Objective – At a large research university in Canada, a research data management (RDM) specialist and two liaison librarians partnered to evaluate the effectiveness of an active learning component of their newly developed RDM training program. This empirical study aims to contribute a statistical analysis to evaluate an RDM instructional intervention.

Methods – This study relies on a pre- and post-test quasi-experimental intervention during introductory RDM workshops offered 12 times between February 2022 and January 2023. The intervention consists of instruction on best practices related to file-naming conventions. We developed a grading rubric differentiating levels of proficiency in naming a file according to a convention reflecting RDM best practices and international standards. We used manual content analysis to independently code each pre- and post-instruction file name according to the rubric.

Results – Comparing the overall average scores for each participant pre- and post-instruction intervention, we find that workshop participants, in general, improved in proficiency. The results of a Wilcoxon signed-rank test demonstrate that the difference between the pre- and post-test observations is statistically significant with a high effect size. In addition, a comparison of changes in pre- and post-test scores for each rubric element showed that participants grasped specific elements more easily (i.e., implementing an international standard for a date format) than others (i.e., applying information related to sequential versioning of files).

Conclusion – The results of this study indicate that developing short and targeted interventions in the context of RDM training is worthwhile. In addition, the findings demonstrate how quantitative evaluations of instructional interventions can pinpoint specific topics or activities requiring improvement or further investigation. Overall, RDM learning outcomes grounded in practical competencies may be achieved through applied exercises that demonstrate immediate improvement directly to participants.

Objective – The collection assessment project of the University Library is significant in determining whether the quantity of the collection meets the regulatory standard of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for academic libraries. This study specifically sought to find the level of library collection compliance in terms of major subject courses, to determine the curricular programs that are compliant with the standard or have a high rate of compliance, and to identify the curricular programs that should be prioritized in acquiring additional book titles.

Methods – The assessment was conducted using an action research model of iterative reflection and improvement. It follows the four steps for carrying out the research: plan, act, observe, and reflect, as proposed by Davidoff and Van den Berg (1990). Furthermore, we employed CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 22, Series of 2021, Section 4 (b.4-5) to analyze the collection's compliance based on its quantity. The data was presented using a table and percentage.

Results – There are 32 undergraduate curricular programs offered at Central Luzon State University, which include 1,055 major subject courses. More than half of major subject courses (57.3%) on various curricular programs are non-compliant with CHED criteria, including 17.63% of major subject courses with zero titles copyrighted within the last five years. Findings also reveal that only 6 (18.75%) of the total programs were able to reach above 70% compliance with CHED standards, and there are 23 curricular programs with title gaps of 50% or higher that need to be prioritized in the acquisition of book titles.

Conclusion – The library collection assessment technique is crucial for identifying gaps in the collection and determining areas where additional resources may be required. As the findings indicate that more than half of the major subject courses do not meet the requirements set by CHED, the librarians have been investigating ways to acquire additional academic sources to fill this gap. However, their current efforts are not yet enough to meet the requirements. A long-term plan for gradually building up the collection has been devised.

Objective – Following a rapid increase in student population over a five-year period, Cape Breton University leased additional teaching space from a nearby cinema chain but did not account for students’ library needs. The local nature of the venue, combined with issues in transit to the main campus, created “local-distance” students. These students were surveyed on awareness and use of library resources and services to inform future services.

Methods – Students whose classes were primarily located at the cinema chain were engaged in an anonymous survey regarding their knowledge and use of library services. These data were then analyzed for common themes and recommendations.

Results – There were notable gaps in student knowledge and use of library resources and services, perhaps owing to the primary source of information regarding these – namely, friends, professors, and the website. The need for further outreach and onsite library workers was highlighted, as was the importance of library as space.

Conclusion – While the library handled the new venue as well as possible, it is crucial for administrators involved in change management to remember that student learning involves more than individuals in a classroom seat.

Objective – Our article examines the effects of Quebec’s provincial funding agency (FRQ)’s revised 2022 OA policy on researchers. Following FRQ’s participation as a cOAlition S funding agency, which involves endorsing Plan S principles, we provide an overview of the OA options for researchers. We examine these options under the FRQ 2019 and FRQ 2022 policy years, account for the effect of transformative agreements (TA) on OA publishing options, as well as the financial implications for researchers under the revised policy.

Methods – The researchers extracted a list of FRQ-funded publications from years 2020 to 2022 using the DOI registration agency Crossref. Using this sample set, the researchers quantitatively analyzed OA options under the previous policy and the revised one, comparing the two. To determine the effect of transformative agreements (TAs)s, we reviewed current agreements offered through Canada’s national licensing agency Canadian Research Knowledge Network (CRKN).

Results ­– We found that the self-archiving method for open access (OA) is reduced under the revised 2022 policy. Our results lead us to anticipate the pressure felt by authors who will be required to pay article processing charges (APCs) to meet grant requirements.

Conclusion – The current publishing patterns of FRQ-funded researchers are primarily concentrated in hybrid journals not covered by transformative agreements. As such, researchers will face additional financial costs should these publishing patterns continue. Concerted efforts among all stakeholders (researchers, universities, libraries, and funders) are needed to sustainably transition to immediate OA.

Objective – This study investigates the readiness for artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in library and information centres of Pakistani universities. The projected outcomes of this study are expected to contribute to the development of best practices for effectively motivating university administrators and preparing librarians for adopting AI in library and information centres.

Methods – A theoretical framework combining the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework and the Technology Readiness Index (TRI) guided this qualitative study. Interviews were conducted with 27 senior representatives, including library managers and registrars, from 27 universities across four provinces and the capital city, Islamabad. A systematic approach was employed to analyze the data.

Results – The findings indicate that the concept of AI adoption in Pakistani university libraries is new. The library and information sector of Pakistan is slow in adopting AI, which could have implications for its future competitiveness, despite the push for AI adoption by university librarians and administrators. The readiness for AI adoption in this sector is influenced by factors such as organizational technological practices, financial resources, university size, and data management and protection concerns.

Conclusion – Library managers and researchers can implement the TOE framework and TRI scale to facilitate AI adoption in a manner that is relevant to library and information settings in Pakistan as well as other parts of the world. Our research indicates that most adoptions are still in their nascent phases, and numerous library managers feel uneasy due to either uncertainties about the precise benefits AI can bring to their libraries or a lack of knowledge and skills for its effective implementation. To manage the networks of internal and external stakeholders essential for successful AI adoption, universities should consider appointing individuals with a specialized knowledge of AI within their libraries.

Objective – This article reports on the qualitative phase of a two-phase sequential mixed-methods study to assess the first six years of the Institute for Research Design in Librarianship (IRDL), a continuing education program for academic and research librarians. The study is designed to assess the effectiveness of IRDL in meeting short-term and long-term programmatic objectives related to the research productivity, job performance, and professional identities of the participants in the program.

Methods – In this second part of a two-phase study, the authors conducted focus group and individual interviews with 37 IRDL participants (hereafter called Scholars) and coded the resulting transcripts. The first phase of the study surveyed all 124 program participants; the results were reported in an earlier article in this journal. The second-phase interviews were conducted and then coded using a deductive process. The researchers identified transcript excerpts that explored the concepts of research productivity, job performance, and identity as a researcher. Each of these concepts was further sub-coded to explore the four sources of self-efficacy, as described in Albert Bandura’s theory: mastery experiences; verbal or social persuasion; vicarious experiences; and physiological and affective states.

Results – The majority of the conversations in both the in-depth individual interviews and the focus group interviews centered around research productivity; approximately 70% of the transcript excerpts from focus groups and 55% of the individual interviews addressed issues related to productivity. Participants also discussed the impact of IRDL on their job performance and their identify as researchers. Gaining research confidence had a notable positive impact on job performance related to classroom teaching and supporting researchers. Within these areas of conversation, all sources of self-efficacy were evident, but the most frequently noted were influences related to mastery learning and social persuasion, through mentorship and becoming part of a peer research community.

Conclusion – The findings from the focus groups and in-depth interviews deepen the meaning of the results from the quantitative phase of our IRDL assessment research. The participants in the study reported both frustration and satisfaction with conducting their research. A supportive environment focused on helping librarians gain needed research skills, practice those skills, and become part of a research community contributes to research confidence and productivity, improved job performance, and identity as a researcher. The findings of this study have implications for developing librarians as researchers, including the importance of a supportive work environment, research mentoring, and the positive influence of becoming part of a research community.

A Review of:

Houk, K. & Neilson, J. (2023). Inclusive hiring in academic libraries: A qualitative analysis of attitudes and reflections of search committee members. College and Research Libraries, 84(4), 568-588. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.84.4.568

Objective – To understand how academic librarian search committee members’ perceptions and attitudes affect the equitability and inclusiveness of the on-campus interview process.

Design – Thematic text analysis of open-ended responses to short-answer questions from an online survey.

Setting – Online survey conducted between February and March of 2021.

Subjects – 166 academic librarians who had served on hiring committees for academic librarians in North America between 2016 and 2020.

Methods – Participants for the 33-question survey were recruited through several academic library listservs and social media postings on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. The researchers first individually reviewed and coded all responses for short answer survey questions, then reviewed the codes together. Finally, a thematic map was developed after the researchers reached a consensus on their shared approach to coding and generating clusters of meanings.

Main Results – Six major clusters were identified through thematic coding of participants’ text responses concerning their experiences of on-campus interview practices as hiring committee members. These themes represented challenges to the inclusiveness of academic librarian searches, and included search committees’ treatment of the interview process as either intentional or situational tests (1), reliance on the ambiguously defined selection criteria of fit (2), experience with varying levels of commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, antiracism, and accessibility (DEIAA) values (3), frustration with prevalence of institutional bureaucracy throughout the hiring process (4), and uneven adoptions of inclusive hiring (5) or reflective practices (6). The researchers also noted a common respondent mistake of misinterpreting equal (i.e., identical) treatment of candidates as evidence of equitable interview practices.

Conclusion – Findings from this study highlighted the importance of academic institutions and hiring committees adopting reflective practices to critically and intentionally incorporate DEIAA-informed practices in planning and conducting academic librarian searches. The authors also stressed the need to reduce possible biases in hiring practices favoring candidates who conforms to White, ableist, and heteronormative culture and values. Examples of these efforts included considering the necessity of each interview element for assessing candidate performances, proactively ensuring full accessibility of the interview itinerary, and operationalizing the definition of “fit” in assessing candidates’ abilities.

A Review of:

Pionke, J. (2023). What are library graduate students learning about disability and accessibility? A syllabus analysis. Urban Library Journal, 29(1). https://academicworks.cuny.edu/ulj/vol29/iss1/2/

Objective – To analyze the disability and accessibility content of library sciences courses. As well as to determine the importance of teaching students about this topic throughout programs covered in the study.

Design – Qualitative study involving the data analysis of syllabi.

Setting – Selected library graduate school curriculum programs in the United States.

Subjects – In total, 77 syllabi drawn from 49 institutions taken from the American Library Association listing of accredited library school graduate programs.

Methods – The author used keyword searches to identify courses offered between 2017–2020 that contained content on disability and accessibility. Syllabi were available for 77 of the 145 identified courses. The author analyzed the sample set (n=77) for both content and structure.

Main Results – Poor citation structure, disability accommodation statements, assessment, and a focus on digital accessibility were among the main findings highlighted. The author identified four major categories to explain and understand the content found on the syllabi; these descriptors were further broken down into sub-categories to explain the findings of each topic content area. Highlights of the results are:

• disability and accessibility topics and all related terms were ranked according to number of times they appeared, e.g. digital content, usability, web/internet, coding (22); instruction and information literacy (16); and specific demographics etc. (10);

• the organization and sequencing of when course content was presented - at the beginning, middle and end of the semester;

• citation currency– Two hundred syllabi were analyzed. One hundred and forty-one syllabi had fairly current citation dates falling between 2009-2018. Forty-eight had no dates and eleven had dates that were outdated (2008 or earlier);

• assignments – which measured the learning outcome of the said topic were reported in the following way: nothing assigned (67); 1 or more assignments (11); undetermined (3).

Conclusion –The study underlies that a well-crafted syllabus effectively communicates the goals of the course – the importance of the topic structure about disability and accessibility in library schools’ curricula. The author identified numerous design flaws that impact how the content relays information about the course’s pedagogy. The data suggest the need for the following improvements on the syllabi: professional topic presentation, variety of formats in texts and materials and their access, citation currency and poor structure, assignments and organization sequencing of course content, a number of assessment focused observations on vague assignments or lack of examples provided, and the inclusion of disability statements. Some of the higher order concerns were: the ableist language contained, outdated language, and the lack of stated university-related disability resources for students. All of the aforementioned present an accessibility barrier for disabled students and may affect the general perception about the topic. The author recommends that stronger guidelines for LIS educators would be advantageous to students, encourage disability awareness and the best DEI practices. Further to this, libraries should implement and adapt a strategic plan that would help overcome accessibility barriers for patron delivery services. There must be an increased emphasis on teaching about accessibility that expands beyond forms of digital media. Providing equitable library services in all areas for the disabled populations in the physical library spaces is needed.