Building a Successful Liaison Program from the Ground Up

Poster presentation on starting and providing library liaison services in academic libraries given at the ACRL National Conference, in Baltimore, Maryland

Research Support at University of North Carolina at Greensboro: Research Support Without a Research and Data Support Coordinator [Slides]

Slides presented at the Medical Library Association conference in Alexandria, Virginia, in October 2014

Assessing Information Literacy for Transfer Student Success

While University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) Libraries has an extensive first-year library instruction program, our significant population of transfer students have not taken part in this initiative. Librarians often teach 300- and 400-level courses to students who have a diverse range of educational experiences, and it became clear that this meant students came to UNCG with just as diverse a variety of information literacy skills. We were unable to identify how much information literacy instruction transfer students have had or how skilled they are with library research when they arrive on campus. A literature search on transfer students and information literacy skills yielded scant results at that time that we could use as a basis for our understanding of this population. Since we wanted to serve this population in a more focused manner, three librarians in the Research, Outreach, and Instruction department formed a research team and surveyed all incoming transfer students in the fall of 2014. The goal of the research study was to identify the information literacy skills and needs of our incoming transfer students to find opportunities to provide needed outreach and instruction to help these students succeed. We asked basic demographic questions, gave several “test” questions related to information literacy, and asked the students what skills they believed they needed help obtaining

Building a successful liaison program from the ground up

The liaison model in academic librarianship has an increased emphasis on engagement and embeddedness. It is moving away from traditional reference services and toward offering advanced research assistance and increased instruction. Shifting to this liaison model requires larger conversations on what traditional duties can be jettisoned to serve new roles and deepen existing engagement

Library Instruction Assessment at UNCG Libraries

Slides from a presentation on library research instruction and library assessment given at the Transfer Students and the Library workshop at Appalachian State Univ., in Boone, North Carolina

Data in the Sciences

This chapter presents an introduction to scientific data and its relevance to librarians and libraries. The characteristics of science data in general, and in relation to a number of scientific disciplines, are identified. The disciplines discussed have been chosen because they demonstrate notable aspects of data management, either because of the type of data used or because of the requirements external agencies place on researchers. Federal funding agencies’ requirements for data management and sharing are discussed, along with initiatives to promote sharing of data, and notable large datasets and repositories are identified. Though the chapter mainly focuses on United States (U.S.) funding agencies, it also lists some international archives. Broad discussion of data management in the sciences, and how libraries and librarians can embed themselves in the data lifecycle, are presented, along with specific examples of how libraries have become involved with research data services

Images of aging and positive affect in independently living older adults: An update

The World Health Organization (2018) estimates that between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world\u27s older adult population will nearly double from 12% to 22%. Despite this increasing prevalence, negative age-related stereotypes persist, cross national and cultural boundaries, and are associated with poor cognitive, mental, and physical health. In contrast, older adults with more positive views of aging experience better mental and physical health, engage in more preventive healthy behaviors, and enjoy greater longevity. These positive aging outcomes are again confirmed in this year\u27s expanded study of independent living residents in Bayview, a retirement community in Seattle. (n = 56, 36 females, 19 males, 1 gender non-conforming, ages 66 — 97 years). In addition, this study explores possible mediation effects of social relationships, perceived health status, and age on the relationship between images of aging and positive affect

Predictors of quality and meaning in life in independently living older adults: A quantitative replication of Weinstock and Bond (2018)

In their in depth qualitative study of older adults living in a continuing care facility, Weinstock and Bond (2018) identified three first-order components of quality of life: (1) Sense of community and belonging, (2) resident driven engagement, and (3) individual autonomy, independence, and respect. Our present study attempts to replicate the Weinstock and Bond findings using a quantitative methodology in a sample of independent living residents in Bayview, a retirement community in Seattle. (n = 56, 36 females, 19 males, 1 gender non-conforming, ages 66 — 97 years). Early analyses indicate that only the third component (i.e., autonomy, independence, and respect) is a significant predictor of positive aging outcomes, including meaning in life. Various explanations for this divergence in findings are currently being explored

No Crystal Ball: Planning for Certain Future Cuts when the Future is Uncertain [Slides]

Slides presented at the Charleston Conference in Charleston, South Carolina in November 2014

Open Education Resources in Academic Libraries: seeking alternatives to high-cost textbooks [Slides]

Slides from a presentation on open educational resources at UNCG given at the 2015 NCLA Conference, in Greensboro, North Carolina