Notes from the Editor

I am very pleased to welcome you to the second issue of the 26th volume of Urban Library Journal. The second, or fall issue, of each volume is typically a collection of proceedings from the LACUNY Institute, held annually in spring. However, in light of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Institute was not held in 2020. Therefore, this issue will not contain proceedings. Instead, it is a special issue devoted to urban libraries and the pandemic. All articles underwent peer-review

Notes from the Editor

Notes from the Editor

Notes from the Editor

I am very pleased to welcome you to the second issue of the 29th volume of Urban Library Journal, which is a collection of proceedings from the LACUNY Institute held on Thursday, May 11, and Friday, May 12, 2023. The theme of the Institute was “The Evolving Library through Professional Development.” Since professional development is an integral component of librarianship, the Institute invited proposals that explored professional development and information work

The Modernization of the Long Island Rail Road

The history of Long Island embodies what public funding contributes to transportation infrastructure. The article contextualizes the Long Island Rail Road in American railroad history both as a private company and public service. Using the Port Jefferson branch as an example, it argues that state proprietorship was essential for modernization and that recent improvements proved to be a poor investment

Notes from the Co-Editor

I am very pleased to welcome you to the second issue of the 28th volume of Urban Library Journal, which is a collection of proceedings from the LACUNY Institute held on Thursday, May 12, and Friday, May 13, 2022. The theme of the Institute was “Built to Exclude: Confronting Issues of Equity and Otherness in Libraries.” The Institute highlighted how library workers, patrons, and scholars are grappling with questions about what it means to have access, to belong, and to feel welcome and included

Notes from the Editors

We are very pleased to welcome you to the first issue of the 28th volume of Urban Library Journal. Currently, the new issue features one article

Notes from the Editors

I am very pleased to welcome you to the first issue of the 29th volume of Urban Library Journal

Notes from the Editor

We are very pleased to welcome you to the second issue of the 27th volume of Urban Library Journal, which is a collection of proceedings from the LACUNY Institute held on Wednesday, May 5, and Thursday, May 6, 2021. The theme of the Institute was “Ending the Library Stereotype: Non-traditional Practices for the 21st-century.” The Institute highlighted the different roles that librarians play in our society as librarians wear different hats. Librarians are mentors, supervisors, activists, instructors, unofficial guidance counselors, gamers, artists, and so forth

Notes from the Editors

We are very pleased to welcome you to the second issue of the 25th volume of Urban Library Journal, which is a collection of proceedings from the LACUNY Institute held on May 3, 2019. The theme of the Institute was “Students Are Evolving, Are Libraries Adapting?” It addressed how today’s academic libraries face challenges to the traditional model. As students are using technology, social media, and academic spaces in new ways, how are librarians educating the students of today and supporting their needs

Advancing Information Literacy in a Semester-Long Library Instruction Course: A Case Study

The following case study investigated the efficacy of Information Literacy (IL) pedagogy on undergraduate research in a credit-bearing library instruction class. More specifically, the study analyzed student success and sought to determine whether written reflection and practice strengthen IL skills, including the fundamental ability to develop a research question and thesis statement. Developing research questions and formulating thesis statements are among the most challenging duties of a young researcher. From high school through undergraduate, students often have minimal experience conducting research. They may not know where to begin the research process and what steps are necessary. Student frustration is exacerbated by the fact that typically IL instruction is one-shot guidance, given only once in a semester, making it difficult for a librarian to cover all that is needed. Can a semester long, credit-bearing course aid student success in research and improve IL skills? The instructors introduced several techniques to improve IL skills, and instructors evaluated three class assignments based on their college’s core competencies. Additionally, instructors collected and analyzed students’ written reflections of their progress and an end of semester survey as both qualitative and quantitative data