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For the first time, data are used to explore the current degree of management feminization in Spain's leading archives and libraries. By examining male directors' perception of the possible implications of the profession's feminization on their work, this study contributes to research into the feminization of the archival profession and librarianship. The various results were cross-checked, revealing that both current data and 40-year-old data show a prevalence of female leadership and therefore feminized management in Spain's main archives and libraries. Pertinent contributions on the historical process of these professions' feminization in Spain are offered, together with surprising data on the low number of female directors in international professional organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much has been written about the demographic make-up of librarianship, which remains overwhelmingly white and female, but little has been discussed about the socioeconomic background of folks entering the field. In this column, I explore some of the ways that coming from a financially disadvantaged background can impact both entering the profession and the experience of working within it. A mix of practical and aspirational action items are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the results of a survey of library and information professionals in positions of leadership regarding the skills and knowledge expected of MLS program graduates seeking employment in their organizations. The survey demonstrates that, as libraries and other information agencies continue to expand their role as a vital resource within a community, academic institution, or business, it is critical for prospective library employees to develop a balanced array of competencies that combines soft skills, such as adaptability, leadership potential and team orientation, as well as hard technical skills that have traditionally been important for daily library operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper extends Critical Race Feminista Methodological (CRFM) approaches by contending that convivencias− the coexistence necessary for creating relationships in the field − are an integral part of engaging research collaborators within educational historical research. Drawing on oral histories with Chicana/o librarians, personal collections, and archival sources, I outline the convivencias I shared with librarians that span across spatial and temporal dimensions. These interactions were centered on recollecting, remembering, and learning about the activism within Latina/o/x chidlren's literture and librarianship's history. Convivencias across space were possible through diverse interactions, such as in-person meetings, phone conversations, video conferences, and emails. Convivencias across time are represented by the continuity of sustained efforts to advance social justice in librarianship across multiple decades. The conceptualization of convivencias across space and time emerged as a CRFM tool that aims to center seldomly documented narratives of activism essential for fostering connections, cultivating community memories, and nuancing historical educational research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify potential needs for primary source collections, this study examines course descriptions and student learning outcomes from the University General Course Catalog of the University of Nevada, Reno. Primary source collection development analysis has not been a focus for librarianship literature. This study uses OpenRefine to analyze words and phrases related to philosophy, history, and primary source resources. Specific locations, time periods, and topics were identified as potential collections for future acquisitions. The findings presented here are specific to one university, but the development of this analysis process can help other academic libraries identify potential topics and resources for their collection development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This scoping literature review explored specific themes connected to the evolving nature of academic business librarianship (career paths and educational backgrounds, services and job roles, self-assessment, and professional development) with the goal to determine the state of existing literature. Following careful review, two areas of business librarianship—self-assessment and professional development—were identified as lacking in overall research literature. Literature regarding career paths and educational backgrounds, as well as services and job roles demonstrated notable gaps and need for timely revision. Future directions for research in emerging areas of academic business librarianship are also identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on critical librarianship in the health library context. It critiquing societal norms; supporting critical thinking in academic and hospital libraries; advocating for inclusive and accurate indexing of Indigenous populations in research databases; highlights a case study involving the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) thesaurus; and demonstrating how critical examination by information professionals led to impactful changes in information access and representation.

The article focuses on exploring the relationship between information literacy, information access, and artificial intelligence in today's information landscape. Topics include the evolution and standards of information literacy; challenges and responsibilities in education; the critical aspect of information access; the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on information management; and highlighting its benefits and ethical considerations.

STEM librarian roles are shifting to accommodate the changing academic research and education landscape within universities. To best support students and faculty, liaisons need to examine current practices within STEM librarianship, experiment with new models of information literacy, and consider how students are using the library. The following articles examine the roles of STEM librarians; the methods they use to connect with STEM students; and the way STEM students are interacting, or not interacting, with university libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents findings from a survey of 291 Australian library and information science (LIS) practitioners, examining their research capacity by identifying attitudes towards, and experiences of research activities, including support needs and barriers. This study found that supported LIS practitioners will be confident LIS practitioner-researchers. Findings reveal that in addition to fostering research skills and knowledge strategies to build LIS practitioners' research capacity, the profession must acknowledge and address the feelings that underlie resistance to research. In addition, before mentoring can be used as a meaningful research support mechanism, LIS practitioners need to first develop confidence that their experiences are sufficient to provide support to others and receive training in research methods to bridge the gap between research as service, and research as partnership. LIS academics, with their expertise in research, are well placed to take an active role in collaboration with LIS practitioners to provide research training and mentoring. For LIS practitioner-researchers' potential to be realised, developmental interventions need to be addressed within LIS institutions. As a supportive research culture within a workplace is enhanced, mistrust in research and anxiety about research practices will diminish, and practitioners will build their identities as practitioner-researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food systems are the sum of actors and interactions along the food chain. A growing number of public libraries are partnering in the food system, but little research has sought to understand what that looks like. To understand this topic, in Spring 2022 the researchers circulated a survey to members of the American public library profession. Survey results (n = 401) found a majority had displays related to food, and food programs offered through partnerships. Respondents showed an interest in learning more about this topic. After presenting and discussing results, the article concludes with a call to more deeply understand this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mintel Reports Academic is a market intelligence database that provides reports on consumers, markets, products, and brands from various geographies. The reports are written by analysts with expertise in different industries and include survey data collected through online surveys. Mintel tracks government statistics, consumer and trade association statistics, and press articles worldwide. The database offers a user-friendly interface for searching and accessing reports, and users can download reports in various formats. Mintel Reports is a comprehensive resource for market research and is particularly useful for business faculty and students, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. [Extracted from the article]

This study has examined librarians' possession of information and communication technology (ICT) skills and knowledge that are requisite to practicing embedded librarianship in Tanzanian academic libraries. An exploratory cross-sectional design and qualitative and quantitative approaches have been employed by the study to collect data from 166 librarians and 6 library directors. While the data collected using a questionnaire have been analyzed using Statistical Product and Service Solutions version 21, those collected using interviews have been analyzed thematically. The study reveals that librarians have inadequate ICT skills and knowledge needed to effectively implement embedded librarianship. More specifically, the librarians lack the skills and knowledge needed to deploy sophisticated ICT tools, software, and online platforms. Regarding the ways through which librarians acquired the ICT skills and knowledge they had, the study reveals diverse sources. To effectively practice embedded librarianship, the study recommends both long-term and short-term ICT training for library professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the perception of female employees regarding workplace empowerment. The study also emphasized the alleged advantages of employee empowerment in the workplace and pinpointed the barriers to empowerment. This paper is based on qualitative data collected, through the semi-structured interview with female library professionals working in the higher education commission's recognized universities of Punjab- Pakistan, as a part of doctoral studies. According to the study, respondents most frequently defined "workplace empowerment" as having the freedom to do duties as they see fit. They also emphasized the benefits of workplace empowerment on both the personal and professional levels. Three categories—managerial, organizational, and individual factors—are used to categorize the obstacles cited by the participants. Although there is no study of this kind on the topic of workplace empowerment of female employees in the local context of Pakistan, this work adds significantly to the paucity of literature on the subject. This study is extracted from the Ph.D. thesis of the researcher. This study is limited in terms of its population as the data was collected from female library professionals in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The results may aid stakeholders and higher authorities in eradicating workplace empowerment concerns and in formulating evidence-based strategies or policies to enable women to execute their jobs more effectively. This qualitative study adds value to the literature by showing the actual situation of female employee empowerment in a developing country like Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on how Third Iron's LibKey enhances access to library resources through browsers and discovery tools. Topics include the value LibKey provides to libraries by improving enterprise discovery solutions, its integration with library platforms to simplify access, and the features of LibKey Nomad, such as its availability on major browsers and its ability to provide one-click access to articles and ebooks.

The article offers information on exploring generative artificial intelligence (AI), specifically ChatGPT, and its potential applications in information literacy instruction. Topics include the impact of generative AI on teaching and learning, the development and features of generative AI technologies like ChatGPT, and the need for thoughtful integration of AI in education.

The article offers information on working in the electronic resources realm in libraries, which involves duties related to the integrated library system, electronic resources management (ERM) system, and the e-resources themselves. Topics include the multifaceted nature of e-resource librarianship, the dissension among librarians regarding the uniqueness of different library types' experiences with e-resources, and the benefits of sharing experiences across library types.

This paper considers various approaches to the practice of copy-specific descriptive cataloging in rare books and special collections and seeks to identify how practice can be improved to ensure greater discoverability. Through applying a survey method, it identifies some of the core requirements of library professionals and researchers working with these materials and proposes solutions toward the standardization of this practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professional discussions regarding bias in classification are occurring internationally. Libraries are investigating ways to address these issues in manageable steps as we push for broader changes. This case study details one library's process for adopting the Dewey Decimal Classification optional arrangement for religion (220-299), following the work done by Emily McDonald. This arrangement reduces the Christian bias of the standard schedule. The reclassification project is a step to improve the inclusivity and browsability of the collection while maintaining the library's current classification scheme. In addition to process, the paper highlights the advantages and potential concerns for adopting this arrangement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the practices of subject assignment by the two main Norwegian cataloging agencies serving the public library domain, Biblioteksentralen and Bokbasen, analyzing 47,235 records representing media cataloged by both agencies, published between 2012 and 2019. In addition to descriptive statistics representing these practices, we apply the Panofsky/Shatford model, previously used in the analysis of artworks and images, to distinguish aspects of these practices associated with levels of meaning. We find that Biblioteksentralen tends to use more abstract terms in their descriptions, while Bokbasen tends to use more general terms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the Iraqi Portal of Knowledge, a digital platform providing free resources to researchers on Iraqi affairs and intellectual production. Topics include the project's integration of libraries, archives, and museums, its structured approach to organizing cultural data sources, and its significance in archiving and collecting Iraqi heritage.

The article offers information on collaborating with students at Loyola University New Orleans' Monroe Library to manage electronic resources, using government documents weeding as an example. Topics include the role of work-study students in technical services departments, the responsibilities of the Technical Services department at Loyola University, and the benefits of hiring students to complete projects on time.

"The Internationalization of the Academic Library" by Emmett Lombard explores the concept of internationalization in academic libraries. The author argues that colleges and universities should create environments that embrace global perspectives and utilize information and knowledge from around the world. The book discusses various aspects of internationalization, including the importance of aligning library missions with university goals, the value of international student recruitment, and the need for information literacy among international students. The author also highlights the challenges and opportunities in accommodating stakeholders and engaging with foreign students. Overall, the book provides insights and ideas for improving internationalization efforts in academic libraries, although some of the content may be more relevant to the US market. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses a biobibliographic index titled "Ukrainian Studies of the American Bibliographer and Librarian Edward Kasinec" that honors the scholarly contributions of Edward Kasinec to Ukrainian studies bibliography and librarianship. The index was compiled by Lyudmila Shpileva and Halyna Kovalchuk and aims to expand knowledge of Kasinec's scholarship in Ukraine. It includes a biographical section, as well as four bibliographic sections that list Kasinec's published works, exhibitions curated by him, notable works that cite his research, and works about him. The publication is recommended for library science libraries, scholars of Ukrainian studies, and current and future Ukrainian studies bibliographers and librarians. [Extracted from the article]