Library Diversity and Inclusion Statements in Action

In recent years, many academic libraries have renewed their commitments to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) initiatives in public statements. In this qualitative study, the author interviewed academic librarians to understand how these commitments have been actualized in libraries, and what barriers and challenges have been faced by individuals coordinating this work. All libraries had established committees to implement EDI initiatives, but committees with dedicated positions, budgets, and consistent support from administrators were able to attempt more large-scale, systematic work. The study includes recommendations for library administrators for providing effective structures and support for EDI efforts

How Policies Portray Students: A Discourse Analysis of Codes of Conduct in Academic Libraries

In academic libraries, “codes of conduct” are policies that define what people who use those libraries are allowed to do in library spaces and serve as rules for enforcement. In this policy discourse analysis, the author examines these policies to understand what dominant discourses emerge about students who use libraries. The discourses represented in these policies portray students through frames of deficit thinking, adultism, exclusion, and surveillance. The study advocates for a critical shift in the design and purpose of these policies, and the results may inspire academic librarians to revise their policies to center care and respect for students

Assessing scholarly communication and research data training needs

Purpose – This study aims to develop a systematic approach for assessing local training needs in order to reskill liaison librarians for new roles in scholarly communication and research data management. Design/methodology/approach – This study followed a training needs assessment approach to develop a survey instrument that was administered electronically to liaison librarians. Survey data were analysed to create an overall prioritization score used to rank local training topics in terms of need. Additional data will inform the design, including formats, of a training agenda to meet these needs. Findings – Survey results indicated that training for research data topics should be prioritized and addressed using hands-on methods that would allow liaison librarians to develop tangible skills directly applicable to individual outreach activities. Research limitations/implications – Training priorities often involve factors beyond the scope of this training needs assessment methodology. This methodology also presupposes a list of potential training topics. All training efforts resulting from this study will be assessed in order to determine the effectiveness of the initial interventions and inform the next steps in this iterative training agenda. Practical implications – Involving potential trainees in the prioritization and development of a training agenda provides valuable information and may lead to increased receptivity to training. Originality/value – This study provides a model for academic libraries to use to assess training needs in order to reskill current staff to adapt to a rapidly changing research and scholarly communication landscape

Children of female sex workers and injection drug users: a review of vulnerability, resilience, and family-centered models of care in low and middle-income countries

This item is archived in the repository for materials published for the USAID supported Orphans and Vulnerable Children Comprehensive Action Research Project (OVC-CARE) at the Boston University Center for Global Health and Development.Background: Injection drug users and female sex workers are often categorized as two of the populations most at risk for becoming infected with HIV in countries with concentrated epidemics. Many of the adults who fall into these categories in low and middle income contexts are also parents, but little is known about the vulnerabilities faced by their children, their sources of resilience, or programs providing services to these often fragile families. Methods: We reviewed the peer-reviewed and gray literature to synthesize current knowledge on the situation of these children and families, and interventions currently in place in low and middle income countries. Organizational websites and references of all relevant sources were manually searched, and key informants from service organizations were contacted by phone and email. Results: A large amount of literature assessing the vulnerability and resilience of children of drug users and alcoholics in developed countries was found. Their children can face unique risks, stigma, and discrimination, but child vulnerability and resilience are associated in the substance abuse literature with the physical and mental health of parents and family context. Research on the situation of the children of sex workers is extremely limited. Interventions have been implemented in low and middle-income contexts but they tend to be small, piecemeal, struggling to meet demand; and undocumented, and most have not been evaluated. We present preliminary descriptive data from an organization working with pregnant and new mothers who are drug users in Ukraine and an organization providing services to sex workers and their families in Zambia. Discussion: Because parents’ drug use, sex work, or same sex relationships are often illegal and hidden, identifying their children can be difficult and may increase their vulnerability and marginalization. Therefore, researchers and service providers must proceed with caution when attempting to reach this population. Promising components of family-centered care include: strengthening family caring capacity through home visitation and peer support, providing early childhood development programs and crèches or drop-in centers for children; economic strengthening and job skills training for parents. Integration of legal assistance with health and other social services is also gaining increased international attention.The USAID | Project SEARCH, Orphans and Vulnerable Children Comprehensive Action Research (OVC-CARE) Task Order, is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development under Contract No. GHH-I-00-07-00023-00, beginning August 1, 2008. OVC-CARE Task Order is implemented by Boston University. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding agency

The scale, scope and impact of alternative care for OVC in developing countries

This item is archived in the repository for materials published for the USAID supported Orphans and Vulnerable Children Comprehensive Action Research Project (OVC-CARE) at the Boston University Center for Global Health and Development.Over 145 million children worldwide have lost one or both parents due to various causes, 15 million of these are due to AIDS (1,2); and many more have been made vulnerable due to other causes. The global community has responded by putting in place various care arrangements for these children. However, the scale, scope and impact of these alternative care approaches have not been well summarized. The aim of this literature review is to synthesize and analyze available data on alternative care approaches and the impact of these placements on the lives of orphans and other vulnerable children. Both the short-term and long term wellbeing of a child depends a lot on where they live and the care they receive in those settings.The USAID | Project SEARCH, Orphans and Vulnerable Children Comprehensive Action Research (OVC-CARE) Task Order, is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development under Contract No. GHH-I-00-07-00023-00, beginning August 1, 2008. OVC-CARE Task Order is implemented by Boston University. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding agency

Social Justice Partners: A Service Design Toolkit for Library Response to Campus Tensions

Academic libraries exist at the very center of our campus communities; they are the literal and figurative geographic hearts of our colleges and universities. At our best, libraries aim to provide safe and welcoming spaces, both virtual and physical, for reflection, engagement, critical debate, and learning. This powerful role is both a responsibility and an honor. Libraries should take great care to prepare themselves to respond quickly, appropriately, and firmly in the face of rising anxieties or tensions on our campuses related to racial, cultural, social, or political instability or any local trauma. Recently, the University of New Hampshire- Durham (UNH) Library renewed its commitment to providing a space for discourse and learning and to act as an ally in the face of discrimination, bullying, and intimidation. In order to better prepare the library to activate this commitment in tangible ways following rising tensions, librarians are creating a crisis response plan. Using principles of service design, librarians are investigating the needs of library employees, including student workers, and strategic campus partners to inform their approach. The resulting plan will serve as a guide for supporting all users at UNH, particularly marginalized or vulnerable populations, during times of upheaval. This preparation will position the library as a ready and engaged leader when its services are most needed. Drawing on disaster management literature and service design principles, this project seeks to offer a structure for preparing to provide immediate, compassionate, and well-coordinated support when traumatic events or other upheavals to the campus climate inevitably occur. The presenters will detail the process of developing a “Campus in Crisis” response plan and offer a repurpose-able toolkit for localized applications. Workshop attendees will practice and discuss identifying partners, understanding social justice work in libraries, and examining campus culture

Pieces of the Whole: Using the Research Process to Integrate Data Management and Information Literacy Skills

The research process is naturally embraced as part of the academic curriculum in higher education. Graduate students write theses and dissertations based on their original scholarships, undergraduate stu­dents produce papers for courses and work in labs or in the field, and both participate in faculty-led research projects. The research process is tack­led holistically through coursework, yet when library instructors are invited to teach students about information literacy and research data management topics, these may be presented as tangential to or mistimed with other course content and learning activities. In this chapter, the authors present a com­prehensive, student-centered model for teaching research data management and information literacy as components embedded in the research process. The approach presented in this chapter is comprehensive in several ways: It merges research data management and information literacy instruction into a single session. It positions these library instruction components within the context of the research process. It aligns instruction outcomes with course objectives. The authors describe two courses in which they have adopted this approach—an undergraduate science class and a doctoral level nursing seminar—to highlight how it can be repurposed for different learning environments

DataQ: A Collaborative Platform for Sharing Knowledge and Developing Best Practices to Support Research Data in Libraries

Objective As librarians take on new roles in supporting the management of research data, they may require opportunities and tools for professional development. To address this need, librarians at the University of Colorado Boulder began exploring ways to offer librarians guidance for answering research data questions. Methods The DataQ project is an IMLS­funded effort by the University of Colorado Boulder Libraries, the Greater Western Library Alliance (GWLA), and the Great Plains Network (GPN) to develop an online knowledge­base of research data questions and answers curated for and by the library community. Content will be crowd­sourced and reviewed by an editorial team. The site will also include links to resources, best practices, and practical approaches for working with researchers to address specific research data issues. Results The DataQ project is intended to address the growing need for resources to assist libraries with providing support for the research data needs of faculty and students. The project team is currently establishing its editorial team and designing the site and will be seeking content contributions during 2015. The project will also establish an online community of professionals who will collaborate in the development of practical, authoritative, and peer­reviewed answers to research data questions. Conclusions With the management and curation of research data becoming a priority for many institutions, libraries, as campus centers for research services and infrastructure, are often looked to as a point of support for research data questions, and practical tools, such as DataQ, are essential for supporting this work in libraries

Librarians and Research Integrity Committees: Finding professional joy and fulfillment in practice and service

This article describes how librarians can benefit from being members of research integrity committees. As two academic librarians, the authors share the ways that they have found professional fulfillment and joy through service on the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) for vertebrate animal research activities and the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for human subjects research. Their participation on research integrity committees has provided opportunities to build new relationships, demonstrate their expertise, and find meaning in their contributions to research production. Participation on the IACUC has allowed one author to better understand research designs and instrumentation and laboratory techniques. She has built new relationships with research administrators, scientists, and lab managers, and found new opportunities to use her unique search skills. The other author, while serving on the IRB, has extended her professional network and highlighted her expertise as a qualitative researcher. She has built stronger relationships with research administrators and scholars and found new opportunities for advancing responsible data management conversations across campus. Participating in these committees has been professionally empowering and has allowed the authors to contribute to research integrity in important ways.&nbsp