Library Science Programs Research Articles

Integration of Information Behavior into Reference and Information Services Education: A Syllabus Study

Information behavior is an important area of conceptual knowledge for reference service providers, as it provides structure for understanding users’ information seeking and use. This study explores the extent to which information behavior theories, models, and concepts have been integrated into professional education for reference and information service (RIS) through a syllabus study and textbook review. In addition, the study identifies specific information behavior theories, models, and concepts used in introductory RIS courses. Syllabi for introductory RIS courses taught at North American library and information science programs were analyzed for information behavior content, as were the textbooks required by the syllabi. Results show that about two-thirds of introductory RIS courses include instruction in information behavior theories, models, and concepts. Overall, the most impactful information behavior theories and models from the literature are introduced.

Graduate Students’ Perception of a New Online Library and Information Science Program at a Regional Library School in the Caribbean: A Preliminary Investigation

Online education is gaining momentum as technology continues to have an impact on the teaching and learning process. As a result, many library schools are currently offering library and information science (LIS) education in blended and online modes. This preliminary research is an examination of graduate students’ perception of a new online program implemented at a regional library school in the Caribbean. Fourteen participants were interviewed. The majority of the students enrolled in the programs were females between the ages of 30 and 49. Their primary reasons for studying online were distance from the university, family responsibilities, and work commitment. Students had a positive perception of most components of the program. They indicated a willingness to recommend the program to others however, they were not satisfied with quality and timeliness of feedback provided for some courses and the availability of resources. To improve the experience of online students, necessary resources need to be procured and strategies employed to provide timely and quality feedback.

Toward a Conceptual Model of Online Collaborative Learning: A Multi-Phased Investigation into Experiences and Perceptions of Online MLIS Students

Even though online teaching and learning in the LIS field is not new, in-depth research efforts specifically addressing the relationship between social presence and its value to the success of online collaborative learning (OCL) for students in Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) programs in the United States has seldom been conducted. This article focuses on the impact of demographic factors, technological skills, and past online experiences on OCL, as well as the affective and social variables that influence the success of OCL. In addition, the article reports on the participants’ perceptions and experiences with regard to their OCL performance. Furthermore, it explores the opportunities and obstacles that participants identify as associated with the OCL experience in general. It was hypothesized that demographic factors, technological skills, and past experiences would have a significant impact on OCL performance and perception. The study employed a mixed-methods approach with a sequential explanatory design that involved two phases. While Phase I featured an online survey with 457 respondents from ALA-accredited MLIS programs, Phase II consisted of follow-up interviews with 29 respondents who completed their Phase I survey. Statistically significant differences were found among demographic variables, technology usage, and OCL experiences with respect to respondents’ agreement ratings of performance/behavior and perception statements. The qualitative analysis uncovered constructs of group composition, group environment, and group collaboration. The triangulation of data resulted in an OCL conceptual model, which provides a comprehensive understanding of the role of social presence in the OCL process and offers guidance toward the operationalization of key factors that help to facilitate and enhance success and positive OCL experience among online learners.

It Matters Who Does This Work: An Interview with Tonia Sutherland

Tonia Sutherland (she/her) is assistant professor in the Library and Information Science Program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She serves on the SAA Council, and is author of the forthcoming book Digital Remains: Race and the Digital Afterlife. Dr. Sutherland holds a Ph.D. and an MLIS from the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Computing and Information, as well as a BA in history, performance studies, and cultural studies from Hampshire College. Her work focuses on the interactions of technology and culture, and emphasizes critical work within the fields of archival studies, digital studies, and science and technology studies.

A Survey of MLIS Student Experiences with Graduate Employment in Libraries

Despite the general consensus that field experience during library school is important for applying theory to practical situations, there is a lack of understanding about what students want from, and the barriers they face to acquire, graduate employment. A survey was sent to ALA accredited Master of Library Science programs in the United States, asking students about their library employment status and to rank factors that influenced their decision to accept their positions. Patterns emerged when results were grouped by various life factors. The results of this study show what students are looking for from employment, which could help employers recruit.

An Evaluation of Library and Information Science Curricula and Professional Perspectives in India

The purpose of this research study is to identify the core, advanced, specialized, and soft skills courses offered as part of the various library and information science programs. The course content of the Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS), offered in 2019–2020, was collected and analyzed from 10 LIS schools in India. Course contents were analyzed to understand whether the LIS schools are preparing graduates for the digital environment. A survey was conducted among 42 experts in library and information science on required courses in the MLIS program. Research finds that the LIS schools do not a have separate course module on digital library and that it is, instead, integrated and taught with the information and communication technology (ICT) course. There are also variations among the LIS schools in the allocation of topics and credits in each course. The experts opined that schools should allocate more credits to the advanced course, introduce new courses, and update the curricula for the future job market. New courses like ‘research data management’ and ‘data and visual literacy’ and courses on soft skills should be introduced in the MLIS program with 2–3 credits. There is a mismatch between the skills required in the job market and the skills imparted by the Indian LIS schools. The LIS schools should fill in the gap by introducing advanced, specialized, and soft courses in the MLIS program. The research findings have practical implications for the library and information science programs and educators. The LIS schools in India offer courses to meet the local job market demands, but they should design and develop courses for meeting the global standards and needs.

Tales from Three Countries and One Academia: Academic Faculty in the Time of the Pandemic

Previous articleNext article No AccessTales from Three Countries and One Academia: Academic Faculty in the Time of the PandemicKeren Dali, Nadia Caidi, Kim M. Thompson, and Jane GarnerKeren Dali Search for more articles by this author , Nadia Caidi Search for more articles by this author , Kim M. Thompson Search for more articles by this author , and Jane Garner Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Library Quarterly Volume 91, Number 4October 2021 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/715923 Views: 267Total views on this site Citations: 3Citations are reported from Crossref © 2021 The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Seulkee Heo, Pedro Diaz Peralta, Lan Jin, Claudia Ribeiro Pereira Nunes, Michelle L. Bell, Muhammad Shahzad Aslam Differences in self-perception of productivity and mental health among the STEMM-field scientists during the COVID-19 pandemic by sex and status as a parent: A survey in six languages, PLOS ONE 17, no.77 (Jul 2022): e0269834.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0269834Keren Dali, Garrett Hohmann Preserving the Wonder of Stories: The Role of Reflection in Reading Education in Library and Information Science Programs, Journal of Education for Library and Information Science 109 (May 2022).https://doi.org/10.3138/jelis-2022-0014Karen Kettnich, Paul T. Jaeger, Shannon M. Oltmann, and Natalie Greene Taylor On Adaptation: In Time, in Art, in Starfish, and in the Scope and Policies of the Library Quarterly, The Library Quarterly 92, no.11 (Jan 2022): 1–4.https://doi.org/10.1086/717234

Record-Making and Record-Keeping in Early Societies

Record-Making and Record-Keeping in Early Societies

A study of emerging trends in digital preservation literature: An analysis of journal articles presented in course syllabi

The field of digital preservation education is evolving due to the rapid developments in the digital preservation field, and as educators and researchers respond to these developments. One way to understand trends in education is through the examination of course syllabi and through the assigned course readings, as instructors often utilize and integrate core and seminal literature in these courses. This study aims to understand the emerging topics and trends in digital preservation education through the examination of these course readings. This study examines these topics and trends through an analysis of the literature assigned digital preservation courses at North American ALA (American Library Association)-accredited Master’s in Library and Information Science programs through bibliometric analysis, topic modeling, and visual analysis of the citation data.

Internship Pivot @ ECU: Responding to Our University’s Transition

The Master of Library Science (MLS) program at East Carolina University (ECU) requires internships for graduate students, pairing them with cooperating professionals to bridge the gap between theory and practice and to provide real-life experiences. The COVID-19 pandemic’s resulting transition to online-only instruction during the spring semester of 2020 impacted the traditional in-person internship significantly. ECU’s MLS internship director described the resulting changes to programming, placement, and cumulative projects; and a site supervisor described the tools and techniques used to communicate, plan, and work collaboratively online. Audience members shared additional tools and strategies for making online-only internships beneficial for students and cooperating field sites.

International requirements for harmonizing educational programs for training specialists in library and information science

The aim of the article is to determine the Ukrainian higher education institutions’ opportunities for improving educational programmes in 029 Information, Library and Archival Studies specialty in the context of their compliance with IFLA Guidelines for Professional Educational Programs in Library Science and Information Science.
 The methodology. The study’s methodological tool is a comparative approach to the content and quality criteria of foreign and domestic educational programs for bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Library Science and Information Science. A systematic approach to the educational programs’ cognitive component has allowed to establish compulsory and optional educational components blocks and to determine the efficiency for their content in terms of complication the system of the modern library and information specialist’s general and professional competencies.
 The results. In the research we have characterized the IFLA Guidelines for Professional Library and Information Science (LIS) Educational Programs, described and presented for public discussion by IFLA Building Strong LIS Education Working Group (Building Strong LIS Education (BSLISE)) in 2021. The study defined international requirements to the content, organizational and methodical bases of the bachelor and master training in Library and Information Science, as well as established the conformity degree of the Ukrainian higher education institutions’ educational programs to IFLA Guiding principles. There were substantiated the opportunities for improving the content and structure of the domestic educational programmes in 029 Information, Library and Archival Studies specialty as to meeting the international criteria for assessing their quality and modern teaching and learning educational methods used in the educational programs.
 The topicality. For the first time in scientific circulation there has been introduced the content of the IFLA Guidelines for LIS professional educational programmes. These guidelines summarize the international requirements for cognitive, organizational and methodological components of the modern library and information specialists training; allow to establish the compliance degree of domestic educational programs with the world quality criteria.
 The practical significance. The results of the study may be used by Ukrainian higher education institutions implementing educational programs in the specialty 029 Information, Library and Archival Studies and looking for their compliance with international requirements and quality criteria for the library and information professionals’ training and competitiveness in the processes of Ukraine’s integration into the European educational space.

Mapping the residency program landscape

When properly structured, library residencies introduce recently graduated Master of Library and/or Information Science (MLIS) professionals to librarianship, allow recent graduates to apply the knowledge and skills learned during their MLIS studies, and infuse host institutions with new, innovative ideas, including the latest technology and theory being taught in library and information science (LIS) programs. Unfortunately, rather than realizing their potential, residencies are often hampered by miscommunication and a lack of organization that cause real harm to the new resident and the current employees by creating a tense, sometimes even hostile, work environment. This can negate the potential benefits of a residency program, leaving the resident unhappy and disillusioned by the library profession. Understanding the current landscape of residency programs is a necessary first step toward evaluating the efficacy of this form of early career employment in retaining an innovative and engaged next generation of library professionals. Using survey research, this study answered the questions: What are the characteristics of residency programs? How is success measured in residency programs? What are some specific best practices that residency programs are currently implementing? The findings from this survey indicate that there is no one-size-fits-all residency program structure, from the mission and goals of the programs to how a program measures its ultimate success, responses were varied. While there are positive trends, like residencies lasting for at least two years, there is still much work to be done. Notably, most programs still only have one resident per cohort and residency cohorts do not overlap leading residents to feel isolated. While we concede there are likely many concerns (including budgetary) that may make two or more residents per cohort or overlapping cohorts unfeasible, it is an issue that should be addressed because many residents themselves have asked for this change. We also detail several suggestions for building and maintaining buy-in among stakeholders in the residency program, a necessary step toward ensuring each resident feels welcome in an institution and is ultimately successful. It is our hope that this research provides residency program coordinators with a roadmap to follow when planning or re-evaluating their residencies.

Examining the Background, Duties and Perceptions of Today’s Map Librarians

The traditional map library full of map drawers, aerial photographs, atlases and globes has evolved to include computer terminals and data collection equipment. Library patrons are accessing maps and geospatial data digitally. As the library has changed, so has the role of the map librarian. Historically, specialized coursework for map librarianship has been minimal in graduate library science programs. To effectively support library users of geographic information system (GIS), education is needed in this field, as well. A survey was distributed to map librarians via email listserv with a goal of observing trends in job duties and educational backgrounds of today’s map librarians. The views of 67 responding map librarians regarding training, professional development and the direction of map librarianship as a profession were also collected. The resulting data show a strong need for training opportunities for work with paper maps as well as GIS data and software.

Grants & Acquisitions

The University of North Carolina (UNC)-Chapel Hill has received a $320,777 grant to the University Libraries to help prepare the state’s future librarians and archivists to teach with primary source materials. The award comes from the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program. It will fund the Primary Sources Teaching Fellowship Program, based at the Wilson Special Collections Library. The grant will provide stipends to three cohorts of fellows—eight each in the summers of 2022, 2023, and 2024. They will come from the state’s five master’s degree programs in information and library science at Appalachian State University, North Carolina Central University, East Carolina University, UNC-Chapel Hill, and UNC-Greensboro. Students from groups underrepresented in the library and archival profession will be especially encouraged to apply. Fellows will take part in a structured online learning experience led by UNC-Chapel Hill librarians and archivists and a roster of guest speakers. Fellows will then spend three days in UNC-Chapel Hill for an onsite workshop where they can create and receive feedback on lesson plans built around materials from Wilson Library.

Preparing the Instructional Librarian: Representation of ACRL Roles and Strengths in MLS Course Descriptions

As the need for librarians to provide instruction on information literacy and other teaching topics increases, masters of library science students, in turn, need to become better prepared to provide to serve in this role. A content analysis of courses offered by American Library Association accredited masters of library science programs seeks to determine whether course titles and descriptions for instruction-based courses map to the Association of College and Research Libraries’ Roles and Strengths of Teaching Librarians document.

Lessons learned in academic libraries: What I wish they told me in library school

This column muses on topics and issues not covered during a Master of Library Science program and offers advice that would be useful for a recent graduate with little experience in libraries entering the field.

“I find myself wondering why I wanted to do this:” Identifying barriers for students of color in the LIS field

AbstractIn this pilot study we explored barriers graduate students of color experienced entering and during their Master of Library and Information Science program. Preliminary results indicate specific concerns students have about representation within the degree program, and the field as a whole. However, students are optimistic about their role in the field and feel that their experiences and voices will be valued moving into professional positions. Finally, this study helps our understanding of student's perceived barriers entering the LIS field, as we continue future work toward dismantling these barriers.

Welcome from the Editors

Welcome from the Editors

Social Workers and Public Libraries

A growing interprofessional collaboration between social work and library professionals has fueled the emergence of library social workers and the exploration of libraries as a setting for social work. This exciting partnership evolves from common historic roots, a strong alignment of values, and effectively addresses changing community needs that aligns with both professions. Social work and public libraries are both products of the Progressive Era along with the rise of charitable organizations and settlement houses. In examining the evolution of libraries in the wake of changing technology and patron populations, social workers are critical community allies to respond to diverse community needs. Social workers, human service providers, and funders also now see public libraries as community centers and civic hubs, as well as even settlement houses for the 21st Century. Libraries serve as civic hubs that are essential connectors of information, education, resources, and access that addresses human needs. This commentary’s aim in exploring library social worker practice encourages community-university partnerships between our public libraries and the academic programs of social work and library science that strengthen civic and community engagement. Social work practitioners and educators are encouraged to spend more time at their public libraries through interprofessional internships, class projects, applied research, and dual-degree curricular development that can prepare next generation practitioner to work and lead in these community centers.

Essential Skills for Corporate and Special Librarians

Library science programs must be responsive to the wide variety of workplace needs to ensure that graduating students are prepared with appropriate knowledge and skills regardless of where their career path brings them, and to do so they must understand the various needs and expectations of the field. Through a nationwide study of over 2,000 current professionals and LIS faculty, this study examines the knowledge, skills, and abilities identified as core for special and corporate librarians. The results help establish a baseline of skills for corporate and special librarians, which will be of interest to current and emerging professionals interested in a career in these settings and could have implications for LIS education.