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Dissertation work is traditionally a solo, perhaps isolating, endeavor. In qualitative content analysis in the social sciences, the student applies a codebook, whether of their own creation or an adaptation of an existing theory or framework, which is appropriate to their research context and method without collaborating with others. The theory of information worlds provides an analytical framework to analyze information behavior and use in social contexts without ascribing to or prescribing a particular methodology or approach. This article describes and discusses a novel collaborative effort to operationalize and develop codebooks for the theory of information worlds which was used across three methodologically diverse dissertations. Implications for methodology, pedagogy, and dissertation work are also discussed, with an emphasis on the ways in which a project such as this might inform the future teaching practices of doctoral students.

Purpose In response to recent calls for research relating to employers’ perceptions of the workplace readiness of new graduates in a variety of fields, the purpose of this paper is to report North Florida employers’ perceptions of information technology (IT) program graduates’ workplace readiness. These findings are relevant to stakeholders in growing technology regions. Design/methodology/approach Researchers conducted 18 semi-structured interviews with IT employers in North Florida. Data were deductively coded with codes derived from national standards. Interviewee verbatim was also inductively coded by theme. Findings While employers valued a blend of technical and general skills and hands-on experience, they also sought new professionals who possessed fundamental understandings of business and computer programming to tailor their problem-solving skills to the specific company environment. Research limitations/implications This research represents a limited number of employer viewpoints in one representative community. Practical implications Ongoing industry input into curricula and expanded experiential opportunities may ensure that graduates are prepared to address current and future IT developments. Because the region under study was typical of many regions with growing technology sectors, these findings may inform partnerships, curriculum, and program design. Originality/value Given the rapid growth and constant advances of the IT sector, institutions with IT degree programs are challenged to ensure that their curricula are current and meeting the needs of employers. This study’s findings may offer timely insight into elements of workforce preparedness.

This study explored the effect of public library activities on reading achievement of 1st grade students, using the ECLS-K (Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten). The results from Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) indicate that children's reading Item Response Theory (IRT) scores were significantly related to whether their parents had a library card and visited the public library with them. In addition, the reading IRT scores of 1st grade students who had their own library cards were significantly higher than those of non-library card holding students. The location of the public library also played an important role in the number of times parents and their children visited it. Students who visited the public library also had significantly higher reading IRT score than students who did not visit the public library. These findings suggest that accessibility and utilization of public libraries contribute to the growth of reading abilities of 1st grade students.