Library support for indigenous university students: Moving from the periphery to the mainstream

Abstract Objective – This research project explored the models of Indigenous support programs in Australian academic libraries, and how they align with the needs of the students they support. The research objective was to gather feedback from Indigenous students and obtain evidence of good practice models from Australian academic libraries to inform the development and enhancement of Indigenous support programs. The research presents the viewpoints of both Indigenous students and librarians. Methods – The research methods comprised an online survey using SurveyMonkey and a focus group. The survey was conducted nationally in Australia to gather evidence on the different models of Indigenous support provided by academic libraries. The survey explored the nature of support services such as specialized study spaces and resources, information literacy education, and liaison services for Indigenous students. The survey also asked respondents to comment on the challenges they encountered and improvements they would recommend in providing Indigenous student support. To provide a student perspective, a small cohort of Indigenous students at a small university in South East Queensland was interviewed in a focus group about their library experiences. The focus group explored Indigenous students’ perceptions of the library, their frequency of use and where they go for help with their studies. Results – The survey found that 84% of academic libraries provide some specific support for Indigenous students with 89% of those support services being conducted in a place other than the library. Across the sector, Australian academic libraries have a strong commitment to the success of Indigenous students and considerable engagement with Indigenous issues. The focus group found that Indigenous students’ needs and concerns about using the library were not differentiated by their cultural background. Rather their concerns were similar to issues being raised in the broader student population. Conclusion – The survey results indicated that the main areas in which support for Indigenous students might be improved are greater inter-departmental communication and collaboration within the university, increased training of library staff in Indigenous cultural sensitivity, and the employment of Indigenous library staff members. The focus group was valuable in opening the communication channels between Indigenous students and library staff and highlighted the importance of engaging with students using both formal and informal channels

An Instagram is worth a thousand words: An industry panel and audience Q&A

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe the industry panel session hosted by Bond University Library at the Australian Library and Information Association's Information Online 2013 Conference. The panel was held to discuss the use and implications of professional Instagram profiles. The panel included a professional photographer, an internet marketing expert, a social media expert, a librarian and a social media‐savvy student. The inclusion of a range of perspectives from outside the library aimed to provide a holistic approach to the institutional use of Instagram and to provide inspiration. The panel took place on Wednesday 13 February 2013 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.Design/methodology/approachThe panel discussion covered three broad topic areas: the popularity of Instagram and listening to your audience. The risks, limitations and disadvantages of using Instagram. Engagement with followers and measuring the value of Instagram. Throughout the panel session live mobile polling was used to gather feedback and responses from the audience in regards to their photo‐sharing practices. Real examples from Instagram profiles were shared to stimulate discussion. The session concluded with a Q&amp;A session from the audience.FindingsThe session was attended by approximately 80 delegates. The results of the mobile polling will be included in the body of the article. Based on feedback from delegates on Twitter and Facebook (which was collated via Storify) the session was perceived as a useful introduction to a professional exploration of Instagram and photo sharing.Practical implicationsThe session was an opportunity for conference delegates to hear about Instagram use from professionals in other fields. Each panel member contributed a unique perspective on the use of Instagram. In particular, the inclusion of a current Bond University student on the panel allowed for a customer's perspective on the library's use of Instagram. This discussion and the feedback gathered from the audience has formed the basis for further evidence‐based research.Originality/valueTo date, few libraries are using Instagram. This discussion on the professional use of Instagram contributes to the body of knowledge about library social media use. It also extends the conversation to include mobile photo sharing, an area which has not been well addressed in the literature. This panel was unique in that it brought together professionals from other environments to reflect on library use of Instagram.</jats:sec

Exploring Physicality in the Design Process

The design process used in the development of many products we use daily and the nature of the products themselves are becoming increasingly digital. Although our whole world is turning ever more digital, our bodies and minds are naturally conceived to interact with the physical. Very often, in the design of user-targeted information appliances, the physical and digital processes are formulated separately and usually, due to cost factors, they are only brought together for user testing at the end of the development process. This not only makes major design changes more difficult but it can also significantly affect the users’ level of acceptance of the product and their experience of use. It is therefore imperative that designers explore the relationship between the physical and the digital form early on in the development process, when one can rapidly work through different sets of ideas. The key to gaining crucial design information from products lies in the construction of meaningful prototypes. This paper specifically examines how physical materials are used during the early design stage and seeks to explore whether the inherent physical properties of these artefacts and the way that designers interpret and manipulate them have a significant impact on the design process. We present the findings of a case study based on information gathered during a design exercise. Detailed analysis of the recordings reveals far more subtle patterns of behaviour than expected. These include the ways in which groups move between abstract and concrete discussions, the way groups comply with or resist the materials they are given, and the complex interactions between the physicality of materials and the group dynamics. This understanding is contributing to ongoing research in the context of our wider agenda of explicating the fundamental role of physicality in the design of hybrid physical and digital artefacts. Keywords: Physicality; Digitality; Product Design; Design Process; Prototyping; Materials</p

Attribution and plagiarism in the creative arts

The concepts of attribution and plagiarism can be challenging for creative art students who may engage with both text and non-text sources such as images, film, computer games, performance art and more while working on an assessment task. To introduce students to the basics of attributing non-text sources and to explain the distinctions between ethical reuse of creative works at university and in the professional setting, the authors developed an embedded Information Literacy workshop utilising a flipped classroom model. Short educational videos were produced that students watched before attending an in-class library workshop. The students also completed pre- and post-teaching tests to collect evidence of their preconceptions and knowledge before and after watching the videos and attending the library workshop. &nbsp;This article will report on the planning and design of the videos and the library workshop, and share the results of the formative assessment activities

Information needs after stroke: What to include and how to structure it on a website. A qualitative study using focus groups and card sorting

Background: Use of the Internet to obtain health and other information is increasing. Previous studies have identified the specific information needs of people with stroke but not in relation to the Internet. People with aphasia (PwA) may face barriers in accessing the Internet: Navigating websites requires an ability to categorise information and this ability is often impaired in PwA. The website categorisation preferences of people with stroke and with aphasia have not yet been reported. Aims: This study aimed: (a) to determine what information people who have had a stroke would like to see on a website about living with stroke; (b) to determine the most effective means of structuring information on the website so that it is accessible to people with stroke; and c) to identify any differences between people with and without aphasia in terms of preferences for structuring information on the website. Methods & Procedures: Participants were recruited from a hospital's Stroke Database. Focus groups were used to elicit what information participants wanted on a website about living with stroke. The themes raised were depicted on 133 cards. To determine the most effective way of structuring information on the website, and whether there were any differences in preferences between PwA and PwoA, participants used a modified closed card-sorting technique to sort the cards under website categories. Outcomes & Results: A total of 48 people were invited, and 12 (25%) agreed to take part. We ran three focus groups: one with PwA (n = 5) and two with people without aphasia (PwoA) (n = 3, n = 4). Participants wanted more information about stroke causes and effects (particularly emotional issues), roles of local agencies, and returning to previous activities (driving, going out). All participants completed the card-sorting exercise. Few cards (6%) were categorised identically by everyone. Cards relating to local agencies and groups were not consistently categorised together. Cards relating to emotions were segregated. The categorisation preferences for PwA were more fragmented than those for PwoA: 60% of PwA agreed on the categorisation of 51% of the cards, whereas 60% of PwoA agreed on the categorisation of 76% of the cards. Conclusions: Information needs covered all stages of the stroke journey. The card sorting was accessible to everyone, and provided evidence of structuring preferences and of some of the categorisation difficulties faced by PwA. More research is needed on what an accessible website looks like for PwA

Psychopathy in female inmates in Chile

Introducción: A pesar de que la psicopatía es un constructo clínico de gran importancia para el ámbito clínico y forense, los estudios latinoamericanos se han realizado predominantemente en varones. Objetivos: Estimar la prevalencia de psicopatía y de trastorno antisocial de la personalidad en población carcelaria de mujeres. Explorar la distribución de puntajes obtenidos con la PCL-R y poner a prueba sus propiedades psicométricas. Método: Se obtuvo muestra aleatoria de 210 mujeres de las 570 que estaban alojadas en Junio de 2014 en el Centro Penitenciario Femenino de Santiago, Chile. Las participantes fueron evaluadas por dos investigadores independientes con la Hare Psychopathy Checklist Revised y con el Interpersonal Measure of Psychopathy. La información fue obtenida de múltiples fuentes y las entrevistas videoregistradas para doble revisión. Resultados: La prevalencia de psicopatía fue del 11,9% y de trastorno antisocial de la personalidad del 43,8%. Los resultados sostienen que la Psychopaty Checklist Revised es un instrumento confiable y válido para su uso en mujeres y ponen a disponibilidad profesional normas de población carcelaria chilena.Introduction: although psychopathy is a clinical construct of great importance for both the clinical and forensic field, previous Latin American research has been focused mainly on males. Objectives: determine the prevalence of psychopathy and of antisocial personality disorder in imprisoned female population. To explore the distribution scores obtained with the PCL-R and to test its psychometric characteristics. Method: a randomized sample of 210 participants was obtained from the 570 women imprisoned in the female prison in Santiago, Chile, in June 2014. The participants were evaluated by two independent researchers with the Hare Psychopathy Checklist and the Interpersonal Measure of Psychopathy. The information was obtained from different sources and the interviews were all video-registered for its double check. Results: Prevalence of psychopathy was 11,9% and antisocial personality disorder 43,8%. The results assert that the Psychopathy Checklist - Revised is reliable and valid to be used in women and provide the norms for the professionals working with inmate female population.Facultad de Ciencias Médica

‘The opportunity to have their say’? Identifying mechanisms of community engagement in local alcohol decision-making

Background Engaging the community in decisions-making is recognised as important for improving public health, and is recommended in global alcohol strategies, and in national policies on controlling alcohol availability. Yet there is little understanding of how to engage communities to influence decision-making to help reduce alcohol-related harms. We sought to identify and understand mechanisms of community engagement in decision-making concerning the local alcohol environment in England. Methods We conducted case studies in three local government areas in England in 2018, purposively selected for examples of community engagement in decisions affecting the local alcohol environment. We conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with residents, workers, local politicians and local government practitioners, and analysed documents linked to engagement and alcohol decision-making. Results Four rationales for engaging the community in decision-making affecting the alcohol environment were identified: i) as part of statutory decision-making processes; ii) to develop new policies; iii) as representation on committees; and iv) occurring through relationship building. Many of the examples related to alcohol licensing processes, but also local economy and community safety decision-making. The impact of community inputs on decisions was often not clear, but there were a few instances of engagement influencing the process and outcome of decision-making relating to the alcohol environment. Conclusions While influencing statutory licensing decision-making is challenging, community experiences of alcohol-related harms can be valuable ‘evidence’ to support new licensing policies. Informal relationship-building between communities and local government is also beneficial for sharing information about alcohol-related harms and to facilitate future engagement. However, care must be taken to balance the different interests among diverse community actors relating to the local alcohol environment, and extra support is needed for those with least capacity to engage but who face more burden of alcohol-related harms, to avoid compounding existing inequalities