“A space for myself to go:” Early patterns in Small YA spaces

While young adults (teenagers) are routinely recognized as constituting nearly 25 percent of the nation\u27s public library users, the vast majority of libraries devote more space and design attention to restrooms than to young people. Worse, there are currently no consistent or established metrics, no evaluation criteria, few conceptual standards of best practices, and little consistency in the methods by which we collect empirical evidence about young adult (YA) spaces. This study is the first systematic attempt to both collect and analyze empirical data on libraries\u27 recent trend toward providing greater spatial equity for YA library service

UNLV College of Education Multicultural & Diversity Newsletter

A newsletter discussing a variety of topics dealing with multicultural topics and diversity in education

The Faculty Notebook, April 2018

The Faculty Notebook is published periodically by the Office of the Provost at Gettysburg College to bring to the attention of the campus community accomplishments and activities of academic interest. Faculty are encouraged to submit materials for consideration for publication to the Associate Provost for Faculty Development. Copies of this publication are available at the Office of the Provost

Abstracts from the Nineteenth Annual Conference National Association for Ethnic Studies. Inc. Ethnic Studies for the Twenty-first Century

With the leadership of James H. Williams, Tengemana Thumbutu, and the staff of the College of Arts at California State Polytechnic University, NAES had one of its best-attended conferences ever. Participants enjoyed the sunny and smog-free skies of spring in California and the amenities of the Kellogg West Conference Center while renewing their commitment to the need to study and implement current research in ethnic studies

Libraries in Moldova: The road to renewal in hard economic times

The transition from a communist to a democratic society has affected the entire social map of Moldova, including the library network. For over two and a half decades, Moldovan libraries have undergone major changes and reforms: from closed- to open-access stacks; from ideological institutions serving political platforms to public squares in support of democracy; from repositories of propaganda books to information centers serving the information needs of the communities they serve. This paper examines the changes in, and challenges faced by, Moldova’s libraries from 1991, the year that marks the country’s independence, to the present. Various projects— government-sponsored or assisted by international organizations, such as the Open Society Institute and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation—are featured.published or submitted for publicatio

The History and Current Challenges of Libraries in Japan

Japan\u27s libraries have many positive attributes and continue to evolve. However, many library sectors struggle with serving users because of staff outsourcing, library leadership, and a focus on circulation statistics that prevent them from developing into 21st-century information and community centers. This paper reviews the history and current status of each library sector, including their services and staffing. It then examines their current challenges and how professionalism, librarian education, and community engagement are the main challenges to their success and suggests recommendations to elevate them to compete in the global arena

Graphic novels: enticing teenagers into the library

This thesis investigates the inclusion of graphic novels in library collections and whether the format encourages teenagers to use libraries and read in their free time. Graphic novels are bound paperback or hardcover works in comic-book form and cover the full range of fiction genres, manga (Japanese comics), and also nonfiction. Teenagers are believed to read less in their free time than their younger counterparts. The importance of recreational reading necessitates methods to encourage teenagers to enjoy reading and undertake the pastime. Graphic novels have been discussed as a popular format among teenagers. As with reading, library use among teenagers declines as they age from childhood. The combination of graphic novel collections in school and public libraries may be a solution to both these dilemmas.Teenagers’ views were explored through focus groups to determine their attitudes toward reading, libraries and their use of libraries; their opinions on reading for school, including reading for English classes and gathering information for school assignments; and their liking for different reading materials, including graphic novels. Opinions on school reading can impact feelings on reading in general and thus influence views and amount of recreational reading.A survey of public libraries determined the incidence of graphic novel collections throughout Australia and how collections are managed, with the intention of comparing libraries from different states and territories and metropolitan or rural areas. Interviews with selected librarians who collected graphic novels provided insight into their attitudes to the place of graphic novels in public and high school libraries and a more detailed picture of how the format is managed. This included use of graphic novel by the libraries’ teenage users or students and problems encountered, such as complaints about specific titles.Graphic novel collections are widespread among surveyed Australian libraries, although a metropolitan location led to a greater likelihood of collection of graphic novels, and librarians were passionate about the format and its popularity among teenagers. The teenagers investigated were not as universally positive about graphic novels or libraries. The necessity of inclusion of all formats of reading matter in library collections will enable teenagers to discover for themselves what provides enjoyable reading experiences, so these become the norm, and lead to a greater enthusiasm for reading and more undertaken in their free time

Researching Graphic Novels and Their Teenage Readers

Graphic novels are becoming more prevalent and popular among teenagers and are thus being collected by public and school libraries. This situation contributed to the doctoral researcher's desire to investigate graphic novel collections in public libraries in Australia, what teenagers think of graphic novels and whether they read them. This paper discusses the three research methods of the project. One method, the survey of public libraries, has been completed, and some preliminary results of the survey are examined