Academic Integrity and Plagiarism: The Librarian’s Role in Encouraging AI and Preventing Plagiarism
Presenter- Beth Hendrix, University of Idaho
When many students enter higher education, they bring with them the notion that information is free – a result of sharing and borrowing in the online experience. As trusted and impartial members of the campus community, librarians play an important role in dispelling this notion by integrating anti-plagiarism techniques into information literacy instruction sessions. This is the case at the University of Idaho, where information literacy is embedded in the core English course for first-year students. But instead of framing the topic as academic dishonesty, we rebranded our plagiarism module as “Characteristics of Academic Integrity” and elevated our focus from simply how to avoid plagiarism but why it matters. Using the concepts that information has value and scholarship is a conversation, we designed an instruction module that highlights honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility in scholarly research; emphasizes the responsibilities inherent in academic writing; integrates with information literacy concepts; and aligns with university goals for student learning. This talk outlines our step-by-step process for developing and delivering our Academic Integrity module, including strategies for integrating key information literacy concepts, and activities for helping students identify information that should be cited in their research.
Research Hour: A Partnership between librarians, faculty and the Writing Center
Presenter- Anne Davies, Xavier University
Fifty minute instruction does not always reach the students at the right time. Nor does it give them individual attention. We offer research consultations by appointment which is great for one on one help but it lacks the support of the professor and the Writing Center. By scheduling research hours outside of class time, in conjunction with faculty, Writing Center staff, and the librarian liaison to that department, we found a new and more effective way to provide students with help for their research projects at a strategic time before their assignment is due. Having the professor offer extra credit and strongly encourage students to attend, ensures good participation. Student assessment showed that the real gain for them was not the extra credit but better research projects and knowledge of people they could go to for help on campus. The Professor reported that extra credit was the motivator, but the usefulness of the session was praised in the feedback. Writing Center tutors helped with citations and avoiding plagiarism, the professor helped refine topics and the librarian provided guidance on the appropriate databases to use for the topic.
Library Technicians as Instructors
Presenter- Ashley Edwards, Simon Fraser University
Library technicians can be found employed throughout the spectrum of libraries, in a variety of roles. Their education prepares graduates to work both behind the scenes of libraries in cataloguing or with eresources, and in public service roles such as staffing reference or information desks. With few exceptions, library technicians and librarians work together to meet the needs of the library’s patrons. This lightning talk will look at the education, and capabilities of library technicians, and how collaborating with librarians on general instruction needs can help offset increasing instruction requests. It will focus on the academic library sector, and having library technicians facilitate general instruction workshops which have been developed by librarians.
Comic engagement and information literacy challenges: teaching students about the ethical and economic issues involved in scholarly communications
Presenter- Christina Nilsen, Seattle University
Teaching students how and why to find scholarly literature is routine for reference and instruction librarians in academia. But how often do we teach students about journal retractions, or criticisms of the peer review process itself? Similarly, teaching students how to use Interlibrary Loans when their home institution can’t provide access to a publication is standard fare. But what about encouraging students to think about the rising prices of journal and database subscriptions, alternative publishing models like Open Access, and the broader economic contexts that shape access in the first place? Comics or “graphic narratives” can be powerful teaching tools. By combining images and texts, they compel readers to interact with two communication systems simultaneously to make meaning, resulting in a potentially more complex and fulsome kind of engagement. They also provide opportunities to depict issues from multiple perspectives simultaneously. This lightning talk will look at the development and use of an in-house information literacy comic to engage students in the ethical and economic issues involved in scholarly communications.
Beyond Typical Library Partnerships: Intersecting with the City
Presenter- Cindy Derrenbacker, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON
Beyond Typical Library Partnerships: Intersecting with the City Now in its third year, Laurentian University’s School of Architecture in Sudbury, ON—Canada’s newest architecture school in forty years—has provided unique partnership opportunities for the stand-alone, branch architecture library. Since its inception, this nascent library, primarily supporting the information needs of the architecture students and faculty in the downtown core, has developed informal partnerships with the main branch of the Greater Sudbury Public Library and several city departments (Archives, Museums, Planning), The Art Gallery of Sudbury, local architecture firms and First Nations elders. These community partnerships nurture and extend information literacy, allow for creative synergies, and enable less duplication of effort. I believe that this session would work best as a Lightning Talk, but I am also submitting it as a Poster session as well. In either venue, it is intended to reflect the conference theme of Intersections.
The Disappearance of Citizenship and Civic Engagement in the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education
Presenter- Jeff Lilburn, Mount Allison University
Much has been written about the impact that public policy shifts have on universities. According to some observers, the purpose of higher education is changing, with the idea of the university as public good focused on independent inquiry replaced with a view of the university as private good valued primarily for vocational training and economic growth. Efficiency and value-for-money have become dominant buzzwords, and corporate-style management the new normal. In LIS, recent scholarship has drawn attention to ways that neoliberal ideology influences and informs activities of the academic library, including information literacy instruction. This talk contributes to this work by examining the place of citizenship in the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy. The ACRL Information Literacy Standards described close connections between information literacy and an informed and active citizenry. In contrast, the IL Framework makes no explicit references to citizenship, and the Knowledge Practices and Dispositions omit clear statements about civic action or engagement. What do these absences say about the purpose of IL instruction, and how might they intersect with shifts in public policy and associated changes occurring at institutions of higher education? This talk will address these and related questions and contribute to critical discussions about librarian teaching.
Cross Commons Collaboration – Connecting, Sharing, and Inspiring Research(ers) across Campuses
Presenter- Susan Atkey, University of British Columbia and Heather DeForest, Simon Fraser University
In spring 2015, the SFU and UBC Libraries Research Commons joined forces to offer a 1-day NVivo Symposium for qualitative researchers at UBC and SFU with the goal of giving researchers the chance to think deeply about methodology, to share research, to connect with researchers across the Lower Mainland, and to be inspired. In addition to a keynote and Master Class by qualitative research and software expert, Pat Bazeley, the event offered a series of Lightning Talks by students of UBC and SFU doing NVivo-assisted research. Feedback from this event showed that there is a real desire for cross-institution communities of practice around qualitative research methodologies. Given the evolving spaces and services offered by academic libraries, how can we work together to support communities of practice?
Follow