Denice Adkins

The Library in the Lives of Latino College Students.

Libraries share a perception of embracing and providing for all users. However, they also share a common philosophical stance shaped by librarians’ individual discursive formations and the dominant cultural hegemony that values some users over others. Latinos constitute one of the fastest‐growing, nondominant populations in the United States, and the literature suggests that libraries do not always serve them adequately. This was reinforced by interviews with seven Latino undergraduate students that suggest ambiguous feelings toward libraries and a strong need for some sort of cultural reinforcement. This study of users’ perceptions of libraries may help librarians and policy makers consider more pluralistic approaches to library services.

LIS Student Learning Styles and Web-Based Instruction Methods

Abstract This article looks at learning styles of library and information science (LIS) students. Felder and Solomons “Index of Learning Styles” was administered to 108 LIS students between 2001 and 2002. These results were analyzed with respect to results from learning style assessments administered in the 1980s. Learning style preferences were compared between students in traditional and distance education courses. Teaching suggestions are offered for maximizing LIS student learning in Web-based instruction.

Library Anxiety among International Graduate Students

While few studies have explored library anxiety among international graduate students in the United States, Jiao and Onwuegnuzies study (1999) of international graduate and undergraduate students identified mechanical barriers as the greatest source of library anxiety among international students. Building on this, the current pilot study investigated the level of library anxiety among 15 international graduate students in the United States, using a modified version of Bosticks (1992) Library Anxiety Scale (LAS) with a proposed Language & Cultural Barriers subscale. Findings from the pilot study revealed that mechanical barriers were the smallest source of library anxiety, and affective and staff barriers were the greatest sources of library anxiety. No significant gender or disciplinary differences were found in terms of the level of library anxiety among international graduate students. The results of this pilot study also provided the basis for the refinement of instrument.

Latino librarians on becoming LIS educators: An exploratory investigation of the Barriers in recruiting Latino faculty

Library and Information Science (LIS) schools have produced a limited number of Latino masters in library science (MLS) graduates, but they have not attracted them back to pursue doctoral studies and teaching positions. Using a semi-structured interview technique, eight expert Latino librarians were interviewed for their perspectives on the barriers preventing Latino LIS professionals from pursuing positions as LIS faculty. This exploratory investigation identifies four specific barriers which are perceived as contributing to the lack of Latino LIS faculty: isolation from the academy, ethnocentrism within LIS education, financial concerns, and personal concerns.

Learning about Diversity: The Roles of LIS Education, LIS Associations, and Lived Experience

How do librarians learn about diversity? What role do library and information science (LIS) education and LIS associations play in developing that knowledge? How do librarians talk about diversity? We surveyed librarians across the United States, Canada, and a few other countries and found that life experience and media play a greater role in diversity knowledge than do LIS education, LIS associations, or LIS workplaces. Although diversity is still discussed largely in terms of race and ethnicity, our respondents also considered factors such as personality, cognitive style, political viewpoint, and socioeconomic status in their discussions of diversity.

Problem‐solving strategies that Kenyan academic librarians utilize when presented with copyright queries

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how Kenyan academic librarians, with varying education levels, solve and handle copyright issues when presented to them by library users.Design/methodology/approach – A survey questionnaire was administered to 253 librarians in 14 universities in Nairobi, Kenya. Of those who responded to the survey, a think aloud protocol and critical incident technique interview were administered to a convenience sample of 32 librarians.Findings – Learned helplessness was found to exist among librarians who were Certificate and Diploma holders when faced with copyright queries. Librarians from the different education levels differed in their ranking of problem‐solving strategies they employ when it comes to stopping copyright infringement in libraries.Practical implications – This study helps to inform internal library policies regarding copyright and the type of staff member a library can utilize to serve library users whenever they present queries on copyright issues. T...

Evaluating Cultural Authenticity in Multicultural Picture Books: A Collaborative Analysis for Diversity Education

This study examines cultural authenticity reflected in multicultural picture books. Specifically, this study attempts to reframe issues surrounding the topic of cultural authenticity based on a systematic and empirical analysis of picture books that represent three different ethnic groups: African Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanic Americans. A total of forty-five systematically selected picture books that represent fifteen books per ethnic group were selected and evaluated by multiple reviewers who were insiders of the culture. A coding scheme was developed to evaluate each book in terms of profile of major and minor characters, settings of the story, stereotypical features, and cultural authenticity. An in-depth evaluation of all selected books was added by a team of three reviewers in order to validate the results of the coded analysis. This study aims to shed light on library youth services and diversity education in a society with increasing ethnic diversity.

EDUCATION FOR LIBRARY SERVICE TO YOUTH IN FIVE COUNTRIES

In this study, youth services instructors from five countries (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States) were surveyed as to the content of youth-oriented classes they had taught between 2000 and 2003. As anticipated, a content analysis of those descriptions revealed that the youth-oriented library curriculum was heavily dominated by childrens and young adult materials. Management of the youth library and foundations of youth library services were less frequently emphasized. Descriptive content is remarkably similar between regions, but looking at an analysis of the content with regard to national differences suggests additions to curricula based on the needs of each country.

Libraries and reading motivation A review of the Programme for International Student Assessment reading results

Teenagers do better at reading when they are motivated to read. The Programme for International Student Assessment assesses reading literacy for 15-year-olds in over 70 countries worldwide, and also includes questions that explore the relationships between motivation and reading. Country-level results indicate that developing countries have lower reading scores than developed countries. However, they also indicate that students in many developing countries are more motivated to read and spend more time reading than students in developed countries. These results suggest that the ideal role for libraries is to ensure students’ motivation to read through the provision of a variety of materials, a supportive environment for literacy and reading conversations, and encouraging student autonomy in making their reading choices.

Information Sources of Latin American Immigrants in the Rural Midwest in the Trump Era

Since the 1920s, Latin American immigrants to the United States have frequently settled in established communities in border states and large urban areas. Since the 1990s, however, Latin American immigrants, documented and undocumented, have been settling in the rural Midwest. We begin this article by considering Trump-era rhetoric and actions affecting Latin American immigrants and the historical context for that immigration. Next, we present information sources and locations (i.e., information grounds) used by the rural midwestern immigrants we interviewed. Finally, we discuss the roles that libraries have taken across the nation in providing information to immigrants, but we contrast that with the limited role of libraries as information sources for Latin American immigrants.