2024
3
Apr
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2 Comments
Autistic Students and Academic Library Research: Recommendations for a Neurodiversity-Informed Approach
In Brief: Despite a growing pool of research in library and information science (LIS) authored by autistic librarians (see Lawrence, 2013; Tumlin, 2019), the vast majority of LIS research about autistic students in academic libraries continues to portray autism as a tragedy that students must overcome, a common trope that the autistic community has long... Read More
2024
21
Feb
Forming and Sustaining a Community of Practice for Volunteer-Based EDI Work
In Brief At the Diverse BookFinder (DBF), we work to move the diverse books discussion beyond increasing the number of books (see Aronson et al.) to a deeper consideration of how Black and Indigenous people and People of Color (BIPOC) are represented within diverse books. To accomplish this change, we’ve cataloged and analyzed thousands of... Read More
2024
7
Feb
Engaging in Toponymic Justice: Proactively Naming The Nishihara Family Classroom
by Natalia Fernández, Jane Nichols, and Diana Park In Brief Conversations about the memorial landscape, as well as commemorative and toponymic naming practices, have exploded across universities in the United States in the past few years. Toponyms, or place names, which situate a location in its historical, social, and demographic context, are reconsidered during efforts... Read More
2024
24
Jan
Addressing Weight Stigma in Libraries to Promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
By Lorelei Rutledge, Erika Church, and Devan Church Image: “As I Am”. Mixed media on paper. By Melissa L. Gygi. (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) In Brief In her 2020 memoir, activist Aubrey Gordon describes the frequent cruelty she experiences because of her body shape and size, explaining that “there is a minefield of abuse reserved for... Read More
2024
10
Jan
Chronically Honest: An Autoethnographic Paper on the Experiences of a Disabled Librarian
By Nikki Andersen In Brief Through autoethnographic reflection and examination of theoretical literature, this article explores my experiences of disability while working in the academic library and information science (LIS) field. Most of the current literature on disability and librarianship focuses on serving students or patrons with disabilities, whereas the experiences of being a disabled... Read More
2023
7
Dec
Breaking down hierarchies: Student-led peer information programs
This article will review the processes that two Student Success and Engagement Librarians undertook in order to embed social justice tenets into their management of peer consulting/teaching programs at two different institutions. While there has been much discussion of the reasons for and ways to implement peer consulting/teaching programs, less focus has been given to how to operate such programs from a place of equity and care. This is why two managing librarians worked collaboratively with student workers to embed social justice theories into a new and already existing peer consultation program. In this article, the authors will discuss not just what critical and justice theory was utilized to foster an environment of trust and engagement, but also how the programs operated day-to-day within such frameworks.
2023
26
Oct
Empathy at Work
In Brief The purpose of this article is to center the experiences of librarians of color in academic libraries through a discussion of microaggressions and pandemic experiences of racial exclusion. Design/methodology/approach. It draws on a synthesis of the literature of microaggressions and the psychology of perspective taking to introduce a method to encourage empathy for... Read More
By Anna White In Brief There has been more literature about academic librarians saying ‘no’ in the last decade than in previous time periods. However, much of the existing work discusses how academic librarians might say ‘no’ to optional activities, such as serving on an extra committee or taking on an additional research project. As... Read More
2023
27
Sep
Librarians’ Roles in Supporting Students’ Mental Health through Teaching Practices
In Brief Mental health and well-being is of increasing concern on college campuses. Grounded in feminist pedagogy and an ethic of care, this study asks what roles instruction librarians perceive themselves as having in supporting student mental health and what strategies they use in the classroom to address student affect and emotions. By sharing survey... Read More
2023
23
Aug
Dominant COVID Narratives and Implications for Information Literacy Education in the “Post-Pandemic” United States
In Brief Over the past three+ years that COVID-19 has changed everyday life across the globe, people around the world have been tasked with making sense of new, evolving, and often conflicting information, including public messaging that is frequently confusing and shaped by political agendas and interests. Conflicting narratives about the COVID-19 pandemic, including dominant... Read More