Applying Spatial Literacy to Transform Library Space: A Selected Literature Review

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review a selection of articles and books that highlight aspects of spatial theory and literacy from various disciplinary perspectives, along with a review of library space studies. Design/methodology/approach This study reviews library literature that uses spatial literacy and its related tools. The authors searched in two databases: Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts, and SCOPUS. The paper records were analyzed to find primary research studies, published between 2010 and 2017, which study patron use of library space using various single and hybrid methodologies. Findings The findings of the literature reveal that of the 26 studies reviewed, 23 have a descriptive research question and three have a relational research question. Based on the analysis of the research methodologies used, there is more that can be done in support of a librarian’s research efforts as well as the arenas in which research is conducted. Practical implications These findings highlight ways in which library and information science researchers and those who educate them can broaden knowledge within the profession regarding spatial theory, literacy and applicable research methodologies for studying library space. Originality/value Current and best practices for designing library space studies that use spatial literacy to collect and analyze data are identified along with a discussion of future directions for researchers to better assess space and communicate the value of physical space in libraries

Metadata Automation: The Current Landscape and Future Developments

As a profession, librarians are already seeing the ways in which automation is challenging traditional methods of cataloging and raising questions about the future of manual cataloging work. Workflows for metadata creation—from the most basic to those involving data scraping, harvesting from APIs, and data migration and manipulation—indicate a shift from a cataloger’s traditional role of metadata creation to technologically-oriented metadata harvesting and management. Additional new technologies, like deep learning computation, are beginning to address the call for automated metadata creation for visual resources, reinforcing this shift and creating new opportunities for innovative workflows and description. New technologies have the potential to profoundly impact the ways that libraries ready themselves and their data for the semantic-web environment and redefine cataloging work moving forward. Will these further automation advances really change the role of the metadata librarian? This article argues that the continued escalation of automation and linked data in the semantic web will only be a continuation of metadata librarians’ current technological skills and commitment to data quality control

Leadership During Times of Change: Breaking Down Silos Through Collaboration

Is your library experiencing a great deal of change? Are you in charge of leading that change? Tammie Busch and Marlee Graser will relate their experience of leading change at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Lovejoy Library. In the past two years, the technical services department at Lovejoy Library experienced a complete turnover of its departmental faculty, while the cataloging unit’s paraprofessional staff remained largely the same. Onboarding of a new cataloging supervisor demonstrated how entrenched old workflows had become within the unit. While this workflow gave the staff a great deal of independence, it also led to discrepancies in workload and knowledge. To address these discrepancies and familiarize the new supervisor with the unit’s processes, a new project management system was implemented using Trello. The simplicity of the Trello interface empowered a traditional generation of workers to communicate more efficiently and gave them a sense of autonomy and ownership over their work. Additionally, other administrative methods of workflow management and communication were implemented including refreshing the format of department meetings, creating clear and concise best practices documentation, and updating outdated position descriptions. Change can be challenging, particularly in a unit with both long histories and new leadership. By reframing the period of transition as a profound opportunity to develop new leadership, workflow management, and communication approaches, the unit has not only met the evolving needs of the library’s strategic directions, but has begun to develop and communicate its story and connect its work to the larger mission of the library

How Should I Help You? Investigating the International Student\u27s Information Needs

A team of librarians at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) designed and executed a mix-methods study to explore the international student experience on campus and in the library. The presenters will provide an overview of their methods and analysis, share common themes uncovered in the data, and the ways in which they are using the data to drive decisions within their institution