Listening to First Generation College Students in Engineering: Implications for Libraries & Information Literacy

First-generation college students (FGCS) in engineering bring a wealth of knowledge to their academic and social experiences in higher education, in contrast to deficit-based narratives that students are underprepared. By listening to FGCS’ own experiences navigating higher education and using information literacy in their project-based work, librarians and educators can better understand students’ funds of knowledge, social capital, and identities, as well as the institutional barriers that must be removed. This paper shares interview findings with (n = 11) FGCS and suggests implications for professional practice that are relevant to information literacy for design, project-based, or practitioner focused disciplines

MathSciNet

MathSciNet is a database for mathematics publications, and reviews of these publications. In addition to providing access to math publications and reviews, MathSciNet provides author and journal profiles, citation mapping and counts, and several search options to be able to discover content, authors, and journals. These features provide a lot of value to mathematics researchers, but could be improved with several changes to the search interface. Once a user is able to figure out how to use MathSciNet and all of the features available in the database, it will be a valuable tool

Listening to First Generation College Students in Engineering: Implications for Libraries & Information Literacy

First-generation college students (FGCS) in engineering bring a wealth of knowledge to their academic and social experiences in higher education, in contrast to deficit-based narratives that students are underprepared. By listening to FGCS&rsquo; own experiences navigating higher education and using information literacy in their project-based work, librarians and educators can better understand students&rsquo; funds of knowledge, social capital, and identities, as well as the institutional barriers that must be removed. This paper shares interview findings with (n = 11) FGCS and suggests implications for professional practice that are relevant to information literacy for design, project-based, or practitioner focused disciplines. &nbsp;</p

Engineering the Future of Outreach

While academic libraries strive to meaningfully engage their campus communities, it can be hard to imagine new and creative outreach strategies. InfoMotion, a customized tricycle, is the University of Colorado Boulder Libraries&rsquo; &ldquo;vehicle&rdquo; to meet patrons where they are and embed ourselves in the campus community. InfoMotion was mobile and eye-catching, but it was cumbersome as we navigated campus pathways. The authors discuss their institutional context and describe an impactful partnership with engineering students to design an electric-assist system for InfoMotion. This collaboration resulted in a more user-friendly way for Libraries personnel to engage with the campus community, and helped the authors learn about student information needs while building relationships with engineering faculty and students.</p

Research Practices of Civil and Environmental Engineering Scholars

In fall 2017, the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) Libraries joined with ten other university libraries to conduct an Ithaka S+R study investigating the research practices and needs of civil and environmental engineering faculty. Ithaka S+R is a not-for-profit organization doing research and strategic guidance for colleges, universities, libraries, museums, scholarly societies and other institutions that support higher education. This study was part of their ongoing research support services program on how the practices of scholars vary by disciplines. The report shares findings from exploratory semi-structured interviews with civil and environmental engineers from CU Boulder. Themes from the interviews include the diversity of the field, the data practices of scholars, the value of different kinds of sources, and how these scholars communicate their findings and conclusions. Finally, we provide recommendations for improving services and support for civil and environmental engineers

We\u27re Gonna Figure This Out : First-Generation Students and Academic Libraries

Although extensive research has looked at first-generation college students’ experiences, very little has examined the role of the library. This article reports the results of an asset-based exploratory study understanding the experiences of first-generation college students at three universities. Key findings of this study focus on themes of self-advocacy, sense of belonging, library customization, and integration of the library with the larger campus. This article discusses these key themes in the context of improving library services and spaces, ultimately providing more inclusive resources for all student groups. Implications and recommendations for professional practice are discussed

Big Data Research at the University of Colorado Boulder

Background: Big data, defined as having high volume, complexity or velocity, have the potential to greatly accelerate research discovery. Such data can be challenging to work with and require research support and training to address technical and ethical challenges surrounding big data collection, analysis, and publication.&nbsp; &nbsp; Methods: The present study was conducted via a series of semi-structured interviews to assess big data methodologies employed by CU Boulder researchers across a broad sample of disciplines, with the goal of illuminating how they conduct their research; identifying challenges and needs; and providing recommendations for addressing them.&nbsp; &nbsp; Findings: Key results and conclusions from the study indicate: gaps in awareness of existing big data services provided by CU Boulder; open questions surrounding big data ethics, security and privacy issues; a need for clarity on how to attribute credit for big data research; and a preference for a variety of training options to support big data research.&nbsp; &nbsp; Recommendations: Evaluation of current access to existing research infrastructure at CU Boulder across departments and disciplines, including recommendations for how inequities could be addressed. Development of big data training curriculum, particularly for big data ethics, privacy and security, through a variety of channels (e.g., documentation and context-specific consultations for specific big data services, more general course-based curriculum).&nbsp; Consider how to address the complexity and dynamic nature of big data in the IRB process in a manner that fully and reasonably considers the ethical, security and privacy implications of a given big data research project. Creation of CU Boulder guidelines for attributing credit to the myriad contributors in big data research projects, and considering the sometimes unconventional contributions, with the goal of helping departments develop clear policies and incentives for researchers performing big data research. Development of marketing and outreach strategies to increase awareness of existing and forthcoming big data research support services at CU Boulder, in a manner that promotes equitable access to services across disciplines.&nbsp; Assessment of staffing gaps and staff-training needs in order to support big data curriculum and services. Periodic evaluation of emerging trends and needs in big data research, in order to adjust strategies and services appropriately to ensure CU Boulder is providing state-of-the-science support and infrastructure. An optimal way of addressing the complex questions above may be to establish a steering committee composed of a broad range of CU Boulder (and possibly external) stakeholders and decision makers. </p

Understanding Research Data Practices of Civil and Environmental Engineering Graduate Students

Research data management is essential for high-quality reproducible research, yet relatively little is known about how research data management is practiced by graduate students in Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE). Prior research suggests that faculty in CEE delegate research data management to graduate students, prompting this investigation into how graduate students practice data management. This study uses semi-structured interviews and qualitative content analysis to explore how CEE graduate students work with data and practice data management in their research, as well as what resources and support would meet their needs. Many respondents touched on data collection, data management, disseminating research outputs, and collaboration and learning in their interviews. Several themes emerged from the interviews: data quality as a concern, as many CEE graduate students rely on secondary data for research; a gap between values and enacted practices; a connection between disseminating data and reproducibility; and a reliance on peer and self-directed learning for data management education. Based on these themes, the study recommends strategies for librarians and others on campus to better support CEE graduate student research data practices. &nbsp;</p

Framing our Future: The Development of the Science and Technology Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education

Poster Presentation given at STS ALA Annual conference