Yours, Mine, Ours: Some Best Practices for Authors Writing Collaboratively

By Rachel A. Knapp, Applied Sciences Librarian, University of Colorado Boulder,
Paulina Borrego, Science & Engineering Librarian, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Thea Atwood, Data Services Librarian, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Introduction

The authors of this article focus on the best practices we learned through our experiences in scholarly writing, with a specific focus on the collaborative writing process. For the sake of this paper, we define collaborative writing as a collective process of creating a scholarly work for distribution, either through formal (e.g., peer-review) or informal (e.g., white paper) venues. This article is, in part, in response to our lack of formal training and addresses a situation in which we felt other researchers might find themselves. We hope to provide starting points for others interested in writing collaboratively and help empower those wishing to have a broader conversation about writing. Our scope here is limited to collaborative writing, and as such, we exclude other components of collaborative scholarly work, such as generating an idea, pursuing a grant, or analyzing data. Nevertheless, we do endeavor to provide resources and advice broadly applicable and relevant to all disciplines.

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The Five College Hub: Connecting Libraries Across Campuses 

By Jean Janecki, Mount Holyoke College
Paulina Borrego, University of Massachusetts- Amherst
C.M. Flynn, Smith College

Five College Library Consortium – An Unlikely Cast of Characters

The Five College Libraries Professional Development Committee (FCLPD) comprises one member from each of the Five College Consortium’s libraries located in the Pioneer Valley in Western Massachusetts. This is just one of several Five College Library Committees formed to address, advance, and consolidate efforts around common issues to all its members. This article focuses on the successful role of the Professional Development Committee as it fosters and supports conversations and collaborations across campuses. Learn about the Five College Consortium, its library connections, and how this committee coordinates, promotes, and engages its library staff in professional development opportunities.

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Student Educators as Facilitators of Learning: A Model for Peer Education in Academic Library Instruction

By Jonathan Cornforth, Reference and Instruction Librarian
and
Sarah Parramore, Reference and Instruction Librarian
Pollak Library
California State University, Fullerton

Peer-to-peer support has become a cornerstone of learning across various levels and areas of education. Its impact can be felt in many settings; not least of which is an academic library. There has been no lack of experimentation and successful implementation of peer education and related learning models within such spaces. Over time, libraries have helped innovate such forms of learning as they target specific courses and students.

In this vein, library instruction practices are amenable to adaptation. Instructors and various other stakeholders continue to seek out and implement new ways of delivering content which incorporates authentic approaches and pedagogies suited to today’s learner. This includes such innovations as High Impact Practices and other experiential approaches designed to engage students within the context of peer education. Library instruction has been and will continue to advance peer-to-peer engagement practices within various classroom settings.

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“Relaxed and Refreshed, Prepared to Learn”: Experiences With Virtual Yoga Programming in the Academic Library

By Chelsea Humphries
Liaison & Collections Librarian
James A. Gibson Library
Brock University

Abstract

Wellness initiatives on academic campuses are growing, and they are increasingly important as mental health declines and mental health problems continue to be exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Academic libraries are the spaces in which wellness initiatives can be brought to the frontlines, meeting students in the spaces within which they study and conduct their research. As a liaison librarian and a yoga instructor, my goal has been to humanize the academic library space with yoga as a mindful movement practice supporting wellness initiatives on campus and the library’s strategic priority of supporting student success. Upon remotely starting my role as a liaison librarian during the COVID-19 pandemic, I started a virtual Library Yoga program intended to support students and the broader university community as they cope with the stresses of working remotely. I offered both synchronous and recorded yoga sessions during the fall and winter terms. To ascertain the impact and value of this program, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, I conducted a web survey among Library Yoga participants (n=14). Survey results indicate that the program reduced stress, fostered a sense of community, challenged library anxiety and misperceptions of the profession, and provided an opportunity for library outreach. It also fostered relationships among organizations on campus during a time when remote work has challenged our abilities to coalesce as a community. These investigations confirm that the library is more than its spaces and collections; it has the ability to set the tone for academic experience with its services, staff, and the community it brings together. Continue reading “Relaxed and Refreshed, Prepared to Learn”: Experiences With Virtual Yoga Programming in the Academic Library

Memes and the Art of Literacy Maintenance

By Beth Carpenter, User Services & Instruction Librarian
Transylvania University
and
Bria Sinnott, Arts & Communication Librarian
Towson University

Abstract

Memes are powerful social media tools, but also powerful information literacy artifacts. Through theory and practice, memes have an important place in how we understand the way our students are thinking, how we can envision the future of information literacy, and how we can have some fun in the process.

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