Somewhere Between Rational and Irrational: Creativity in the Graduate Research Process and Its Implications for Librarians

Scholars analyzing the relationship between creativity and graduate research have tended to be PhD supervisors and psychologists. Using qualitative research methods and personal insights, these authors have looked closely at what creativity in the research process entails, and have called on supervisors to more effectively, and explicitly, foster creativity in graduate student research. Within this scholarly conversation, the teaching and support services of librarians have been largely overlooked. This presentation contends that librarians are ideal collaborators for the development of creativity in graduate research. What’s more, a review of the doctoral education literature reveals ample opportunity for librarians to engage. In order to illustrate these entry points for engagement, this presentation will identify five themes from the doctoral education literature that dovetail with the work and mission of academic librarianship. These themes include: (1) Academic support groups (2) Affective dimensions of research (3) Literature reviews as integral to creativity (4) Research as nonlinear, and (5) Metacognition. This presentation will show how these five themes intersect with the graduate librarianship literature, Kuhlthau’s affective approach to research, metaliteracy models, and the ACRL frames, and will highlight recommendations for how the literature can inform outreach services and research consultations

Accessing the intangible: An exploratory qualitative study of how pivotal sources affect doctoral students’ research thinking

Information behavior (IB) is the study of how “individuals perceive, seek, understand, and use information in various life contexts” (Case & Given, 2012, p. 3). One component of IB—information seeking—was popularized by Carol Kuhlthau in the 1980s when she integrated the cognitive, affective, and physical acts involved in conducting a library-based research assignment. In her studies with high-schoolers and later with undergraduates, Kuhlthau developed the information search process (ISP) model. Since then, librarians have continued to draw on the ISP model and conduct information-seeking studies so that libraries may recognize “zones of intervention,” optimize the organization of library resources, and inform library services. Over the years, information-seeking research has received more attention than other aspects of IB, and scholars have pointed to how more empirical research is needed to better understand “information use” (Kari, 2007; Savolainen, 2008; Vakkari, 1997). “Use” in this case does not refer to traditional library activities, such as checking out a book or downloading an article, but rather refers to what happens following the information seeking phase: an individual “uses” information intangibly (by thinking about the information and incorporating it into their “knowledge structures”), as well as tangibly (by acting on the information, such as incorporating it into a paper). LIS scholars who have undertaken studies that look at the intangible use of information have tended to draw on a cognitive constructivist framework. Todd (1999), for example, tracked how teenage girls’ exposure to heroin information changed their “knowledge structures,” and Cole (1998) interviewed history PhD students to better understand the nature of their “knowledge structures” when developing a thesis. This presentation builds on this rich literature by sharing the findings from an exploratory qualitative research study. In winter 2022, the presenter received IRB approval to conduct interviews with eleven doctoral students in the social sciences at a large research university. The goal of the study was to understand how doctoral students’ thinking had been affected by pivotal sources, with a focus on any “moments of insight” that researchers may have experienced. Using reflexive thematic analysis, the presenter inductively and deductively code the interview data. This study found that pivotal sources affected the research thinking of doctoral students in six major ways; sources tended to 1) validate 2) expand 3) confirm 4) clarify 5) challenge and/or 6) consolidate one’s thinking. Furthermore, almost all students shared complex affective responses, and a few students elaborated on key moments of insight. By investigating the research thinking of doctoral students, this presentation contributes to the understudied area of “information use” within IB research and deepens our understanding of the intangible processes underlying the graduate research experience

German Americans in Missouri: the American Civil War

Louis Gerteis, a Civil War historian, recalls a common image that Americans had of Germans in the mid-19th century: that of a lager-drinking, Sabbath-breaking, and tenaciously proud group of people (74). While there may have been some truth to this stereotypical depiction, German Americans proved that they had much more to offer American nineteenth-century society than just their vices. German Americans used their cultural pride to create real change in the political landscape of the Civil War era in the United States. Missouri, a scene of intense political debate leading up to and during the Civil War, was a destination for many German immigrants, and was a place in which Germans were particularly politically influential. One of these German Missourians was a young man by the name of Henry Voelkner. Henry’s story survives through eight heartfelt letters he wrote to his family in St. Louis during the beginning years of the Civil War. Dated between 1861 and 1862, Henry’s correspondence communicates his experiences as a soldier in the Union army, and offers invaluable insight into how his German heritage guided his perspective. Using Henry’s personal and localized letters as a base, this paper will focus on the greater implications of his writings. Through the analysis of Henry’s eight letters, and aided by other secondary sources, this paper will attempt to illustrate the significance of German Americans in the formation of, and contribution to, the consequential events taking place in Missouri during the Civil War—events which had lasting impacts on the rest of the country

Striking a Balance: Evidence Synthesis Support for Graduate Students

Evidence synthesis (ES) is the process of systematically collecting studies and synthesizing the findings using strict protocols and criteria. Common examples of ES include systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and scoping reviews. While ES has been commonplace in health sciences for many years, it has recently gained traction in non-health sciences fields such as the social sciences. In response to this growing trend, the IMLS-funded Evidence Synthesis Institute was created to offer librarians in-depth training on how to best provide ES support to disciplines outside the health sciences. This presentation draws on the insights of two liaison librarians who work at public R1 universities and who recently attended the Evidence Synthesis Institute. After completing the Institute and gaining a deeper understanding of ES, both librarians have grappled with the best way to implement an ES service in their organizations. The presenters will share two different approaches: one will discuss their word-of-mouth approach to those in their liaison areas, and the other will discuss their role in building a brand new ES program that serves many disciplines. By comparing and contrasting their programs, the presenters will share practical insights into the workflows, relationships, and considerations of providing ES support. Some topics that will be explored include the type of service model (ad hoc versus institutional), getting buy-in from library staff, training, time management, and promotion of the service. The discussion will focus on graduate students in particular and offer advice on how librarians can provide ES support to a contingency that is both researcher and student. The presenters will discuss how they have managed to strike a balance between guiding graduate students on their ES projects while leaving room for graduate students to learn the process themselves. This session will be of interest to librarians who are excited to learn about a new research area and interested in how to support their users, library staff who lack institutional infrastructure and find themselves at an impasse when trying to identify where they fit in this new functional area, and for administrators responsible for setting strategic directions

Catching the SoTL Bug: An Interview with Librarian Lauren Hays

This interview with academic librarian, Lauren Hays, offers insight into the relationship between librarians and the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). In this interview, Ms. Hays discusses her doctoral work regarding academic instruction librarians’ involvement with SoTL and how it affects their teacher identities and instructional strategies. While sharing her own research on the topic, Ms. Hays also offers background information regarding SoTL, including such influential educators as Pat Hutchings and Ernest Boyer. Ms. Hays proposes SoTL as an ideal way for librarians to learn about teaching in higher education, and recommends SoTL as an avenue for librarians to practice and improve their teaching methods

New Insights Into the Long Non-coding RNA SRA:Physiological Functions and Mechanisms of Action

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) are emerging as new genetic/epigenetic regulators that can impact almost all physiological functions. Here, we focus on the long non-coding steroid receptor RNA activator (SRA), including new insights into its effects on gene expression, the cell cycle, and differentiation; how these relate to physiology and disease; and the mechanisms underlying these effects. We discuss how SRA acts as an RNA coactivator in nuclear receptor signaling; its effects on steroidogenesis, adipogenesis, and myocyte differentiation; the impact on breast and prostate cancer tumorigenesis; and, finally, its ability to modulate hepatic steatosis through several signaling pathways. Genome-wide analysis reveals that SRA regulates hundreds of target genes in adipocytes and breast cancer cells and binds to thousands of genomic sites in human pluripotent stem cells. Recent studies indicate that SRA acts as a molecular scaffold and forms networks with numerous coregulators and chromatin-modifying regulators in both activating and repressive complexes. We discuss how modifications to SRA's unique stem-loop secondary structure are important for SRA function, and highlight the various SRA isoforms and mutations that have clinical implications. Finally, we discuss the future directions for better understanding the molecular mechanisms of SRA action and how this might lead to new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches

Directory of Curriculum Materials Centers and Collections 8th Edition

The 8th Edition of the Directory of Curriculum Materials Center and Collections was compiled by the Curriculum Materials Committee of the Education and Behavioral Sciences Section of the Association of College and Research Libraries, a Division of the American Library Association. It contains data from 112 institutions which have either a curriculum materials center or collection in the United States and Canada. Data includes information about institutional demographics, facilities, staffing, funding, and types of materials selected and cataloged. Multiple figures aggregate the data provided