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Item The grim underpinnings of collections policies: 'your mountain is waiting'(2023) Garstad, RoxyMany libraries continue to write and update collections policies and upload them to library websites for public consumption. It is assumed that these documents positively influence a variety of aspects of library work, such as building relevant collections, increasing patron understanding of library operations, and encouraging communication and cooperation within the librarian community. However, these policies may expose hidden agendas or even overt prejudice, either explicitly or implicitly. What less desirable qualities do library collections policies possess, and how are these grim underpinnings harmful to our patrons? A careful examination of three collections policies at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Canada, written or edited by the author in the past decade, reveals a need for closer scrutiny of the purpose, intent, and underlying messages conveyed when these documents are displayed to the public. The three policies in question are an overarching or main collections policy, a donations policy, and a specialized policy dedicated to collecting resources by, for, and about Indigenous peoples. This paper, based on a poster presented at Charleston 2022, will outline exactly whom collections policies are written for (other librarians), what their purpose is (justifying saying no to patrons), and what their most significant harm might be (perpetuating prejudice). Proposals for how the collections community can initiate change and improve upon the traditional practice of engaging users via collections policies will be put forward.Item The ChatGPT explosion: transforming the landscape of library collections(2024) Garstad, RoxyInterest in generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, such as ChatGPT, has accelerated among library staff in only a few short months, with its positive and negative aspects widely debated. It has quickly become apparent that library employees, especially those in academic libraries, will need to engage with this new technology, whether in behind-the-scenes situations or through answering patron queries on its nature, origin, and usefulness. ChatGPT’s applications and considerations for academic libraries in the areas of reference, information literacy, copyright, writing skills, and administrative activities are currently being explored. Still, little has been mentioned about its applicability to collections work. This paper will examine how ChatGPT can contribute positively and helpfully to collections work at various critical points along the broad spectrum of the yearly collections procedural life cycle, from acquisitions and cataloging to deselection and beyond, keeping best practices and ethical use in mind. An example of how this technology can be used in collections policy writing will be demonstrated. In addition, a set of guidelines adapted from current suggestions for use specifically geared toward collections work will be suggested, along with key resources to aid learning and reflection.Item Bridging multiple meanings of 'impact' across and beyond the academy(2025) Hall, Robyn; Auer, Meagan; McBeth, Renee; Green, Kassidy"Impact" is central to contemporary research, yet its meaning varies widely across different stakeholders engaged in community-university research partnerships. This session will create a collaborative space for community members, academics, and administrators to explore and debate definitions of impact and how it is achieved. Informed by their research and professional practice, presenters will share diverse perspectives on what impact means to them in their respective roles as a community partner, community engagement facilitator, scholarly communications librarian, and community-based researcher. Participants will then be invited to share their own perspectives and experiences, reflecting on the tensions and synergies that arise from the process of striving to achieve meaningful outcomes when participating in community-based research. Key topics will include the challenges of balancing community priorities with academic goals, navigating differing views of impact among unique stakeholders, strategies for defining and pursuing impactful results, and practical strategies for communicating impact to different audiences. By sharing experiences, and considering multiple perspectives, this session will help shape a more nuanced and relational approach to defining and achieving research outcomes in community-engaged and academic contexts.Item Advancing the dissemination and preservation of community-based research products in institutional repositories(2025) Hall, RobynCommunity-based research often involves communities working in partnership with academic researchers to address issues and problems that the community has raised. Much of this work results in diverse publicly available materials that strive to inform public policy, strengthen funding proposals, empower community members, and advance social change. This article reports on a recent qualitative study exploring the role of institutional repositories in disseminating and preserving these community-based research products, informed by the perspectives, experiences, and motivations of academics involved in this work. Interviews with faculty members and university administrators at Canadian post-secondary institutions suggest that there is a widespread lack of awareness about ways that institutional repository services can leverage the impact and reach of public-facing work generated through these collaborations. Furthermore, a survey of Canadian scholarly communications librarians indicates that libraries do limited outreach to faculty members and administrators engaged in community-based research to promote these services. This article suggests ways that academic libraries can extend outreach strategies to bridge this observed gap between repository services and the dissemination and preservation of community-based research products directly informed by input from research participants. Doing so can advance widespread institutional commitments to community engagement and open science practices to benefit the public good.Item Locked in: eBook loan limitations and licensing agreements in public libraries(2024) Deschamps, Danielle; McNally, Michael B.Licensing agreements on ebooks have altered the core of what libraries have done for hundreds of years: own books and lend them. Public libraries aim to adapt to what their communities need and with the rise of the Internet and the new digital landscape came a new way that library users began to read – through ebooks. While many may have hoped that ebooks would represent a new horizon for a book reading reality of unfettered, instantaneous, simultaneous access, that was not to be the case (Sang, 2017). Instead, the ecosystem surrounding ebooks has become increasingly rigid (Sang, 2017). A widespread culture of licensing rather than ownership of digital content has risen and in the case of ebooks, has resulted in agreements in which libraries are paying for limited licence agreements at unreasonable prices. While the challenges of ebook licensing agreements affect all types of libraries, this chapter will focus specifically on how this issue has affected public libraries in Canada and the United States, first by providing a background of the shift to licensing agreements over ownership for ebooks, followed by an overview of the current situation. This chapter will then offer an analysis of the challenges ebook licensing agreements pose to library collection management, and finally, an exploration of potential responses for a way forward.Item Journal club: an innovative teaching practice to foster peer connection and enhance information literacy skills(2023) Croxen, Hanneke; Nelson, Jody; McKendrick-Calder, LisaThis project aimed to better understand the impact and student experience of an innovative teaching strategy focused on information literacy (IL) for first-year undergraduate nursing students. Information literacy (IL) involves the development of a set of abilities essential for higher education learners, such as the ability to identify, critically evaluate, understand, and apply scholarly literature (ACRL 2013), yet studies often demonstrate that these IL skills are lacking and need further development (Bury 2016; Saunders 2012). Traditional methods of addressing this need center around stand-alone librarian-led IL sessions, which cannot provide the time or space needed to develop critical reading and reflection practices. Within our context of nursing, this is a common challenge; one study found that 40% of second-year nursing students have difficulty reading journal articles (Chaudoir et al. 2016), despite IL being an essential skill for nursing practice (Mitchell and Pereira-Edwards 2022). In an attempt to address learner needs, a course instructor and librarian teamed up. Journal clubs, used in practice settings to maintain currency and promote EBP behavior (Wilson et al. 2015), have been used successfully in other health education contexts (Steenbeek et al. 2009; Szucs et al. 2017; Thompson 2006). This application is referred to as evidence-based practice (EBP) and is an essential component of nursing practice. Having activities for undergraduate nursing students that instill EBP aims to ensure that it will be incorporated into practice after graduation (Mitchell and Pereira-Edwards 2022). Instead of the traditional librarian-led IL sessions, a first-year nursing course was redesigned to utilize a guided journal club approach to enhance the ability to seek, read, and interpret journal literature. Journal club activities took place over eight weeks, alternating guided activities with brief IL lessons, and culminated in a group journal club assignment. Students were placed in small groups based on an area of practice they wanted to learn more about. Activities were scaffolded starting with introducing a research database and basic literature searching strategies. As students progressed through the term’s journal club activities, they were asked to find articles related aligned with course topics and their area of practice, critique and present their articles to their group members, and then apply their interpretations. A survey was used to measure the impact of journal club on student IL self-efficacy, as measured through the validated Information Literacy Self-Efficacy Scale (ILSES) developed by Kurbanoglu et al. (2006). Initial findings support journal club as an effective modality to enhance students’ self-efficacy in specific areas of IL. Additionally, other valuable outcomes of this strategy were discovered. For example, students reported becoming more comfortable collaborating with peers and anecdotal reports showed students developed friendships with peers. This scaffolded journal club approach to discipline-specific IL learning would translate well to other contexts, particularly those that require a significant grounding in reading and understanding disciplinary research. The journal club activities are available at: https://tinyurl.com/JournalClubPosterISSOTL2022, or by contacting the authors.Item Access to mental healthcare services for Black women during perinatal period – a scoping review(2024) Kemei, Janet; Asirifi, Mary; Nelson, Jody; Khalema, Emily M.; Adekoya, Augustina T.; Satimehin, Oluwaseun O.Black women in Canada are at higher risk of poor mental health outcomes; this is associated with disparities such as poor access to healthcare and aggravated by racial discrimination and poor living conditions. This study aims to investigate the extent and nature of literature on access to mental healthcare services for Black women during the perinatal period in regions outside of Africa and the Caribbean.Item Scaffolding information literacy learning for undergraduate nursing students: a mixed-method exploration of student IL self-efficacy(2024) Croxen, Hanneke; Nelson, Jody; McKendrick-Calder, Lisa; Su, WanhuaInformation literacy (IL) competency is an essential component of evidence-informed nursing practice. It is integral to introduce and develop core information literacy competencies for evidence-informed practice within undergraduate education programs. Research has shown undergraduate students may experience challenges with information literacy skills. More research to inform teaching methodologies that effectively enhance students’ skills and abilities, as well as their self-efficacy with these skills, is needed. This article describes an innovative teaching strategy, called journal club, which uses scaffolded learning activities in small groups over one semester.Item Research methods: exploring the social world in Canadian contexts(2024) Symbaluk, Diane; Hall, RobynResearch Methods: Exploring the Social World in Canadian Contexts, third edition, provides students with a readily accessible introduction to research methodology. This open textbook covers qualitative and quantitative methods, guiding readers through planning and conducting research, proposal writing, and report creation while addressing common research errors and challenges. Key topics include ethics, research design, sampling, experiments, surveys, qualitative interviewing, ethnography, and mixed-method approaches.Item Impact of library instruction tutorial format on student preference and performance in first-year chemistry(2023) Stieglitz, Tara; Whitson, LindseyThis research study investigates the effects of library instruction tutorial format (written versus video) on student preference and performance in chemistry education. The authors assessed the format of tutorials used to provide library instruction in an introductory chemistry course by observing 27 student participants as they took in instructions in either a video or a written format and then completed two chemistry information tasks. While participants expressed strong preferences for particular formats, neither the video tutorials nor the written instructions significantly improved task completion speed or performance. Rather, the authors determined that student preference alone is enough to justify the continued production of multiple versions of instructions for the same assignment.Item Exploring the role of information literacy instruction in student co-creation of community-based research products(2023) Hall, RobynSupported by institutional commitments to community engagement, undergraduate students at universities across North America are participating in community-based research projects. These experiential learning activities allow students to collaborate with community partners to address issues in their communities, often resulting in co-creating research products that seek to have a real-world impact. This article reports on ways that academic librarians can support students engaged in these activities, informed by interview data gathered from university administrators and faculty members from across Canada with expertise in conducting and overseeing students' participation in research connected to university–community partnerships. This growing area of scholarly activity in higher education provides instruction librarians with unique opportunities to teach students valuable information literacy skills tied to knowledge equity, representing a threshold concept that recognizes students' abilities to create new knowledge that strives to be accessible, inclusive, and done in an ethical manner that serves community interests.Item Moving toward reconciliation: considerations in creating and re-evaluating an Indigenous resources policy(2022) Stift, Sandy; Garstad, RoxyExcerpt: Having agreed on the central importance of the Land Acknowledgement statement, an examination of our motivation, goals, and purpose was essential. Why even consider writing a separate policy? First, a unique and separate policy would bring to the forefront our commitment on this matter. It would highlight and remind us of the importance of collecting and curating materials by, for, and about Indigenous peoples in Canada. It was also one of the first MacEwan Library responses to a pivotal document produced by the Canadian Federation of Library Associations (CFLA) in 2017, the Truth and Reconciliation Report and Recommendations. It contains a series of actions Canadian libraries can take to support Indigenous communities and library users. The report contains ten recommendations which were considered in crafting an early version of the Indigenous Resources Collections Policy.Item Geofacets: an advisor review(2023) Duffy, JaneGeofacets is a unique database for environmental researchers which draws, represents, organizes, and makes searchable information and data sets from various scientific resources through a single interface. Geofacets is both a research database and a comprehensive business solution that helps organizations maximize their time, energy, financial assets, and human resources. Geofacets draws its data from essential geoscience publications such as The Journal of Geochemical Exploration, Chemical Geology, The International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, The Journal of Structural Geology, The Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, Sedimentary Geology, Geoscience Frontiers, Marine Geology, Global and Planetary Change, and Earth Science Reviews. Geofacets has positioned itself as the go-to resource for reliable information and data drawn from the interdisciplinary field of academic geoscience as well as from private industry.Item Using self-assessment to extend sustainability competency development(2022) Munro, Tai; King, MartinaOne of the key benefits of developing sustainability competencies is that they enable students to pursue future work and study opportunities within sustainability despite diverse fields and challenges. However, if students do not also develop their ability to self-assess their own strengths and weaknesses, we risk creating a situation where students are unable to respond to new situations and evolving challenges. Self-assessment is key to enabling individuals to identify current and future needs for education and professional development once they leave the formal education system. Self-assessments are the most often used tool to assess competency development (Redman, Wiek, & Barth, 2021). This is a subject of criticism as opponents argue that students are not skilled in self-assessment. However, Boud and Falchikov (2007) argue that self-assessment is vital to supporting students in becoming life-long learners. Thus, developing self-assessment skills is a necessary complementary competency that we need to support students in developing. In this session, we’ll look at research from a community engaged learning course where students were asked not just to self-assess but to also reflect on how accurate their own self-assessments were and identify areas for future growth and opportunity. Then we’ll discuss and demonstrate how to incorporate similar opportunities to complement key sustainability competency development.Item Building capacity and awareness for the UN Sustainable Development Goals through project-based and community-engaged pedagogies(2022) Munro, Tai; King, MartinaPurpose - The key sustainability competencies are fundamental to sustainability transformations. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of project-based and community-engaged pedagogies in supporting student development of all key sustainability competencies. Additionally, the study examines whether the UN SDGs provide an appropriate framework to support engagement with the breadth of sustainability topics and increase awareness and support of the goals within the community. Design - This case study triangulates scaled self-assessment, performance observation, and regular course work in an undergraduate interdisciplinary sustainability course to gain insights into how all key sustainability competencies can be developed through recommended pedagogies. Findings - Project-based and community-engaged pedagogies are supportive of key sustainability competencies development. The act of engaging with an interdisciplinary group towards achieving a common goal created effective learning opportunities for students. However, the project-based and community-engaged pedagogies cannot be completely separated from the context of the course. The use of the SDGs to guide community partner participation and project development was effective in increasing awareness of the goals among students and community partners. Implications - These findings support the use of project-based and community-engaged pedagogies to facilitate student development of key sustainability competencies. Originality - This study demonstrates that using the SDGs to guide community partner participation and project development is effective both in facilitating a wide range of projects from the identified areas of sustainability: environment, economic, social, and cultural, and in increasing awareness of the goals among students and community organizations.Item Bursaries reimagined: addressing digital inequity through a library-led, university-wide laptop bursary program(2023) King, Martina; Whitson, LindseyThe rapid switch to online learning in early 2020 exacerbated problems students were already having with obtaining and maintaining up-to-date devices and a reliable internet connection. MacEwan University Library began offering 4-month term laptop loans at the beginning of the pandemic, but it was clear this was not fully meeting student needs. In response to conversations with faculty and students, the library secured funds from the university’s Student Technology Fee to launch a laptop bursary pilot in Winter 2022, which in turn expanded to a university-wide bursary in Fall 2022. This article discusses why an in-kind laptop bursary was the right approach at the right time in this setting; how this initiative contributes to equity and accessibility; and finally, perceptions of the value of this work, its fit within the scope of the library, and how the unique position of the library as a stu-dent-focused service and academic unit positioned it well to successfully offer this bursary. Challenges and opportunities for improvement are also discussed.Item Journal Club: An innovative teaching practice to foster peer connection & enhance information literacy(2022) Croxen, Hanneke; Nelson, Jody; McKendrick-Calder, LisaInformation literacy (IL) involves a set of abilities essential for higher education learners, such as the ability to identify, critically evaluate, understand, and apply scholarly literature (ACRL, 2013, http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/nursing), yet studies often demonstrate that these IL skills are lacking and need further development (Bury, 2016; Saunders, 2012). Traditional methods of addressing this need center around stand-alone librarian-led IL sessions, which cannot provide the time or space needed to develop critical reading and reflection practices. Within our context of nursing this is a common challenge, one study found that 40% of second year nursing students have difficulty reading journal articles (Chaudoir et al., 2016), this despite IL being an essential skill for nursing practice (Mitchell & Pereira-Edwards, 2022). In an attempt to address learner needs a course instructor and librarian teamed up. Journal clubs, used in practice settings to maintain currency and promote EBP behavior (Wilson et al., 2015), have been used successfully in other health education contexts (Steenbeek, et al., 2009; Szucs, et al., 2017; Thompson, 2006). This application is referred to as evidence based practice (EBP), and is an essential component of nursing practice. Having activities for undergraduate nursing students that instill EBP aims to ensure that it will be incorporated into practice after graduation (Mitchell & Pereira-Edwards, 2022). Instead of the traditional librarian-led IL sessions, a first year nursing course was redesigned to utilize a guided journal club approach with an aim of enhancing the ability to seek, read, and interpret journal literature. Journal club activities took place over 8 weeks, alternating guided activities with brief IL lessons, and culminating in a group journal club assignment. Students were placed in small groups based on an area of practice they wanted to learn more about. Activities were scaffolded starting with introducing a research database and basic literature searching strategies. As students progressed through the journal club activities throughout the term, they were asked to find articles related to specific topics aligned with the course and their area of practice, critique and present their article to their group members, and then how to apply their interpretations. A survey was used to measure the impact of journal club on student IL self-efficacy, as measured through the validated Information Literacy Self-Efficacy Scale (ILSES) developed by Kurbanoglu et al. (2006). Initial findings support journal club as an effective modality to enhance students self-efficacy in specific areas of IL. Additionally, other valuable outcomes of this strategy were discovered, for example, students reported becoming more comfortable collaborating with peers and anecdotal reports showed students developed friendships with peers. This scaffolded journal club approach to discipline-specific IL learning would translate well to other contexts, particularly those which require a significant grounding in reading and understanding disciplinary research. The journal club activities are available at: https://tinyurl.com/JournalClubPosterISSOTL2022Item Collective consciousness: wading into the discomfort of systemic discrimination(2022) Foster-Boucher, Caroline; Maykut, Colleen; Bremner, Sydney; Nelson, JodyBackground: Racism in nursing towards Indigenous peoples has been evident and well documented (Allen, & Smylie, 2015; Browne, 2005; Vukic et al., 2012). Canadian schools of nursing have been called upon to incorporate teaching of colonial history and address systemic discrimination against Indigenous peoples in response to Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) findings (Baker, 2019; Blanchet Garneau et al., 2017, 2021; Truth and Reconciliation Commission [TRC], 2015). Methods: Our faculty of nursing has charged a team with forging a path forward in addressing the TRC Calls to Action. Our collective approach in pursuit of transformative nursing education for reconciliation aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (2015): Quality education. Results: Learning and pivoting to meet the needs of the professional development for faculty and staff is an iterative process. This team has discovered the transformative potential of collective learning in moving towards systemic change (Jakubec & Bourque Bearskin, 2020; TRC, 2015) to inform curricular decisions. Conclusion: As a team seeking ways to decolonize pedagogies and practice, we are collectively engaged in the learning necessary to confront and unsettle our own thinking. In doing this difficult yet vital work together, we hold one another accountable and support each other; we are developing a collective, anti-oppressive consciousness as we solidify our commitment to this ongoing work. By wading into collective discomfort as a group of learners and educators, we can foster true disruptive change (Blanchet Garneau et al., 2021; Kenney, 2008).Item Scaffolding IL learning and EBP exploration in a semester-long journal club: impact on nursing student self-efficacy(2023) Nelson, Jody; Croxen, Hanneke; McKendrick-Calder, Lisa; Ha, Lam; Su, WanhuaNursing students require essential information literacy (IL) skills: locate research articles, assess for quality, and apply to practice-based scenarios. Understanding research remains a common challenge, with one study finding 40% of 2nd year nursing students have difficulty reading journal articles, yet stand-alone IL workshops rarely allow time needed to develop critical reading, assessment, and reflection practices. Our discovery-based, scaffolded IL learning approach is modeled on the student journal club, which has been found to positively impact students’ application of research in clinical contexts. By embedding IL instruction strategically throughout a 1st year nursing course we hoped to enhance understanding, mindset, retention, and transferability of IL. This study sought to identify the impact of the journal club on nursing student IL self-efficacy, as measured through the validated Information Literacy Self-Efficacy Scale.Item Support for community-based research at the heart of the university(2023-06-07) Hall, RobynLibraries are often considered the heart of the university, supporting faculty, students, and staff carrying out teaching and research across disciplines. In recent years academic library services have evolved to support research dissemination practices that embrace principles of open science and knowledge democracy, aiming to make all forms of knowledge more accessible to the public through, for instance, online hosting platforms and providing expertise in copyright, data sharing, and knowledge mobilization. These services are, however, poorly communicated and underutilized when it comes to supporting community-based research projects and the non-traditional research outputs that frequently result from this work in collaboration with community partners. Drawing on findings from a recent study that included interviews with two-dozen academics and administrators engaged with community-based research across Canada, this session aims to help bridge the gap between the needs of community-based research projects, and common library services that support both traditional and non-traditional research creation, dissemination, archiving, and impact assessment. By the end of the session, participants will have increased awareness of ways that academic libraries can help support community-based research projects and ways that these supports might help advance their own work.