Assessing safe spaces for digital scholarship in the library

Background. Academic libraries, and the students and faculty that they serve, have different definitions of safe space. The attempts of both parties to construct a safe space for digital scholarship in the library can clash based on these divergent perspectives. While the number of academic librarie...

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Main Author: Wexelbaum, Rachel
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10356/154313
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author Wexelbaum, Rachel
author_facet Wexelbaum, Rachel
author_sort Wexelbaum, Rachel
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description Background. Academic libraries, and the students and faculty that they serve, have different definitions of safe space. The attempts of both parties to construct a safe space for digital scholarship in the library can clash based on these divergent perspectives. While the number of academic libraries providing some form of digital scholarship support is increasing, the library definition of safe space, as well as the working culture of the library, has the potential to render libraries unsafe spaces for innovation and digital scholarship. Objectives. The author of this paper will address the challenges that academic libraries face in creating safe spaces for digital scholarship. Major challenges include differences in working and leadership styles among different librarians, as well as the library’s assumption that academic libraries automatically function as safe spaces. Results. To date no safe space assessment tool exists specifically for academic libraries or any organization that wishes to provide STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) related education. Using models for organizational change and strategic planning, the author proposes a series of recommendations and questions that academic libraries seeking to implement or improve digital scholarship services should investigate.
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spelling ntu-10356/1543132021-12-22T20:11:27Z Assessing safe spaces for digital scholarship in the library Wexelbaum, Rachel Library and information science Background. Academic libraries, and the students and faculty that they serve, have different definitions of safe space. The attempts of both parties to construct a safe space for digital scholarship in the library can clash based on these divergent perspectives. While the number of academic libraries providing some form of digital scholarship support is increasing, the library definition of safe space, as well as the working culture of the library, has the potential to render libraries unsafe spaces for innovation and digital scholarship. Objectives. The author of this paper will address the challenges that academic libraries face in creating safe spaces for digital scholarship. Major challenges include differences in working and leadership styles among different librarians, as well as the library’s assumption that academic libraries automatically function as safe spaces. Results. To date no safe space assessment tool exists specifically for academic libraries or any organization that wishes to provide STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) related education. Using models for organizational change and strategic planning, the author proposes a series of recommendations and questions that academic libraries seeking to implement or improve digital scholarship services should investigate. Published version 2021-12-17T02:18:13Z 2021-12-17T02:18:13Z 2016 Journal Article Wexelbaum, R. (2016). Assessing safe spaces for digital scholarship in the library. Library and Information Science Research E-Journal, 26(1), 14-30. https://dx.doi.org/10.32655/LIBRES.2016.1.2 1058-6768 https://hdl.handle.net/10356/154313 10.32655/LIBRES.2016.1.2 1 26 14 30 en Library and Information Science Research E-Journal © 2016 Rachel Wexelbaum. All rights reserved. application/pdf
spellingShingle Library and information science
Wexelbaum, Rachel
Assessing safe spaces for digital scholarship in the library
title Assessing safe spaces for digital scholarship in the library
title_full Assessing safe spaces for digital scholarship in the library
title_fullStr Assessing safe spaces for digital scholarship in the library
title_full_unstemmed Assessing safe spaces for digital scholarship in the library
title_short Assessing safe spaces for digital scholarship in the library
title_sort assessing safe spaces for digital scholarship in the library
topic Library and information science
url https://hdl.handle.net/10356/154313
work_keys_str_mv AT wexelbaumrachel assessingsafespacesfordigitalscholarshipinthelibrary