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The 5K run toolkit : a quick, painless, and thoughtful approach to managing print journal backruns
(Elsevier Inc., 2009) Sorensen, Charlene
Increasingly, academic libraries are choosing to discard or place in storage online-available print journal backruns. The identification of these titles and related collection analysis activities are often time-intensive. The approach at the University of Saskatchewan Library was to develop an online toolkit that combined available data from disparate sources including the integrated library system, SFX link resolver, and WorldCat and present them in a collaborative open source environment. This paper demonstrates how the careful combination of existing data presented in a simple online format allowed subject specialists to make accurate print journal deselection decisions quickly and painlessly.
Aboriginal students in Canada: a case study of their academic information needs and library use
(Haworth Information Press, 2001) Lee, Deborah
This study involved the use of personal interviews of six Aboriginal students at the University of Alberta in the fall of 1999. This article includes a brief literature review of other articles that consider adult Aboriginal people as library patrons and a section on Indigenous knowledge and values. Findings include three main concerns: a lack of Indigenous resources in the library system; a lack of resource or research development concerning Indigenous issues; and a lack of services recognizing the Indigenous values of "being in relationship" and reciprocity.
The Academic Librarian as the Missing Link: Sustainable leadership and the discipline of librarianship for a 21st century profession
(2016-06) Williamson, Vicki
This paper addresses all four conference themes by focusing on the critical topic of the professional practice knowledge, skills, and abilities for the 21st century academic librarian. Drawing on the results of national human resources research studies completed for the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL), this paper asserts that sustaining and growing the environment of academic librarianship, through sustainable resources, technology, and services can only be successfully achieved through effective leadership and sustainable workforce strategies at the individual, the institutional, and the sector level. Selected aspects of two national Canadian workforce studies (the original 8Rs Study from 2005 and the 8Rs Redux Study of 2015) will be discussed in terms of proposing what is needed to sustain the academic librarian in the dynamic information environment in which 21st century academic libraries operate. As the academic library environment progressively demands new librarian roles, and challenges a generally younger workforce, how will library leaders and the profession generally respond to ensure the continuation of a viable and sustainable discipline of librarianship and a positive future for academic libraries worldwide?
Academic librarians have concerns about their role as teachers
(University of Alberta Learning Services, 2008) Wilson, Virginia
Objective - This study explores how academic librarians are introduced to teaching, the degree to which they think of themselves as teachers, the ways in which being a teacher has become a significant feature of their professional identity, and the factors that may influence academic librarians to adopt a "teacher identity." Design - A literature review extended by qualitative semi-structured interviews. Setting - The research took place at an American university with the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching designation of "Doctoral/Research - Extensive." Subjects - Six academic librarians. Methods - The main feature of the article is an extensive literature review around the themes of LIS, teaching, and qualitative research methodologies. The literature review is supplemented by qualitative research consisting of semi-structured interviews of between 45 and 90 minutes each, which were conducted during spring 2004 with six librarians (five women and one man), whose length of professional service ranged from 2 to 32 years. All of the participants worked at the same institution. The data collected were reviewed throughout the process using field memos and a research log. The data were analyzed using a coding process where discrete ideas that emerged from the data were used to identify a small number of themes. The initial conclusions in the study were validated through member checking during the writing phase. "Member checking involves sharing draft study findings with the participants, to inquire whether their viewpoints were faithfully interpreted, whether there are gross errors of fact, and whether the account makes sense to participants with different perspectives" (Centre for Health Evidence). Main Results - Five themes around teaching and teacher identity as they pertain to academic librarians emerged from the data. The first theme was the centrality of teaching. Each participant sought out a position where the teaching role was valued. The role of teacher spilled over into the other roles of the librarian, i.e., reference service, collection development, etc. The next theme was the importance of collegial and administrative support, which is critical to the ability to focus on work as a teacher. The stress of multiple demands emerged as a theme, as time dedicated to teaching was often at the expense of something else. Another theme was the problems with professional education around teaching. Instruction course offerings in library schools were reported to be meagre, and some were badly planned and executed. The fifth theme involved stereotypes and misperceptions. Studies have shown that the academic library profession has been poorly understood by students and faculty. Study participants believed that many of their campus colleagues were either unaware of what they did, or were misinformed by popular culture stereotypes of librarians. Conclusions - The small sample size precluded the making of any definite conclusions based on the study results. Other limitations of the study include the relatively short amount of time spent in the interview process and the narrow range of librarians chosen to participate. The author notes that a subject pool more representative of academic librarians' full range of opinions regarding the importance of teaching as a professional responsibility would have resulted in more complex themes emerging. While the author is aware of the study's limitations, he feels there is value in the qualitative research design, in giving voice to individual librarians, and in the provision of insight into some of the research questions found in the literature of learning to teach and of teacher identity. Given the limitations, Walter makes three conclusions about his findings. He points out the lack of a formal introduction to teaching in many library programs which has been explored by other studies and concludes that his study "suggests that continuing lack of attention to this issue results in a difficult introduction into the profession for new academic librarians" (64). Regarding continuing and professional education, Walter concludes that "this study suggests that there are a number of important questions about the content and conduct of these opportunities for instruction librarians that have not been explored in the literature" (64). Finally, Walter concludes that "this study suggests that there is an important connection between research on student perceptions of academic librarians, the study of teacher identity, and the future of the profession"(64).
Adapting realist synthesis methodology: The case of workplace harassment interventions
(2017) Carr, T.; Quinlan, E.; Robertson, S.; Gerrard, A.
Realist synthesis techniques can be used to assess complex interventions by extracting and synthesizing configurations of contexts, mechanisms, and outcomes found in the literature. Our novel and multi‐pronged approach to the realist synthesis of workplace harassment interventions describes our pursuit of theory to link macro and program level theories. After discovering the limitations of a dogmatic approach to realist synthesis, we adapted our search strategy and focused our analysis on a subset of data. We tailored our realist synthesis to understand how, why, and under what circumstances workplace harassment interventions are effective. The result was a conceptual framework to test our theory‐based interventions and provide the basis for subsequent realist evaluation. Our experience documented in this article contributes to an understanding of how, under what circumstances, and with what consequences realist synthesis principles can be customized.
Adapting your research design: When the best laid plans go awry
(Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL), 2020-10) Sarjeant-Jenkins, Rachel
Structured around a specific research project, this chapter tells the story of learning to be a reflective researcher. It acknowledges the emotions that are often part of the research process, the importance of adapting research design to respond to research realities, and the value of research journaling as a tool for reflection.
Affirming Self, Affirming Community: Outreach in the Spirit and Memory of Neil Richards
(2023-07-01) Liang, Ann; Stokalko, Lindsay
The Neil Richards Collection of Sexual and Gender Diversity was established in 2010 and contains more than 8,000 unique items. Neil Richards spent his life and career at the University of Saskatchewan preserving LGBT history in Saskatchewan. Sadly, Neil Richards passed away in 2018, and without his enthusiastic and engaging personality, the collection became underutilized, and its growth slowed. This project involved the creation of marketing videos featuring real users and their experiences with the collection to increase the awareness and the use of the archive by the community. Inspired by Apple (2021), our goal was to give this collection back to the community by removing the high academia stigma and exclusivity associated with archives in hopes of inspiring partnerships and to create a more accurate and holistic reflection of LGBTQQIP2SAA history in Saskatchewan. Since the creation and release of the videos, interactions with the collection have markedly increased, including donations, integration into University of Saskatchewan courses, its use in events like Drag Story Time for Adults and partnerships with community organizations like OUTSaskatoon, the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union Pride Centre, Saskatoon Pride, the Western Development Museum and JusticeTrans. This session covers our process for the creation and distribution of the videos, the initiatives that have formed from the renewed interest in the collection and where we hope to take the collection in the future.
All together now!: integrating virtual reference in the academic library
(American Library Association Production Services, 2011) Duncan, Vicky; Gerrard, Angie
Although much as appeared in the literature regarding the initiation of virtual reference services, to date a case study discussing online reference service's integration into an academic library's current suite of reference services has not been written. At the University of Saskatchewan, the integration process forced the library to take a broader look at reference services as a whole and address several questions: What is reference? How should it be delivered? Who should provide it? On what reference service values are decisions being based? To facilitate the integration, it was necessary to identify the needs of our users and re-examine the core values of our reference service accordingly. This analysis resulted in system-wide changes to all the library's reference services. The paper concludes with a set of planning recommendations that will be useful for college and university libraries currently considering, or presently offering, a virtual reference or instant messaging service and aspiring to incorporate the service permanently into there suite of reference services.
An alternative to the hand searching gold standard: validating methodological search filters using relative recall
(BioMed Central, 2006) Sampson, Margaret; Zhang, Li; Morrison, Andra; Barrowman, Nicholas J; Clifford, Tammy J; Platt, Robert; Klassen, Terry; Moher, David
Background Search filters or hedges play an important role in evidence-based medicine but their development depends on the availability of a "gold standard" - a reference standard against which to establish the performance of the filter. We demonstrate the feasibility of using relative recall of included studies from multiple systematic reviews to validate methodological search filters as an alternative to validation against a gold standard formed through hand searching. Methods We identified 105 Cochrane reviews that used the Highly Sensitive Search Strategy (HSSS), included randomized or quasi-randomized controlled trials, and reported their included studies. We measured the ability of two published and one novel variant of the HSSS to retrieve the MEDLINE-index studies included in these reviews. Results The systematic reviews were comprehensive in their searches. 72% of included primary studies were indexed in MEDLINE. Relative recall of the three strategies ranged from .98 to .91 across all reviews and more comprehensive strategies showed higher recall. Conclusion An approach using relative recall instead of a hand searching gold standard proved feasible and produced recall figures that were congruent with previously published figures for the HSSS. This technique would permit validation of a methodological filter using a collection of approximately 100 studies of the chosen design drawn from the included studies of multiple systematic reviews that used comprehensive search strategies.
American nightmare: images of brainwashing, thought control, and terror in Soviet Russia
(Wiley-Blackwell, 2010) Smith, David A.
During the earliest and most frigid years of the Cold War, 1947-1953, the overwhelming majority of American's media and public opinion promoted the idea that Soviet society was something close to a complete " dystopia." This article examines Americans' most commonly held perception of day-to-day life in the USSR: that modern methods of thought control and terror had transformed the Russian people into an enslaved mob of subservient, dull and militaristic robots. Evidence from American literature, popular culture, political speeches and public opinion polls suggests this obsessive attitude toward Soviet Russia was in part a reflection of Americans' fears and anxieties about the future of their own society at mid-century.
Applying the Flipped Classroom Methodology in a First-Year Undergraduate Music Research Methods Course
(Music Reference Services Quarterly, 2016-05-21) Doi, Carolyn
Online learning environments and teaching tools are becoming increasingly present on University campuses and continue to impact the way information literacy instruction is delivered. The flipped classroom is a methodology that allows students to access lecture content before class as homework, leaving room during class time for higher level cognitive activities and assessments. This article discusses a program review of a first-year undergraduate music library research methods course. A pre- and posttest survey was administered to collect students’ perceptions of the methodology as well as information literacy skill development.
Archival access points: subjects and beyond - the North American experience
(1998-02-12) Hutchinson, Tim
ARChive: Artist-run centres as information resources
(Thinking Qualitatively (TQ) Workshop Series Poster Presentations, 2015-06-15) Lucky, Shannon
Archiving: Needs Analysis for Artist-Run Centres' Archives
(2017-08-17) Leyeza, Bernice; Lucky, Shannon
The ART of People Management in Libraries: Tips for Managing your Most Important Resource
(Chandos, 2010) McKinlay, Jim; Williamson, Vicki
Artist Run Centre Archives: Nontraditional Digital Archiving in a Non-Profit Art Community
(2015-11-13) Lucky, Shannon
Lower technical barriers to entry have increasingly placed the development of digital archives within the reach of smaller organizations; but creating and appropriately maintaining digital archives takes time, money, and specialized knowledge. Canadian artist run centres (ARCs) rarely have an abundance of any of these resources, yet many have developed creative digital archival projects focused on their specific mandates, history, or communities. These non-profit organizations, run by and for artists, have made major contributions to Canada’s cultural identity over the past thirty years resulting in a rich history of exhibitions, publications, and community practice. Unfortunately, archiving this history is typically not a primary function of ARCs and necessarily takes a backseat to the task of developing new programming. Now that this community has accrued a significant historical record of work, both artistic and institutional, many ARCs are looking for ways to use the resources they have to create digital archives to capture, maintain, share, and in some cases make new work based on these records. This presentation discusses my recent research with ARC directors in Alberta and Saskatchewan exploring the archival goals and challenges unique to their organizations. These ARCs have found ingenious ways to use open source tools and online services to develop digital archive projects, often without guaranteed long term funding or additional trained staff. This has resulted in innovative projects that, while often flying in the face of traditional archival practices, work well for these organizations and meet their needs within their often limited resources. I will also introduce a project in development working with one ARC in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to develop and implement a digital archival strategy for their historical records that is sustainable for their organization to maintain and useful for researchers and the public.
Artist-Run Archives: Developing a digital community archive with PAVED Arts artist-run centre
(2017-03-31) Lucky, Shannon
This case study details my partnership with PAVED Arts, an ARC in Saskatoon, Canada dedicated to supporting photography, audio, video, electronic, and digital arts. In this presentation I discuss how we designed a usable digital archive that serves PAVED's organizational culture and core uses. As an information technology librarian, I bring my IT and information management expertise to this collaboration with the PAVED staff and wider community to assess, organize, preserve, and provide access to their multi-format archives. Using community archiving and participatory action research methods, we focus on designing and implementing a digital archive that serves the needs of the PAVED community and is sustainable for this non-profit organization. Canadian artist-run centres (ARCs) are vital experimental and emerging contemporary art galleries and production centres that serve researchers, curators, artists, and the public. Many of these non-profit ARCs have been active for over three decades, accumulating significant records about their history, artist-run culture, and the work they show and produce. Because this experimental work is rarely documented elsewhere, ARC collections can be the most authoritative source for this information. While some ARCs have digitized records, most have kept physical documents in file cabinets, basements, and storage units, making them effectively inaccessible and vulnerable to damage and loss. With a focus on supporting emerging and experimental work, but lacking a mandate to preserve and provide access to their archives, ARCs are in the difficult position of having valuable collections that they want to share, but lacking the resources needed to do so.
Ask a librarian live: virtual reference at the University of Saskatchewan Library
(2005) Duncan, Vicky; Gerrard, Angie
Assessing organizational culture: moving towards organizational change and renewal [article]
(Association of Research Libraries, 2007) Currie, C. Lyn; Shepstone, Carol
Assessing organizational culture: moving towards organizational change and renewal [presentation]
(2006) Shepstone, Carol; Currie, C. Lyn

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