research Archives | Page 2 of 3 | American Libraries Magazine

Back row, from left: Thanos Giannakopoulos, Anthi Katsirikou, and Jim Church. Front row, from left: Edward Junhao Lim, Vasiliki Rigakou, Ifigenia Vardakosta, Sotiria Salappa, Ageliki Oikonomou, and Aggeliki Giannopoulou

IFLA: Libraries, Data, and the Global Financial Crisis

By Raymond Pun | August 28, 2019

“How can libraries best serve populations during a global economic crisis or make sense of government data?” was the question posed by Jim Church, librarian for economics and international government information at UC Berkeley and chair of IFLA’s Government Information and Official Publications section, which sponsored this program. Thanos Giannakopolous, director of the United Nations … Continue reading IFLA: Libraries, Data, and the Global Financial Crisis →

From Wikipedia to Opioids

By Sanhita SinhaRoy | June 24, 2019

As part of the News You Can Use series at the American Library Association’s 2019 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Washington, D.C., the program opened with Andrew Pace, executive director for technical research, who highlighted three reports: (1) findings from a global survey on how research institutions worldwide are applying information management practices; (2) a … Continue reading From Wikipedia to Opioids →

Better Literacy for the Blackfeet Nation

By Terra Dankowski | June 24, 2019

That’s the number at which literacy levels of all types significantly improve, said Anthony Chow, associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, at “Resources for Rural and Tribal Libraries,” a June 24 session at the American Library Association’s (ALA) Annual Conference and Exhibition in Washington, D.C. Of the Blackfeet Nation individuals he … Continue reading Better Literacy for the Blackfeet Nation →

Notable Dissertations 2019

By Kathy Rosa | June 3, 2019

This year’s crop includes research on the power of reading, librarian–teacher collaborations, and school librarians as academic leaders. The nine dissertations selected from digital archives and online databases have practical implications for school, public, academic, and special libraries; feature quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methodologies; and include measurable recommendations for change. The students and their topics … Continue reading Notable Dissertations 2019 →

Award-winning graphic novelist Alison Bechdel closes out the 2019 Association of College and Research Libraries Conference in Cleveland on April 13. Photo: Laurie DeWitt/Pure Light Images

Alison Bechdel: A Life in Books

By George M. Eberhart | April 13, 2019

Internationally renowned cartoonist Alison Bechdel was the closing keynote speaker. She illustrated her talk throughout with panels from her graphic novels Fun Home (2006) and Are You My Mother? (2013), as well as her long-running comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For. Bechdel said she realized at age 19 that she was a lesbian, “though … Continue reading Alison Bechdel: A Life in Books →

From left: Yasmeen Shorish, Nathan Hall, and Rebecca Kennison present the new ACRL research agenda.

ACRL’s New Research Agenda

By George M. Eberhart | April 13, 2019

On April 13 at the 2019 ACRL Conference in Cleveland, three members of ReSEC described their process for creating the research agenda and what they hope to accomplish with the new document. ReSEC Chair Yasmeen Shorish, associate professor at James Madison University Libraries in Harrisonburg, Virginia, said the committee’s charge was to “help identify actionable … Continue reading ACRL’s New Research Agenda →

From left: Cody Fullerton, Desmond Wong, and Deborah Lee share their research on library support for indigenous scholarship.

Indigenous Studies Librarianship and Collections

By Sally Stieglitz | April 13, 2019

The study examined the research needs and methods of indigenous studies faculty as well as those of indigenous faculty members whose scholarship was in other fields, such as health sciences or law. Also examined were the expectations of the indigenous people being studied. At the outset, researchers stressed that the project incorporated both Western and … Continue reading Indigenous Studies Librarianship and Collections →

Mies Martin (left) and Beth Martin present their findings at the Association of College and Research Libraries Conference in Cleveland on April 12.

The Impostor Phenomenon

By George M. Eberhart | April 13, 2019

At an April 12 session at the Association of College and Research Libraries Conference in Cleveland, Beth Martin, head of professional programs at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, and Mies Martin, electronic resources and serials librarian at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, described their own recent IP research. Beth Martin said IP is … Continue reading The Impostor Phenomenon →

From left: Amy Fyn, Amanda Foster-Kaufman, Christina Heady, and Allison Hosier at the Association of College and Research Libraries Conference in Cleveland

Why Librarians Leave

By Sally Stieglitz | April 12, 2019

The study identified 20 factors spread across four categories that indicated librarian job dissatisfaction, most significantly workplace morale, with 79% of respondents identifying it as their top reason for leaving. Following closely behind was dissatisfaction with library administration (72%). “Overall the comments indicated that unfair practices and lack of transparency were the highest areas of … Continue reading Why Librarians Leave →

Kevin Seeber (left), head of the department of education and outreach services, and Rachel Stott, teaching and learning librarian, at University of Colorado Denver’s Auraria Library

The Search for Cannabis

By George M. Eberhart | April 12, 2019

It turns out results would likely be different, depending on the focus on use (medical or recreational), the academic discipline involved, the geographic location of the researchers, and the sentiment expressed about the drug’s use. Seeber and Stott, who described their study as a “joint effort,” looked at a representative sample of 540 articles and … Continue reading The Search for Cannabis →

How Technology Helps Foster Research Connections

By Lindsay Gypin | January 28, 2019

Ngoc-Yen Tran, research impact librarian, and Emily Chan, interim associate dean for research and scholarship, both from San Jose State University, presented a plethora of data from various studies indicating that collaborating on research is up, and single author publication is down. In the first five years of College & Research Libraries’ existence, less than … Continue reading How Technology Helps Foster Research Connections →

Faculty and librarians work on a research sprint at the University of Kansas Libraries in 2017.

Academic Speed Trials

By Timothy Inklebarger | January 2, 2019

Karna Younger, faculty engagement librarian at Kansas University Libraries, says the idea of research sprints—during which faculty and librarians work together for about a week on the same project, and, more importantly, in the same space—is not a wholly new idea. But the approach is being formalized into a method that can be replicated. “It … Continue reading Academic Speed Trials →

Latest Library Links

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Jacksonville (Fla.) Public Library writes: “Considered the longest-running African American holiday, Juneteenth has been celebrated by African Americans since the 1800s and became a federal holiday in 2021. A combination of the words ‘June’ and ‘nineteenth,’ it is celebrated on the anniversary of the order, issued by Major General Gordon Granger on June 19, 1865, proclaiming freedom for slaves in Texas. If you’re still somewhat new to Juneteenth celebrations or you’d like to share the history with your children, the Library has books to help you out!” Lone Star College University Park (Texas) Library offers a research guide with history, ebooks, primary sources, and more.

Jacksonville (Fla.) Public Library, June 13; Lone Star College University Park (Texas) Library, May 27
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Rob Bittner writes: “ALA’s Association for Library Service to Children and Young Adult Library Services Association are embarking on a new adventure together. We will be reunifying and the two divisions will once again be combined, with a mission to serve both children’s and teen librarians. I know that there will be many questions that I am unable to answer in a blog post or in our FAQ page, but we will be looking to the memberships of both divisions to provide feedback and input that we can use to ensure that we can best serve our newly reunited division starting in 2026.”

ALSC Blog, June 11
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Former Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden will appear at the ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition June 28 in conversation with Emmy Award winner and New York Times bestselling author Kwame Alexander. Hayden and Alexander will discuss the current state of libraries and the challenges library professionals are facing not only in America but across the world, from book bans to library funding.

ALA Communications, Marketing, and Media Relations Office, June 12
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Chris Coward and Jin Ha Lee write: “The government wants to introduce Euphorigen—a dietary supplement that the wealthiest echelon of society takes to boost brain activity and productivity—into the public water supply. But is the drug safe? And can the claims of Euphorigen’s manufacturer be trusted? That’s the mystery at the center of The Euphorigen Investigation, the first of several escape rooms and play-based activities our research team at University of Washington’s Information School and Center for an Informed Public in Seattle has developed to address the growing threat of misinformation.”

American Libraries Trend, June
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Web Behrens writes: “Libraries typically provide books—not publish them. But eight years ago, Ann Arbor (Mich.) District Library (AADL) had some voices it wanted the world to hear. And so emerged Fifth Avenue Press, AADL’s publishing imprint, in 2017. Focused on the authors, history, and culture of Michigan’s Washtenaw County, the imprint includes 60 titles spanning literary genres. They range from Light in a Cage (2017), a chronicle of local educator Judy Patterson Wenzel’s experiences teaching in a prison classroom, to Peri Peri Paprika (2024), a sci-fi novel written by Leanne Su, a University of Michigan doctoral student.”

American Libraries Trend, June
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Allison Frick and Sara DeSabato write: “It’s vital for young people to see themselves in books and collections. Some books give children language to express what is in their hearts. For those who may not have strong family support, a library can offer a safe, private place to access thoughtfully curated, age-congruent information. That’s why, as a school librarian and a teacher, we felt strongly about helping our school, Friends Select School in Philadelphia, create a Lower School Gender and Sexuality Education committee in 2017.”

American Libraries column, June
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Julia Smith writes: “In early May, bestselling author-illustrator Grace Lin published her first novel in nearly nine years. Throughout her more than 25-year career, Lin has garnered many accolades, including a 2010 Newbery Honor, a 2019 Caldecott Honor, and a 2022 Children’s Literature Legacy Award. In advance of her appearance at the upcoming American Library Association 2025 Annual Conference in Philadelphia, she talked with American Libraries about being inspired by myths, the insidiousness of book bans, and finding comfort in the library as a child.”

American Libraries Trend, June

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