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Current Projects

The projects listed here are research projects, organizational consulting projects and dissertations for which the SLIS faculty and Gateway Ph.D students are currently principal or co-investigators. The projects are categorized within the CIRI Research Areas.

Digital Records and Curation

Grant Funded Research

  • Local History Digital Resources Project (LHDRP)

    PI: Diana Wakimoto. Read more about Wakimoto

    The grant provides funding for digitizing parts of the image collection at California State University East Bay, creating metadata records, and uploading images, metadata, and finding aids to the Online Archive of California (OAC).

  • Trust and Conflicting Rights in the Digital Environment
     
    SLIS External Participant: Dr. Pat Franks

    An exploratory workshop that will bring together researchers in information science, law, law enforcement, and journalism from universities in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia, and from multinational entities, in order to gain a better understanding of the trust relationship between organizations and their client groups with regard to the data and records created, maintained, used and/or preserved on the Internet. The workshop will be held at the School of Library, Archival, and Information Studies at the University of British Columbia-location of the PI Dr. Luciana Duranti.

Ongoing Research

  • Second Life, Virtual Center for Archives & Records Administration
    PI: Dr. Patricia Franks
  • The History of Community Archives in California Since 1950
    PI: Diana Wakimoto. Read more about Wakimoto

    An exploration of the creation and evolution of three community-based archives to understand how their practices differ from traditional institutions. This is the first in-depth comparative history of the queer community archives movement, and provides a new perspective on archival work. San Jose Gateway PhD Program, dissertation.

  • Digital Records at the Junction of Work and Play: An examination of the rights and remedies of employers and employees in work-related blogs, posts, and tweets.
    PI: Dr. Debbie Weissman

Information Access and Use

Grant Funded Research

  • Engaging a New Generation of Library Users: Exploring a Multi-Library Collaborative Model to Deliver Text Reference Service

    PI: Dr. Lili Luo

    Dr. Lili Luo, an assistant professor with the San Jose State University School of Library and Information Science, is conducting the first in-depth research regarding how libraries can meet their patrons' information-seeking needs via text messaging. The research team is also studying how libraries and other information centers can collaboratively deliver services and expand their ability to meet patron needs during challenging economic times. Read more about the project and about SJSU SLIS student and research assistant Emily Weak.

  • Preparing Public Librarians to Support Health Literacy in their Communities

    PI: Dr. Lili Luo

    This research takes an interdisciplinary approach (working with the SJSU Department of Health Sciences) to addressing a critical issue facing our nation - poor health literacy, which results in increased health care costs and poor health outcomes. Public libraries are the first resource that many people consult when seeking health information, and this project addresses an important need in our discipline, helping ensure that librarians are prepared to meet the health literacy needs of their communities.

  • Preparing Public Librarians to Support Health Literacy in their Communities
    Sponsor: CASA 2012-2013 Research Incentive Grant
    PI: Dr. Lili Luo
    Poor health literacy results in a range of serious consequences, including the inability to manage chronic conditions, obtain health services, and follow physician instructions. Nearly half of all adult Americans struggle with health literacy, making it a silent epidemic that leads to increased health care costs and poor health outcomes for millions of individuals.
    The public library is the first resource many people consult when seeking information on health topics, and librarians can play a vital role in improving health literacy. However, studies show that public librarians are not adequately prepared to address the health literacy needs of their communities. This study takes an interdisciplinary approach to addressing the health literacy needs of consumers, bringing together scholars and practitioners from Library and Information Science and Health Science to identify an effective mechanism for training public librarians to meet the health literacy needs of their communities.

Ongoing Research

  • Metacognition and concept drifting in interactive information retrieval
    PI: Dr. Geoffrey Liu
  • Online fantasy sports players' information needs and behaviors
    PI: Dr. Sandra Hirsh with Christine Anderson, Sportvision Creative Director
  • Restoring a Sense of Community: Overcoming Challenges for Communities to be More Resilient
    PI: Dr. Chris Hagar (with Gaston Armour, Illinois State Emergency Preparedness Coordinator)
  • Information Pathways: The Information Practices and Experiences of Teen Content Creators - San Jose Gateway PhD Program, dissertation
    PI: Mary Ann Harlan
  • Becoming an Expert Searcher: Learning Experiences and Threshold Concepts - San Jose Gateway PhD Program, dissertation
    PI: Virginia Tucker
  • Information Sharing in Virtual Collaboration: A Software Engineering Perspective - San Jose Gateway PhD Program, dissertation
    PI: Laura Anderson
  • Children on the Internet Playground: An Investigation of Choices of Play on the Internet.
    PI: Dr. Debbie Weissman
  • Fitting Research Skills: Examining the sequencing of research skills utilized by research faculty and the research skills provided to undergraduates in Information Literacy Sessions.
    PI: Dr. Debbie Weissman
  • Silver surfers revisited: An analysis of contextual variables in computer use and access in retirement communities
    PI: Dr. Chris Hagar
    Advisor to Dr. Adrian Kok, School of Social Work, Dominican University, River Forest, IL.
  • Roles for public libraries in crisis preparedness, response, and recovery
    PI: Dr. Chris Hagar
    In their educational, informational, recreational and life-long learning roles, public libraries are involved in a multitude of community activities and are well situated to aid in disaster planning and to engage in strengthening community resilience.  This research explores the multiple roles that public libraries can play in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.

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LIS Online Learning

Grant Funded Research

  • Salzburg Curriculum Project
    PI: Dr. Michael Stephens
    Dr. Stephens will be serving as an advisor and participant in further developing the Salzburg Curriculum.  The Salzburg Curriculum project is centered around a high-level curricular framework created at the Salzburg Global Seminar in October of 2011. This framework is designed to bring together the training processes for both library and museum professionals in order to align them with each other. Via an IMLS grant led by Dr. David Lankes the group will fully develop the framework with the original participants of the "Salzburg Global Seminar on Libraries and Museums in an Era of Participatory Culture",map the newly refined framework to significant curricula standards in the library and museum domains, and create a web space for discussion and adoption of the refined framework.
     
  • Online Graduate Programs in Vietnam: A Model for Global Partnerships

    PI: Dr. Sandy Hirsh with Dr. Alice Hines and Debbie Faires

    Faculty members from the San Jose State University School of Library and Information Science, the SJSU School of Social Work, and Vietnam National University (VNU) are partnering to examine the feasibility of transforming VNUs existing graduate programs in Library Science and Social Work to an online delivery model. The team is developing recommendations regarding the best approach to implementation, should VNU decide to move ahead. Adding online courses to VNUs existing face-to-face programs will enable the institution to meet a growing local demand for social workers and information professionals. SJSU SLIS is a recognized leader in online learning.

  • Preparing Tomorrows Librarians to Serve Diverse Communities: An Interdisciplinary Partnership

    PI: Dr. Linda Main

    Faculty members from the San Jose State University School of Library and Information Science and Department of World Languages and Literatures are developing, piloting, and evaluating a new 100% online Chinese language and culture course for students enrolled in the SJSU SLIS Master of Library and Information Science program. The project builds on two existing interdisciplinary language and culture courses in Spanish and French currently offered to SJSU SLIS students. The Chinese course will prepare future librarians to serve our nation's growing population of Chinese Americans, as well as our nation's growing interest in Chinese culture and the ability to participate in a global marketplace.

  • Circle of Learning

    PI: Jane Fisher

    The Circle of Learning is a partnership between the San Jose State University School of Library and Information Science and the American Indian Library Association. The project offers scholarships and other support to American Indians and Alaska Natives who want to earn a fully online Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree. The project's goal is to increase the number of Native librarians who understand tribal culture and are committed to addressing the challenges faced by libraries serving Native patrons.

  • Preparing Librarians to Serve Diverse Communities Along our Nations Border

    Lead SLIS Partner: Jane Fisher

    The Serra Cooperative Library System, in partnership with the San Jose State University School of Library and Information Science, is recruiting and educating a new generation of culturally competent librarians who will serve Californias two counties bordering Mexico. The project will address the challenges currently faced by Serra's 14 public library systems, as they seek to fill vacant librarian positions with individuals who enjoy serving the areas multicultural and multilingual population, who reflect the community's rich diversity, and who want to live and work locally. Future librarians will be recruited from the pool of paraprofessionals who already staff Serra libraries. They receive financial assistance and other support as they earn their MLIS degree and prepare to transition to professional positions. The entire Serra community benefits from local educational events that expand their understanding of how libraries can meet the needs of diverse populations. Read more about some of the Serra scholarship recipients.

Ongoing Research

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New Literacies and Learning

Grant Funded Research

  • Learning to Integrate Emerging Technology: Exploring the Impact and Efficacy of Learning 2.0 Programs in Libraries

    PI: Dr. Michael Stephens

    Dr. Michael Stephens, an assistant professor with the San Jose State University School of Library and Information Science, is conducting research regarding the Learning 2.0 professional development program, offered by nearly 1,000 libraries worldwide. The self-paced, online program aims to educate library personnel about emerging technology, generate a willingness to explore and adapt to technological change, and gain new knowledge regarding how to use emerging technology to better serve their communities. Stephens is studying how this widespread professional development program is impacting library staff and library services, how the program model can be refined to improve long-term outcomes, and how it can inform further research regarding self-directed online professional development models.

Ongoing Research

  • 21st Century Multiliteracies & Youth; Digital Storytelling
    PI: Dr. Kristen Rebmann
  • A study exploring Learning 2.0 in US libraries
    PI: Dr. Michael Stephens
  • A study on the practices and perceptions of program administrators of Learning 2.0 courses in Australia
    PI: Dr. Michael Stephens
  • Information literacy as the Enacted Object of Classroom Learning: Learning to Use Information in Context (LUIC) - San Jose Gateway PhD Program, dissertation
    PI: Clarence Maybee
  • The value of toxic characters/human monsters in YA literature
    PI: Dr. Joni Bodart
  • Digital reading; Student perceptions and use of ebooks
    PI: Dr. Ziming Liu
  • Creation of new types of learning environments and learning strategies that propel the Learning Commons into the center of teaching and learning
    PI: Dr. David Loertscher
  • Academic Faculty's Teaching Social Networks: What are the Implications for Library Faculty Gateway. San Jose Gateway PhD Program, dissertation
    PI: Tina Inzerilla
  • Learning About Mobile Devices:
Connecting Staff & Users to Information Resources
    PI: Michael Stephens
    Guldborgsund-bibliotekerne is a public library situated in the south eastern part of Denmark, Europe. The library serve an area with about 64,000 inhabitants and have a staff of 58 library people. (28 librarians). In 2008, the library partnered with three other library systems in Denmark to offer a Learning 2.0 program for staff. This winter library staff are planning a program to educate and inspire staff to use mobile media. It will be modeled on the Learning 2.0 program but instead of desktop or laptop based “things” it will include 23 iOS apps.

    The overarching goal for this project is to update the highly successful Learning 2.0 program model to include mobile technology and then broadly share this online professional development program with library staff across the globe. As with the original Learning 2.0 program, the mobile technology version of the program will be offered at no cost, on an open source platform.

    Specific outcomes include:

    Expanded knowledge of library personnel regarding how to serve their communities, which increasingly rely on mobile technology.
    Enhanced openness of library personnel to explore and adapt to using mobile technology.
    Expanded capacity of library personnel to develop new mobile device applications.
    Expanded access to the Learning 2.0 program by promoting the mobile version to library personnel

     

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Management and Leadership

Grant Funded Research

  • Operational relationships between municipal administration and public libraries: The case of information technology
    Sponsor: Canadian Urban Libraries Council
    PI: Cheryl Stenstrom

    Public library services are becoming increasingly dependent on technology.  Most current public library strategic plans contain initiatives that can only be successful through the use of new technologies. There currently exist a number of models for operational responsibility of the IT infrastructure that public libraries require, including: a combination of City owned and operated assets and library owned and operated assets, City owned and operated assets that support all aspects of a library system’s services and strategic priorities, and City or library owned and operated assets combined with outsourced services that support services and priorities. Anecdotal evidence suggests that as municipal responsibility of IT infrastructure increases, public library strategic priorities that rely on technology become harder to meet. No empirical evidence exists to support or to reject such an assumption. Where such mergers have already occurred, there exists no evidence that might help determine if current agreements or arrangements can be improved. The main question this study will seek to answer is: Which organizational models best support public library IT technology-related goals?  A secondary question is: Which models represent the best financial models while still providing support for library IT technology-related goals?
     

Ongoing Research

  • Core Competencies for Urban Public Librarians from Graduation to the Headship
    PI: Dr. Ken Haycock
  • Factors Affecting Funding Decisions by Elected Politicians and Senior Bureaucrats
    PI: Dr. Ken Haycock
  • Influencing Funding Decisions by Elected Politicians at the State/Provincial Level: A Case Study of Public Libraries in Canada - San Jose Gateway PhD Program, dissertation
    PI: Cheryl Stenstrom
  • Factors Affecting the Funding of Academic Units: A Case Study of the Academic Library San Jose Gateway PhD Program, dissertation
    PI: Maria Otero-Boisvert

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Social Dynamics of Information

Grant Funded Research

Ongoing Research

  • VOYA's YA Spaces of Your Dreams Collection
    PI: Dr. Anthony Bernier
  • Transforming young adult services: A reader for our age
    PI: Dr. Anthony Bernier
  • Depoliticizing the California State Library: James Gillis’s Political and Professional Transformation, 1899˗1917. (An article for a special issue of Information and Culture on state libraries)
    PI: Dr. Debra Hansen
  • Library Wars (A history of women librarians at the Los Angeles Public Library, 1880-1910)
    PI: Dr. Debra Hansen
  • 1921 Tulsa Race Riots (Organization of Documents). African American Resource Center/Rudisill Regional Library, Tulsa, OK
    PI: Dr. Arglenda Friday

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Technological Innovation and Change

Grant Funded Research

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