It’s Not Just What You Know, But Who You Know: Social Capital Theory and Academic Library Outreach

The concept of social capital and its contribution to success and well-being in a variety of settings has potential for academic library outreach. Research has found that those with extensive and varied networks of social relationships can benefit in myriad ways, including academic and professional achievement. A connection has also been found between lower levels of social capital and negative effects on individuals as well as communities generally. Academic libraries are strategically positioned to enhance the social capital of their users, effecting positive differences in engagement, retention, and success after graduation

Tuning in to the Needs of International Students

The objectives of this presentation were to increase awareness of the growing international student population at Boise State University and offer tips on how best to serve them. International students often have very different educational backgrounds which affect their perceptions of what the library can do for them. By being aware of the cultural differences and other barriers to effective communication, public services staff at the library may be better situated to help international students meet their educational goals

Using Slide Shows to Engage Patrons with Library Resources

Many libraries these days rely on the free promotional opportunities presented by social media. Albertsons Library at Boise State is no exception; however, we have found that we can extend the outreach capabilities of social media by using the same themes, images and/or messages on a slide show that runs on all the computers in the library, as well as a monitor in the library lobby. This article will examine concepts in user engagement and branding as the foundation to the successful use of this marketing tool, and also offer tips specific to setting up and designing your own slideshow

Cross Cultural Competence as an Aspect of Improving Diversity in Library Collections

For more than one hundred years libraries in America have worked in one way or another to include services aimed at ethnic groups, at first mainly in the way of assisting the newly immigrated to become assimilated to mainstream American culture through help in learning English, with basic reading/writing skills, and assistance with social services and applications for citizenship (Rubin, 2004, p. 292). However, it wasn’t until the 1960’s that the importance of community representation in libraries and their staffs came to the forefront of discussions of library policies and practices. Finally, in 1970 the ALA’s Social Responsibilities Round Table was formed, and, following that the establishment of such groups as REFORMA (advocating for the Hispanic community), the Black Caucus, and others

Cross-Cultural Competence for Librarians

I\u27ve been interested in issues of diversity for a long time, and was first exposed to theories of cross cultural competence during graduate studies in linguistics. Later in research for my MLS, I explored aspects of cultural competence in relation to library services and the ongoing challenges of diversifying the library workforce. I\u27d like to talk with you today about why meeting that challenge is important and the alternatives available to improve our services to our diverse communities

Champions of Democracy: Libraries\u27 Essential Contributions to a Civil Society

Librarians are rolling up their sleeves, taking off their glasses, and pulling no punches in their efforts to ensure that Americans understand Democratic processes and the essential nature of community participation in those processes. By making the most of their positions as community centers and trusted information providers, libraries are bringing people together to learn about and discuss political issues face to face, empowering them to work collectively for their civil rights and the rights of others

Grassroots Outreach to Foster a Diverse Community

This exploration of an academic library’s outreach efforts presents a broad overview of a range of initiatives aimed at fostering interaction with library staff and resources. These efforts are put forth by a variety of contributors from throughout the library’s staff without a management mandate or day-to-day control. Although these grassroots outreach efforts cost little to nothing, they still act to effectively inculcate a campus-wide perception of the library as a forward-thinking, inclusive and supportive institution while generating a welcoming atmosphere for diverse users. This atmosphere in turn fosters a learning and research community that sees the library as an important contributor to its success. This chapter describes the foundations for this type of outreach as well as giving examples of a number of innovative methods Albertsons Library at Boise State University uses to provide meaningful opportunities for its users to interact with staff, services and resources in a way that cultivates a feeling of inclusion in the community

Placental Circulation

One of the most important developments of recent years in the field of uterine physiology has been the recognition that the endometrial changes occurring during the menstrual cycle and those associated with pregnancy are interlocking, sequential events in an ordered progressions from the first day of the cycle to parturition--and not separate phenomena as was formerly believed. No component of the endometrium illustrates this progression more strikingly than does the vasculature

Effect of unexpected stressor duration on the expression of stress response habituation

While habituation develops to repeated predicable psychological stress, manipulating certain parameters of the stress experience may lead to disruption of a stressor\u27s predictability and subsequent dishabituation of the stress response. In this experiment, we investigated whether behavioral, endocrine, and neural responses (indicators of activity of the Limbic-Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal-, or LHPA-, axis) to psychological stress (restraint) differ when the duration of stress given on test day violates expectations based on prior stress experience. Rats experienced daily restraint on Days 1-4 followed by either the same duration or a longer duration of restraint on Day 5. In conclusion, habituation of the endocrine and behavioral stress responses occurred when the duration of the stressor matches previous experience, while dishabituation occurred (with remarkable temporal precision) following an unpredicted increase in stress duration