Articles of Interest
By Hayley Ashby, Norco College
By Michelle Morton, Cabrillo College
By Claudia Rivas, Río Hondo College
As announced in the September 2023 Outlook Newsletter, Librarian Claudia Rivas began implementing her proposed Zine Outreach Project last fall, as approved and grant funded by UCLA (California Rare Book School’s Radical Librarianship Institute) via the Mellon Foundation.
By Terezita Reyes Overduin, Chaffey College
By Cynthia Ainsworth, Hartnell College
By Shamika J. Simpson, Long Beach City College
The Long Beach City College Library is excited to announce the installation of The Zen Den. The Zen Den is an indoor green space designed to promote well-being. It is a quiet space where people can relax in the tranquil atmosphere, meditate, take a break, de-stress, practice breathwork and center themselves. The Zen Den features a calming, cool - color scheme and includes vines on the wall, faux succulent wall art, faux grass rugs, bean bags, and comfortable chairs. The Zen Den room is also wheelchair accessible.
By Sally Ellis, Riverside City College
In 2017, Riverside City College (RCC) Library conducted a poll, asking students to rank 15 library improvements they would like to see implemented. The options included adding board games, water bottle refill stations, a full-sized skeleton, and food vending machines. The top ranked improvement was the addition of nap pods. In cooperation with facilities and the cafeteria, and as budgets and small donations allowed, we have implemented each of these wishes.
A growing number of professors are replacing the traditional textbook with an openly licensed one, according to a survey released on Tuesday. But their overall numbers remain small — and widespread adoption of the practice could remain out of reach unless key barriers are overcome. Read more: https://www.chronicle.com/article/Use-of-Free-Textbooks-Is/242086
America’s journalists, relentlessly attacked by President Trump, are also taking a beating in public opinion. However, their information-gathering cousins, librarians, are riding a cloud of popularity. Is there something journalists can learn from librarians? Read more: https://www.poynter.org/news/tale-2-polls-what-do-librarians-have-journalists-dont
From Stephen J. Bell and ACRL's Keeping Up With.... series, an introdcution to staying current with the field of higher education. Essay available at https://ala.informz.net/informzdataservice/onlineversion/ind/bWFpbGluZ2luc3RhbmNlaWQ9NzA1Nzk0MSZzdWJzY3JpYmVyaWQ9MTA2NDY3NDI2MA== More installments of Keeping Up With...
From the New York Times, a story of the reasons why some academics intentionally publish in predatory journals: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/30/science/predatory-journals-academics.html
This OCLC Research Report challenges the digital natives vs. digital immigrants paradigm; that is, the common assumption that younger people prefer to conduct research in a digital space while older people rely on physical sources for information.
A series of interviews on the Circulating Ideas podcast are related to libraries and fake news, including:
· Fake News and the Psychology of the Brain, Circulating Ideas episode 116: Laura Lauzen-Collins: http://bit.ly/2w2rXvd
· Fake News, Information Literacy and Teaching College Students, Circulating Ideas episode 113: William Badke: http://bit.ly/2tKF5J6
ACRL announces the release of Academic Library Impact: Improving Practice and Essential Areas to Research. Developed for ACRL by OCLC Research, this valuable resource investigates how libraries can increase student learning and success and effectively communicate their value to higher education stakeholders.
I was finishing up my first year in a new position at Coastline Community College when I saw an announcement from CCL about a Library Leadership Scholarship they had available. As a solo librarian at Coastline I had found myself in new leadership roles across the campus and I needed some help with my juggling act. The CCL Library Leadership Scholarship allowed me to attend the Leadership Institute for Academic Librarians (LIAL) this last summer at Harvard.
Do we learn better from printed books than digital versions? The answer from researchers is a qualified yes
Claudia Wallis of the Hechinger Report, In Her Science of Learning Column reviewed the research report on the difference between digital and print books.
http://hechingerreport.org/textbook-dilemma-digital-paper/
Jenny S. Bossaller and Heather Moulaison Sandy* in C & R L College & Research Libraries v. 78, No. 5 (2017) http://crl.acrl.org/index.php/crl/article/view/16714/18221
By Steven Bell on August 9, 2017. From the Bell Tower
Undergraduates are not the only user group of concern to academic librarians, but they consume significant amounts of our time and energy. Knowing these nine emerging needs of future students could better inform our service planning and design.
Mindfulness has become the de rigueur everywhere you look, including academic libraries. At its core and quite simply, mindfulness is being present and aware moment to moment with ease. What does it mean for librarians and why should we consider its positive transformative potential?
http://www.ala.org/acrl/publications/keeping_up_with/mindfulness