earned a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) or equivalent degree, library type, geographic location, and job responsibilities. The 2021 survey also explored other aspects of the VMLs not covered in the 2013 survey, such as librarian experience, salary, management positions, and mentorship experience. The findings suggested that the professional associations and library administrators would need collaborative efforts to support VMLs.

Elucidation of Essential Genes and Mutant Fitness during Adaptation toward Nitrogen Fixation Conditions in the Endophyte Azoarcus olearius BH72 Revealed by Tn-Seq.

Azoarcus olearius BH72 is a diazotrophic model endophyte that contributes fixed nitrogen to its host plant, Kallar grass, and expresses nitrogenase genes endophytically. Despite extensive studies on biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) of diazotrophic endophytes, little is known about global genetic players involved in survival under respective physiological conditions. Here, we report a global genomic screen for putatively essential genes of A. olearius employing Tn5 transposon mutagenesis with a modified transposon combined with high-throughput sequencing (Tn-Seq). A large Tn5 master library of ~6 × 105 insertion mutants of strain BH72 was obtained. Next-generation sequencing identified 183,437 unique insertion sites into the 4,376,040-bp genome, displaying one insertion every 24 bp on average. Applying stringent criteria, we describe 616 genes as putatively essential for growth on rich medium. COG (Clusters of Orthologous Groups) assignment of the 564 identified protein-coding genes revealed enrichment of genes related to core cellular functions and cell viability. To mimic gradual adaptations toward BNF conditions, the Tn5 mutant library was grown aerobically in synthetic medium or microaerobically on either combined or atmospheric nitrogen. Enrichment and depletion analysis of Tn5 mutants not only demonstrated the role of BNF- and metabolism-related proteins but also revealed that, strikingly, many genes relevant for plant-microbe interactions decrease bacterial competitiveness in pure culture, such type IV pilus- and bacterial envelope-associated genes. IMPORTANCE A constantly growing world population and the daunting challenge of climate change demand new strategies in agricultural crop production. Intensive usage of chemical fertilizers, overloading the world's fields with organic input, threaten terrestrial and marine ecosystems as well as human health. Long overlooked, the beneficial interaction of endophytic bacteria and grasses has attracted ever-growing interest in research in the last decade. Capable of biological nitrogen fixation, diazotrophic endophytes not only provide a valuable source of combined nitrogen but also are known for diverse plant growth-promoting effects, thereby contributing to plant productivity. Elucidation of an essential gene set for a prominent model endophyte such as A. olearius BH72 provides us with powerful insights into its basic lifestyle. Knowledge about genes detrimental or advantageous under defined physiological conditions may point out a way of manipulating key steps in the bacterium's lifestyle and plant interaction toward a more sustainable agriculture.

An Estimation of the Cost of Providing Books for further Reading in Libraries of Distance Education

The Self Learning Materials (SLMs) of distance education attempt to provide learners with a learning environment containing textbooks and lecture notes. Apart from this, counselling sessions, media enabled solutions such as audio/ video channels and teleconferencing sessions are provided to learners. A small library of essential books for further reading mentioned in the SLMs are also maintained at the study centres to offer library facilities comparable to campusbased education. An accurate and efficient cost estimation and optimisation methodology is very important in library development as it would assist the management to estimate the costs involved. Cost analysis is perhaps not given the required consideration by libraries largely due to the fact that they are state-funded, and difficulties attached to assess the use made out of money spent. This study has been carried out to find out the optimum cost of supply of books prescribed for further reading in the SLMs of Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) programme of the national Open University, IGNOU to the libraries of its Regional Centres and of its Study Centres hosting the programme.

MLIS Required? Rethinking the Skills and Knowledge Necessary for Managing in a Public Library

This article explores the potential benefits of eliminating the requirement of a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) for branch library management positions. Waiving the requirement attracts a wider range of candidates, including BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) applicants. Many of the skills necessary for library jobs—such as building community relationships and overseeing budgets—do not necessarily come from acquiring an MLIS and, in fact, are more likely to come from other experiences. At the same time, the MLIS does offer foundational knowledge about library values and professional ethics.