Library Science Degree Research Articles

Flying free before building my nest.

I spent the first 17 years of my scientific life as a freelance naturalist, with no more academic credentials than a bachelor's degree in library and information science. It was challenging, but I found it intellectually rewarding, and I enjoyed exploring my scientific passion without facing the pressure and uncertainty typically endured by trainees pursuing academic careers. I was able to simply let my creativity develop. Then, 7 years ago, my career took a turn when I attended a conference about bearded vultures, which led me to earn my Ph.D. at the age of 38. Now, as a postdoc pursuing an academic research career, I am taking advantage of all that I learned during my years as an independent scientist. ![Figure][1] ILLUSTRATION: ROBERT NEUBECKER > “My emotional attachment to these birds of prey and to conservation never faded.” I took this unconventional path because of the poor employment prospects for biologists in Spain in the 1980s, which deterred me from studying science. But I had become fascinated by bearded vultures as a teenager, and my emotional attachment to these birds of prey and to conservation never faded. So, after finishing my bachelor's degree, I signed a 6-month contract with the regional government to monitor bearded vulture breeding sites, and my scientific career began. Not long after, the Catalan government was seeking a naturalist to do similar work. Someone told the government officials about a passionate young naturalist who spent all his time watching vultures, and they contacted me. I worked on regional projects as a self-employed naturalist, gradually getting involved in international conservation research efforts, and finally found myself as a freelance wildlife technician for the Spanish government. As my research progressed, I published because I wanted to share my findings, not because I was hoping for an advanced degree or items for my CV. I didn't have to worry about racking up papers, the reputation of the journals I published in, or where I stood on the author list. This freedom allowed me to pursue the questions I was most interested in and to develop risky projects that might take ages to yield rewards, if any. And even though the salary of my early years did not even cover the cost of gasoline to get to the remote field sites, I felt I was the luckiest man in the world to work with the species that fascinated me most. But at that conference in 2009, an influential conservation biologist approached me after my talk. He was interested in my field studies and publications, and we continued our discussion over dinner. He was surprised that I did not have a doctorate and suggested that I prepare a Ph.D. thesis under his supervision. I was astonished: He did not know me personally, although he had read the majority of my papers. I was also excited, because a doctorate would open career doors that had previously been closed to me. It would give me access to competitive research funds, which would enable me to tackle more ambitious scientific questions and conservation challenges. So, 1 year later, I enrolled as a Ph.D. student. I worked with my adviser to select 31 of my papers, submitted them as a Ph.D. thesis, and was awarded my degree. I am now a postdoctoral researcher, with hopes of establishing my own research group. I miss my earlier freedom to some extent, but the financial security of a full-time position is a real asset, especially now that I have a family, and the tools and collaborations that academia offers are extremely rewarding. At the same time, I'm glad I took an unconventional path. I believe that if I had gone straight into academia, where bibliometrics rule the lives of today's young researchers, I would have been less adventurous in my choice of projects. Blazing my own trail before returning to academia helped me on my road to becoming a successful, fulfilled scientist. [1]: pending:yes

LIS Training for Support Staff: An Initial Review of Associate's and Certificate Programs In The U.S.

ABSTRACTThe author presents the results of a review and analysis of thirty-five colleges and universities in the United States that currently offer an Associate's degree and/or vocational certificate(s) in Library and Information Science. These programs, which are geared primarily to existing library support staff who seek additional training, have been created independently of each other and without a national standard to guide the curriculum. Although the American Library Association-Allied Professional Association's Library Support Staff Certification offers guidelines for the educational content of Associate's level LIS programs, a comparison reveals significant gaps. Furthermore, the ALA-APA program currently approves courses at only three institutions in the nation, and certifies graduates from only fourteen. The author identifies areas of misalignment between the Library Support Staff Certification and existing LIS programs and suggests directions for future improvement.Column Editor’s Note Community college libraries are deeply underrepresented in the professional literature and organizations of academic librarianship. As a result, the challenges and successes that take place in the community college world are largely invisible to others. This JLA column lifts the curtain to reveal the uniqueness of community college libraries as described by their most passionate advocates: the librarians who work there. Articles in this column pay tribute to the commitment and creativity of community college librarians by providing a platform where they can share their professional perspectives and stories. Want to write for this column? Interested authors are invited to submit articles to the editor at kimreed@cwidaho.cc.

Determining the value of your Library Science degree

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a discussion of some of the issues related to the perceived value of Library and Information Science (LIS) degrees. Design/methodology/approach – This is a viewpoint supported with research from current field literature. Findings – This is recognizing some of the problems encountered with perceived value of LIS degrees and comparing other disciplines. Recommendations are made for individuals to lead their own career needs. Originality/value – This is the author’s own points of view.

Book Review: Managing Copyright in Higher Education: A Guidebook

The author of Managing Copyright in Higher Education is uniquely qualified to tackle this topic. With a Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD) degree from Suffolk University Law School in Boston and a Master of Library Science (MLS) degree from University of Maryland College Park, Ms. Ferullo is the Director of the University Copyright Office at Purdue University, where she advises the University on copyright compliance issues. This book demonstrates Ms. Ferullo’s mastery of the legal and library science aspects of copyright; the book’s organization also shows her extensive knowledge of her audience and their copyright information needs. The text begins with an “introduction to intellectual property” and “copyright basics;” “the university culture;” followed by chapters on the role and establishment of a copyright office within the university; and concludes with chapters focusing on copyright services to librarians, faculty, administration and staff, and students. The organization of the book provides a logical progression of copyright issues in higher education in a straightforward style that can be readily understood by the novice and appreciated by the expert.

Finding “Diversity Levers” in the Core Library and Information Science Curriculum: A Social Justice Imperative

In this exploratory study, the researchers examined the core library and information science (LIS) curriculum, looking for diversity levers, or conceptual access points, where transformative academic knowledge related to diversity and social justice could be meaningfully integrated. Multicultural curriculum reform, conceptualized as a social justice approach, was the guiding framework for the research design and analysis. The researchers began by establishing what constitutes the core curriculum and essential knowledge taught across thirty-six ALA-accredited master’s of library and information science degree programs. These data were then used to construct a survey that went to one hundred LIS faculty at ALA institutions who provided pedagogical knowledge, ideas, and resources for infusing diversity and social justice into the core curriculum. The findings suggest that there are certain core LIS courses that have explicit diversity levers, or areas where there are natural connections to diversity and social justice content, while others have emergent or implicit diversity levers. The differences among these types of diversity levers are explained, and some of the pedagogical resources that were shared by the survey respondents are included. The Information Technology core course shows the most promise for integrating diversity and social justice pedagogies.

Growing the Profession: Mentoring Undergraduates for Librarianship

Since 2007, Brigham Young University Library has provided a paid internship program for undergraduates that allows them to work with a librarian in an academic setting to help them decide if they wish to pursue a master's degree in Library Science. This article describes the internship program and provides results of surveys given to both interns and library mentors regarding their expectations and outcomes. In a new addition to the program, interns now meet with multiple librarians to gain a broad understanding of library work and how different library areas function together.

Abner Cole and The Reflector: Another Clue to the Timing of the 1830 Book of Mormon Printing

Research Article| April 01 2015 Abner Cole and The Reflector: Another Clue to the Timing of the 1830 Book of Mormon Printing Robin Scott Jensen Robin Scott Jensen Robin Scott Jensen is coeditor of the third volume of the Revelations and Translations series of the Joseph Smith Papers. Robin received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history at Brigham Young University and a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. He is currently a PhD candidate in history at the University of Utah. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Journal of Book of Mormon Studies (2015) 24: 238–247. https://doi.org/10.5406/jbookmormstud2.24.2015.0238 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Permissions Search Site Citation Robin Scott Jensen; Abner Cole and The Reflector: Another Clue to the Timing of the 1830 Book of Mormon Printing. Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 1 April 2015; 24 238–247. doi: https://doi.org/10.5406/jbookmormstud2.24.2015.0238 Download citation file: Zotero Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All Scholarly Publishing CollectiveUniversity of Illinois PressJournal of Book of Mormon Studies Search Advanced Search The text of this article is only available as a PDF. Copyright 2015 by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois2015 Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

Education for Technical Services Librarians: Courses Taught at Accredited Library and Information Science Degree Programs

Library science education is explored through an investigation of program websites, an instructor survey, and review of course syllabi. The purpose of this study was to acquire a representation of technical services education offered through ALA accredited programs in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. This study reviewed program websites for courses associated with technical services responsibilities, such as cataloging, acquisitions, serials, collection management, preservation, and systems. A survey was sent to library and information science instructors to closely investigate institution curricula and the prevalence of technical services courses, their means of delivery, subject coverage, and faculty member status.

Skills in the market: an analysis of skills and qualifications for American librarians

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to create a profile of the modern American academic librarian through the content analysis method of job advertisements. Design/methodology/approach – One hundred thirty-four advertisements were analyzed in various ways, e.g. salary, skills, qualifications, duties, followed by a multivariate analysis. Findings – Most significant findings include the importance of communication skills for all academic librarians, the significance of the Library and Information Science (LIS) degree and that applicants should expect a salary of $40,000-60,000. Originality/value – This paper builds on the previous studies in the field to verify that communication skills are among the most, if not the most, desired skills for a modern librarian, and that an LIS degree is still an asset.

Multi-cultural Graduate Library Education

IN THE UNITED STATES, almost everyone knows that a librarian is a middle-aged, white woman. Two times out of ten she will be a man and once every 12 or 13 times she will be other than white, but chances are she is white. Few other occupations are more middle-aged, more female and/or more white. 1 The major purpose of this paper is to discover to what extent, during the past eight to ten years, the student bodies of accredited library school programs have changed from the predominately white demographic characteristics. It's principal focus is upon the activities and problems involved inDuring the summer of 1971 at an American Library Association preconference on the recruitment of minorities into the profession, much of the conversation naturally centered on library education. What was said then is still valid: Library schools should be charged with the responsibility of changing the racial and ethnic mix of their student bodies to be more representative of the population which their graduates serve.4 What this profession needs is commitment to the recruitment of minorities. Until we have this commitment, backed up by money, we only play the game of institutional racism.5The money is shrinking and what commitment there was in the early 1970's is waning. The crisis is still with us, now rather more acute than it was then.Minority Education in the U.S.As context, it is im portant for library educators to become familiar with the history of minority education in general and more specifically with postsecondary undergraduate education because of the requirement for Master of Library Science degree candidates to hold the baccalaureate degree. Further, it is useful to be conversant with the experience of other graduate programs, especially professional ones, with regard to minority participation. To that end, the following information is presented. Since its earliest beginnings, the American public school system has been deeply committed to the maintenance of racial and ethnic barriers. Higher education, both public and private, shared this outlook.6 So states Meyer Weinberg, Director of the Center for Equal Education, Northwestern University and Professor of History, City Colleges of Chicago, in his 1977 book on the history of the educational experience of black, Mexican American, Native American, and Puerto Rican children in the United States.Even the most noted defenders of public education in America, John Dewey and Horace Mann, remained silent on the subject of minority participation in public schools. The pattern of discrimination against minorities was national and is reflected clearly, not just by circumstance and neglect, but by statutory exclusion and/or statutory separateness. …

New career opportunities and their impact on Library and Information Science degrees : an explorato

New career opportunities and their impact on Library and Information Science degrees : an explorato

Digitizing the Fitzgerald Family at the University of South Carolina

Digitizing the Fitzgerald Family at the University of South Carolina

Digitizing the Fitzgerald Family at the University of South Carolina

Copyright © 2014 The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA Not everyone finds themselves fresh out of college having one of their biggest dreams realized. However, I was lucky enough to find myself exactly in that position in August 2013 on my first day of work at the Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections at the University of South Carolina. I came to USC to earn a Master’s degree in library and information science and knew about many of the collections in the university libraries, but I never dreamed that I would be holding a first edition copy of The Great Gatsby in my hands less than a week after I began my program. A lifelong Fitzgerald fan and an English student, this truly was one of the most fulfilling moments of my life. As exciting as that day was for me, I was even more thrilled to discover that my projects during my first semester in graduate school would directly relate to F. Scott Fitzgerald. In this article, I will share my experiences and achievements in digitizing the Fitzgerald family’s photo albums and scrapbooks. The Ernest F. Hollings Library is the newest library facility at the University of South Carolina, opened and dedicated to Senator Ernest “Fritz” Hollings in 2010. A state-of-the-art facility behind the Thomas Cooper Library, it is home to the Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, South Carolina Political Collections, and Digital Collections. The Irvin Department is one of four special collections libraries at USC and collects mostly print materials and manuscripts. It houses over 150,000 volumes and fifty archival collections. The University of South Carolina is home to the Matthew J. and Arlyn Bruccoli Collection of F. Scott Fitzgerald, whose holdings now rival those at Princeton University for scholars interested in researching Fitzgerald and his contemporaries. The collection was formed by the late Dr. Bruccoli and his wife and grew over the course of five decades of collecting and research. In addition to his scholarly and teaching interest in Fitzgerald and his work as an author, editor, publisher, and collector, Dr. Bruccoli was a friend of Scottie Fitzgerald Smith. Some of the highlights of the collection include unrevised Digitizing the Fitzgerald Family at the University of South Carolina

The Spectrum Doctoral Fellowship Program: Enhancing the LIS Professoriate

With the aid of an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grant the American Library Association (ALA) Office for Diversity offered the first full fellowships under the Spectrum Scholarship program for 12 students to pursue doctoral degrees in Library and Information Science at accredited institutions around the country. The Fellows were drawn from the four underrepresented ethnic populations and are in various stages of study from early course work to near completion of their doctoral degrees.With the goal of increasing racial and ethnic diversity among the profession’s next generation of Library and Information Science (LIS) faculty and leaders, the program has provided an unprecedented opportunity for the scholars. It has also created the ability to extract a wealth of information from the scholars about their experiences as doctoral students. The major goal of this research is to capture that information, especially the advantages and disadvantages those students experienced both as Fellows and as minority students in LIS PhD programs. The results of this research will inform LIS education and pedagogy and provide documented evidence of experiences that can lead to the improvement of doctoral education for minorities in the future and enrich the knowledge on which future initiatives are based.

기관특성과 개인환경에 따른 전문도서관 직원의 직무만족도 연구

This study aims to evaluate job satisfaction level of employees working at special libraries by analyzing their affiliated institution and personal backgrounds. Results indicated that the job satisfaction level in private institutions was higher for `remuneration`, `promotion`, and `overall satisfaction` in comparison to public counterparts. Also, employees working at institutions with independent libraries had higher level of satisfaction for `work itself`, `remuneration` and `co-workers` in comparison to those working in non-independent libraries. In terms of employment status, satisfaction level for `remuneration` and `promotion` was high among permanent employees, whereas `superior and supervisor` was relatively higher among temporary employees. In terms of position, supervisors had higher level of satisfaction for `remuneration`, `job system`, `promotion` and `overall satisfaction` in comparison to non-supervisors. Employees with degrees in library and information science had higher level of satisfaction for `work itself`, `job system`, `promotion` and `institutional environment` in comparison to non-majors. This study clarified desires and emotions of employees working at special libraries and eliminated obstacles to higher job satisfaction. These findings may have implications for the improvement of work efficiency in libraries.

Leadership in libraries in times of change

Academic as well as public libraries nowadays have to face constant change. This paper gives an overview about leadership competences needed to succeed with deliberate large-scale changes in libraries. Most of the needed competences can already be imparted during undergraduate studies toward a bachelor’s degree in library and information science, as can be seen in the example of the University of Applied Sciences Hamburg. The critical success factors of every change project are information, communication and participation. Two qualitative studies concerning leadership in academic libraries and leadership in academic and public libraries in times of change, as well as a quantitative study in an academic library concerning the influence of a transformational and a transactional leadership style of the top management on the middle management as well as on team members including the influence of the organizational culture, emphasize the importance of these success factors, especially the communication competence of leaders in times of change.

Making the Leap

Libraries have long attracted staff, interns, and other individuals who seek careers in the information professions. As environments, they afford exceptional opportunities as training grounds in many areas of endeavor. But the library setting is only half the equation--the interest, initiative, and creativity of the individual is what can ultimately tip the balance and make a paraprofessional experience into something much more. In this column, Michelle Guittar shares the approach she took to manage her early career development. Guittar offers a compelling perspective and good advice to aspiring librarians and others about how to maximize a semiprofessional experience.--Editor Marianne Ryan, Editor MAKING THE LEAP: ONE LIBRARIAN'S EXPERIENCE In a Library Journal article in 2008, Anne Woodsworth stated, there is virtually no career path for [a library assistant]--the only way to advance one's professional career within the library would be to pursue the master's degree. (1) The same opinion appears in a comic strip from Unshelved author Bill Barnes, in which a woman sitting behind a library reference desk confesses to a friend she is thinking about enrolling in library school. Her friend says to her, What do you mean? Aren't you already a librarian? She replies, What? No, I here! Librarians have master's degrees! (2) In the world of the comic strip, library assistants are those who work at the library and librarians are the careered professionals, shouldered with the benefit and burden of being part of the broader profession. While traditionally the great divide between librarians and paraprofessionals has been the attainment of a master's degree in library science, this distinction can no longer be taken for granted. Data from the 2010-11 Occupational Outlook Handbook suggests that while job prospects are generally favorable for librarians given the number of workers that will retire in the upcoming years, Jobseekers may face strong competition for jobs, especially early in the decade, as many people with master's degrees in library science compete for a limited number of available (3) For this reason, although library school students or recent graduates may have received the necessary educational qualifications for professional positions, what they often lack is the job experience to distinguish themselves as good candidates for those positions. Paraprofessional positions can serve as an excellent way to acquire the skills necessary to eventually attain a professional position, but in occupying them, library assistants become liminal figures: not quite just paraprofessionals; not yet librarians. I was one of these paraprofessionals. I started working as a library assistant when I entered library school, and I remained a library assistant for nearly two years after I finished my degree. Working in an academic library, while also taking courses that focused on academic librarianship, enriched both my position and my coursework. Because I received my master of science in library and information science through a distance-learning program, I was able to attend school part-time while I continued working full-time. Although my job description included secretarial and office tasks, I also was required to provide departmental reference service, maintain a current serials collection, open shipments from vendors, and serve as the PC liaison for my department. I chose to take courses in reference, cataloging, collection development, and digital libraries, all areas that broadened my understanding of my immediate job duties and gave me a glimpse into how those duties differed from those of professional librarians. I also was able to on class projects that were related to my at an academic research library, which helped me directly or tangentially apply what I learned in classes to my real-world experience. While I did take a few courses that weren't directly related to my position, I chose them strategically, with an eye toward the kinds of professional positions I might think about applying for after graduation. …

El bibliotecario como profesional de la información: horizontes laborales más allá de la biblioteca.

The article shows the results of a research aimed at describing what the main trends in work placement of graduated librarians with a degree in Library and Information Science, Faculty of Philosophy and Letters of the University of Buenos Aires. Between July and August 2012 a survey was sent via email to graduates who had graduated between 1999 and 2011. Information was sought about the skills and competencies they use every day in their jobs, their opinion about their potencial performance in non-traditional jobs, and their perception of the social image of the librarian. It was observed that even when respondents have a positive impression on their potential as information professionals, most work in libraries, information centers and archives, performing tasks related to pragmatic and historical aspects of their profession.

Insects in the World of Fiction

95 Since early childhood, I have had a passion for two things: books and insects. While working on master’s degrees in library science and entomology, I’ve had the unique opportunity to combine these fields. My library background led to an interest in bibliographical information, and thus, as part of my master’s program in entomology at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, I chose to research and compile a list of fictional works (published/produced in the United States, 1950–2012) about or including insects, spiders, related arthropods, and/or entomologists as main characters. Although there are numerous small bibliographies about insects, a full list seems to be missing from the literature. Therefore, this “Insectography” may be of interest and benefit to entomologists, librarians, teachers, and the general public (including parents) looking for a variety of resources in popular culture about entomology. Although this publication will focus on bibliographical works, the complete Insectography, which also includes a filmography of television shows/episodes, cartoons, and video games that incorporate entomology as a theme, can be viewed at http://unlcms.unl.edu/entomology/ bugbuddies/insectography.

A Study of Doctoral Degrees in Library and Information Science in India: Special Reference to Andhra Pradesh

This paper traces the growth and development of PhD programmes in library and information science (LIS) education in India and also highlights the initiative and efforts of contemporary LIS professionals in South India. Analysis of doctoral researches conducted by universities clearly indicates the direction in which a specific subject field is moving. This study shows that the maximum research was conducted in the area of bibliometrics study, i.e., 28.00%. The Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, is the highest contributor, i.e., 14 (56.00%), to the field of LIS in terms of doctoral research productivity.