2025
AWARD
JUNGMI JUN, Joonkyoung Kim (Ph.D. alum), Holly Overton (former SJMC faculty), & Chris Noland (Ph.D. alum)
Dr. Jungmi Jun, along with Ph.D. alumni Joonkyoung Kim, Chris Noland, and co-author H. Overton, received this award for their paper, “Exploring Spiritual Health Locus of Control and Its Influence on Vaccine Intentions and Information Seeking.” The paper was also presented at the Religion & Media Interest Group Top Paper Session of the 2025 AEJMC Annual Conference in San Francisco. The study highlights how spiritual beliefs and perceived locus of control (i.e., whether health-related behavior is seen as controlled by God or by oneself) shape individuals’ vaccine-related behaviors, including sources of vaccine information and intentions for booster uptake.
Citation: Kim, J. K., Jun, J., Overton, H., & Noland, C. (2025). Exploring spiritual health locus of control and its influence on vaccine intentions and information seeking. Presented at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA.
JUNGMI JUN, Joonkyoung Kim (Ph.D. alum), and Ali Zain (Ph.D. alum)
Dr. Jungmi Jun, with co-authors Joonkyoung Kim and A. Zain, received this award for their paper, “Unpacking the Impact of Media Racism Exposure on Multidimensional Resistance among Asian Americans.” The paper was also presented at the Minority and Communication Division Top Paper Session of the 2025 AEJMC Annual Conference in San Francisco. This research examines how exposure to anti-Asian racist media content influences Asian Americans’ engagement in various dimensions of activism, mediated by perceived severity of racism and racial self-esteem.
Citation: Jun, J., Kim, J., and Zain, A. (2025). Unpacking the impact of media racism exposure on multidimensional resistance among Asian Americans. Accepted for presentation at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA.
BOOK
JED DEARYBURY (iSchool adjunct nstructor).
Children's book publication.
Citation: The Rainbow Tree, written and illustrated by Jed Dearybury
BOOK CHAPTER
JABARI EVANS
Dr. Jabari Evans authored all 14 of the new “Global Media Today and Culture” case study boxes featured in the 9th edition of Media Today (Routledge, 2025), edited by Joseph Turow. By integrating diverse cultural perspectives and the work of leading scholars in media studies, Dr. Jabari Evans brings fresh insight and relevance to this new edition of Joseph Turow's classic text. His case studies are designed to engage students in critical conversations about convergence, representation, commercialization, and the sociopolitical implications of today’s evolving media landscape. By integrating diverse cultural perspectives and the work of leading scholars in media studies, Dr. Jabari Evans brings fresh insight and relevance to this new edition of Joseph Turow's classic text. His case studies are designed to engage students in critical conversations about convergence, representation, commercialization, and the sociopolitical implications of today’s evolving media landscape.
Citation: Evans, Jabari M. (2025). Author, “Global Media Today and Culture” case study series (Chapters 1-14). In Turow, J. (Ed.), Media Today (9th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
ERIC ROBINSON, Dick Kawooya, Clayton Copeland, and Brandy Fox (iSchool M.A. alum).
Chapter in the book "Legislative Advocacy and Public Policy Work for Academic and Research Library Workers: Perspectives and Strategies," published by the Association of College and Research Libraries. This chapter provides an overview of the laws regarding accessibility and copyright that librarians, educators and others must consider when creating and providing course materials to students with visual impairments.
Citation: Robinson, E.; Kawooya, D.; Copeland, C.A.; and Fox, B. (2025). No Clear Vision: Problems and Opportunities with the Law Regarding Equitable Access for the Blind, Visually Impaired, and Print-Disabled (BVIPD) Students (chap. 4). In Pun, R.; Durney, S.M.; and Anantachai, T. Legislative Advocacy and Public Policy Work for Academic and Research Library Workers: Perspectives and Strategies. Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries.
Abstract: College students who are blind, visually impaired, and print-disabled (BVIPD) face several obstacles in their academic programs. While laws in the U.S. require that public and private colleges and universities offer their educational services to students with disabilities on substantially the same basis as other students, and American copyright law has been modified to allow creation of accessible materials, several legal uncertainties and hurdles remain. This chapter explains these obstacles, and offers suggestions that academic and research library workers can use to address these concerns in their activities and their advocacy and policy work.
CONFERENCE PAPER
DARIN FREEBURG, Katie Klein (iSchool Ph.D. alum)
We presented our research on work routines, considering its implications for school librarians.
Citation: Klein, K. & Freeburg, D. (2025). Public library routines research: Implications for school libraries. Presented at the 50th Annual South Carolina Association of School Librarians Conference.
MARYAM GOLI (SJMC Ph.D. Student)
This August, presented the paper, Digital Echoes of a Movement, at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Annual Conference in San Francisco, California.
JUNGMI JUN, Ali Zain (Ph.D. alum), Joonkyoung Kim (Ph.D. alum)
Presented at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA.
Citation: Jun, J., Zain, A., and Kim, J. (2025). Generative AI in higher education: An analysis of U.S. college communications on policies, ethics, and resources.
JUNGMI JUN, Joonkyoung Kim (Ph.D. alum), Ali Zain (Ph.D. alum)
Accepted to present at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA.
Citation: Jun, J., Kim, J., and Zain, A. (2025). Unpacking the impact of media racism exposure on multidimensional resistance among Asian Americans.)
JUNGMI JUN, Ali Zain (Ph.D. alum), Joonkyoung Kim (Ph.D. alum)
Accepted to present at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA.
Citation: Jun, J., Zain, A., and Kim, J. (2025). Generative AI in higher education: An analysis of U.S. college communications on policies, ethics, and resources.
JUNGMI JUN, Joonkyoung Kim (Ph.D. alum), Holly Overton (former SJMC faculty), Chris Noland (Ph.D. alum)
Selected to present at Top Refereed Research Paper Session of Religion and Media Interest Group
Citation: Kim, J. K., Jun, J., Overton, H., Noland, C., & Xiong, Y. (2025). Does God want me to get vaccinated? Exploring spiritual health locus of control and its influence on vaccine intentions and information seeking. Accepted to present at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA. [*Top Refereed Research Paper Session - Religion and Media Interest Group]
JUNGMI JUN, Seihill Kim, Ali Zain (Ph.D. alum)
Paper presented to the 2025 Conference of the Korean Association of Advertising and Public Relations, Incheon, Korea.
Abstract: Kim, S.-H., Zain, A., & Jun, J. (2025, May). Ethical challenges of automated vehicles: Consumer perceptions and attitudes toward AI-driven cars in the U.S.
JACOB LONG
This is a paper presented at ICA 2025 entitled, "Reevaluating the stability of media use." This theoretical paper argues that prior claims that individual-level media use is incredibly stable over time — so much so that it may hardly be worth doing longitudinal studies about it — are likely overblown. The statistical methods used for making the claim that media usage is an extremely stable behavior are biased in such a way that they are bound to overstate the stability.
Citation: Long, J. A. (2025). Reevaluating the stability of media use. Paper presented to the 75th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association, Denver, CO.
Abstract: Measuring media exposure is notoriously difficult due to the unreliability of self-reports. Current methods often suggest that media use is highly stable after correcting for measurement error, but this paper argues that such stability estimates may be inflated due to problematic assumptions in common reliability models. Specifically, the quasi-simplex model, widely used to measure stability, rests on assumptions that are frequently violated in communication research. These include the lag-1 assumption, which, if violated, can lead to underestimated reliability and overestimated stability. Despite reports of extreme stability, changes in media use are often associated with theoretically expected outcomes such as political polarization and participation. This suggests that meaningful variation may be overlooked. I propose alternative strategies for assessing stability, including modeling lag-2 effects and using polychoric correlations, to provide a more accurate picture of media behavior over time.
JACOB LONG
This is an ICA 2025 paper entitled, "Maintaining partisan identity through political communication." This longitudinal study shows that political media use has more complicated effects than just making people's attitudes/identities more extreme. In fact, especially for people who are already strong partisans, political media is important for keeping those identities stable rather than changing them.
Citation: Long, J. A. (2025). Maintaining partisan identity through political communication. Paper presented to the 75th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association, Denver, CO.
Abstract: Using the Reinforcing Spirals Model as a framework, this study investigates how partisan media use and political discussion influence both stability and change in partisan identity strength. An intensive longitudinal survey (N = 268, T = 22) revealed that in-party communication promotes stability by reducing variability in identity strength, while also contributing to identity maintenance over time. In the absence of identity-affirming communication, stronger partisan identities exhibited a tendency to decay. Non-affirming communication, in contrast, was associated with increased variability in identity strength. These findings suggest that communication plays a dual role: it both maintains existing identities and introduces potential for change. By examining these processes over weeks rather than longer intervals, this research reveals patterns that may be obscured in designs with longer lags between measurements. The study advances our understanding of how media and discussion regulate partisan identity, showing the relationships between communication patterns and identity dynamics.
JACOB LONG, Chinwendu Akalonu (SJMC PhD student), Jingyi Xiao (SJMC PhD student), Ertan Ağaoğlu (SJMC PhD student), Shamira McCray (SJMC PhD student)
This paper was presented at AEJMC 2025 entitled, "Perceptions of AI-generated news: an experiment on disclosure type and timing." We did an experiment to see how people react to news articles that are described as having been written by AI models. Somewhat surprisingly, they did not react very negatively to them unless they were told the news organization tried to conceal the AI usage. Data indicate that part of the reason for the modest effects is that people don't pay attention to the bylines where disclosure occurs.
Citation: Long, J. A., Akalonu, C., Xiao, J., Ağaoğlu, E., & McCray, S. (2025). Perceptions of AI-generated news: An experiment on disclosure type and timing. Paper presented to the 108th Annual Conference of the Association for Education in Mass Communication and Journalism, San Francisco, CA.
Abstract: This study experimentally tested effects of AI disclosure on news perceptions (N=997). Results show upfront AI bylines (AI-only or AI-human collaboration) did not significantly impact credibility, readability, or usefulness compared to human-only. However, delayed disclosure of concealed AI use significantly reduced content and source credibility. Findings suggest transparency, more than AI use, shapes audience reactions.
JACOB LONG, Shamira McCray (SJMC PhD student), Ertan Ağaoğlu (SJMC PhD student), Chinwendu Akalonu (SJMC PhD student), Jingyi Xiao (SJMC PhD student)
This is a paper presented at AEJMC 2025 entitled, "Exploring the news judgment of large language models." We look for whether AI models mirror human biases when asked to help reporters choose which missing persons cases should be covered in local newspapers. Contrary to well-known criticisms of human news reporters, AI models disproportionately choose to cover missing persons cases in which the victim is Black.
Citation: Long, J. A., McCray, S., Ağaoğlu, E., Akalonu, C., & Xiao, J. (2025, August 8). Exploring the news judgment of large language models. Paper presented to the 108th Annual Conference of the Association for Education in Mass Communication and Journalism, San Francisco, CA.
Abstract: Large Language Models (LLMs) increasingly assist news production, raising concerns about algorithmic bias. We investigate racial bias using a simulated editorial task where LLMs select missing persons cases for news coverage. Computational experiments reveal LLMs consistently prefer cases explicitly labeled "Black" or "Latino" over "white" or "Asian," diverging from known human biases. This preference largely disappears when race is signaled only by names. Models also show idiosyncratic preferences for other aspects of the tested cases.
JACOB LONG, Tabitha Oyewole (SJMC PhD student), Maryam Goli (SJMC PhD student), Jacqueline M. Keisler (SJMC Faculty and PhD Student), Saud Alyaqout (SJMC PhD student), Michael D. Rodgers, and Arielle N’Diaye (PhD student, Public Health)
This is a paper presented at AEJMC 2025 called, "The disclosure dilemma: How AI attribution affects reactions to public health messages." We show that if public health communicators disclose the use of AI, it hurts the credibility of their message and people learn less from the message. On the other hand, if the public learns of the AI use later there is a serious loss of trust in the communicator itself.
Citation: Long, J. A., Oyewole, T., Goli, M., Keisler, J. M., Alyaqout, S., Rodgers, M. D., & N’Diaye, A. (2025). The disclosure dilemma: How AI attribution affects reactions to public health messages. Paper presented to the 108th Annual Conference of the Association for Education in Mass Communication and Journalism, San Francisco, CA.
Abstract: This experiment (N=1,500) examines how disclosing AI generation of public health message creation affects audience reactions. Results suggest a trade-off: up-front disclosure of AI usage significantly reduces message credibility and learning (17% less information retained) but preserves institutional credibility, but if usage of AI is revealed after the fact there is substantial damage to source trustworthiness and perceived transparency. For professional-quality content with no obvious deficits, audiences did not suspect AI involvement when undisclosed.
JENNIFER MOORE
"Learning, improvement, celebration, and advocacy: School librarians’ collections of evidence" was a refereed conference paper presented at the Libraries in the Digital Age Conference in Dubrovnik, Croatia, exploring school librarians' purposes for collecting evidences of practice. What are school librarians’ purposes for collecting evidences of practice?
Citation: Cahill, M. Kodama, C., & Moore, J. (2025, May). Learning, improvement, celebration, and advocacy: School librarians’ collections of evidence. [Refereed conference paper]. Libraries in the Digital Age (LIDA) 2025 Conference, Dubrovnik, Croatia.
JENNIFER MOORE, Jenna Spiering, Valerie Byrd-Fort, Reese Bowman (iSchool Ph.D. student)
This paper presents findings from a qualitative study exploring the extent to which recent legislation has impacted collection development behaviors and perceptions of the profession of public school librarians in South Carolina, U.S.A.
Citation: Moore, J., Spiering, J., Byrd-Fort, V., & Bowman, R. (2025, May). Navigating the impact of state regulations on school librarians’ collection development practices. [Refereed conference paper]. Libraries in the Digital Age (LIDA) 2025 Conference, Dubrovnik, Croatia.
GRANT
MARGARET JACKSON
Cocky's Reading Express received a $10,000 project grant from Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation to bring our interactive storytime programming to 2,300 students across five Midlands area Title I elementary schools this fall, including Aiken, Barnwell Consolidated, and Richland Two School Districts.
Cocky's Reading Express travels to Title I elementary schools across the state, performing unforgettable storytimes and providing free giveaway books alongside our Carolina mascot. We're celebrating 20 years of fostering a lifelong love in South Carolina's students.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
CHINWENDU AKALONU (SJMC PhD student), August E. Grant
Our research on the Broadcast Journalism Capstone Experience was published in Journalism and Mass Communication Educator in May 2025. The study examines how journalism schools are updating their capstone courses, with fewer offering broadcast-focused projects and a growing gap between theory and real-world practice. It offers insights to help educators better prepare students for today’s media landscape.
Citation: Akalonu, C. P., & Grant, A. E. (2025). The Broadcast Journalism Capstone Experience: An Updated Overview. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 0(0).
Abstract: This study updates the current state of Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC)-accredited journalism and mass communication broadcast capstone programs, building on the foundational 2012 study by Tanner Forde, Besley, and Weir. It examines significant practices and adaptations to major media technologies within broadcast journalism capstone courses. Through a survey of capstone faculty in 70 U.S. ACEJMC-accredited programs, the findings reveal notable changes within broadcast and journalism capstones, including a reduction in the number of programs offering a broadcast capstone course and a theory-practice divide in capstone education. The study also offers actionable insights to inform pedagogical practices in broadcast journalism and mass communication capstone education.
DARIN FREEBURG, Katie Klein (iSchool Ph.D. alum)
This article considers the identity regulation of public library workers and how these workers respond.
Citation: Freeburg, D. & Klein, K. (2025). Be who we all want you to be: Navigating identity regulation in the public library. Library Quarterly.
Abstract: Public libraries are rapidly changing in response to societal and technological shifts,
and with these shifts comes serious demands on the identities of library staff. This
represents a type of identity regulation, a form of socioideological control employed
by organizational actors to define worker identities. While this manufactured subjectivity
can be unproblematic, it can also lead to alienation, exhaustion, and a loss of authenticity—particularly
for workers with non-normative identities. In this study, 21 public library staff
members recorded audio diaries and sat for an interview about their experiences in
routine library work. Findings reveal the presence of several identity suggestions
centered around things like productivity, continuous improvement, customer service,
and organizational citizenship. Participants responded to these regulation attempts
in several ways, including identification with the suggested identity, disidentification,
and ambivalence. Findings suggest the need for proactive support
structures that enable staff to align their work identities with their authentic selves.
DARIN FREEBURG, Katie Klein (iSchool alum)
This article considers how workers navigate conflicts in information as they develop their working self-concept.
Citation: Freeburg, D. & Klein, K. (2025). Who am I? How public library staff manage conflicting information about the self-concept. Journal of Documentation, 81(7), 293-311.
Abstract:
Purpose – Information represents the building blocks for identity construction, yet it is also full of contradictions and conflict. This is particularly true in the workplace, where workers must navigate conflicting information about their own standpoint on who they are, would ideally be, or should be, and the standpoint of management, customers and colleagues. This study considers how staff working in public libraries deal with conflicting identity-relevant information, as well as the outcome of these approaches.
Design/methodology/approach – Twenty-one public library staff members recorded a series of 5 audio diaries about their frustrations in routine library work. They then participated in a 45-min semi-structured interview intended to follow up on topics discussed in the diaries.
Findings – Participants employed several conflict management styles when confronted
with conflicting information about the self-concept, including dominating, obliging,
integrating, compromising and avoiding. They adopted a dynamic approach, using different
styles and combinations of styles to construct a working self-concept. Outcomes for
most of these styles were mixed.
Originality/value – While a significant amount of research has considered library
identity, fewer studies have considered how staff actively construct their self-concept
within the context of professional practice. By contributing to a better understanding
of identity-relevant information and how library staff navigate it, the current study
supports the profession’s efforts to (1) recognize problematic identity information,
(2) revise routines in which this information is present and (3) train staff on the
use of different strategies and inform them of the potential outcomes of each strategy.
JUNGMI JUN, Ali Zain (SJMC Ph.D. alumni), Taylor Wen, Khalid Alharbi (SJMC Ph.D. alumni), and Jim Thrasher (Arnold School of Public Health faculty)
Citation: Jun, J., Zain, A., Wen, T., Alharbi, K., and Thrasher, J. (2025). The Influence of the US FDA Authorized Modified Exposure Claim on Heuristic Processing of Tobacco Risk Information and Marketing Message Among Young Adults. Health Communication. DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2025.2543575
Abstract: The US FDA has authorized several modified risk tobacco products (MRTPs), permitting marketing claims around modified exposure (i.e. lower exposure to harmful substances compared to cigarettes). We propose that this FDA authorization may serve as a heuristic cue, influencing how people visually attend to the U.S. Surgeon General’s warning to discourage tobacco use and perceive MRTPs and their marketing messages among young tobacco users and non-users. We conducted a 3 (claims: FDA-authorized modified exposure claim vs. the claim only vs. no claim) ×2 (tobacco use status: users vs. non-users) between-subjects factorial experiment with 88 young adults. Eye-tracking and survey data were collected during and after showing a one-minute commercial video for an MRTP, which included the claim and the warning. Participants exposed to FDA-authorized modified exposure claims spent significantly less time looking at the warning and reported greater intent to try the product than the other conditions. While visual attention to the warning did not differ significantly between tobacco users and non-users, tobacco users reported higher interest and intent to try the product. Additionally, there was a significant interaction effect between the claim condition and tobacco use; tobacco users rated the risk of a MRTP significantly lower than non-users only when exposed to the FDA-authorized claim. Our findings support scholarly concerns about the negative impact of FDA-authorized marketing claims for newer tobacco products on young people. Modified exposure claims endorsed by the FDA can reduce attention to risk information, making young people more receptive to tobacco marketing.
VANESSA KITZIE, Nico Sweet (MLIS student)
Citation: Kitzie, V. & Sweet, N. (2025). Resisting Erasure: LGBTQIA+ Public Library Workers in South Carolina and the Fight for Visibility and Inclusion. Public Library Quarterly.
Abstract: Public libraries in conservative U.S. regions have faced growing challenges in maintaining LGBTQIA+ inclusion. In SouthCarolina, book challenges, funding threats, and administrative restrictions have created a hostile environment for LGBTQIA+library workers. This study examined their experiences with discrimination, resistance, and ally support using surveys and focus groups. Key themes included erasure, lack of institutional power, workplace advocacy, and strategic visibility. Despite facing discrimination, staff members persisted in fostering inclusion through advocacy and organizing efforts. The study concludes with recommendations for LGBTQIA+ workers, allies, leadership, patrons, and affinity groups to support inclusion and resist discrimination.
VANESSA KITZIE, Caroline Crouse (MLIS alum)
Citation: Kitzie, V. & Crouse, C. (2025). The power of inclusive practices in academic libraries for LGBTQIA+ communities. The Journal of Academic Librarianship.
Abstract: This research investigates the experiences of LGBTQIA+ academic library patrons with reference librarians and other staff to identify strategies for improving services and communication. Through qualitative interviews with ten LGBTQIA+ students at a Southeastern university, findings highlight positive and negative interactions with library staff, focusing on factors such as body language, language use, and implicit biases. The research identifies key barriers, including outdated cataloging practices, limited visible LGBTQIA+ support, and discomfort in approaching staff. It emphasizes the importance of proactive librarian engagement through inclusive language, cultural humility training, and outreach to LGBTQIA+ student organizations. Participants recommend libraries host relevant events, expand LGBTQIA+-focused resources, and improve structural processes like name change procedures. Findings addresses critical research gaps, such as the limited exploration of LGBTQIA+ students' experiences in academic libraries and the absence of detailed analyses of librarian behaviors reflecting cultural humility. By investigating these gaps, findings contribute to understanding how librarian-patron dynamics, including power imbalances, influence students' comfort and access to resources. Findings conclude that fostering inclusive practices and positive librarian-student relationships is vital for reducing information barriers and enhancing the library experience for LGBTQIA+ patrons.
LAURA SMITH
Citation: Smith, L.K. (2025, July). Using Assessment Methods to Craft AI Policies in the Student Newsrom: A case study. Journal of Media Education. July, 2025, v.16 (2).
Abstract: Despite its growing use in journalistic work, research shows relatively few newsrooms
in the United States have instituted official policies for the use of artificial intelligence
(AI) tools amongst their staff. As new AI tools hit the market and their use in everyday
life proliferates, the next generation of storytellers must grapple with this
new reality. This study explores student perspectives about the practical and ethical
uses of artificial intelligence, including generative AI, in an undergraduate experiential
newsroom setting in the Southeastern United States. Using a pretest/ intervention/posttest
design, the researcher assessed students’ awareness about university AI policies as
well as their perspectives on using a range of potential tools in journalistic work.
In combination with a training workshop on AI use and current industry practices,
an official newsroom policy for use by instructors and students
was developed.
KIM THOMPSON, Yi Wan (iSchool Ph.D. candidate)
Peer reviewed journal article for the Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association. This article presents an original model for understanding belonging for an inclusive lived experience.
Citation: Wan, Y., & Thompson, K. M. (2025). Conceptualising belonging: How LIS education can cultivate a truly inclusive future for neurodivergent and disabled information professionals. Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association, 1–22.
Abstract: In this paper, we present a self-/context-belonging/alienation model to conceptualise belonging in the workplace. Using disability and neurodivergence as an example, we present the argument that we can move beyond inclusion as mere physical access or policy compliance. Our model frames belonging as a relational, context-dependent phenomenon co-constructed by individual agency (self) and systemic factors (context). Synthesising existing literature on critical disability studies and organisational research, we examine how collegial relationships, spatial design, workplace policies and procedures, and organisational culture shape disabled and neurodivergent employees’ experiences of belonging and alienation. We argue that Library and Information Science (LIS) education of the future, particularly in leadership and management curricula, needs to equip students with critical tools to recognise and address the social and structural factors that shape a sense of belonging, especially for equity-deserving employees, such as librarians with disabilities and neurodivergence. We propose pedagogical strategies incorporating the self-/context-belonging/alienation model into LIS coursework, encouraging reflexive leadership, inclusive policy design, and practices that challenge ableism. By embedding this model into LIS education, future professionals will be better prepared to foster equitable, accessible, and empowering organisational environments. This work contributes both a theoretical framework and practical applications for reimagining LIS education in alignment with principles of disability justice.
YI WAN (iSchool Ph.D. candidate), Kim Thompson
Title: Conceptualising Belonging: How LIS Education Can Cultivate a Truly Inclusive
Future for Neurodivergent and Disabled Information Professionals
Journal: Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association
Citation: Wan, Y., & Thompson, K. M. (2025). Conceptualising Belonging: How LIS Education Can Cultivate a Truly Inclusive Future for Neurodivergent and Disabled Information Professionals. Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association, 1–22.
Abstract: This paper presents a self-/context-belonging/alienation model to conceptualise belonging in the workplace. Using disability and neurodivergence as an example, we argue that we can move beyond inclusion as mere physical access or policy compliance. Our model frames belonging as a relational, context-dependent phenomenon co-constructed by individual agency (self) and systemic factors (context). Synthesising existing literature on critical disability studies and organisational research, we examine how collegial relationships, spatial design, workplace policies and procedures, and organisational culture shape disabled and neurodivergent employees’ belonging and alienation. We argue that Library and Information Science (LIS) education of the future, particularly in leadership and management curricula, needs to equip students with critical tools to recognise and address the social and structural factors that shape a sense of belonging, especially for equity-deserving employees, such as librarians with disabilities and neurodivergence. We propose pedagogical strategies incorporating the self-/context-belonging/alienation model into LIS coursework, encouraging reflexive leadership, inclusive policy design, and practices that challenge ableism. By embedding this model into LIS education, future professionals will be better prepared to foster equitable, accessible, and empowering organisational environments. This work contributes both a theoretical framework and practical applications for reimagining LIS education in alignment with principles of disability justice.
ANLI XIAO, Cindy Chen (SJMC Ph.D. student)
Public segmentation has been shown to help corporations respond more effectively to customer needs and expectations. However, limited research has explored segmenting the public based on their role expectations of corporate social advocacy (CSA) engagement in transnational contexts, even though corporations increasingly face these expectations in practice. This study is one of early attempts to segment customers’ expectations of CSA engagement across the U.S., Belgium, China, and Australia using latent profile analysis. The analysis identified three distinct groups with differing expectations for corporate involvement in CSA: the insular, pragmatic, and altruistic groups. These groups vary in political ideology, perceived importance and awareness of CSA, and expected motivations for corporate CSA engagement (value-driven, stakeholder-driven, strategic-driven, and egoistic-driven) across the four countries. This study offers theoretical contributions to CSA public segmentation and practical insights to help corporations better understand customer expectations for CSA engagement.
This study is one of early attempts to segment customers’ expectations of CSA engagement across the U.S., Belgium, China, and Australia using latent profile analysis. The analysis identified three distinct groups with differing expectations for corporate involvement in CSA: the insular, pragmatic, and altruistic groups. These groups vary in political ideology, perceived importance and awareness of CSA, and expected motivations for corporate CSA engagement (value-driven, stakeholder-driven, strategic-driven, and egoistic-driven) across the four countries.
Citation: Zhang, B., Xiao, A., Capizzo, L., Chen, Y., & Cropp, F. (2025). For Whom Does CSA Matter? A Transnational Study Profiling Citizen CSA Expectations in Australia, Belgium, China, and the US. Journal of Promotion Management, 1-28.
Abstract: Public segmentation has been shown to help corporations respond more effectively to customer needs and expectations. However, limited research has explored segmenting the public based on their role expectations of corporate social advocacy (CSA) engagement in transnational contexts, even though corporations increasingly face these expectations in practice. This study is one of early attempts to segment customers’ expectations of CSA engagement across the U.S., Belgium, China, and Australia using latent profile analysis. The analysis identified three distinct groups with differing expectations for corporate involvement in CSA: the insular, pragmatic, and altruistic groups. These groups vary in political ideology, perceived importance and awareness of CSA, and expected motivations for corporate CSA engagement (value-driven, stakeholder-driven, strategic-driven, and egoistic-driven) across the four countries. This study offers theoretical contributions to CSA public segmentation and practical insights to help corporations better understand customer expectations for CSA engagement.
MAINSTREAM PRESS MENTION
JABARI EVANS
Dr. Jabari Evans, Assistant Professor of Race and Media, was recently quoted in a USA Today article on how hip hop is reshaping classrooms and helping students connect more deeply with their education. His comments highlight the role of culture as curriculum and the importance of using students’ lived experiences to drive engagement and learning.
PANEL/PRESENTATION
VANESSA KITZIE
Citation: Kitzie, V. (July 2025). SC LGBTQIA+ public library staff experiences findings. SCALA Rainbow Roundtable Meeting.
VANESSA KITZIE, Caleb Bozard (CIC grad)
A partnership between the Harriet Hancock Center and the Nickelodeon Theater for a film screening and panel. "Breaking the News" is a documentary about women and LGBTQ+ journalists breaking the status quo of journalism, a field dominated by white men, by launching 19th News. Panelists were: Kenni Cummings - Executive Director of South Carolina Tenant Union, Caleb Bozard - Business, growth, and development for the Post and Courier Columbia, and Vanessa Kitzie - Associate Professor, iSchool, USC
ERIC ROBINSON
Eric Robinson gave a presentation and moderated a discussion at the 2025 Oxford Media Policy Summer Institute Programme, sponsored by the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies at Oxford University, Oxford, U.K. The Oxford Media Policy Summer Institute Programme selects media and media law professionals from around the world for a two-week program to discuss trends and issues of mutual interest.
Abstract: Presentation focused on current issues in media law in the U.S.; the discussion was with U.K. media and human rights later Mark Stephens
FEILI TU-KEEFNER
This keynote presentation, Librarian First Responders: Transforming Public Library Services in the Wake of Natural Disasters, is part of the open session Building Future Resilience: Leveraging Library Resources for Global and Disaster Health, sponsored by the Evidence for Global Disaster Health Special Interest Group (E4GDH SIG) and the Health and Biosciences Libraries Section at the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) 89th World Library and Information Congress. This presentation summarizes research findings on community-first disaster health information services delivered by public libraries nationwide over the past decade.
Citation: Tu-Keefner, F., Lyons, D., & Hobbs, A. (2025, August 18-22). Librarian First Responders: Transforming Public Library Services in the Wake of Natural Disasters—A keynote presentation sponsored by IFLA Evidence for Global Disaster Health Special Interest Group. Presented at the 89th IFLA World Library and Information Congress, Astana, Kazakhstan.
FEILI TU-KEEFNER
The keynote presentation of a virtual event. Chinese American Librarians Association Southeast & Southwest Chapters Joint Conference 2025.
Citation: Tu-Keefner, F. (2025, May 23). Librarian first responders: Transforming public library services in the wake of natural disasters
FEILI TU-KEEFNER
Citation: Mardis, M. A., Tu-Keefner, F., Lyons, D. R., Hobbs, A., & Gomez, D. (2025, June 27-30). Is your library ready? Strengthening community resiliency with inclusive public library disaster planning. To be presented at the ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition 2025, Philadelphia, PA.
Abstract: This session includes a blending of panel discussions and an interactive workshop, offering public librarians an opportunity to explore the transformative power of storytelling in the aftermath of natural disasters. As vital community hubs, public libraries provide information resources, services, and support before, during, and after crises. Beyond disseminating information, librarians increasingly foster community engagement, particularly with vulnerable community members. Many libraries also serve as aid distribution points, evacuation centers, and temporary offices for state and federal agencies, placing librarians in critical roles during challenging times.
Storytelling provides an approach for affected individuals to process moments of crisis rather than being overwhelmed by the detrimental impact of the disasters. By sharing stories, librarians and their communities can reflect on their experiences, learn from devastation, and avoid unequal responses that often overlook the most vulnerable. This session will demonstrate how public librarians can enhance community resilience by collecting, sharing, and reflecting on stories of library service successes, gaps, and needs. Participants will gain insights into the healing potential of storytelling and learn how to curate and promote narratives that enhance disaster planning, response, and recovery efforts, thereby empowering communities affected by disasters.
The session begins with a presentation of disaster story excerpts from public libraries in South Carolina, Florida, Texas, Kentucky, and California. Content leaders will showcase strategies for analyzing stories, highlighting exemplary cases and best practice models that libraries can adopt. Participants will then engage in table discussions, sharing their disaster stories while content leaders guide the analysis and collaborative narrative development. Table activities will be compiled into a comprehensive summary for all attendees, offering them a valuable resource for future reference. Through this interactive format, participants will develop innovative strategies to support, engage, and help their communities heal during times of crisis.
PROFESSIONAL ARTICLE
ERIC ROBINSON
Eric P. Robinson published an legal article in the Media Law Resource Center Media Law Letter on the latest legal developments in the libel case by Buster Murdaugh (son of convicted killer Alex Murdaugh) over statements in several documentaries on his father's case.
Citation: Robinson, E. (2025). Federal Court Splits Murdaugh Libel Case, Then Denies Media Defendants’ Dismissal Motions, MLRC MediaLawLetter, May 2025.
Abstract: Report and legal analysis of the latest legal developments in the libel case by Buster Murdaugh (son of convicted killer Alex Murdaugh) over statements in several documentaries on his father's case.
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT
MARCIA PURDAY
Presented "Artificial Intelligence in K-12 Education" to the Union County School District Administrator's Retreat on Monday, June 2. In this presentation and workshop with Union County School District administrators, I talked about generative AI tools, like ChatGPT and MagicSchool, could be used to improve efficiency, communication, and decision-making in K–12 education. I emphasized the practical, ethical, and accessible use of AI and showed how even small, well-prompted tasks can quickly create real impact for educators, students and communities.
Abstract: This session, delivered at the Union County School District Administrator’s Retreat, examined the transformative potential of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in K–12 education. Participants engaged with tools such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and MagicSchool while reviewing case studies from across the United States that demonstrate AI’s capacity to streamline communication, reduce administrative workload, and support data-informed decision-making. Applications ranged from automating bus delay notifications to developing individualized behavior plans. A highlight included the rapid drafting of a district AI policy using a structured “Prompt Engineer” framework, underscoring the immediacy with which theory can translate into practice. This initiative is part of a broader effort led by the University of South Carolina College of Information and Communications to advance practical, ethical, and accessible AI adoption for educators, nonprofits, and small businesses across the state. The program emphasizes incremental implementation, professional development, and ethical integration to foster confidence and creativity in AI use.
MARCIA PURDAY
Presented "What County Leaders Need to Know About AI" at the South Carolina Association of Counties in Charleston on Wednesday, August 6. Which talks about how county leaders can use genAI to transform public service (such as streamlining operations, enhancing communications, and improving citizen engagement) through practical and ethical applications. I talked about the importance of prompt clarity and strategic guidance for public officials to effectively harness AI to better serve their communities while creating efficiencies for employees.
STUDENT RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENT
THOMAS GILBERT, Marcia Purday, Jada Allred (MMC student), Nick Reynolds (Masters in Public Administration), Nicholas Lott (MMC student)
Our team worked with Marcia Purday's Strategic Communications Campaign (JOUR 725) class to produce a proposed communications campaign plan for USC Brain Health (USCBH), a cognitive care program at the University of South Carolina. The campaign deliverables included a plans book that provided an overview of the campaign, a SWOT analysis, the research that formed the campaign's foundation and helped us formulate our ideas, our goals, objectives, strategies, target audiences, tactics, timeline for execution, budget and process for evaluating success. The purpose of the campaign was to educate key audiences on healthy modifiable lifestyle factors that can improve their brain health and grow awareness of USCBH's services for prospective caregivers and patients. We aimed to accomplish this through an organic social media campaign, community outreach, public service announcements on identified radio stations that target our key audiences, and articles in relevant newspapers in areas of South Carolina where Alzheimer's and related dementias are highly prevalent. We were able to present our work to Nicole Carrico, Director of Communications at USC Brain Health, with a plan for execution that students taking Marcia Purday's Fall 2025 JOUR 725 course would be able to put into action.
We created a proposed communication plan for USC Brain Health (USCBH) to educate the public on how to increase their brain health and grow awareness of the services USCBH provides. The plan included a social media campaign, radio PSAs, newspaper features, and appearances at public events.
Link: USC Brain Health Campaign Plans Book
WEBSITE
FEILI TU-KEEFNER, Denise Lyons (iSchool alum), April Hobbs (iSchool alum)
In 2023, Denise Lyons, April Hobbs, and I received a grant from the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) Region 2 Office to develop a sustainable and shareable repository website for disaster information services. The site features a wide range of resources drawn from a series of situation specific research projects conducted over the past decade.
Citation: Tu-Keefner, F., Lyons, D., & Hobbs. (2025, May 27). Library disaster preparedness project.
Abstract: The site features a wide range of resources drawn from our research projects conducted over the past decade. We will continue to add new materials on an ongoing basis. We are currently developing a comprehensive framework that includes service guidelines and professional toolkits to support disaster information services in libraries. This work represents the culmination of our 2024 Excel grant project. We also plan to share the training programs to be developed through our IMLS grant project.
BOOK
MONICA COLON-AGUIRRE, NICOLE COOKE
This work explores the ways in which librarians experience and confront racist ideas and practices in libraries and information science. This exploration is intended to help move the library and information practice forward towards the ideals of social justice.
This volume is part of the Advances in Librarianship Series. This edited volume explores the topic of critical race theory (CRT) on many aspects of the library profession. In this book the notion that librarians can challenge the ways race and racism harm shape library access, collections, discourses, and services using CRT as a theoretical and analytical lens is explored. The goal of instigating changes that lead to social justice.
Citation: Colón-Aguirre, M., Cooke, N.A., Johnson, A.M. & Collins, A.M. (Eds.). (2025). Critical race theory in LIS: Challenging white supremacy in libraries. Emerald. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0065-283020250000056019
Abstract: This volume shares some of the ways that librarians and library scholars are incorporating Critical Race Theory (CRT) into the field of library and information studies. CRT provides a theoretical and analytical lens through which librarians can challenge the ways race and racism harm shape library access, collections, discourses, and services, with the goal of instigating changes that lead to social justice.
Chapter authors represent different points of views related to CRT from their unique perspective as members of minoritized groups and contributions move beyond generalized language and tackle topics directly related to race in America and how these affect the work in libraries. The way in which libraries and other information professions perpetuate racism are explored, alongside racist practices, as well as ideas on how information professionals can move beyond these systems and create institutions that support their patrons and create environments in which all are welcomed.
Critical Race Theory in LIS fulfills a need for LIS literature to focus on race issues in the profession. The work is related to the larger umbrella of DEI work and will advance Social Justice issues in the profession but from a race perspective.
NICOLE COOKE
This is the first book in my series Critical Cultural Information Studies.
Citation: Cooke, N. A. (Ed.). (2025). The Legacy of Black Women in Librarianship: When They Dared to Be Powerful. Chicago: ALA Editions-Neal Schuman.
Abstract: Black women have historically been hidden figures in librarianship, yet their passion, courage, and tenacity paved the way for future generations of knowledge workers. Profiling more than a dozen librarians, book champions, activists, and pioneers of the profession from across the country, this powerful work of archival storytelling will inspire readers both inside and outside of the library field. These are personal histories of advocacy and resilience
CONFERENCE PAPER
SABRINA HABIB
Travel: Southern Oregon Creativity Conference
Citation: Habib, S.; Confidence, Self-Efficacy, and AI: A Systematic Review of Creativity Literature. 2025. Creativity Conference, Southern Oregon University, Ashland, OR.
Abstract: The increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in creative processes presents both opportunities and challenges for human creative confidence and self-efficacy. This systematic review synthesizes research examining these constructs published since the launch of generative artificial intelligence tools (2021), like ChatGPT, with attention to their emerging intersection.
SABRINA HABIB
Beyond Brainstorming: The Impact of Generative AI on Student Creativity. Sole presenter at the University of California Santa Barbara AI Symposium
Citation: Habib, S. (2025, April 30). Beyond brainstorming: The impact of generative AI on student creativity [Symposium presentation]. University of California Santa Barbara AI Symposium, Santa Barbara, CA, United States.
Abstract: As generative AI tools like ChatGPT become increasingly embedded in higher education, they are reshaping how students engage in creative thinking—both as a skill and as a process. This presentation examines recent studies exploring generative AI’s influence on undergraduate students' creativity. Findings show that although generative AI can enhance individual creative performance, its use may lead to homogenized content and decreased creative confidence. The pedagogical implications of carefully integrating AI in ways that amplify students’ creative confidence, framing AI as a tool rather than a substitute for human creativity, will be discussed.
LAURA SMITH
Using Assessment to Craft AI Ethics Policies in the Student Newsroom: A case study. Research in progress presented at Broadcast Education Association’s Annual Conference (Las Vegas, NV).
Rick Peterson & Eileen Waddell allowed access to the journalism and broadcast journalism capstone newsrooms for workshops and data collection throughout the 2024-2025 academic year. Thanks to you both!
Citation: Smith, L.K. (2025, April 6). Using Assessment to Craft AI Ethics Policies in the Student Newsroom: A case study (Research in progress). Broadcast Education Association’s Annual Conference, Las Vegas, NV.
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to explore perceptions of practical and ethical uses of Artificial Intelligence tools, including Generative AI, in a student newsroom setting. The research is designed to assess student’s awareness about university AI policies as well as their perspectives on using a range of potential tools in journalistic work. Findings will be used to develop an official newsroom policy for use by instructors and students.
Link: Publication pending (July 2025). Journal of Media Education.
KIM THOMPSON
Making libraries inclusive of disabled and neurodiverse employees. Juried presentation for 17th Bridging the Spectrum Symposium, 11 April, Washington D.C. This is an output from our 2022-2025 IMLS grant (Keren Dali, U of Denver PI, and Kim Thompson USC, Co-PI) “The Practice Model for an Equitable Workplace Transition Program: Disability and Neurodiversity”.
Citation: Dali, K., Thompson, K. M., McLure, M., & Carey, F.C. (2025, April 11). Making libraries inclusive of disabled and neurodiverse employees. Juried presentation for 17th Bridging the Spectrum Symposium, 11 April, Washington D.C.
Abstract: This interactive workshop engaged attendees in learning about (1) different types of disabilities and neurodiversity seen in library workspaces; (2) barriers experienced by disabled and neurodiverse LIS graduates on the job market; (3) firsthand accounts of their struggles and triumphs at the workplace; and (4) evidence-based recommendations for improving LIS workplaces in terms of day-to-day practices, personal attitudes, and institutional policies. The session centered on study participants’ own voices and engaged workshop attendees in interactive activities that involved cognitive, behavioral, personal, social, and emotional aspects of learning. The workshop was designed to be relevant to all types of libraries, archives, and other information organizations. Open to library and archives managers of all levels; LIS students and soon-to-be graduates; LIS educators; and academic colleagues from other departments interested in accessible workplaces.
DISTINGUISHED LECTURE
KIM THOMPSON
This is an output from our 2022-2025 IMLS grant (Keren Dali, U of Denver PI, and Kim Thompson USC, Co-PI) “The Practice Model for an Equitable Workplace Transition Program: Disability and Neurodiversity”. Invited distinguished Daphne Douglas Lecture at the University of West Indies-Mona.
Travel: Kingston, Jamaica, Daphne Douglas Lecture at the University of West Indies-Mona.
Citation: Thompson, K. M., Dali, K., McLure, M., & Carey, F. C. (2025, April 15). Hiring and retention: Supporting disabled and neurodiverse librarians. Presented as the 2025 University of West Indies-Mona Library and Information Science Daphne Douglas Lecture, Kingston, Jamaica.
GRANT
DICK KAWOOYA
Principal Investigator for research grant from International Development Research Centre - IDRC, Canada through the University of Cape Town, South Africa.
Title of research project: Fostering Information and Knowledge Access in the Digital Environment: A Situational Analysis of Legal-regulatory Frameworks in ARIPO Member States.
Amount: $100,000
Duration: 2024-2026
GRANT REPORT
KIM THOMPSON
Report for the Institute of Museum and Library Services National Leadership Grant (#LG-252342-OLS-22). This report presents a practice model for an equitable workplace transition program.
Citation: Dali, K. & Thompson, K. M. (2025). An equitable workplace transition program. Phase 6 of the Institute of Museum and Library Services National Leadership Grant (#LG-252342-OLS-22).
Abstract: A practice model for an equitable workplace transition program.
KIM THOMPSON
Report for the Institute of Museum and Library Services National Leadership Grant (#LG-252342-OLS-22). Report of guidelines for policy change (i.e., equitable and inclusive job advertisement, application, interviewing, and onboarding) for applicants with disabilities or neurodiversity.
Citation: Dali, K. & Thompson, K. M. (2025). Guidelines for changing workplace policies and practices. Phase 5 of the Institute of Museum and Library Services National Leadership Grant (#LG-252342-OLS-22).
Abstract: Report of guidelines for policy change (i.e., equitable and inclusive job advertisement, application, interviewing, and onboarding) for applicants with disabilities or neurodiversity.
KIM THOMPSON
Report for the Institute of Museum and Library Services National Leadership Grant (#LG-252342-OLS-22). Report on analysis of policy documents related to disability and neurodiversity in participating academic libraries.
Citation: Dali, K., Thompson, K. M., & Gillespie, C. (2025). Policy analysis: The summary report. Phase 4 of the Institute of Museum and Library Services National Leadership Grant (#LG-252342-OLS-22).
Abstract: Report on analysis of policy documents related to disability and neurodiversity in participating academic libraries.
KIM THOMPSON
Report for the Institute of Museum and Library Services National Leadership Grant (#LG-252342-OLS-22). Report on interviews with disabled and neurodiverse LIS graduates from participating Master of Library and Information Science programs.
Citation: Dali, K. & Thompson, K. M. (2025). Employment experiences of MLIS of disabled and neurodiverse MLIS graduates: The summary report. Phase 1 of the Institute of Museum and Library Services National Leadership Grant (#LG-252342-OLS-22).
Abstract: Report on interviews with disabled and neurodiverse LIS graduates from participating Master of Library and Information Science programs.
INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP
DICK KAWOOYA
I have been selected as a African Diaspora Visiting Fellowship by the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) to spend July 2025 at The East African School of Library and Information Science (EASLIS) at Makerere University, Uganda. I will be supporting graduate student at different stages of research processes with formulating research questions, developing research methodologies, analyzing data, and preparing research findings for publication.
The Fellowship is funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY).
Travel: Makerere University, Uganda. July 1-30, 2025.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
NICOLE COOKE
Citation: Sherman, M., Cooke, N., & Bowen, E. (2025). How Partnerships Help Libraries Meet Diverse Community Needs: A Thematic Analysis. Public Library Quarterly, 1–19.
Abstract: This paper explores how libraries operationalize diversity when engaging their communities. Based on an analysis of responses to a survey issued during Phase 2 of the National Impact of Library Public Programs Assessment (NILPPA) project, it argues that programming partnerships can help libraries identify and respond to the most pressing needs of diverse groups within their communities. Most notably, working with partners empowers libraries to develop programs oriented toward the principles of DEAI and social justice. To illustrate this process, we describe six different ways partnerships help libraries reach and meet the needs of different groups in their communities.
HALEY HATFIELD
My recent article co-authored with Sun Joo (Grace) Ahn (University of Georgia), “Integrating Community-Based Participatory Research into Immersive Narratives,” was published in the Journal of Media Psychology as part of a special issue on metaverse-mediated communication. The piece highlights how collaborative design with communities can help make immersive media more relevant and impactful in addressing local environmental health concerns.
This research supports communities in using VR to share their experiences with environmental challenges, helping make complex problems easier to see and understand. By co-designing immersive narratives with residents, we're building tools that reflect lived realities and support stronger public awareness.
Citation: Hatfield, H. R., & Ahn, S. J. (Grace). (2025). Integrating Community-Based Participatory Research Into Immersive Narratives: Co-Designing a Virtual Reality Experience on Environmental Injustice. Journal of Media Psychology, 37(2), 101–115.
KIERA O’SHEA (iSchool Doctoral Candidate)
Citation: O'Shea, K. (2025). Empowering educational outcomes through data literacy: Black mothers with MLIS degrees and their role in educational advocacy for their children. Library Trends (in progress).
Abstract: This article explores the role of data literacy among Black mothers with Master’s in Library and Information Science (MLIS) degrees, focusing on how these women leverage their data skills to support and advocate for their children’s educational outcomes. By analyzing how these mothers navigate educational data, assess school resources, and engage in data-informed decision-making, this study aims to highlight the critical role that data literacy plays in shaping educational pathways and advocating for equitable opportunities for Black children. This work contributes to understanding how libraries and library professionals can better support community-centered, socially just data literacy that benefits families and improves educational equity.
RACHEL WILLIAMS, NICOLE COOKE
Here we discuss how to leverage anti-racist efforts within the field, taking a regional approach to examining how racism manifests and ways in which we can critically evaluate ourselves, our institutions, and our communities to chart a path forward.
Citation: Williams, R. D. & Cooke, MLIS, PhD, N., MLIS, PhD, (2025) “Mapping Racism, Charting Change: A Regional Approach to Incorporating the Striving Towards Anti-Racism (STAR) in LIS Model ”, The Political Librarian 8 (Special Edition).
Abstract: Focusing on anti-racism efforts within library and information science, this reflective essay applies our recently introduced Striving Towards Anti-Racism (STAR) model (Cooke and Williams, forthcoming) to examine geographies of racism in the United States. Our paper explores how regional distinctions—ranging from “Midwest nice” to “Southern hospitality” to “New England progressive whiteness”—both reflect and reinforce entrenched structures of racism in the US. With a reelected convicted felon in chief, the sociopolitical landscape has shifted even further toward fostering and incentivizing racism in various ways depending on geography. Through a thematic approach, we examine how racism manifests differently across regions by exploring these interconnected dynamics. We consider how the STAR model illustrates the geographic dimensions of racism and how individuals may feel out of place within these contexts. This approach highlights the contradictions and connections among different regional expressions of racial tension and shows how they both shape and are shaped by the political landscape of the US. We build on this analysis by considering how the STAR model informs the library and information science (LIS) profession, specifically by encouraging both reflection and action because of a deeper understanding of how regional and cultural biases influence library practices, policies, and user experiences. We conclude by suggesting mazeways, counter-storytelling, and broader disciplinary action as strategies for resistance and change. By applying this framework, LIS professionals can better understand and address how geographic and cultural contexts perpetuate racism within communities and how we can fight back.
VIVIANA ZAMBRANO
Exploring barriers and facilitators to water availability and accessibility, and potential strategies for improving water accessibility and children’s intake in family childcare homes: a qualitative study. Published in Frontiers in Nutrition.
Citation: Gans, K. M., Chacón, V., Warykas, S. W., Baird, M., Esquivel, V., Zhang, S., Tovar, A., Ray, S., Inman, N., McCauley, P., Zambrano Rodriguez, V. C., Miller, M., Stekler, N., & Markham Risica, P. (2025). Exploring barriers and facilitators to water availability and accessibility, and potential strategies for improving water accessibility and children’s intake in family childcare homes: a qualitative study. Frontiers in Nutrition (Lausanne), 12, 1442070
Abstract: Background: Children in the U.S. drink too little water and too much juice and
sugar sweetened beverages. Inadequate access to drinking water in locations where children spend substantial time, like family childcare homes (FCCH) could play a role in low child water intake. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore barriers and facilitators to water availability and accessibility in FCCH, and determine potential strategies for facilitating water accessibility and children’s intake in FCCH.
Methods: We conducted virtual interviews, in Spanish and/or English, with family childcare providers (FCCP) from Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Interviews were conducted by University of Connecticut graduate students, including two who were fluent in Spanish and English. These were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and translated to English. We conducted a deductive analysis using a priori themes. Additional codes were developed and applied to capture emerging themes from the qualitative data.
Results: Twenty FCCP (100% identified as female; 50% as Latina) participated in the interviews. FCCP barriers to water availability at FCCH included focus on other beverages, e.g., milk; confusion with the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) guidelines regarding water, and concerns about: water quality, mess, children eating enough food/milk, bathroom accidents, and cost for filters/bottled water. Barriers to children drinking water included: children not liking or preferring water, parental preferences/role modeling, and parental concerns about water quality. Suggested potential strategies to facilitate water access and intake included water filters to ensure safe water access, self-serving stations and water bottles to encourage autonomy among children, and incorporating water into daily routines. Participants also favored materials and activities to educate and encourage children to drink water and to keep track of their intake.
JUDGE
JASON PORTER
I was asked to be a judge for the AI for Good Pan-Pacific Adobe Creative Jam
Travel: This was an international collaboration between San Jose State University and Swinburne University in Victoria, Australia.
PANEL/PRESENTATION
BORJI SAMANEH (iSchool PhD Student), EHSAN MOHAMMADI, JIAXUAN ZHANG (iSchool PhD Student), AMIRREZA KALANTARI (iSchool PhD Student)
We studied how PhD students are using AI tools like ChatGPT to assist with writing, summarizing, and information retrieval in their academic work. This research highlights the benefits of speed and efficiency while raising important questions about trust and responsible use of AI in education.
I had a presentation titled "Graduate students' utilization of AI: Insights from social media and implications for information science" at the 2025 iConference, and it was published in the iConference 2025 Proceedings hosted by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign on the IDEALS platform. The study explored PhD students’ use of generative AI tools, using social media data collected via Quid Monitor.
Travel: I traveled to the iConference 2025 held at Indiana University Bloomington, USA, from March 18–22, 2025.
Abstract: This paper examines the ways in which PhD students utilize AI tools, particularly generative AI, to assist in their academic work. Using data from social media posts collected via Quid Monitor, we explore the types of AI tools PhD students seek and their motivations for adopting them. Our findings reveal that AI is predominantly used for writing and content generation, with speed and efficiency being key drivers. Generative AI is also employed to retrieve and summarize information, helping students manage large volumes of academic material. However, concerns about the quality and reliability of AI-generated information persist, raising critical questions about information literacy and ethics in academia. This study highlights the need for PhD students to critically assess AI-generated content and emphasizes the importance of responsible AI integration in academic workflows.
SABRINA HABIB
Citation: Habib, S., Panelist. AI and Creativity in Academia, Pre-Conference. AEJMC National Convention, San Francisco, CA.
DICK KAWOOYA, CLAYTON COPELAND, ERIC ROBINSON, COURTNEY SWARTZENDRUBER (MLIS Graduate student)
This panel presentation focused on the role of academic libraries in the development and implementation of a Campus Accessibility Partnership Model to support Blind, visually impaired, and print-disabled (BVIPD).
Citation: Kawooya, D., Copeland, C.A, Robinson, E.P., Band, J., Swartzendruber, C. and Bosler, T. (2024). Working Towards Equitable Access for Blind, Visually Impaired, and Print-Disabled Students. [Research Presentation]. Presented at the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference, San Diego, CA, June 27-July 2, 2024. (Excel funded). Peer reviewed.
Abstract: Blind, Visually Impaired, and Print-Disabled Students (BVIPD) students often experience inequitable access to information, including but not limited to a time gap in receiving course content that is otherwise more readily available to non-BVIPD students. This is a social justice and human rights issue. BVIPD populations are historically underserved by libraries. Only 5% of published works are available in accessible formats. Following a presentation of preliminary findings from ongoing research work to develop a Campus Accessibility Partnership model between BVIPD students, disability services offices (DSOs), academic libraries, and instructors, conference attendees had an interactive discussion about specific questions regarding BVIPD access at their respective institutions (primarily academic librarians at institutions of higher education-IHEs). Input and feedback garnered from the conference discussions were to steer future research and efforts to reduce the inequalities experienced by BVIPD students at campuses nationwide. Ultimately, bridging gaps in understanding the needs of BVIPD students and the roles faculty, DSOs, and academic librarians can and should play in fulfilling these needs can impact equitable access to education. Equitable access to education impacts BVIPD students’ likelihood of academic success, subsequent employment, income earning potential, and ability to enjoy a full life experience.
DICK KAWOOYA, CLAYTON COPELAND, ERIC ROBINSON, BRANDY FOX (MLIS Graduate student)
This panel presentation focused on preliminary findings of a study that would eventually inform the development of a Campus Accessibility Partnership Model to support Blind, visually impaired, and print-disabled (BVIPD).
Citation: Copeland, C.A, Kawooya, D., Robinson, E.P., Band, J. & Fox, B. (2024). Ensuring Equitable Access for Blind, Visually Impaired, and Print-Disabled (BVIPD) Students: A Pilot Study at the University of South Carolina. [Panel Presentation]. Presented at Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) C
Abstract: Blind, visually impaired, and print-disabled (BVIPD) college students are often left waiting longer than non-BVIPD students to get access to course content in accessible formats. This panel presented preliminary findings of a study that would eventually inform the development of a Campus Accessibility Partnership Model between the disability office, instructors, and academic librarians at the University of South Carolina. The Model is built around the existing legal infrastructure for providing accessible content, including intellectual property and copyright restrictions. Once implemented, the Model will provide BVIPD students with accessible content at the same time as non-BVIPD students enrolled in the same classes. Attendees identified key elements of the framework applicable to their own institutions to help implement the Model more broadly.
KIERA O’SHEA (iSchool Doctoral Candidate)
This presentation explores how Black mothers of children with disabilities harness digital platforms to advocate, share resources, and build supportive communities while confronting intersecting systems of racism and ableism. Drawing on research and lived experiences, it highlights their innovative use of technology for storytelling and activism, and calls for inclusive digital design that centers marginalized voices.
Citation: O'Shea, K. (2025, April 23). Empowered Advocacy: Black Mothers Navigating Disability and Digital Spaces. Lecture will be presented at the Disability Global Summit, Virtual Conference.
Abstract: Black mothers of children with disabilities stand at the intersection of racism, ableism, and motherhood, navigating systemic inequities while striving to ensure their children’s access to education, healthcare, and community inclusion. Digital platforms have emerged as vital tools for these mothers, allowing them to access critical resources, build support networks, and amplify their voices. This lecture will explore how Black mothers leverage digital spaces for advocacy, storytelling, and resource-sharing, highlighting the innovative strategies they employ to overcome barriers.
The presentation will draw on scholarly research, community narratives, and case studies to examine the unique ways Black mothers use technology to challenge ableism, advocate for accessibility, and foster inclusivity in both physical and digital spaces. It will also delve into the challenges they face, including structural racism embedded in digital platforms and the lack of culturally relevant and accessible resources. By analyzing their approaches, this lecture will underscore the need for intersectional and inclusive design in digital landscapes to ensure equitable access for all.
Ultimately, this presentation aims to advance the theme of “Crip Narratives: Controlling Our Stories” by demonstrating the power of digital storytelling and advocacy in amplifying marginalized voices. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of how Black mothers navigate these spaces, the systemic barriers they face, and actionable recommendations to foster equity and accessibility in digital platforms.
Key Points:
Strategies Black mothers use to navigate digital spaces for advocacy and resource-sharing.
The role of storytelling in amplifying the experiences of marginalized communities.
Recommendations for creating inclusive and accessible digital platforms that center
Black disabled voices.
This lecture will not only celebrate the resilience and ingenuity of Black mothers
but also serve as a call to action for digital designers, policymakers, and disability
advocates to ensure all voices are heard and valued in the digital age.
KIERA O’SHEA (iSchool Doctoral Candidate)
Citation: O'Shea, K. (2025, April 7). Exploring the Information-Seeking Behavior of Black Mothers with MLIS Degrees: A Phenomenological Study Through the Lens of Small World Theory. Journal of Open Educational Resources in Higher Education (JOERHE). [Conference proceedings, forthcoming].
O'Shea, K. (2025, April 11). Managing and Analyzing Information: The Information Behavior of Black Single Mothers with Terminal Degrees. Briefing presented at the 17th Annual Bridging the Spectrum Symposium, Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.
O'Shea, K. (2025, April 23). Empowered Advocacy: Black Mothers Navigating Disability and Digital Spaces. Lecture will be presented at the Disability Global Summit, Virtual Conference
Abstract: O'Shea, K. (2025, April 7). Exploring the Information-Seeking Behavior of Black Mothers with MLIS Degrees: A Phenomenological Study Through the Lens of Small World Theory. Journal of Open Educational Resources in Higher Education (JOERHE). [Conference proceedings, forthcoming].
This presentation will introduce the conceptual framework for a phenomenological study exploring the life course information behavior of Black mothers with Master’s degrees in Library and Information Science (MLIS). Grounded in the Life Course Perspective, the study examines how these women’s experiences over time shape their interactions with information. The research will integrate Chatman’s Small World Theory to analyze how their social and professional networks influence their access to, use of, and interpretation of information across different life stages. This session will explore the dynamic interplay between lived experiences, social structures, and information behavior, highlighting the role of open access frameworks and inclusive information practices in addressing barriers to resource accessibility. The discussion will lay the foundation for future empirical research on the evolving information needs of Black mothers with MLIS degrees.
O'Shea, K. (2025, April 11). Managing and Analyzing Information: The Information Behavior of Black Single Mothers with Terminal Degrees. Briefing presented at the 17th Annual Bridging the Spectrum Symposium, Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.
O'Shea, K. (2025, April 23). Empowered Advocacy: Black Mothers Navigating Disability and Digital Spaces. Lecture will be presented at the Disability Global Summit, Virtual Conference
Submitted abstract: Black mothers of children with disabilities stand at the intersection of racism, ableism, and motherhood, navigating systemic inequities while striving to ensure their children’s access to education, healthcare, and community inclusion. Digital platforms have emerged as vital tools for these mothers, allowing them to access critical resources, build support networks, and amplify their voices. This lecture will explore how Black mothers leverage digital spaces for advocacy, storytelling, and resource-sharing, highlighting the innovative strategies they employ to overcome barriers.
The presentation will draw on scholarly research, community narratives, and case studies to examine the unique ways Black mothers use technology to challenge ableism, advocate for accessibility, and foster inclusivity in both physical and digital spaces. It will also delve into the challenges they face, including structural racism embedded in digital platforms and the lack of culturally relevant and accessible resources. By analyzing their approaches, this lecture will underscore the need for intersectional and inclusive design in digital landscapes to ensure equitable access for all.
Ultimately, this presentation aims to advance the theme of “Crip Narratives: Controlling Our Stories” by demonstrating the power of digital storytelling and advocacy in amplifying marginalized voices. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of how Black mothers navigate these spaces, the systemic barriers they face, and actionable recommendations to foster equity and accessibility in digital platforms.
Key Points:
Strategies Black mothers use to navigate digital spaces for advocacy and resource-sharing.
The role of storytelling in amplifying the experiences of marginalized communities.
Recommendations for creating inclusive and accessible digital platforms that center
Black disabled voices.
JASON PORTER
I was invited to speak at the "AI for Good Pan-Pacific Adobe Creative Jam". I spoke about Shaping AI-Generated Imagery for Impactful Campaigns
Travel: This event was co-hosted by San Jose State University and Swinburne University of Technology in Victoria, Australia. It was a virtual Creative Jam, so no travel was involved.
NICOLE COOKE
I've been accepted to the 2025 cohort of the Library Freedom Institute.
Abstract: Library Freedom Institute is a unique privacy and intellectual freedom training for librarians.
Our training covers a wide range of highly relevant and engaging subjects in the privacy, intellectual freedom, and critical technology realm. The 2025 Institute will take place over almost four months (starting in late April), consisting of a two-hour virtual meeting every week, and an in-person weekend component. Some topics will feature expert guest speakers. Participants will also spend some time each week working on readings, group discussion, and final projects.
After LFI has completed, participants are invited to join the LFP community of practice, a one-of-a-kind space for library workers to continue collaborating in a supportive environment.
LFI is made possible in part through generous support from the Mellon Foundation and the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment.
Editorial Advisory Board
DICK KAWOOYA
Editorial Advisory Board member of The African Journal of Information and Communication (AJIC). Effective April 2024 - present.
WEBINAR
JENNIFER MOORE
Dr. Jennifer Moore (University of South Carolina) and Dr. Alissa Tudor (University of North Texas) hosted an interactive online webinar on self-censorship in the context of school libraries, focusing on the causes and impacts of engaging in self-censorship, strategies and solutions for avoiding self-censorship behaviors, and resource provision. This event was held online for the Reaching Across Illinois Library System Professional Development Series.
Citation: Moore, J. & Tudor, A. (2025, March 19). Quiet gaps: Understanding and addressing self-censorship in school library collections [Webinar]. Reaching Across Illinois Library System Professional Development Series.
BOOK CHAPTER
ERIC ROBINSON
Chapters of leading media law textbook focus on American law, the legal system and the judicial process and privacy. Eric Robinson wrote two chapters in the newly-released 7th edition of Media Law and Ethics, a leading media law textbook. His chapters focus on "American Law, the Legal System and the Judicial Process" (chap. 1) and "Privacy" (chap. 5).
Citation: Robinson, E. (2025). "American Law, the Legal System and the Judicial Process" (chap. 1) and "Privacy" (chap. 5). In Moore, R.L. and Murray, M.D., eds. Media Law and Ethics, 7th ed., DOIs: 10.4324/9781003462927-1 and 10.4324/9781003462927-5
Abstract: Chapters focus on American law, the legal system and the judicial process and privacy.
CONFERENCE PAPER
MONICA COLON-AGUIRRE
Presentation at the virtual and in person iConference in Bloomington, Indiana. Undergraduate students see AI tools as needed and useful tools especially when considering their future careers. Some demonstrated concerns about the tool's capabilities for producing and spreading misinformation and disinformation but recognized them as an inevitable part of their future careers.
Citation: Colón-Aguirre, M. & Bright, K. M. (March, 2025). The inevitability of AI: A study of undergraduate students’ perceptions of AI tools in their future careers. Presented at the iConference, Bloomington, IN.
Abstract: Artificial intelligence (AI) tools garner more attention every day, questions have arisen regarding their possible negative impacts in future job markets. Some predict a potential for massive job losses, especially in high-skilled jobs. This study seeks to explore undergraduate students’ perceptions of how these tools might affect their future career. This study follows a case study design, employing phenomenological interviews as a research method. The data set was made up of interviews with 17 undergraduate students. Data was analyzed by employing constant comparative analysis, with various rounds of coding including the creation of open, axial, and structural codes. Students saw AI tools as an inevitable part of their future work. Participants expressed their intention to learn how to optimize their use of various tools, which they see as having the potential to positively benefit them in their future careers. They do not perceive AI to be a viable substitute for their skills, especially in terms of identifying misinformation and emotions. Academic institutions must provide curricular spaces which allow students to harness the power of AI tools. While employers should also make efforts to train employees to make the most of AI tools.
INVITED PRESENTATION
MONICA COLON-AGUIRRE
Presentation for REFORMA (The National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking) of the Carolinas, which includes librarians from North and South Carolina. Presentation targeted at practicing librarians focusing on the various characteristics of the Spanish speaking population living in the United States. Although this population is understudied, it is a very complex yet visible population among library users.
Citation: Colón-Aguirre, M. (March, 2025). Linguistic minorities: The case of Spanish Speakers in the USA. Guest presentation for REFORMA of the Carolinas.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
VANESSA KITZIE, TRAVIS WAGNER (iSchool PhD alumna)
Citation: Wagner, T.L. & Kitzie, V. (2025). "You're This Person Who's Providing Light”: Embodied Responses to Information Loss and Transition within LGBTQIA+ Communities [Special issue, “The Theory and Practice of Informational Transitions”]. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, Eds. J. Bronstein, A. Hicks, J. Hyldegård, P. McKenzie, I. Ruthven, & G. Widén.
Abstract: This paper reports on findings from 15 semi-structured interviews with LGBTQIA+ individuals within the United States who have experienced the loss of one or more LGBTQIA+ information spaces. The paper specifically focuses on how such loses occurred and the information transitions experienced by the participants in response to this loss. Findings from the paper show that affective and embodied elements both individually and communally inform how information loss informs one’s desire to transition to new information spaces. The findings also reveal new one’s sociocultural contexts inform how information loss and transition occurs, while also highlighting information creation as a common transitional response to information loss. The paper’s findings contribute to information science research by contextualizing queer information spaces as a critical component that shapes how people engage with and make sense of information by exploring this phenomenon within an understudied population and new contexts of loss and transition. Additionally, the paper offers new examples of information creation and invites future directions focusing on this practice within LGBTQIA+ communities. Further, the paper contributes theoretical insights for framing informational transitions in response to loss and absence as a phenomenological experience.
MONICA COLON-AGUIRRE
Part of a larger IMLS exploration of the retention of BIPOC librarians in the profession. This article identifies aspects inherent to the librarians' professional practice and work that helps retain them in their jobs.
Librarians who identified as people of color tended to stay on their jobs when they had professional development opportunities and felt comfortable with their mastery of technology.
Citation: Bright K., Kim, S., Colón-Aguirre, M., VanScoy, A. & Crabtree, A. (2025). Using a serial multiple-mediator SEM model to demonstrate the effect of program preparation, professional development opportunities, and comfort with technology on retention of BIPOC librarians. Library & Information Science Research. 47(1), 101342.
Abstract: To explain the mechanisms that influence Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) librarians' intent to leave the profession, a serial multiple-mediator structural equation model (SEM) analysis was applied to an existing dataset (Workforce Issues in Library and Information Science 2). According to the results, both professional development opportunities and comfort with technology demonstrated significant negative direct and indirect associations with their intent to leave via an indirect path of job satisfaction. Also, combined with the perceived benefits of the graduate program via indirect paths, both professional development opportunities and comfort with technology contributed to the significant negative total effects on the intent to leave. This study provides empirical support to promote professional development opportunities and encourage comfort with technology as ways to improve the retention of BIPOC librarians.
DARIN JOHNSON
I recently published a poem titled "Dis-ease of Mother Tongue" in Health Promotion Practice Journal's Poetry for the Public's Health Section —the first-ever standing peer-reviewed collection of published poetry in an academic public health journal.
This poem highlights an experience my grandmother endured at the doctor's office wherein she was misdiagnosed with early-stage dementia 15 years ago, illustrating how linguistic bias (i.e., "Dis-ease of Mother Tongue") impacts perceptions of racialized patients/ speakers and their health outcomes. This would be useful to feature on social media to showcase how CIC is engaging creative/ multimodal health communication scholarship with a goal to reduce communication disparities in healthcare settings and broaden access for patients who face social biases.
Citation: Johnson, D. G. (2025). Dis-ease of Mother Tongue. Health Promotion Practice, 26(2), 224-225.
Abstract: I wrote this poem titled “Dis-ease of Mother Tongue” as a grandson and health communication scholar. It was animated by an experience my grandmother– an 89 year old African American woman– endured in a hospital wherein she was misdiagnosed with early-stage dementia 15 years ago. The cause, a doctor’s misinterpretation of her verbal and written responses to a standardized health assessment. This spoken word poem, written down, raises the issue of linguistic bias in healthcare by positioning my grandmother’s voice as a representation of the many voices actively marginalized in hospital settings; it also upsets traditional framings of African American speakers (and patients) as deficient. In accomplishing these ends, the poem recruits key strategies. It leverages a rhetorical question early on as a literary device challenging the reader to question why some people misperceive my grandmother’s expression. Additionally, it employs the extended metaphor “dis-ease of mother tongue” as a stand-in for the linguistic bias that shapes the ways healthcare practitioners (mis)interpret my grandmother’s voice.
This poem aligns with critical perspectives within sociolinguistics (Rosa & Flores, 2017), and emerging perspectives in health literacy/public health studies that extend the responsibility of “literacy” beyond individual patients to healthcare providers and organizations as a fundamentally interactional process (Rudd & Baur, 2020). Echoing this shift, is a call at the end of the poem for healthcare practitioners to recognize and heal their own linguistic biases to improve patient care (Hagiwara et al., 2019; Ortega & Prada, 2020).
PANEL/PRESENTATION
DARIN FREEBURG, KATIE KLEIN (iSchool PhD Candidate)
We considered the ways in which interactions with workplace technology threaten worker identity, as well as the social conditions that contribute to those threats.
Citation: Freeburg, D. & Klein, K. (2025). Who does the computer think I am? How technology threatens the identities of public library workers. Poster presented at iConference.
JENNIFER MOORE, VALERIE BYRD-FORT, JENNA SPIERING
We co-lead a pre-conference session at the South Carolina Association of School Librarians Annual Conference, titled "Back to the Basics."
KIERA O’SHEA (iSchool PhD Student)
Benedict College, 2025 Benedict College International Multidisciplinary Conference (BCIMC)
My research explores how Black single mothers with advanced degrees use language and advocacy to break down systemic barriers to success. By examining their experiences, I highlight the power of rhetoric in shaping policies, challenging discrimination, and creating opportunities for future generations
Citation: O’Shea, K. (2025, March 12–13). The role of rhetoric in disrupting systemic barriers to success for Black single mothers with terminal degrees [Paper presentation]. 2025 Benedict College International Multidisciplinary Conference (BCIMC), Benedict College.
Abstract: Black single mothers with terminal degrees navigate multiple systemic barriers in education, work, and family life. In a society where structural inequalities often intersect with racial and gender-based discrimination, these women rely on rhetorical strategies to challenge stereotypes, advocate for resources, and create alternative narratives that disrupt these barriers. This study examines the role of rhetoric as a tool of resistance for Black single mothers with terminal degrees, focusing on how they use language and communication to assert their agency in the face of societal and institutional constraints.
Drawing on a rhetorical analysis of public discourse, personal narratives, and media engagement, this research explores how Black single mothers deploy writing, oral communication, and digital platforms to advocate for themselves and their children. These women utilize rhetoric not only to contest prevailing stereotypes that position them as 'other' but also to demand access to resources that support their academic, professional, and familial success. Through their engagement in public discourse, these mothers reshape dominant narratives about Black womanhood and parenthood, redefining what it means to be both an academic and a parent in a society that often marginalizes them.
This presentation will also examine the ethical responsibilities of scholars and communicators in amplifying the voices of marginalized groups, ensuring that these rhetorical practices are recognized as legitimate forms of resistance. By analyzing how rhetoric can challenge misinformation and disinformation about Black women and their families, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the transformative potential of communication in disrupting systemic oppression.
KIERA O’SHEA (iSchool PhD Student)
“Empowering Educational Outcomes Through Data Literacy: Black Mothers with MLIS Degrees and Their Role in Educational Advocacy for Their Children ” has been accepted for the Political Science Graduate Symposium at the University of South Carolina. This study explores how Black mothers with advanced degrees in information science use their expertise to advocate for their children's education. By examining their information-seeking behaviors and data literacy skills, this research highlights how they navigate systemic barriers, shaping policies and practices that promote educational equity.
Citation: O’Shea, K. (2025, March). Empowering Educational Outcomes Through Data Literacy: Black Mothers with MLIS Degrees and Their Role in Educational Advocacy for Their Children. Political Science Graduate Symposium, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC.
Abstract: This pilot qualitative study explores how Black mothers with terminal degrees in information science use their expertise to advocate for their children's education. Grounded in Life Course Theory, it examines how one Black mother with an MLIS, alongside the researcher, employs specialized information-seeking behaviors to navigate institutional barriers. Through indepth interviews and reflective journaling, the study investigates how their academic training and data literacy skills shape their approaches to educational advocacy and overcoming systemic challenges. Insights from this study will inform a broader exploration of Black single mothers in similar contexts. This study is still in progress, and its findings will contribute to the development of a larger, more comprehensive investigation into the role of data literacy in shaping the educational advocacy of Black mothers.
LINWAN WU, TAYLOR WEN
2025 American Academy of Advertising annual conference, Pittsburgh, PA. We organized a panel entitled "AI in Biometrics Research: Opportunities and Controversies in Advertising Research and Practice" at the 2025 American Academy of Advertising annual conference. I put together the panel proposal and moderated the panel. Taylor is one of the panelists and she talked about the comparison between traditional biometrics tools and AI-assisted biometrics tools as well as introduced our BaUX Lab.
Citation: Wu, L., Wen, T., Read, G., Holiday, S., Wilson, J., & Wong, K. (2025, March). AI in Biometrics Research: Opportunities and Controversies in Advertising Research and Practice. Panel at the 2025 American Academy of Advertising annual conference, Pittsburgh, PA.
Abstract: Rapid developments in technology are changing possibilities and opportunities for advertisers. Industry attitudes toward some of these technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), first reflect fear in regard to the displacement of employees and automatization of advertising practice. As reflected at the 2024 Cannes Festival, attitudes tinged with fear have shifted to excitement and visions for the novel incorporation of AI into advertising. Another series of technologies, biometrics, have also experienced rapid advancements to facilitate advertising practice (Read, Holiday, Hayes, & Britt, forthcoming). While biometrics and AI refer to distinct technologies, there is some overlap in that some biometric technologies use and rely on AI practices to function. Considered in tandem, these tools have the potential to revolutionize the advertising industry by enabling highly personalized and secure user experiences. The integration of these technologies also help advertisers deliver more relevant content, improve customer satisfaction, and increase the effectiveness of their marketing strategies (Holiday et al., 2023).
Cutting-edge research actively identifies ways to enhance the convergence between biometric and AI resources. Academics have integrated VR with electroencephalogram (EEG) measurement to better understand consumer emotion, cognition, and behavior in the metaverse (Jones, 2023). Products like MorphCast integrate AI with facial expression analysis of attention and engagement to actively manage consumer response in live video conferences. iMotions offers remote eye-tracking metrics that enable researchers to assess audience attentional engagement and involvement with advertising at scale among a national or international sample. These use cases have compelling implications for the future of advertising research and practice that has the capability of expanding into experiential marketing, social media listening, and personalized and hyper-targeted advertising, among other spaces that industry and academic researchers are eagerly and actively engaged in understanding.
Although excitement about the use of these tools is growing, their use is not without controversy in research and practice. Employment of both of these technologies requires a careful consideration of their ethical use - just because it is possible, does not mean that it is ethical. For example, should advertisers use biometric data to target consumers? Should advertising researchers use generative AI to construct hypotheses? Careful consideration of the ethical issues of both biometrics and AI is necessary before their inevitable widespread implementation in advertising research and practice. While some researchers explicitly address ethical issues with biometrics (e.g., Stanton et al., 2017) and others address AI (Rodgers & Nguyen, 2022), to our knowledge ethical issues at the intersection of these technologies have not yet been considered.
Lab: Biometrics and User Experience Lab
SHANNON BOWEN
This session introduced the special journal issue from papers presented at the Global Strategic Communication Consortium (2024) Conclave - as published in Communication Studies. I addressed the fact that all submissions had a common theme of ethical authenticity and exploring the factors making human and technological communication genuine, knowable, and consistently responsible ethical sense.
Citation: Bowen, S. A. (2025, Feb. 25). Introducing the special issue: The ethical landscape in Communication Studies? Talk presented at the meeting of the ECREA-OSC Online Seminar.
SHANNON BOWEN
This session led researchers through how Kantian ethics is the most applicable and desirable for use in AI development.
Citation: Bowen, S. A. (2025, Feb. 19). Universal AI Ethics: A deontological must. Talk presented at the meeting of the AEJMC-PRD Online Seminar.
PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP
KELLY DAVIS
Kelly Davis, APR, Fellow PRSA has been elected to serve as the Chair-Elect of the Public Relations Society of America’s College of Fellows for 2025. She will chair the organization in 2026.
The PRSA College of Fellows is an organization within PRSA for senior-level practitioners who have demonstrated superior professional performance, contributed to the profession and community through service and leadership, and served as a role model through mentoring, empowerment and opportunity.
BOOK/BOOK CHAPTERS
SHANNON BOWEN
European Communication Research and Education Organizational and Strategic Communication
Keynote
Citation: Bowen, S. A. (2024). The normative imperative: Ethics. In E. Oliveira & G. Concalves,
(Eds.), Ethics and Society: Challenges in Organisational & Public Communication (pp.
35-46). Labcom Comunicacao & Artes, ISBN: 978-989-9229-22-8,
DOI 10.25768/9229-21-1.
Abstract: The normative imperative is an idea whose time has come. As Oliveria and Gonçalves pointed out in the Introduction, we live in turbulent times that invite contention and misinformation, so we must investigate the authenticity of issues and claims. Our desire for honesty is an imperative as academics, and a normative demand of ethical discourse. As I asked the audience at our conference, “If we don’t lead the charge for normative behavior, who will?” A deontological theory is offered for its normative role in ethics.
VANESSA KITZIE
Citation: Kitzie, V., Barriage, S., & Oltmann, S. (2025). From research to practice: How studies
of drag storytimes can inform an evidence-based toolkit for public libraries. In J.D.
Phillips & J. Rudd (Eds.) Censorship is a Drag: LGBTQ Materials and Programming Under
Siege in Libraries, Library Juice Press.
Abstract: In this chapter, we summarize three studies we have conducted about drag storytimes: 1) a survey of over 450 North American library staff who have hosted and not hosted drag storytimes about their perceptions and experiences with the program (Barriage et al., 2021; Oltmann, Kitzie, & Barriage, 2022); 2) interviews with 26 library staff (11 from hosting libraries, 15 from non-hosting libraries) and 11 drag performers that more deeply investigate findings from the survey (Kitzie et al., 2022); and 3) a content analysis of 103 picture books reported by research participants and in news articles and scholarly/professional literature as being read at drag storytimes (Barriage et al., under review). Findings address factors influencing decisions to host or not host these storytimes, the supports and challenges encountered when hosting them, strategies to address these challenges, and how drag storytimes may relate to existing library programs and services. Findings also discuss narratives of queerness and belonging within libraries and perceptions of connections between drag storytime, intellectual freedom, neutrality, and other core librarianship values. Finally, the findings address how picture books read during drag storytimes represent diversity.
Based on these findings, the chapter proposes a toolkit outline for libraries considering hosting drag storytimes. While guides like the Urban Librarians Unite "Drag Story Hour Planning and Safety Support Guide" (Urban Librarians Unite, n.d.) have taken essential steps in supporting libraries hosting drag storytimes, our outline builds on this guide in the following ways: It supports public library decision-making to host these programs. It expands the focus from urban libraries in progressive areas to other library types and locales based on empirical evidence from library staff and performers who have hosted storytimes in these environments. It has an advocacy component. It suggests books to complement specific storytime goals and learning activities. The authors presented the outline to a small focus group of public library staff recruited from the ALA's Rainbow Roundtable Advocacy Committee and revised it based on their feedback. Public libraries and other spaces hosting drag storytimes, such as bookstores, academic libraries, and community centers, can readily adapt this outline to promote authentic queer visibilities.
CONFERENCE PAPERS
JUNGMI JUN and AKALONU CHINWENDU (Ph.D student)
This was output of Chinwendu's independent study project, congratulations!
Citation: Akalonu, C., & Jun, J. (2025). The role of communications barriers, SDOH and socio-demographics in telehealth adoption. Accepted for presentation at DC Health Communication Conference. Fairfax, VA, USA.
JOURNAL ARTICLES
SHANNON BOWEN
Citation: Gonçalves, G., Oliveira, E., & Bowen, S. A. (2024). Navigating the ethical landscape:
Organizational dynamics, engagement, and societal impact. Communication Studies, 1(39),
3-9.
Abstract: Contemporary societal challenges - such as the erosion of privacy and data rights, climate change, social injustice, and economic inequality - necessitate the establishment of a comprehensive ethical framework to facilitate both technological advancement and social progress. There is an urgent need for ethical commitments at various levels, including the political, individual, organizational, and societal realms. Organizational dynamics, engagement, authenticity, and societal impact raises different questions that can be explored from various theoretical and empirical perspectives.
This is for the Global Strategic Communication Consortium's (GSCC) special issue of the journal Communication Studies based on our conference. The editors overview the importance of individual, organizational, political, and societal level ethical frameworks based on authenticity and duty.
JUNGMI JUN, MINJI KIM (Arnold School of Public Health faculty), ALI ZAIN (Ph.D. alumni), KHALID
ALHARBI (Ph.D. alumni), JOONKYOUNG KIM (Ph.D. alumni), RACHEL FORD (Ph.D. alumna),
and JIM THRASHER (Arnold School of Public Health faculty)
Citation: Jun, J., Kim, M., Zain A., Alharbi, K., Kim, J., Ford, R., & Thrasher, J. (in press)
Exploring US college students’ perceived credibility of the world’s largest tobacco
company’s promise for a smoke-free future. Journal of American College Health.
Abstract: Philip Morris International’s Smoke-Free Future (SFF) campaign pledged to replace conventional cigarettes with smoke-free alternatives, promoting smokers’ health and combating smoking-related misinformation. We interviewed 25 college students to assess their perceived credibility of SFF messages and interest in smoke-free products. Nearly half couldn't identify a tobacco company as the message source, speculating it came from public health entities. Many overlooked profit motives, instead seeing SFF as genuinely supportive of smoking cessation and being aligned with public health. About a third found the message credible, citing factors like lay narrators and language/images signifying science. Most expressed interest in smoke-free products, driven by curiosity and misunderstanding of their health implications. Our study underscores concern that recent tobacco corporate communications may influence young people’s interest in these products, even without explicit promotion, necessitating better education about industry tactics to disguise their identity with health and science initiatives, while undermining tobacco control efforts.
JUNGMI JUN, BONGKI WOO (School of Social Work), JOONKYOUNG KIM (Ph.D. alumni)
Citation: Woo, B., Jun, J., & Kim, J. (2024). Racial discrimination and depressive symptoms
among Asian Americans: moderating effects of colorblind racial attitude and nativity.
Ethnicity and Health.
Abstract: Objectives: Anti-Asian American racism has negatively impacted Asian Americans’ mental health. This study investigated how colorblind racial ideology moderates the relationship between COVID-19 racial discrimination and depressive symptoms among Asian Americans. Design: Data come from an online survey conducted among 794 Asian Americans. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to test the effects of racial discrimination and colorblind racial attitude on depressive symptoms among Asian Americans, stratified by nativity (451 US-born, 343 foreign-born). Results: We found that US-born Asian Americans than foreign-born Asian Americans had higher odds of depressive symptoms, whereas the foreign-born displayed higher levels of colorblind racial attitude. The results of multivariable logistic regression tests indicate that colorblind racial attitude moderates the relationship between racial discrimination and depressive symptoms among the US-born, but not among the foreign-born. Conclusion: Instead of claiming that race no longer matters, more racially conscious socialization and education that promote the awareness of race and racism are warranted to promote mental health of Asian Americans.
VANESSA KITZIE
Citation: Barriage, S., Bloch, B. S., & Kitzie, V. (2024). Drag storytimes and bibliographic
invisibility: A comparative analysis of picture book subject metadata. Knowledge Organization,
51(8), 686-699. Link
Abstract: Historically, library materials about diverse identities have often been subject to what Gough and Greenblatt (1992) term “systemic bibliographic invisibility,” the use of “outmoded, prejudicial, inadequate, or inappropriate terminology” (61) within bibliographic records to describe an item’s contents. Using such terminology within subject metadata can make materials challenging to find within a library’s catalog, restricting users’ access to the materials and the ideas they contain. Prior work has demonstrated that folksonomies like LibraryThing may better represent the multiplicity and fluidity of marginalized identities. In this study, we analyze the subject metadata associated with a corpus of picture books read during drag storytimes, comparing the inclusion of different types of subject metadata found in bibliographic records from the Library of Congress catalog and LibraryThing. Specifically, we analyze the use of terms that explicitly describe various facets of human difference and those that refer to diverse elements within the books in more generalized or implicit terms within the bibliographic records of picture books that include depictions of LGBTQIA+ characters and/or themes, BIPOC characters, and characters with disabilities, developmental differences, and chronic illnesses. LibraryThing records contained a higher prevalence of subject metadata types across nearly all book categories, indicating that users assign more of a variety of types of subject metadata than do professional catalogers. Implications for the discoverability and accessibility of children’s materials depicting marginalized identities are discussed.
VANESSA KITZIE and TRAVIS WAGNER (Ph.D. alumna)
Citation: Wagner, T.L., Montague, K., Kitzie, V., Radford, M. & Bishop, B.W. (2025). Learning
from digital disorientations: Navigating virtual and physical spaces in library and
information science research during lockdowns and beyond. Library & Information Science
Research, 47 (1). Link.
Abstract: The forced shift to virtual-first data collection resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic consequentially impacted Library and Information Science (LIS)-based qualitative and mixed methods researchers. Further, the ongoing presence of the COVID-19 pandemic forever altered the perceived norms and values of conducting research within virtual, as opposed to, physical environments. To understand the unique impacts of COVID-19 on virtually mediated LIS research this paper conducted four comparative case studies regarding the challenges and success of forced virtual research. Findings reveal that although a sudden shift from physical to virtual methods may not occur again, pandemic period research resulted in innovations related to accessibility and inclusivity using existing technologies. The pandemic also reinforced the unique role that LIS scholarship and praxis played in ensuring ethical and sustained research protocols from the planning stages through distributing and curating data for writing and publishing findings.
PANELS/PRESENTATIONS
JUNGMI JUN, SEIHILL KIM, and ALI ZAIN (Ph.D. alumnus)
Citation: Zain, A., Kim, S., & Jun, J. (2025). The role of policy support, automation experience,
and trust in the adoption of automated vehicles: An extension of the unified theory
of acceptance and use of technology. Accepted for presentation at the International
Communication Association Annual Conference. Denver, Colorado, USA.
JUNGMI JUN, SEIHILL KIM, and ALI ZAIN (Ph.D. alumnus)
Citation: Kim, S., Zain, A., & Jun, J. (2025). The elephant in the room: Respondent attentiveness
and data quality in Amazon MTurk Survey. Accepted for presentation at the International
Communication Association Annual Conference. Denver, Colorado, USA.
PODCASTS
RACHEL WILLIAMS
Podcast interview regarding social work and libraries. Excited to share insights from
my conversation with Rachel D. Williams, a former public librarian and current LIS
educator at the University of South Carolina School of Information Science. We dive
into USC's innovative library social work certificate, exploring how social work principles
are being integrated into LIS education, as well as effective boundary management,
and the key components needed to better support library workers. Check it out! hashtag#librarysocialwork
hashtag#LISeducation Noah Lenstra Cearra Harris Nicole A. Cooke
Abstract: Dr. Rachel D. Williams is a former public librarian and current LIS educator at the University of South Carolina’s School of Information Science. We explore USC’s new library social work certificate program, integrating social work components into LIS education, boundary management, and the necessary components to support library workers.
Dr. Rachel D. Williams is a former public librarian and current LIS educator at the University of South Carolina’s School of Information Science. We explore USC’s new library social work certificate program, integrating social work components into LIS education, boundary management, and the necessary components to support library workers.
PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP
VALERIE BYRD FORT
Valerie Byrd Fort was selected as Co-Chair for the Association of Library Service
to Children (ALSC) Notable Children's Digital Media Committee. The purpose of the
committee is to locate and highlight notable interactive media content for children
14 years of age and younger.
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
SHANNON BOWEN
European Communication Research and Education Organizational and Strategic Communication
Online Seminar.
Citation: Bowen, S. A. (2025, Feb. 25). Introducing the special issue: The ethical landscape in Communication Studies? Talk presented at the meeting of the ECREA-OSC Online Seminar.
Abstract: The normative imperative as explained ethics and for use in AI.
SHANNON BOWEN
European Communication Research and Education Organizational and Strategic Communication
Online Seminar.
Citation: Bowen, S. A. (2025, Feb. 19). Universal AI Ethics: A deontological must, Online Seminar: A deontological must, Talk presented at the meeting of the AEJMC-PRD Online Seminar.
Abstract: The normative imperative as explained ethics and for use in AI.
AI Ethics in a universal and duty-based role. Online seminar for scholars in AEJMC-Public Relations Division.
MARCIA PURDAY
My recent research and professional engagement focus on the intersection of artificial
intelligence (AI) and strategic communication. The presentation is geared towards
AI adoption for small businesses and nonprofits. As part of the AI-4-SC Training Workshop
partnership with USC Palmetto College, I led three sessions on Utilizing AI in Your
Business. I presented the practical applications of AI tools for content creation,
marketing, automation, and customer engagement. During the workshop, I guided participants
through hands-on demonstrations, showing how AI can enhance efficiency, provide valuable
insights, and support business growth. A major highlight was teaching users how to
craft precise AI prompts for better outcomes. Also, I addressed ethical considerations,
including transparency, bias mitigation, and data privacy.
AI-4-SC Training Workshop partnership with USC Palmetto College on the following dates:
January 29 - USC Union, February 20 - USC Allendale, February 26 - USC Sumter
WORKSHOPS
JABARI EVANS
I was selected to participate in the Culture Not Evidence expert witness training program,
a collaboration between Howard Law School’s Criminal Justice Clinic (CJC) and the
University of Richmond. This initiative, funded by the Warner Music Foundation, is
designed to equip scholars with the necessary legal knowledge and courtroom skills
to serve as expert witnesses in "rap on trial" cases, where prosecutors attempt to
use rap lyrics and hip-hop culture as evidence in criminal proceedings. The event
was February 27th-March 1 in Washington D.C.
Citation: Evans, J. M. (2025, February 27–March 1). Culture Not Evidence Expert Witness Training Program. Howard University School of Law Criminal Justice Clinic & University of Richmond. Washington, DC.
By acquiring the skills to serve as an expert witness, Jabari Evans has positioned myself at the intersection of media scholarship, cultural advocacy, and legal intervention, ensuring that his research on Hip-Hop's communication practices continues to have tangible effects beyond academia.
ONLINE ARTICLE
ERIC ROBINSON
"Censorship or common sense?," was published by Editor & Publisher on Jan. 17, 2025.
A discussion of the implications of the federal appeals court decision upholding a statute requiring TikTok’s Chinese-based parent company to either sell the social media site to an American company or stop making it available to users in the U.S.
Citation: Robinson, E. (2025). Censorship or common sense?, Editor & Publisher, Jan. 17, 2025.
Abstract: A discussion of the implications of the federal appeals court decision upholding a statute requiring TikTok’s Chinese-based parent company to either sell the social media site to an American company or stop making it available to users in the U.S. (The statute was later also upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.)
BOOK CHAPTER
SHANNON BOWEN
Devolving ethical standards of 2050: International and disciplinary failure.
Citation: Bowen, S. A. & Erzikova, E. (2025). Devolving ethical standards of 2050: International and disciplinary failure. In A. V. Laskin & K. Freberg (Eds.), Public relations and strategic communication in 2050: Trends shaping the future of the profession (pp. 49 – 60). NY: Routledge.
Abstract: This research reports the futuristic development mediated communication in 2050 with a resulting devolving standards of ethical engagement, moral autonomy, and truth in communication.
CREATIVE PRODUCTION
SHANNON BOWEN
The Crux of the Story Podcast
Citation: Bowen, S. A. & Sultanescu, D. (2024, Oct. 22). The AI Index Study and Ethical Expectations. In M. Fernandez, The Crux of the Story Podcast.
Abstract: Podcast regarding the artificial intelligence (AI) index study.
ENCYCLOPEDIA ENTRY
VANESSA KITZIE
The Current State of LIS Research on LGBTQ + Identities and Issues. In: Baker, David
and Ellis, Lucy (eds.) Encyclopedia of Libraries, Librarianship, and Information Science,
vol. 3, pp. 480-492. Citation: Kitzie, Vanessa L. (2024) The Current State of LIS Research on LGBTQ + Identities
and Issues. In: Baker, David and Ellis, Lucy (eds.) Encyclopedia of Libraries, Librarianship,
and Information Science, vol. 3, pp. 480-492. US: Elsevier.
Abstract: This entry reviews the current state of Library and Information Science (LIS) research on LGBTQþ identities and issues. Published studies emerged in the early 1990s and focused on collection development, information needs, and library worker perceptions. While these areas remain dominant over time, emerging ones include youth services, vocabularies and taxonomies, archives, and intellectual freedom. Future directions include additional exploration within emerging areas, recruitment strategies that capture perspectives of those under-represented within the LGBTQþ umbrella, and research that extends beyond Western, Anglophone contexts.
RACHEL WILLIAMS
This submission is an encyclopedia entry in the Encyclopedia of Libraries, Librarianship,
and Information Science. The entry is titled Social Work and LIS: The State of Research.
As libraries take on more complex roles in supporting their communities, they are
partnering with social workers to better address patrons' needs. This encyclopedia
entry looks at how these collaborations have evolved, the challenges faced, and new
trends in research, including the use of technology and understanding emotional labor
in library services.
Citation: Williams, R.D. and Ogden, L. (2024). 50040. Social Work and LIS: The State of Research. Encyclopedia of Libraries, Librarianship, and Information Science, Elsevier.
Abstract: As libraries increasingly serve the needs of patrons with complex challenges, opportunities for collaboration with social work have emerged. This encyclopedia entry examines the landscape of research that traces the evolution of library service provision by integrating social work expertise. The entry explores challenges libraries encounter; diverse models of library-social work collaboration, infusion of social work knowledge and skills into librarianship; and trauma-informed library services. Anticipating continued growth in these partnerships, the article forecasts trends in research including virtual reality tools for crisis communication training, and exploration of emotional labour, and identity-based expectations in libraries.
HONORARY RESEARCH FELLOW
KIM THOMPSON
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies (Jamaica) has appointed me
as an Honorary Research Fellow (2024-2025) for the Department of Library and Information
Studies, Faculty of Humanities and Education.
Twitter: @ThompsonKimM
JOURNAL ARTICLE
XIAO ANLI
Mobilizing Supportive Stakeholders: Applying the Social Identity Model of Collective
Action (SIMCA) to Corporate Social Advocacy, accepted by Journal of Communication
Management.
SHANNON BOWEN, Yiching Zhu (SJMC Ph.D. Alumnus)
Redefining strategic communication and its future role: The Global Strategic Communication
Consortium Conclave – A review.
Citation: Selakovic, M. Ljepava, N., Bowen, S. A., Zhu, Y., Erzikova, E., Robertson, B. (2024). Redefining strategic communication and its future role: The Global Strategic Communication Consortium Conclave – A review. Economic Horizons, 26(2), 211-216. ISSN: 1450-863 X
Abstract: This research reports development process of an international conference for leading scholars in strategic communication to consider the implications of futurism for their field along with the ethical implications of AI, transhumanism, quantum computing, sustainability, robotics, and neuromorphic computation.
SHANNON BOWEN
Developed ethical standards for AI development and use from a 5 year NSF and internal
grant in a longitudinal study.
OPEN ACCESS article offering ethical guidelines for the strategic communication fields' use of AI, quantum and neuromorphic computing.
National Science Foundation (NSF) Award #2137806, and Internal Professional Development Grant, USC.
Citation: Bowen, S. A. (2024). “If it can be done, it will be done:” AI ethical standards and a dual role for public relations. Special issue on Artificial Intelligence (AI). Public Relations Review, 50(5), 1-13. DOI
Abstract: This research reports a five-year study with different types of participants to examine questions related to ethics in artificial intelligence (AI) and the use of AI in public relations and professional communication. AI specialists from computer engineering and closely related fields, as well as CCOs, communication directors/managers, public affairs officers, and CEOs participated in this research, explaining and assessing the role of ethics in AI. Through numerous points of data collection, the topic of AI ethics in public relations was examined through a mixed method approach. This study offers insight into the ethics and design of AI systems that communication professionals must not only use in practice but also understand, advise upon, ethically oversee, and occasionally defend in the public sphere when used (or commissioned) by our organizations. After a review of broad literature and longitudinal data from hundreds of sources, recommendations for a more robust framework for AI ethics in public relations are proposed. Ethical guidelines for AI, quantum and neuromorphic computing are offered.
JABARI EVANS, Odera Ezenna (SJMC Ph.D. Candidate)
Odera and I published this article in a special edition of First Monday that centers
on Civic Engagement in the 21st Century. First Monday is an open access journal "for
the Internet about the Internet."
The findings of this study emphasize the significance of understanding the nuances and processes by which connections between participatory culture and politics are forged, paving the way for more informed and effective strategies to foster civic mindsets, career pathways, and political engagement among Black youth.
Citation: Evans, J., & Ezenna, O. (2024). The new (Black) civics: How popular media cultivates connected learning, and civic engagement among Black college students. First Monday.
Abstract: Through interviews with 28 college students majoring in journalism, this study examines how African American youth and young adults uniquely develop civic mindsets and cultivate critical media literacy skills. Related to their desire to create counternarratives of racist representations of Blackness in popular media, imagine possibilities for their daily life, and promote pride in their local communities, findings in this study suggest African American youths use popular media to form unique pathways to connected learning (CL) capabilities, civic engagement, and positive individual trajectories. Three themes emerged from our interviews on media engagement: 1) learning through discourse on racial injustice in news media; 2) learning of Black-oriented community obligation via civic media; and, 3) participating in/observing political activism through social media. This article concludes by arguing that more consideration must be given to the racialized social learning practices that grow around digital devices and tools that shape how they are used and understood by African American youth.
SABRINA HABIB
Thinking Skills and Creativity Journal
Title: Student perspectives on creative pedagogy: Considerations for the Age of AI
SOU Creativity Conference May 2024
Highlights:
• Qualitative analysis of 391 student reflections from two creativity courses in higher education.
• Creativity education has a major impact on confidence and creative self-efficacy.
• Findings support importance of creative education in a world increasingly influenced by evolving technologies.
Citation: Habib, S., Vogel, T., & Thorne, E. (2025). Student Perspectives on Creative Pedagogy: Considerations for the Age of AI. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 101767.
Abstract: Creative thinking is essential to learning and individual growth. Understanding how to foster this essential skill in educational settings is critical, especially in an era where artificial intelligence can act as a creative proxy. This study examined the role of teaching creative thinking and problem-solving in higher education, offering considerations to the proliferation of artificial intelligence accessibility. Through a qualitative analysis of 391 student reflections from two courses, one at a public flagship university's School of Journalism and Mass Communications in the South and a second at a private small liberal arts college (SLAC)’s School of Communication in the Northeast, the research offers an examination of distinct student cohorts from two courses over five years on student perceptions of creative education in the U.S. The findings support the efficacy of creative courses in preparing students to thrive in any discipline in the age of AI, highlighting the importance of creative education in a world increasingly influenced by evolving technologies.
BRYAN JENKINS
“The Beat” of the Black Press: An Exploratory Analysis of Black Newspapers and Their
Podcasts. Published in The Journal of Black Studies.
This research explores how four Black newspapers’ podcasts continue the rich legacy of the Black Press. It examines how podcasts can be leveraged to continue achieving the goals of the Black Press in the digital age.
Citation: Saxton Coleman, L., & Jenkins, B. M. (2024). “The Beat” of the Black Press: An Exploratory Analysis of Black Newspapers and Their Podcasts. Journal of Black Studies, 0(0).
Abstract: As newspaper readership trends shifted from paper to online/digital, several Black Press newspapers acquired websites. While this acquisition blurred the lines between ownership and management, the digital Black Press still contains pertinent and relevant content. Like the Black Press, podcasting is conceptualized as a participatory and engaging media process that has proven to be a viable avenue for news consumption, suggesting that it could be integral to the Black Press. This paper takes a constructivist grounded theory approach to investigate how four Black newspapers’ podcasts represent the goals of the Black Press. Our research showed that content across all three podcasts reported on stories that centered Black people, highlighted issues pertinent to Black audiences, and encouraged community action, thus aligning with the goals of the Black Press. While traditional and new media are often put at odds with each other, this study contributes to research on the Black Press by exploring a form of new media to not replace, but rather, evolve the Black Press itself and find new ways for it to reach and expand its audiences.
LYDA McCARTIN
Racialized Experiences of Higher Education Professionals During the COVID-19 Pandemic:
Prioritizing Well-Being and Shifting From Personal Resistance to Institutional Responsibility.
Citation: Racialized Experiences of Higher Education Professionals During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Prioritizing Well-Being and Shifting From Personal Resistance to Institutional Responsibility. Raquel Wright-Mair, Delma Ramos, Bryan Hubain, Lyda Fontes McCartin, and Liliana Rodriguez. Journal of Education Human Resources 2025 43:1, 29-53
Abstract: This article employs narrative inquiry and counter-storytelling as methodological and analytical tools to unpack the collective experiences of racially minoritized student affairs practitioners and faculty during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors’ narratives underscore factors that impeded their success during the pandemic and the nuances of practitioner and faculty fatigue above and beyond the greater responsibilities often placed on racially minoritized employees, resulting in compromised well-being. As the authors reconcile their experiences, they also unpack their feelings of guilt over their clear complicity as they continue to exist and lead in a system they often resent. In conversation with existing literature, the authors’ narratives inform a set of recommendations for human resource practices higher education that call for a shift in responsibility for the well-being of racially minoritized practitioners and faculty in higher education institutions.
JENNIFER MOORE
This study examined the extent to which the recent increase in book challenges and bans has influenced the self-censoring behaviors of school librarians when selecting books for their collections and the controversial topics they are most hesitant to include in their library collections.
Citation: Moore, J., & Tudor, A. (2024). To add or not to add: An examination of self-censoring behaviors among school librarians. School Library Research
Abstract: The American Library Association (ALA) reported an “unprecedented” number of book challenges in 2022 (ALA, 2022b), resulting in nationwide media coverage and increased awareness of censorship attempts. However, these numbers represent only censorship attempts from external entities, such as parents and the general public; some librarians engage in censorship themselves in the form of self-censorship. This mixed-methods study examined the extent to which the recent increase in book challenges and bans has influenced the self-censoring behaviors of school librarians when selecting books for their collections and the controversial topics they are most hesitant to include in their library collections. Findings indicate that although the majority had never experienced a challenge, participants expressed increased hesitancy to add books potentially perceived to contain controversial material and that they weighed the effects of controversial subject matter more often in the most recent year compared to previous years. Despite the nationwide increase in challenges, few had revised their collection development policies. Topics and book characteristics they are most hesitant to add to their collections include sexual content, abortion, profanity, and self-harm/suicide. Participants who had not experienced a challenge were less likely than those who had experienced a challenge to purchase materials with potentially controversial topics, particularly books with sexual content or LGBTQIA+ characters.
FEILI TU-KEEFNER
Local public libraries have evolved into community hubs, with staff increasingly serving
as first responders during crises, such as natural disasters. This article documents
essential crisis leadership qualifications for library personnel and underscores the
necessity for LIS education to include disaster management, along with the importance
of continuing education for information professionals.
Citation: Tu-Keefner, F., Hobbs, A., & Lyons, D. (2025) Libraries on the front lines: The imperative for disaster-ready information professionals. Journal Library Administration 65(1), 79-99.
Abstract: Libraries, particularly local public libraries, have evolved into hubs for community-first services, extending beyond traditional roles. Library personnel are now expected to act as first responders and crisis leaders during times such as natural disasters. This report documents the critical crisis leadership qualifications required for library personnel, identified through comprehensive research from 2015 to 2023. Findings from these situation-specific case studies call attention to the community’s needs for library services during emergencies, underscoring the requirement for LIS education to include disaster management. Continuing education (CE) is also critical in preparing information professionals for these essential roles.
TAYLOR WEN, Yanzhen Xu (former Ph.D. student)
This article appears in the Journal of Advertising, a premier communication journal,
as part of its themed issue on Computational Advertising Research Methodology. The
selection process for this special issue was highly competitive: of more than 60 initial
proposals, 16 were chosen by the Editor-in-Chief for presentation at the 2023 Computational
Advertising Research Thought Leadership Forum (TLF) at the University of Minnesota.
The authors then refined their work based on forum feedback and underwent multiple
rigorous review rounds. Ultimately, only nine papers—including this one—were accepted
for publication in the themed issue.
This article explains how machines and AI can be taught to recognize and measure human emotions by analyzing text, images, and sounds—opening new ways for advertisers to understand how people feel about their messages. It also offers practical guidance, ethical considerations, and examples of how these emotion-detection tools can advance advertising research and practice.
Citation: Wen, T. J., Chuan, C. H., Anghelcev, G., Sar, S., Yun, J. T., & Xu, Y. (2024). Infusing Affective Computing Models into Advertising Research on Emotions. Journal of Advertising, 53(5), 710-731.
Abstract: This article discusses promising avenues for integrating affective computational approaches into advertising research on emotion. We review affective computing methods for different modalities—text, visual, and audio—and present advertising research examples and computational tools for each modality. We discuss different state-of-the-art multimodal tools for emotion recognition and propose an evaluation framework for advertising researchers to compare and select appropriate affective computing models. Finally, we discuss how affective computing approaches may fill some research gaps to advance emotion-based advertising research and theory building. This paper contributes theoretical insights, ethical considerations, and practical guidelines essential for the methodological advancement of the emerging field of computational advertising research.
PANEL/PRESENTATION
VALERIE BYRD FORT, Jenna Spiering
Valerie Byrd Fort and Dr. Jenna Spiering presented, "The Essential Role of School
Librarians" at the South Carolina Council of Teachers of English 2025 Annual Conference
in Kiawah Island, SC.
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT
SHANNON BOWEN
This public lecture explored development standards in engineering and the potential
of truth in artificial intelligence (AI).
Citation: Bowen, S. A. (2024). Is there truth in AI? And other challenges for strategic communication. AI Ethics Center (NEH) keynote, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.
Abstract: This public lecture explored development standards in engineering and the potential of truth in artificial intelligence (AI).
LYDA McCARTIN
SC Public Radio interview with SC Business Review. Discussion about the cybersecurity
job shortage and how CIC is working to educate students.
Abstract: By now, most people are pretty aware of the labor shortage our state and country is facing. But there’s one important area in particular with a talent gap that our next guest is working hard to alleviate. Mike Switzer interviews Dr. Lyda Fontes McCartin, Director of the School of Information Science at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C.
2024
BOOK CHAPTER
VANESSA KITZIE
This chapter describes the everyday information needs and practices of LGBTQ+ youth.
Citation: Kitzie, V. (2024). LGBTQ+ Youth. In C. Bomhold (Ed.) Serving the underserved: Strategies for inclusive community engagement, ALA Neal-Schuman.
Abstract: This chapter describes the everyday information needs and practices of LGBTQ+ youth. It uses the umbrella label LGBTQ+, which stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer and/or questioning identities. The plus sign denotes the varied ways people identify themselves that do not fall under these letters. The order and inclusion of letters varies across various groups, communities, and subcultures. For instance, the label LGBTQIA2S+ adds intersex, asexual, and two-spirit identities. In addition, the identities represented within the LGBTQ+ umbrella do not necessarily capture other cultural identities outside of a Western perspective.
No label is perfect or completely inclusive. Language shifts, and when working with LGBTQ+ people and communities, it is essential to understand and apply the terms and labels they use. For instance, "queer" has experienced historical use as a slur, but certain people and communities have reclaimed the word as a positive self-label (Perlman 2019).
This chapter uses "youth" to reflect existing research that captures the experiences and perspectives of young LGBTQ+ people. Some research uses the views of those in earlier stages of adolescence (i.e., 13-15) with an emphasis on those in late adolescence through early adulthood (i.e., 16-26) (J. Austin 2019; Taylor, Falconer, and Snowdon 2014). This age range represents a life stage that involves intense identity development (Taylor, Falconer, and Snowdon 2014).
JOURNAL ARTICLE
HALEY HATFIELD
Title: Translating Children's Environmental Health Science Using Virtual Environments:
A Community-Based Participatory Research Approach
Journal: Environmental Justice
Citation: Hatfield, H. R., Mutic, A., Barnes, M., Smith, G., and Ahn, S. J. G. (2024). Translating Children's Environmental Health Science Using Virtual Environments: A Community-Based Participatory Research Approach. Environmental Justice, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1089/env.2024.0044
Abstract: Environmental justice remains a critical issue in the United States, particularly in regions in the Southeast, where underserved and under-resourced communities continue to endure a disproportionate burden of environmental hazards due to systemic inequities. Addressing these disparities requires fostering community-driven partnerships that empower local stakeholders and catalyze meaningful change. This article presents a case study and takeaways of collaborative research efforts between academic institutions and community stakeholders in Georgia, specifically focusing on translating children’s environmental health (CEH) research through virtual environments. The Center for Children’s Health Assessment, Research Translation, and Combating Environmental Racism brings together Emory University, the University of Georgia, Spelman College, and the Center for Black Women’s Wellness to develop effective strategies to translate research findings on CEH to stakeholders in the community, academia, and healthcare. This case study draws upon our experience of leveraging cutting-edge digital technologies, including virtual reality and video games, to integrate experiential learning across all ages and enhance policymakers’ understanding of environmental justice impacts through translational strategies. This article examines the successes and challenges in bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and grassroots action. We offer insights into the broader implications of community-driven partnerships for promoting environmental sustainability and social justice.
APPOINTMENT
ERIC ROBINSON
Eric P. Robinson was named to the committee that oversees and administers the American
Bar Association's First Amendment and Media Law Diversity Moot Court Competition,
which is designed to introduce diverse law students to the practice of media law and
to lawyers active in the communications law bar. Link
BOOK
JABARI EVANS
In this book, Jabari Evans examines Chicago’s controversial Drill rap scene and the
“always-on” nature of social media for these musicians, who are often tasked with
maintaining constant connection across multiple platforms in order to both affirm
their street authenticity locally and promote themselves to an imagined audience of
global Hip-Hop fans. Drawing on empirical studies, ethnographic fieldwork, and prominent
members of Chicago’s Hip-Hop scene, Evans explores the role of social media as an
economic resource supporting artistic labor and the implications, both positive and
negative, of relying on these platforms for success. Clout, a term heavily used by
Drill rappers, refers to the way their influence on social media is measured according
to numeric metrics including likes, views, re-posts, and followers. Ultimately, Evans
argues that while Black youth of Drill effectively use Hip-Hop cultural norms to harness
the power of clout and gain individual celebrity, this success comes with ambivalence
over unwanted surveillance of their private lives and the need to rely on negative
stereotypes as central to their identities.
Citation: Evans, J. M. (2024). Drill Rap, Sex Work and the Digital Underground: (Clout)chasing on Chicago's Southside. Langham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield. Link
CONFERENCE PAPER
MONICA COLON-AGUIRRE
Paper presented at the 2024 annual meeting of the Association for Library and Information
Science Education.
The last piece of a larger mixed method study on the perceptions liaison librarians working in academic libraries in the United States have regarding the preparation they received for the role during the completion of their master's in library and information science. This piece explored the specific tasks affiliated to the role of liaison librarian; one which is not fully defined in the literature despite its prevalence as a professional pathway.
Citation: Colón-Aguirre, M. & Bright, K. M. (October 2024). What do liaison librarians do? An exploration into the tasks and perceptions of the role. Presented at the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) annual meeting, Portland, OR. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21900/j.alise.2024.1678
Abstract: Liaison librarianship is one of the most common roles in academic libraries, but it is one which is not as central to LIS education as expected. Given the significant investment students make obtaining their master’s degrees, programs need to ensure that students are well prepared for the job market; however, studies indicate that many LIS students and professionals do not feel their programs have adequately prepared them for it. This work explores the main tasks performed by academic librarians as well as how these professionals perceive their role, with the purpose of providing information useful for LIS faculty in curriculum creation. Link
DARIN FREEBURG, KATIE KLEIN (iSchool PhD Candidate)
This paper considers the subtle ways in which workers are directed to construct identities
aligned with organizational interests. It also considers worker responses to these
identity regulation attempts.
Citation: Freeburg, D. & Klein, K. (2024). Be who we want you to be: Navigating identity regulation in the public library. Long paper presented at The Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science and Technology, Calgary, ON. [32% acceptance].
VANESSA KITZIE, TRAVIS WAGNER (iSchool Alumni)
Abstract: This paper reports on findings from 15 semi-structured interviews with LGBTQIA+ individuals
within the United States who have experienced the loss of one or more LGBTQIA+ information
spaces. The paper specifically focuses on how such loses occurred and the information
transitions experienced by the participants in response to this loss. Findings from
the paper show that affective and embodied elements both individually and communally
inform how information loss informs one’s desire to transition to new information
spaces. The findings also reveal new one’s sociocultural contexts inform how information
loss and transition occurs, while also highlighting information creation as a common
transitional response to information loss. The paper’s findings contribute to information
science research by contextualizing queer information spaces as a critical component
that shapes how people engage with and make sense of information by exploring this
phenomenon within an understudied population and new contexts of loss and transition.
Additionally, the paper offers new examples of information creation and invites future
directions focusing on this practice within LGBTQIA+ communities. Further, the paper
contributes theoretical insights for framing informational transitions in response
to loss and absence as a phenomenological experience.
Citation: Wagner, T.L., & Kitzie, V. (2024). “In many ways, you're this person who's providing light”: Theorizing embodied responses to information absence within LGBTQIA+ communities. Paper presented at the ALISE 2024 Conference, Portland, OR, October 14-17. [Winner, ALISE Bohdan S. Wynar Research Paper Competition].
JENNIFER MOORE
Refereed conference paper presented at the Association for Library and Information
Science Education (ALISE) 2024 Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon.
P12 educators are expected to utilize evidence to inform practices and decisions. Although most school librarians collect and use evidence, they struggle doing so systematically or in relation to teaching and learning. We conducted focus groups interviews with school librarians and their educators and supervisors to identify existing opportunities that prepare school librarians for evidence-based practice (EBP), challenges with those opportunities, and types and forms of professional learning that school librarians prefer as they continue to hone their application of EBP. Our findings indicate that additional tools and real-time learning opportunities would further support school librarians’ EBP knowledge and skills.
Citation: Cahill, M., Moore, J., & Kodama, C. (2024, October) Share and share alike: School librarians sharing their truths about evidence based practice. [Refereed conference paper]. Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) 2024 Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon.
JENNIFER MOORE
Like research in other fields, studies in school librarianship can have unexpected,
yet interesting, findings. This paper presents surprise findings from focus group
interviews conducted with secondary (grades 6-12) school librarians as part of a grant
project to learn about their evidence-based practice (EBP) knowledge, challenges,
and professional development opportunities.
Citation: Kodama, C., Moore, J., & Cahill, M. (2024, October) Bolts from the blue: Surprise findings in school librarians’ evidence gathering. [Refereed conference paper]. International Association for School Librarianship Annual Conference, virtual.
CREATIVE PRODUCTION
HANNAH SHIKLE, SUSAN FELLEMAN (School of Visual Art and Design)
Part documentary and part personal film essay, "In Production: The Life and Career
of George Justin" details the life of producer George Justin, as told by his niece.
It was an official selection at the New York Long Island Film Festival (2024 - nominated
for Best Documentary Feature), the Orlando Film Festival (2024), and the Coronado
Island Film Festival (2024).
Travel: The filmmakers were able to attend the screenings at the New York Long Island Film Festival (October 17th) and the Coronado Island Film Festival (November 7th).
JOURNAL ARTICLE
MONICA COLON-AGUIRRE
This work explored the perception liaison librarians working in academic libraries
in the United States had regarding the preparation they received for their role during
the completion of their master's degree. The data reflects the complexity of establishing
curricular design which supports better preparation for those pursuing this professional
path due to the fact that many of the participants did not plan to become a liaison,
or even an academic librarian, when they started their graduate degree in library
and information science and therefore did not take the necessary courses which would
have helped support their professional preparation for this role.
Citation: Colón-Aguirre, M. & Bright, K.M. (2024). “So, that would have been useful”: Curriculum in LIS in support of liaison librarian preparation. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science. 65(4), 373–389. DOI: 10.3138/jelis-2023-0022
Abstract: LIS education has historically come under fire for what some perceive as a disconnect between what is taught in the classroom and what the job really entails. This study is part of a larger research study that used a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design to investigate liaison librarians’ perceptions of their academic preparation to take on the liaison role, specifically whether and how their LIS program curriculum prepared them for this role. This qualitative strand of the study relied on in-depth semi-structured interviews of survey participants to explore two research questions: What are the perceptions of academic liaison librarians regarding the degree to which their programs prepared them for their current role? And which factors influenced these perceptions? This research identified the main reasons hindering the effectiveness of LIS education for preparing librarians for the liaison role to be a range of complex issues that LIS programs and educators should consider, such as changing career plans among students who did not initially plan to become liaison librarians, students not taking certain courses due to scheduling or course timing issues, and the abstract nature of some course content which obscures connections to real-world practice. Participants also identified courses in collection development, reference, instruction, and research methods as those that should take center stage when preparing liaison librarians. These results have the potential to inform various aspects of LIS program curriculum planning and design and provide course-selection guidance for LIS students considering a career in academic libraries.
EHSAN MOHAMMADI
Misinformation, along with other social and economic factors, made it challenging
to motivate people to take precautions and get vaccinated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The researchers analyzed a large dataset over two years to identify topics that motivated
or discouraged vaccination and how these topics varied over time and by location.
They found that while the topics motivating people to get vaccinated remained consistent
across different regions, the topics discouraging vaccination changed frequently over
time. They also discovered that intrinsic motivation, rather than external mandates,
was more effective in inspiring the public to get vaccinated.
Citation: Ashiqur Rahman, Ehsan Mohammadi, Hamed Alhoori. Cutting through the noise to motivate people: A comprehensive analysis of COVID-19 social media posts de/motivating vaccination, Natural Language Processing Journal, Volume 8, 2024, 100085
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic exposed significant weaknesses in the healthcare information system. The overwhelming volume of misinformation on social media and other socioeconomic factors created extraordinary challenges to motivate people to take proper precautions and get vaccinated. In this context, our work explored a novel direction by analyzing an extensive dataset collected over two years, identifying the topics de/motivating the public about COVID-19 vaccination. We analyzed these topics based on time, geographic location, and political orientation. We noticed that while the motivating topics remain the same over time and geographic location, the demotivating topics change rapidly. We also identified that intrinsic motivation, rather than external mandate, is more advantageous to inspire the public. This study addresses scientific communication and public motivation in social media. It can help public health officials, policymakers, and social media platforms develop more effective messaging strategies to cut through the noise of misinformation and educate the public about scientific findings. Link
Twitter: @ehsanwlv
NEWS COMMENTARY
JABARI EVANS
I wrote an essay for The Conversation about how was called to testify in the murder
trial of Canadian rapper Top5 to discuss the harmful practice of using rap lyrics
as evidence. I described what my experience was like inside the courtroom and why
I felt it was important to take the stand.
Hassan Ali, a.k.a Top5, was released after a judge dismissed social media evidence in the case. By treating rap lyrics as confessions, the legal system perpetuates harmful stereotypes about Black men.
Citation: Evans, J. (2024, October 28). Rap personas on trial: A Toronto rapper's murder trial and the criminalization of hip-hop. The Conversation (Canada Edition). Melbourne, Australia: Creative Commons. Link
PANEL/PRESENTATION
MONICA COLON-AGUIRRE
Panel focused on the ways in which LIS educators can help students be better prepared
for the job market and the day to day work as librarians and information professionals.
Panel was made up of LIS educators from 3 different programs and focused on presenting
applications to the curriculum based on evidence from the presenters' current research.
My contribution to this panel was based on the results of a study on the retention of librarians who identify as black, indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) which was an IMLS (Instituted of Museum and Library Services) grant. Preliminary research findings indicate that BIPOC librarian retention seem to be especially affected by issues related to a complex mix of factors which include low salaries, life circumstances, and professional relationships.
Citation: Julien, H., VanScoy, A., Gross, M., Latham, D., Colón-Aguirre, M. & Baumb, B., Crabtree, L. (2024, October). Preparing students for the workplace: The good, the bad, and the ugly. Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) annual conference 2024, Portland, OR. (Panelist). DOI: https://doi.org/10.21900/j.alise.2024.1671
Abstract: Curriculum for master’s level education in library and information science is an historically popular subject of discussion in the disciplinary literature. Specific topic areas are interrogated (Saunders & Bajjaly, 2022), opinions are solicited about courses or topics which ought to be required of all students (Saunders, 2019) or required of students in particular sub-areas of the profession (Davis & Saunders, 2020; Saunders, 2020; Williams & Saunders, 2020), changes over time are analyzed (EunKyung Chung, Schalk, & JungWon Yoon, 2022), and external standards are developed to articulate the breadth and depth of curricula which “should” be included (ALA, 2023). Similarly, the literature promotes a range of pedagogical approaches (Ely, 2023), and conference programs (such as the ALISE conference) and webinar series (such as those sponsored by ALISE, including the “LIS Pedagogy Chat” series) also address pedagogy.
One aspect of professional practice that has received less consideration is the way students are prepared to hold realistic expectations for the workplace. Those expectations may relate to organizational cultures, practices, and challenges, all of which may be minimally addressed during students’ pre-professional education or ignored completely.
The panel highlights specific aspects of workplace experience as revealed through research projects delving into the lived experiences of library workers. These research findings will be considered in terms of the ways in which they may inform the curricula of master’s programs in the field. The panel will open with a very short introduction by the moderator, Dr. Heidi Julien. Then each panelist will have 15 minutes to summarize results of their recent studies, and individually will suggest their implications for preparing master’s students for the realities of professional practice. The remaining 40 minutes will be devoted to audience discussion about possible ways students may be exposed to these realities. Prompting questions for the audience include:
Are there other workplace realities not addressed by the panel that would be relevant to students?
Who is best positioned to discuss these realities with students – e.g., practitioners? Adjunct instructors? Regular faculty members? Alumni?
Are there existing opportunities in master’s curricula to include these discussions, or would extra-curricular opportunities be more effective?
Ideas generated by the panelists and the audience will be captured and shared with attendees orally at the close of the session. Link
DARIN FREEBURG, KATIE KLEIN (iSchool PhD Candidate)
In this panel, we considered worker responses to identity threats and the ideal organizational
support measures for those responses.
Citation: Freeburg, D. & Klein, K. (2024). Changing up the routine: Contextual supports for library staff who don’t fit “the way we do things around here.” Panel presented at the South Carolina Library Association, Columbia, SC.
DARIN FREEBURG, KATIE KLEIN (iSchool PhD Candidate)
This poster depicts research on the information practices involved in a worker's identity
construction. Using a well-known conflict management model, the research shows how
workers manage conflicts between internal and external identity-relevant information.
Citation: Freeburg, D. & Klein, K. (2024). Who am I? How public library staff manage conflicting information about the self-concept. Poster presented at The Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science and Technology, Calgary, ON. [51% acceptance].
RACHEL WILLIAMS, DARIN FREEBURG
Juried Panel presented at ALISE 2024, Portland, OR.
Citation: Williams, R., Gross, M., Latham, D., Baum, B., Dudak, L, Freeburg, D., Crooks, S., & Johnson, S. (2024). Navigating the modern libraryscape: The changing roles, labor, and education of public librarians. Juried Panel presented at ALISE 2024, Portland, OR.
VANESSA KITZIE, NICO SWEET (MLIS Student)
Poster presented at the South Carolina Library Association Annual Meeting, Columbia,
SC, October 29-31.
Citation: Sweet, N. & Kitzie, V. (2024). SC LGBTQIA+ public library staff experiences findings. Poster presented at the South Carolina Library Association Annual Meeting, Columbia, SC, October 29-31. Link
VANESSA KITZIE, YI WAN (iSchool PhD candidate)
Citation: Wan, Y., & Kitzie, V. (Chairs). (2024, October 14-17). The AI-empowered researcher:
Using AI-based tools for success in Ph.D. programs. Panel presented at ALISE Conference
2024, Portland, OR, October 14-17. Link
VANESSA KITZIE
Panel presented at ALISE Conference 2024, Portland, OR, October 14-17.
Citation: Sands, A., Connors-Joyner, J., Cifor, M., Hands, A., Kitzie, V., & Donaldson, D. (2024). IMLS early career research: A dialogue with program officers and awardees. Panel presented at ALISE Conference 2024, Portland, OR, October 14-17.
JENNIFER MOORE
Refereed panel session at the Association of Library and Information Science Educators
Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon. School librarian certification educators shared
their perspectives on the current and future direction of the school library profession.
Citation: Clark-Hunt, L., Steele, J., Moore, J., Soulen, R., and Gibson, A. (2024, October 26). Current and future directions for school media specialists. [Refereed panel session]. Association of Library and Information Science Educators Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon.
JENNIFER MOORE
Panel session at the International Association for School Librarianship Annual Conference.
The research team, three school library practitioners, and one school librarian certification
educator engaged in an unstructured conversation, sharing their experiences as research
participants who recently participated in online focus groups.
The research team, three school library practitioners, and one school librarian certification educator engaged in an unstructured conversation, sharing their experiences as research participants who recently participated in online focus groups.
Citation: Moore, J., Kodama, C., Cahill, M., Burke, E., Cesari, L., Muhlbauer, M., & Powers, C. (2024, October 26). More than just a gift card: Benefits of school library research participation. [panel session]. International Association for School Librarianship Annual Conference, virtual.
KIM THOMPSON, Dick Kawooya, Clayton A. Copeland, Eric P. Robinson, Courtney Swartzendruber
(MLIS alum)
The Ethics and Truth of Disability Access: An Information Perspective. SIG Disabilities
in LIS panel presentation. Association for Library and Information Science Education
(ALISE) 2024 in Portland, OR.
Citation: Smith, A. J. M., Dali, K., Thompson, K. M., Abbas, J., Anderson, A. M., Copeland, C. A., Day, J. R., Dreeszen Bowman, R., Dudak, L., Jung, Y. J., Kawooya, D., Lundy, M., Munyao, M., Phillips, A., L., Robinson, E. P., Swartzendruber, C., & Velez, L. (2024, October 15). The ethics and truth of disability access: An information perspective. Co-convener SIG panel presented at the Association for Library and Information Science Education 2024 Conference: Ethics & Evolution of Truth & Information, 14-17 October, Portland, Oregon.
Abstract: The Disabilities in LIS SIG session features presentations on a wide array of disability and accessibility-related topics. The session consists of three sets of 10-minute research and experience-based talks followed by discussion. The first section begins with Copeland, Kawooya, Robinson and Swartzendruber discussing the findings of the pilot study focused on the “Equitable Access for the Blind, Visually Impaired, and Print-Disabled (BVIPD) Students in Online Learning” (funded by USC). Day continues the accessibility theme with an examination of “Accessibility of Academic Reading Materials: Insights from Librarians, Students, and Disability services” while Phillips and Anderson consider innovative best practices in “Accessibility Over Accommodations: Inclusive Teaching Practices for Neurodivergent Students” with a special focus on teaching graduate students.
The second section begins with Dreeszen Bowen and Dudak’s “Beyond Accessibility: Empowering Physically Disabled Voices in Academia and Librarianship” where the authors explore specific problems of doctoral program expectations of conference participation and travel for students with disabilities. In “Not your story to tell: Amplifying the Voices of Disabled Library Workers” Velez reports on a critical bibliography of North American library disability studies literature from 2010 to 2022 and considers the important issue of not simply viewing disability as a “problem” to solve, but rather to considering the real needs of people with disabilities in the library profession and ensuring their voices are heard as participants or investigators in the research process.
The third section begins with a report on the IMLS-funded grant “Public library makerspaces and maker programming for youth with disabilities: Experiences of librarians” with results reported by Jung, Abbas, and Munyao while in the final presentation, “Disability and Inclusion in 10 Seconds and Less: Researching, Collaborating, and Storytelling in TikTok Information World(s)” Lundy highlights the ability of social media to give a voice to people with disabilities and also considers the difficulties encountered in conducting research as a person with disabilities.
Dick Kawooya was Panel Moderator.
POSTER
KIM THOMPSON, Yi Wan (iSchool PhD student), Clayton A. Copeland
Re-imagining Librarianship: An Observation of Job Advertisements for Library Positions
in the US. Poster presented at the Association for Library and Information Science
Education, Portland, OR, 14-17 October, 2024.
Citation: Wan, Y., Thompson, K. M., & Copeland, C. A. (2024, October 15). Re-imagining librarianship: An observation of job advertisements for library positions in the US. Poster presented at the Association for Library and Information Science Education, Portland, OR, 14-17 October, 2024.
Abstract: In the current artificial intelligence (AI) and post-pandemic era, libraries are compelled to accelerate digitalization and automation (Nugroho et al., 2023; Pressreader Team, 2023). Revisiting the core values of librarianship is critical to understanding the opportunities and challenges for libraries and librarians in this trend. Advertisements, as a form of mass media, define, convey, and uphold ideologies by including specific ideas and excluding others (McIntosh & Cuklanz, 2014). Job advertisements for librarian positions, therefore, are designed to convey the values of librarianship in the United States. The study aims to identify the values by answering the following research questions: (1) How do libraries describe themselves in job advertisements? (2) How do libraries describe ideal librarians in job advertisements? Between February 15 and March 15, 2023, we collected job advertisements for librarian positions in the US on two platforms (ALA JobLIST and Indeed). In this poster, we will present our analyses of these data using a qualitative research design. The coding is guided by the core values of librarianship, for example, stewardship, service, intellectual freedom, rationalism, literacy and learning, equity of access to recorded knowledge and information, privacy, democracy, and the greater good (American Library Association [ALA], 2024; Gorman, 2015). By investigating the values embedded in library job advertisements, we reflect on what core values of librarianship affirm professionalization in social transformation and whether new principles need to be added to the core values (i.e., grassroots value creation rather than top-down). The study may also shed light on the boundaries of librarianship in responding to librarians’ blurred duties and burnt-out labor in libraries. Additionally, it may offer insights to Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) programs on how to prepare future librarians for the job market.
ACCEPTANCE
VALERIE BYRD FORT
Valerie Byrd Fort was selected to participate in the tenth biennial “Bill Morris Seminar:
Book Evaluation Training.” The purpose of this training is to learn skills in book
and media evaluation and discussion that will support her teaching and research as
well as the work of the Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC). It also
helps to identify qualified ALSC members to serve on book award committees.
CONFERENCE PAPER
VANESSA KITZIE, TRAVIS WAGNER (iSchool Alumni)
Citation: Wagner, T.L. & Kitzie, V. (2024). “Independence brings safety in a lot of ways and unsafety in others": Information loss and narrative value in LGBTQIA+ communities. Paper presented at the 2024 Library Research Seminar VIII (LRS VIII), Lexington, KY, September 16-18.
EXPERT WITNESS TESTIMONY
JABARI EVANS
A Toronto rapper charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of a 20-year-old
man was freed on Monday after the Crown stayed the charge.
Hassan Ali, known by his rap moniker Top 5, had been charged in the death of Hashim Omar Hashi, an accounting student. I testified during the case about the inadmissibility of rap music videos and rap lyrics as evidence for criminal cases. I suggested that doing so is not only unfair, it can also take someone's livelihood and freedom away due to the nature of their creative expression.
Hassan Ali has been released from prison after the judge in the case dismissed social media evidence that prosecutors argued proved he was behind a fatal 2021 shooting.
Citation: R v Ali [2024 June 12] 2 Cr App R (S) 25 (Toronto, ON, Canada) CITATION: R. v. Ali, 2024 ONSC 5208 COURT FILE NO.: CR-23-50000281-0000 and CR-23-50000323-0000 DATE: 20240919
JOURNAL ARTICLES
EHSAN MOHAMMADI
Public interest in science or bots? Selective amplification of scientific articles
on Twitter. Aslib Journal of Information Management.
Citation: Rahman, A., Mohammadi, E., & Alhoori, H. (2024). Public interest in science or bots? Selective amplification of scientific articles on Twitter. Aslib Journal of Information Management.
Abstract: Bots can influence the conversation around research by creating a false impression of widespread public interest. To investigate this, the researchers used a dataset that tracks social media attention on academic articles, combined with data from Twitter and a bot-detection app. They analyzed this dataset to determine whether bots were more likely to target specific academic papers. Using machine-learning models, they successfully predicted bot activity around scholarly articles. The researchers found that health science and humanities research were more prone to bot interference than other fields
Lab: Hi Da
JACOB LONG
This is a paper describing software I created for use in the R statistical programming
language. It is published in the Journal of Open Source Software.
This paper gives an introduction to my statistical software package ("jtools") that is widely used to help people analyze their research data.
Citation: Long, J. A. (2024). jtools: Analysis and presentation of social scientific data. The Journal of Open Source Software, 9(101), 6610.
Abstract: jtools is an R package designed to ease the exploration and presentation of regression models with a focus on the needs of social scientists. Most notably, it generates results summaries that are meant to provide some of the conveniences of commercial software such as Stata (e.g., calculating robust standard errors and integrating them into a results table). Additionally, jtools includes plotting functions to help users better understand and share the results and predictions from fitted regression models.
Twitter: jacobandrewlong
JACOB LONG
This is a journal article entitled, "Developing and assessing brief questionnaire
measurements of political media and discussion" published at Communication Research
Reports.
Most people have a difficult time giving accurate reports to survey researchers about how much time they spend with media. This paper reports on an effort to come up with questions that are reasonably easy for people to answer without sacrificing accuracy.
Citation: Long, J. A. (2024). Developing and accessing brief questionnaire measurements of political media and discussion. Communication Research Reports.
Abstract: Measuring communication is among the most difficult and consequential issues in the discipline. Even the most promising methods tend to have serious drawbacks in terms of feasibility, accuracy, or scope. This study develops two brief questionnaire measures to assess the frequency and partisan orientation of political media exposure and discussion. Addressing the challenge of accurate self-reporting in survey research, especially under time constraints, cognitive interviews were conducted to refine the measures. Initial quantitative validity evidence suggests moderate correlations with related constructs, indicating the measures’ potential utility in capturing meaningful variation in political communication behaviors.
Twitter: jacobandrewlong
LINWAN WU, ALLYSSA ANDREWS (SJMC Alumna)
Title: Teaching Programmatic Buying in a Media Planning Class
Journal: Journal of Advertising Education
Citation: Wu, L., & Andrews, A. (2024). Teaching programmatic buying in a media planning class. Journal of Advertising Education. DOI: 10.1177/10980482241285
Abstract: Programmatic advertising has come to dominate the landscape of digital media planning. To prepare ad majors for their future careers in the industry, it is essential to teach students programmatic buying and provide them with hands-on experience. In this article, the authors present their approach of integrating teaching programmatic buying into a media planning course. A key feature of their educational package is a custom digital media buying tool developed by the authors. They hope this article will benefit other college educators in this field and spark further discussions on best teaching practices of programmatic buying and digital media planning.
VANESSA KITZIE
Citation: Kitzie, V. (2024, ahead of print). Comparing the health information practices of sapphic people by age group and generation. Journal of Lesbian Studies, 1–34.
Abstract: This qualitative research examines how sapphic people (i.e., umbrella term inclusive of lesbian, bisexual, and pansexual trans femmes, mascs, nonbinary people, and ciswomen) in South Carolina navigate informational barriers within healthcare systems. An information practices lens that examines how sapphic people create, seek, use, and share information to achieve desired healthcare outcomes describes such navigation. The research focuses on how intersectional identities, with a particular emphasis on age and considerations of race/ethnicity, geography, and gender, mediate these practices and their outcomes. The research uses participant data from semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 34 sapphic people about their health information practices. Participants varied in age and generational representation from 18 through 64. Data analysis utilized qualitative coding to compare how participants experience and circumnavigate health information barriers across age and generation. Data analysis highlighted age-related and generational barriers and facilitators in health information practices within SC sapphic communities. These barriers, shaped by cultural and community dynamics, affected how participants sought and shared health information. Older participants faced barriers rooted in historical experiences, leading to mistrust of healthcare systems, while younger ones encountered challenges imposed by adults. Despite differences, both groups sought sources aligned with their identities and shared frustrations with changing LGBTQIA + language. Across generations, there was a consistent effort to support younger members through protective and defensive health information practices. Implications of these findings identify strategies for healthcare providers and information professionals to dismantle health and healthcare information barriers experienced by those under the LGBTQIA + umbrella who experience less visibility than white gay men from urban areas—additional implications center on strategies for sapphic communities to engender communal care spanning generations.
HALEY HATFIELD
Title: Illegally Beautiful? The Role of Trust and Persuasion Knowledge in Online Image
Manipulation Disclosure Effects
Journal: International Journal of Advertising
Authors: Alexander Pfeuffer (University of Amsterdam), Haley R. Hatfield (University of South Carolina), Nathaniel Evans (University of Georgia), and Jooyoung Kim (University of Georgia)
The research discovered that how brands communicate about image retouching can affect consumer trust and attitudes, especially through detailed disclosures that assist consumers in processing content more thoughtfully. This suggests that social media platforms could benefit from offering more specific disclosure options, which could improve trust in brands and influencers as well as help reduce the negative impact of unrealistic beauty standards on users.
Abstract: The accessibility of powerful photo editing tools has caused image retouching and manipulation to become widespread among sponsored social media content. Images in sponsored posts featuring influencers are often edited to reflect unrealistic body proportions, potentially harming consumers if they compare themselves to unattainable beauty standards. In response to this trend, regulators in different countries have moved to consider or adopt disclosure policies; however, disclosure practices and their effects have not been extensively studied. An online experimental study (N = 480) identified that low- and high-detail disclosures of image manipulation lowered consumer trust. Decreased trust led consumers to use their persuasion knowledge, resulting in less favorable attitudes toward both the brand and influencer, reduced interest in seeking more information about the brand, and diminished body comparison. Finally, implications for various stakeholders, including content creators, brands, and policy-makers, are discussed.
RHYS DREESZEN BOWMAN (iSchool Ph.D. Student)
"Queer Spatiality: Information Practices and Homebuilding in U.S. Rural Contexts,"
was published by The International Journal of Information, Diversity, & Inclusion
(IJIDI) on 19 August 2024.
This research looks at queer people living happy lives in rural communities and the tactics they use to survive and thrive in these climates that might otherwise be hostile.
Citation: Dreeszen Bowman, R. (2024). Queer spatiality: Information practices and homebuilding in U.S. rural contexts International Journal of Information, Diversity & Inclusion, (8)2, 99-119.
Abstract: This qualitative study analyzes interview data with 12 Queer adults living in rural communities in one New England state in the United States. The paper determines how, if at all, participants implement resistant tactics, as defined by de Certeau, to navigate digital and physical spaces. Previous research on Queer ruralspaces challenges metronormativity by showing that many Queer peoplemake happy homes in rural communities(Gray, 2009; Schweighofer, 2016).Research into Queer ruralcommunities challenges the established parallels between the metaphorical move from in-the-closetto coming out and the physical move from rural community to urban space. This study goes a step further by intertwining information practice with Queer ruralspace. The findings indicate that participants did use a range of resistant tactics, including 1) using digital space to resist gentrification, 2) engaging in rural communities as communities of care, and 3) leveraging digital space to build Queer communities amid disappearing queer spaces.
PANEL/PRESENTATION
DARIN FREEBURG, KATIE KLEIN (iSchool Ph.D. Student)
We presented a paper on audio diary methodologies at Library Research Seminar VIII.
Citation: Klein, K. & Freeburg, D. (2024). Using audio diaries to collect stories of library worker identities and routine work. Paper presented at Library Research Seminar VIII, Lexington, KY.
DARIN FREEBURG, KATIE KLEIN (iSchool Ph.D. Student)
We presented a poster on work routines at Library Research Seminar VIII.
Citation: Freeburg, D. & Klein, K. (2024). The Public Library Routines Project: Problematizing routine library work. Poster presented at Library Research Seminar VIII, Lexington, KY.
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT
SHANNON BOWEN
Inaugural speaker at the AI Ethics Center (National Endowment for the Humanities AI
Centers Program)
Citation: Bowen, S. A. (2024, Sept. 26). Is there truth in AI? And other challenges for strategic communication. AI Ethics Center (NEH) keynote, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.
Abstract: Is there Truth in AI? In two separate lectures on campus, one for AI Ethics Center faculty and one open lecture, Dr. Bowen covered numerous perspectives on deception in AI and recommended a model for instilling and maintaining truth in AI. Dr. Bowen discussed the AI-Ethics Advisory Board and held numerus meetings at NCSU related to grant activities.
TOOLKIT
VANESSA KITZIE, NICK VERA & VAL LOOKINGBILL (iSchool PhD students), TRAVIS WAGNER (iSchool PhD alumni)
A toolkit produced from my IMLS Early Career Grant to assist libraries in planning community forums between LGBTQIA+ communities and key stakeholders to address community health information needs.
Citation: Kitzie, V., Vera, A.N., Lookingbill, V., & Wagner, T.L. (2024). Bridging the Gap: Fostering Inclusion through Community Forums in Public Libraries Toolkit. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina.
AWARD
VANESSA KITZIE, TRAVIS WAGNER (iSchool PhD Alumna)
Our paper, "In Many Ways, You're This Person Who's Providing Light”: Theorizing Embodied
Responses to Information Absence within LGBTQIA+ Communities, won the Association
of Library and Information Science Education's (ALISE) Bohdan S. Wynar Research Paper
Competition.
Citation: Wagner, T.L., & Kitzie, V. (2024). "In Many Ways, You're This Person Who's Providing Light”: Theorizing Embodied Responses to Information Absence within LGBTQIA+ Communities. Paper to be presented at the ALISE 2024 Conference, Portland, OR, October 14-17. [Winner, ALISE Bohdan S. Wynar Research Paper Award].
RACHEL WILLIAMS
ALISE Pratt Severn Faculty Innovation Award - Link
CIC Lab Used: Biometrics and User Experience Lab
SHANNON BOWEN
Top Article of the Year, Journal of Public Relations Education from the The Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication Top Ethics in PR Pedagogy Award from the Journal of Public Relations Education.
We examined what public relations professionals and educators expect on ethics, and what they want to be taught in PR majors. We compared the findings and show disparate areas, while making recommendations for pr ethics in pedagogy and practice, specifically with regard to emerging technologies.
Abstract: Public relations practitioners need to be prepared to serve as ethics counselors and values managers. However, as revealed in the 2023 Commission on Public Relations Education report, public relations managers are not satisfied with the level of ethics knowledge possessed by recent graduates they have hired. Through additional analysis of the CPRE data collected from surveys with public relations practitioners and educators, this study reveals what topics managers believe should be taught related to public relations ethics to adequately prepare students for their careers. The results revealed significant deficiencies, especially in colleges and universities that do not offer standalone ethics courses, but simply integrate ethics content into other public relations courses. We provide specific recommendations of resources and pedagogical approaches for addressing five of the core topic areas.
Citation: Neill, M.S., Bowen, S.A., & Bortree, D. (2024). Identifying & addressing gaps in public relations ethics education. Journal of Public Relations Education, 10(1), 108-132.
BOOK CHAPTER
KIM THOMPSON
Chapter in recently released book: Rethinking ICT Adoption Theories in the Developing
World.
This research focuses on information and communication technology (computers, tablets, smartphones) adoption and digital use by teleworkers operating from their homes during the mandatory work-from-home period of the pandemic (2020-2022) in India.
Citation: Paul, A., Yadamsuren, B., & Thompson, K. M. (2024). Digital usage of Indian teleworkers in home settings: A digital inclusion framework. In E. Eliu, J. S. Pettersson, R. Baguma, & G. Bhutkar (Eds.). Rethinking ICT adoption theories in the developing world (pp. 23-45). Springer.
Abstract: This research focuses on ICT adoption and digital use by teleworkers operating from their homes during the pandemic in India. A two-phase mixed-method approach is used: Phase 1 involved in-depth interviews with three individuals during the pandemic, the findings which were used along with the Factors Affecting Digital Inclusion (FDI) model (Thompson and Paul, Libr Q 90:173–188, 2020) to develop the survey instrument for Phase 2. This survey was distributed to professionals via listservs, and the FDI model was subsequently utilized to analyze the survey responses. The study’s findings highlighted multiple factors related to digital inclusion among teleworkers that could impact work productivity. Among these factors, the key ones included digital literacy, time, physical access, and everyday life. The exceptional circumstances of the pandemic allowed us to identify and incorporate two additional factors, namely, device sharing and considerations related to health and lifestyle, into the FDI model. These factors assumed significance when assessing the elements of physical access and daily life, aspects that might have otherwise remained unexplored. Though digital technologies are going to play an important role in the new normal, there must be careful consideration of their impact on the teleworker’s life based on the results of our study. The teleworker’s characteristics, family circumstances, and living conditions are important considerations in supporting and maintaining productivity when enforcing teleworking policies. It is imperative that businesses adopt a forward-looking perspective, considering the latest technological developments redefining workers’ way of life.
GOVERNMENT ADVISORY BOARD
SHANNON BOWEN
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Science & Technology Directorate, Scientific
Advice and Guidance for Emergencies (SAGE) Subject Matter Expert (AI warfare, state
and municipality emergency response, hurricanes, terrorism, AI ethics)
The Science Advice and Guidance for Emergencies (SAGE) resides in the Security, Preparedness, Continuity Office (SPCO) from within the DHS Directorate of Science and Technology.
The SAGE program has a direct link to the DHS Chief Scientist Office, who in turn provides advice to the DHS Secretary. SAGE is a scientific information resource designed to aid DHS in mitigating, responding to, and recovering from national and regional incidents such as hurricanes, chemical spills, terrorist activity, or pandemic diseases, any large-scale emergency.
SAGE accomplishes these tasks by providing scientific and technical data, context, and recommendations when called upon by stakeholders. The information provided comes from a robust network of subject matter experts (SMEs) from government, academia, and industry.
GRANT
RACHEL WILLIAMS
ASPIRE Award for research project. Libraries are safe havens where people experiencing mental health crises, housing insecurity, substance use disorders, and other trauma come to find safety, shelter, and information in an openly accessible space (Elia, 2019; Hall & McAlister, 2021; Pressley, 2017, Provence, 2020). Recent calls for bringing social work skills into librarianship focus on comprehensive mental health training that explores the interpersonal and policy levels of interaction with these individuals (Giesler, 2017; Pressley, 2017; Real & Bogel, 2019; Soska and Novarro, 2020 Williams & Ogden, 2021, Zettervall & Nienow, 2019). The landscape of librarianship compels us to consider innovative approaches to educating future library and information science (LIS) professionals. Implementing training early on can support LIS students in developing the skills necessary to help mitigate crises and recall skills. The literature shows that virtual reality (VR) is a viable approach for training, education and professional development (Lanzieri et al., 2021; Lee, 2014; Roberson & Baker, 2021; Wahl-Alexander & Brezwyn, 2021; O'Connor & Worman, 2019; McGarr, 2020). The virtual environment provides a safe place for learners to repeat scenarios as needed and receive immediate feedback in a low-stakes environment (McGarr, 2020), and roleplay is particularly effective in helping students achieve desired learning outcomes (Hadley et al., 2019; Levine & Adams, 2013; Rogers et al., 2022; Wilson et al., 2013). There is no existing VR training for LIS graduate students that addresses topics related to effective communication skills (e.g., de-escalation, boundary setting, and conducting reference interviews). This project creates more access and equity for emerging professionals and the people in crisis they serve by empowering students to develop these critical communication skills earlier in their careers. Our study makes innovative, timely, and necessary contributions to the information field by developing training materials that can support the development of a more effective workforce. Additionally, our project makes important contributions to studies of cognitive load and learning in VR.
Our current project expands our initial VR study by examining the impact of incorporating VR into two courses in an LIS graduate program at the University of South Carolina. We will focus on the following training topics: de-escalation, boundary setting, and conducting a reference interview. We will use Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) in our study, a theory which explains that working (or short-term) memory has limited capacity and that overloading it reduces the effectiveness of teaching (Sweller, 1988). Our research questions are:
How effective is crisis management training using VR in increasing confidence, skills, and empathy among LIS graduate students?
What is the cognitive load for LIS graduate students using VR to learn library communication skills?
CIC Lab Used: Biometrics and User Experience Lab
VANESSA KITZIE
Received a National Leadership grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services
for the project "Leveraging National Library Partnerships to Develop a Community-Driven
Online LGBTQIA+ Consumer Health Guide".
Citation: Principal Investigator. Leveraging National Library Partnerships to Develop a Community-Driven Online LGBTQIA+ Consumer Health Guide. Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) National Leadership Grants – Libraries. $249,980. 2024-2027 [Acceptance rate = 35%].
Abstract: The University of South Carolina’s School of Information Science will compile local, regional, and national health resources to create a centralized, visible, and sustainable online LGBTQIA+ consumer health information guide. Libraries have the potential to offer safe spaces for LGBTQIA+ individuals, who have historically lacked access to crucial health information, to seek health information and receive professional guidance. Despite this potential, LGBTQIA+ people have encountered barriers to library use, including insufficient collections and services. Building off a previous IMLS grant, the project will leverage established partnerships, including a national network of LGBTQIA+ community leaders, public library workers, and health sciences librarians—and a partnership with the Network of the National Library of Medicine Region 2 Regional Medical Library—to support the guide’s creation and sustainability. The primary beneficiaries are LGBTQIA+ people nationwide, who can gain crucial health insights, and librarians, who will deepen their understanding of LGBTQIA+ needs and strengthen community trust.
CONFERENCE PAPER
JABARI EVANS, ODERA EZENNA (PhD Candidate, SJMC)
Odera and I submitted a work on progress to ICA which details what we label as “New
Black Civics.” This concept speaks to the ways in which Black youth find motivation
for connected learning (CL) through their interests in Black empowerment.
Citation: Evans, J.M. & Ezenna, C.O. (2024). Exploring Civic Mindedness Through Racial Identity: Cultivating Social Media Skills, Connected Learning, and Civic Engagement among Black and Latino Youth. Peer refereed paper (Social Justice and Activism Division) presented for the 74th Annual International Communication Association (ICA) Conference. Gold Coast, Australia. June 20-24.
Abstract: Through interviews with approximately 30 college students, this study examines how Black and Latino youth use digital tools and technologies to cultivate skills related to their orientation for creative labor, imaginative possibilities for daily life, and pride in their local communities through media practices. Findings in this study used critical narratives from interviews, participant observation, and focus groups and suggest Black and Latino youths use social media platforms for unique pathways to connected learning capabilities, civic engagement, and individual trajectories. Three themes emerged from the interviews: Black-oriented community obligation, discourses on racial identity in mass media, and experiences of inspiration for continuance commitment. Lastly, this article concludes by arguing that more consideration must be given to the racialized social practices that grow around devices and tools that shape how they are used and understood by Black youth.
SHANNON BOWEN
Understanding of the conflicts in the middle east and public diplomacy.
Citation: Selakovic, M. & Bowen, S. A. (2024, June). New contexts and soft power: Strategic crisis communication paradigm shift of the Abraham Accords signatories. Paper presented at the meeting of the International Communication Association, Gold Coast, Australia.
Abstract: On the most basic level, soft power is defined as the ability to attract others so that they want what you want (Nye, 2021). Soft power is also reflected as an ability to shape the preferences of others and win over the hearts and minds of others. Soft power pinpoints the production and reproduction of peaceful agreement and consents to achieve harmony (Hagstrom & Nordin, 2020). We examine official responses from government sources in the Abraham Accords and offer conclusions for their strategic use of soft power before and after the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023.
SHANNON BOWEN, AMIT SHETH (USC Computer Science Faculty)
Developing AI systems to aid in weather evacuations and emergency management. Research
resulting from our NSF Grant Award. Will travel to SIGSPATIAL ’24, October 29–November
1, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Citation: Kuan-Chieh Lo, Pranav Maneriker, Sriram Sai Ganesh, Dominik Winecki, Kelly Garrett, Ayaz Hyder, Arnab Nandi, Valerie Shalin, Shannon Bowen, Amit Sheth, and Srinivasan Parthasarathy. 2018. Crisis Observatory: Extracting Credible Signals During a Crisis in the Age of Large Language Models. In Proceedings of International Conference on Advances in Geographic Information Systems (SIGSPATIAL ’24). ACM, New York, NY, 4 pages. (Assn. for Computing Machinery [ACM] format)
Abstract: Systems for crisis response have required several different models for identifying needs, locations, topics, routing, and matching of needs with available responders. Large Language Models (LLMs) are now considered state-of-the-art and have replaced task-specific models across various language processing tasks. However, such models are known to be limited, especially in domains with evolving information that may lie outside the period when training data for the model was collected. In this demo, we examine the use of these models for crisis response scenarios which have rapidly evolving information environments. We show how augmentation of these models with external reliable sources of crisis-specific information can help build adaptive systems for response.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
VANESSA KITZIE, VALERIE BRYD FORT
A Content Analysis of Picture Books Read During Drag Storytimes in Public Libraries.
Citation: Barriage, S., Betler, S., Lawler, R., Byrd Fort, V., Thorne, J., Kitzie, V., & Oltmann, S. M. (2024). A Content Analysis of Picture Books Read During Drag Storytimes in Public Libraries. Public Library Quarterly.
Abstract: This study sought to determine the extent to which picture books read during drag storytimes in the United States include representations of diversity. One hundred and three picture books were analyzed via content analysis. The findings demonstrate that while the lead characters/subjects in picture books read during drag storytimes are primarily white, cisgender, heterosexual and able-bodied, there is greater representation of diversity when non-lead characters/subjects are considered. These findings indicate that while those involved in planning and implementing drag storytimes have attended somewhat to issues of diversity in their picture book selections, there is still room for improvement.
SHANNON BOWEN
Journal of Public Relations Education
We examined what public relations professionals and educators expect on ethics, and what they want to be taught in PR majors. We compared the findings and show disparate areas, while making recommendations for pr ethics in pedagogy and practice, specifically with regard to emerging technologies.
Citation: Neill, M.S., Bowen, S.A., & Bortree, D. (2024). Identifying & addressing gaps in public relations ethics education. Journal of Public Relations Education, 10(1), 108-132.
Abstract: Public relations practitioners need to be prepared to serve as ethics counselors and values managers. However, as revealed in the 2023 Commission on Public Relations Education report, public relations managers are not satisfied with the level of ethics knowledge possessed by recent graduates they have hired. Through additional analysis of the CPRE data collected from surveys with public relations practitioners and educators, this study reveals what topics managers believe should be taught related to public relations ethics to adequately prepare students for their careers. The results revealed significant deficiencies, especially in colleges and universities that do not offer standalone ethics courses, but simply integrate ethics content into other public relations courses. We provide specific recommendations of resources and pedagogical approaches for addressing five of the core topic areas.
VIVIANA ZAMBRANO RODRIGUEZ
The research article titled "Understanding the topical, conceptual, contextual, and
methodological trends of cyberbullying research" was published in the Journal of Communication
in Healthcare. I co-authored this article with Dr. Kim, an Associate Professor at
Central Connecticut State University.
Citation: Kim, Y., & Zambrano, V. (2024). Understanding the topical, conceptual, contextual, and methodological trends of cyberbullying research. Journal of Communication in Healthcare, 1–10.
Abstract: Background: Cyberbullying research has gained considerable attention among scholars due to the proliferation and diversification of the digital media platforms. Although cyberbullying research has a robust empirical nature, the research is more difficult to define and deserves close investigation. In response to the situation, we have examined topics, forms, context, media, predictive factors, outcomes, utilization of methodology, and research trends in cyberbullying research from 2014 to 2023.
Methods: This study analyzed 3,588 articles to investigate the trend and development of cyberbullying research using the Scopus academic databases.
Results: 85.87% of research focused on cyberbullying as ‘social issues’. 71.57% of articles focused on cyberbullying itself rather than specific forms of cyberbullying. 50.81% of articles focused on cyberbullying in middle/high school contexts. Most research did not state any predictive factors (39.83%) or outcomes (60.17%) suggested. The predominant research method used in cyberbullying research was via surveys (30.69%), while the second phase of research dominated the cyberbullying research agenda (victims and bullies in cyberbullying).
Conclusions: Although Cyberbullying research has increased, broadened, and diversified over time, it still focuses primarily on the first phase of the research agenda of cyberbullying issues. The findings of this study provides a framework for new insights for future cyberbullying research and practices by suggesting exploration to different mechanisms of cyberbullying such as: victims/bullies, effects, and improvement of cyberbullying beyond the issues of cyberbullying itself.
RACHEL WILLIAMS
Citation: Williams, R. D., Dumas, C., Ogden, L., Flanagan, J., & Porwol, L. (2024). Virtual
reality training for crisis communication: Fostering empathy, confidence, and de-escalation
skills in library and information science graduate students. Library & Information
Science Research, 46(3), 101311.
Abstract: Library and information science (LIS) graduate students often pursue careers in public libraries, which have faced increased challenges in supporting patrons in crisis. As a result, LIS graduate students benefit from increased training opportunities that help them gain crisis communication skills that will help them confidently and effectively interact with patrons in crisis. There is a need to provide training that is readily available, repeatable, and engaging for students. One approach that may prove valuable is the implementation of virtual reality (VR) training, which presents a low-stakes, innovative approach to support skill development in areas like empathy and crisis communication. To date, no virtual reality training for tailored crisis communication skills development in libraries exists. Examining the effectiveness of VR training for crisis communication skills among LIS graduate students included 1) creating a virtual environment and training scenario based on in-person trainings conducted by the researchers, and 2) administering pre and post tests on confidence, empathy, and de-escalation skills and then observing participant behavior in the virtual environment. Findings indicate that the VR training is overall effective and showed self-reports of increased empathy and skills for LIS graduate students. Recommendations for further study involve 1) implementing crisis communication training for students who will work in libraries (particularly public libraries); 2) extending the training contexts presented here to include other areas for skill development; and 3) more systematic consideration and conversation around the use of VR training in LIS education.
We created VR training for LIS graduate students on developing crisis communication skills, and students found it valuable and effective.
OPINION-EDITORIAL
JABARI EVANS
I published a piece on AI and music in The Conversation, using Drake’s recent appropriation
of Tupac’s voice in his diss song of Kendrick Lamar as a starting point. Though we
all know artificial intelligence (AI) will have implications on all creative industries,
this isn’t a time for panic. The AI train has left the station. Now, the guardrails
need to be hastily built to keep the technology from running the music industry off
the tracks.
Citations: Evans, J. (2024, May 30). Drake’s beef with Kendrick Lamar isn't nearly as important as his tiff with Tupac Shakur’s estate over using the dead rapper's voice. The Conversation. Melbourne, Australia: Creative Commons.
ONLINE COURSE MODULE
ERIC ROBINSON
I created a module on Public Relations Law for the Public Relations Ethics Training series of The Arthur W. Page Center for
Integrity in Public Communication at Pennsylvania State University.
The module explains legal issues in public relations for undergraduates.
Citation: E. Robinson (2024), Public Relations Law in Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication ( Pennsylvania State University), Public Relations Ethics Training series.
Abstract: A lesson and materials on legal issues in public relations.
PANEL/PRESENTATION
VANESSA KITZIE
Participated in a discussion panel as part of Richland Library's Pride Month programming
regarding queer representation in media.
Citation: Kitzie, V., Green, M.G., O’Furniture, P., Moore, M., & Joseph, T. (June 2024). Beyond the Straight and Narrow: Viewing and Panel. Panel for Richland Library Rainbow Committee.
VANESSA KITZIE, JENNA SPIERING, VALERIE BYRD-FORT
Workshop presented at the South Carolina Association of School Libraries Summer Institute
2024, Columbia, SC, June 6.
Citation: Kitzie, V., Spiering, J., & Byrd-Fort, V. (June 2024). Developing your AI Plan for the 24-25 School Year. Workshop presented at the South Carolina Association of School Libraries Summer Institute 2024, Columbia, SC, June 6.
Abstract: Use generative AI to prepare for the 24-25 school year! In this session, we will discuss AI tools to increase your productivity as a school librarian as well as strategies for managing and defining acceptable use of AI for students.
KATIE KLEIN, DARIN FREEBURG
We will present a poster at the 20th International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry
about using audio diary methods for the Public Library Routines Project. A paper is
in preparation. Katie also presented the poster at Discover USC. We are looking at
how using audio diaries affects the data we get from study participants. We believe
it is an effective data collection method with several advantages for getting candid,
timely information from diverse library workers across the US.
Travel: 20th International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry (ICQI), University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, May 15-18, 2024.
Abstract: Using Audio Diaries to Uncover Identity-Based Routines in Public Libraries Library careers are rewarding, but any workplace can be a “nexus point for social oppression” (Blustein, 2008). Work routines constructed in public libraries whose professional workforce is largely white females can pose barriers to workers with marginalized identities. To understand routines and the affordances, disaffordances, and workarounds encountered and used by library workers, we used a combination of audio diaries and interviews. Diary methods allow research participants to record their experiences and thoughts close to the event, allowing a “life as it is lived” perspective (Bolger, Davis, & Rafaeli, 2003). In addition to flexibility and ease of use, the audio diaries allowed participants to speak candidly about their experiences without a researcher present. Since the researcher represent normative identities our absence during audio diary recording provided a layer of safety for participants who represent a variety of marginalized identities. During subsequent interviews we unpacked the intersection of identity and work routines with participants.
Kim Thompson
Association of Research Libraries IDEAL 2024 Conference: Sustainable Resistance and
Restoration in Global Communities 15-17 July 2024, Toronto, Canada.
Based on our IMLS research data, we provided a presentation and workshop to librarians and library managers highlighting common misconceptions about disability in the workplace and engaged the participants in discussion about how to change workplace policy, culture, and practice to create a more inclusive and supportive system.
Citation: Thompson, K. M., Dali, K., McLure, M., & Carey, F. (2024, July 16). Academic libraries as (in)equitable workplaces: Voices of disabled and neurodiverse librarians. Association of Research Libraries IDEAL 2024 Conference: Sustainable Resistance and Restoration in Global Communities 15-17 July 2024, Toronto, Canada.
Abstract: Despite progress in improving diversity, equity, and accessibility in academic libraries, much work is still needed to be inclusive of disabled and neurodiverse library employees. This workshop focused on findings from a federally funded study about the experiences of disabled and neurodiverse library and information science (LIS) graduates. The session used Expectation & Learning Impact Framework (ELIF) principles (Dali, Bell, & Valdes, 2021) to engage attendees in discursive learning about the types of disabilities and neurodiversity common in academic library workplaces; barriers faced by disabled and neurodivergent LIS job seekers; narratives of experiences, struggles, and triumphs; and suggestions for making academic libraries more inclusive workplaces (practice and policy). The session emphasized study participants’ own voices and engage workshop attendees in interactive activities that will attend to cognitive, behavioral, personal, social, & emotional aspects of learning (as per ELIF) for optimal learning impact. Through the use of technology (Mentimeter) and collaborative interactive storytelling (scenario activities), participants gained new knowledge; derived practical advice for their workplaces; explored developing empathy toward disabled and neurodiverse colleagues and job applicants; examined their own perspectives on the subject; and contemplated collaborative workplace efforts for a more inclusive environment.
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT
LINWAN WU
I gave a speech about AI Advertising in two Chinese Universities (Wuhan University
& Central China Normal University).
Citation: Wu, L. (2024). AI Advertising and Consumer Psychology. Speech given at Wuhan University and Central China Normal University.
Abstract: AI has transformed every aspect of the advertising industry, yet academic research in this area is still in its infancy. This speech showcases some of the author's research in this field, highlighting studies on both public and professional discourse regarding AI implementation in advertising. It also delves into consumer psychology, exploring how consumers react to AI's role in advertising. This speech aims to introduce the audience to some empirical approaches of studying AI advertising and to spark their interest in this evolving field.
SHANNON BOWEN
AI Ethics: Addressing the challenges of new technology. A keynote and continuing education
training on ethics for the state of SC.
Citation: State of South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff. AI Ethics: Addressing the challenges of new technology. Senate’s End, Columbia, SC (June 10), Office of Information and Continuing Education.
Abstract: AI Ethics: Addressing the challenges of new technology and a model for rigorously analyzing your data use.
SHANNON BOWEN
World Communication Forum Association speaker on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence.
A summary of the ethical challenges posed by AI in data collection, data use, data
management, and privacy.
Citation: Bowen, S. A. (2024, June). Ethical challenges posed by AI to the public relations industry and ethical responses. Paper presented at the meeting of the World Communication Forum Association, Davos, Switzerland.
WHITE PAPER
VANESSA KITZIE, NICK VERA (PhD student, iSchool), VALERIE LOOKINGBILL (PhD student, iSchool)
Published a white paper based on results from IMLS early career grant.
Citation: Kitzie, V., Vera, A.N., & Lookingbill V. (2024). Examining public library service to LGBTQIA+ communities for health information: Project results and resources. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina.
BOOK
KEVIN HULL
My textbook titled Sports, Media, and Society has been published by Human Kinetics.
Link
Twitter: @drkevhull
CONFERENCE PAPER
DARIN FREEBURG, KATIE KLIEN (PHD STUDENT)
We presented a full paper at the 2024 iConference, which is an international conference
on Information Science [33% acceptance]. The paper will be published in Springer’s
Lecture Notes in Computer Science. We also presented a lightning talk at the conference
for the Qualitative Research Group.
Citation: Freeburg, D. & Klein, K. (2024). Customer service, hard work, and normativity: Identity
standards encoded into public library routines. Lecture Notes in Computer Science.
Link
JOURNAL ARTICLES
DARIN FREEBURG, KATIE KLIEN (PHD STUDENT)
Our article was just published and is featured in the latest issue of The Informed
Librarian Online, which is a service that helps librarians keep up with their professional
reading.
Citation: Freeburg, D. & Klein, K. (2024). Are library staff autonomous? The influence of routines
and the development of workarounds. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science,
56(1), 223-240.
Link
DAMION WAYMER
Introducing the Marginalized Image Navigation and Expression (MINE) principles via
the confirmation hearings of judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.
We examine the 2022 Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson
through an intersectional lens to spotlight the constraints that minoritized populations,
generally, and Black women, specifically, encounter when responding to reputational
threats.
Citation: Hill, T. E., & Waymer, D. (2024). Introducing the Marginalized Image Navigation and
Expression (MINE) principles via the confirmation hearings of judge Ketanji Brown
Jackson. Public Relations Review, 50(2).
Link
Abstract: Image Restoration Theory (IRT) examines the strategies that people, especially public
figures, and organizations use when they face image and reputational threats. Past
scholarship has not fully accounted for the impact of identity on an individual or
group’s ability to invoke image repair strategies. We examine the 2022 Supreme Court
confirmation hearings of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson through an intersectional lens
to spotlight the constraints that minoritized populations, generally, and Black women,
specifically, encounter when responding to reputational threats. Given the legacies
of patriarchy and whiteness that operate in the West, Black women often lack the standing
in the eyes of the public to defend themselves against attacks and accusations, an
experience we describe as nonpersonhood. This point suggests that image repair strategies
are not neutral, but embedded within socio-political and historical contexts. Via
our analysis, we introduce Marginalized Image Navigation and Expression (MINE) principles
as a conceptual framework that is useful for understanding the nuanced ways that images
are navigated, negotiated, and expressed, especially for marginalized persons. Finally,
we examine the implications of our arguments in the context of reputational threats
against minoritized people and organizations.
Twitter: @damionwaymer
JOURNAL EDITORIAL BOARD
ERIC ROBINSON
Eric P. Robinson has been named to the editorial board of the Journal of Media Law
& Ethics, a leading peer-reviewed journal in the field.
Link
Twitter: @bloglawonline
PANEL/PRESENTATION
MARGET COOK, VALERIE BYRD-FORT
Fay B Kaigler Children's Book Festival, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, April 10-12
Conference Presentation: From Biography to Blobfish
From Biography to Blobfish explores the ways children’s non-fiction materials ignite interests that can be fostered by tools found within the library. The workshop includes sample lesson plans and ideas for classrooms, public libraries, and afterschool programming.
Citation: Byrd-Fort, V. & Cook, M. (2024, April 10). From biography to blobfish [Conference presentation]. Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival, Hattiesburg, MS.
JABARI EVANS
Shaping the Future of Music and Rights in the Creator Economy, April 30, 2024 11:00
AM
Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University and Harvard Business School hosted the event.
This was a panel discussion featuring Jabari Evans, Assistant Professor of Race and Media at the University of South Carolina and BKC Faculty Associate, and George Monger, CEO of Connect Music, that explored the dynamic intersections of the creator economy, rights ownership, and the music industry.
This event, moderated by James Riley, Assistant Professor of Business Administration
at Harvard Business School and BKC Faculty Associate, delved into critical issues
of artist agency and value capture in an opaque market to uncover how emerging revenue
generation models and legal frameworks are reshaping artist strategies in the digital
realm.
Citation: Riley, J., Monger, G., Evans, J.M. (2024). Shaping the Future of Music and Rights
in the Creator Economy. Invited Panelist for the Speaker Series of the blackBox Lab
at the Digital, Data and Design Center (d3) at Harvard Business School. Cambridge,
MA. April 30.
|Twitter: @naledgesince82
CONFERENCE
SHANNON BOWEN, BRETT ROBERTSON, SABRINA HABIB, PATTY HALL
I organized and led a global conference of top thought leaders for the Global Strategic Communication Consortium. This Conclave included 19 paper presentations of original research - 2 keynotes were offered by Dr. Carl Botan (Emeritus GMU) and Dr. Patrice Buzzanell (USF). Top professionals attended, discussion flowed, and the Handbook of Innovations in Strategic Communication (by Elgar Publishers) will offer chapters by many presenters at the Conclave. The Berger Research Award of $2,500 per year was announced, and participants are planning special journal issues and other output such as webinars and regional GSCC meetings. In 2025, our Conclave meets in May in Sardinia. Participants flew over 59,990 miles to reach the 2024 Conclave from China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the EU, and the US. Link
Twitter: @GlobalStratComm
JOURNAL ARTICLES
LINWAN WU, TAYLOR WEN
Disclosing AI’s Involvement in Advertising to Consumers: A Task-Dependent Perspective
Journal of Advertising
Citation: Wu, L., Dodoo, N. A., & Wen, T. J. (2024). Disclose AI’s involvement in advertising to consumers: A task-dependent perspective. Journal of Advertising. DOI: 10.1080/00913367.2024.2309929
Abstract: The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the advertising industry is widespread, yet there is no consensus on whether consumers should be informed of AI’s involvement in ad placement and ad creation. In light of the importance of digital literacy, we believe that consumers have a right to know about the technology behind the ads they encounter and that scholars should lead the discussion on the issue of AI disclosure. To this end, we conducted three experimental studies to investigate how the disclosure of AI affects consumers’ word-of-mouth (WOM) intent in relation to ads. Our findings suggested that participants were more likely to share an ad placed by AI than an ad created by AI when they believed AI is capable of performing high-complexity tasks. This effect was mediated by the sequence from perceived task objectivity to machine heuristic. Our studies have important implications for both theory development and the practice of AI advertising. Link
DAMION WAYMER
Arts promotion and Black urban displacement: Exploring the paradox of the positive in government public relations and urban renewal discourse.
Published in Public Relations Review.
When public officials make good news, ostensibly for the sake of the community and public interest, some publics are likely to experience bad news as a result. In this essay, we explored this inherent contradiction in arts promotional and urban renewal communication.
Citation: Waymer, D., & Hill, T. E. (2024). Arts promotion and Black urban displacement: Exploring the paradox of the positive in government public relations and urban renewal discourse. Public Relations Review, 50(2),
Abstract: For decades, scholars in the United States have lamented public policies and government actions that seem to affect, intentionally or unintentionally, already marginalized Black populations. Urban renewal policies and initiatives are examples of government actions that receive such criticism. Arts promotion as a strategic public relations tactic, used to attract middle- to -upper class residents and visitors to cities, is one communicative approach cities take to sell their attractiveness and viability. Yet, cities, urban renewal, and urban tourism research has not received much attention from Public Relations researchers. Critical public relations scholars, however, can help to expose key issues such as displacement and marginalization of Black citizens that are associated with city public relations activities such as promotional culture, arts/city marketing, and urban tourism. Using racial neoliberalism as a theoretical, analytical framework, we examine urban renewal in Cincinnati, Ohio USA, to demonstrate the power of boosterish, government-sponsored urban renewal efforts and the ways such paradoxically positive discourse makes it difficult for the often Black, inner-city communities to challenge advancement that might marginalize them further. Link
Twitter: @damionwaymer
AWARDS
KEVIN HULL, MINHEE CHOL (PhD alumna, now at Texas Tech)
This paper is the 1st place winner of the open category of the International Division at the Broadcast Education Association (BEA). The conference is in April in Las Vegas, NV.
The Korean Baseball Organization used a ten-episode documentary to introduce an international audience to its league, players, and the cultural values of South Korea.
Citation: Hull, K., & Choi, M. (2024, April 13-16). A thematic analysis of the Korean Baseball Organization. Documentary Full Count [Paper presentation]. Broadcast Education Association (BEA) 2024. Annual Convention (International Division), Las Vegas, NV, United States.
Abstract: During the 2022 season, a documentary crew followed the teams and players in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO), resulting in a ten-episode series Full Count that debuted the following year. The series was broadcast initially in South Korea; however, a later international release through a streaming platform allowed for increased worldwide exposure for the league, teams, players, and, perhaps somewhat uniquely, the culture and traditions within the home country. Therefore, even though the focus was baseball, this program provided a unique opportunity for the world to learn about the people and values of South Korea. Using constant comparative methodology, the following themes emerged: (a) emphasizing team over individual, (b) respecting elders, (c) overcoming adversity, and (d) playing with honor.
VALERIE LOOKINGBILL (iSchool Ph.D. Student), KIM LE (Ph.D. student, Arnold School of Public Health)
Our poster, "The TikTok Experience and Content Moderation of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: A Qualitative Content Analysis," won three awards at the 45th Annual Meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. The poster was awarded a Meritorious Abstract for an excellent student authored submission and a Citation Abstract for an excellent overall abstract submission, as well as chosen for the Violence and Trauma SIG's Outstanding Student Abstract Award.
Citation: Le, K., & Lookingbill, V. (2024, March 13-16). The TikTok experience and content moderation of nonsuicidal self-injury: A qualitative content analysis. Poster to be presented at the 45th Annual Meeting of The Society of Behavioral Medicine, Philadelphia, PA.
JINGYI (CARRIE) XIAO (SJMC Ph.D. Student)
"The Importance of the World's Mangroves," won first place at the University of South Carolina's inaugural Graduate Student Data Visualization Award competition.
In simple terms, my research creatively uses Tableau and Adobe Illustrator to showcase the crucial role mangroves play in coastal ecosystems through engaging visualizations. The implications for potential social media features involve raising awareness and understanding about the significance of preserving mangroves for the broader community.
Abstract: This visualization seeks to illuminate the multifaceted significance of mangroves in mitigating flood risks, particularly in crucial global 'hotspots.' Through visual representation, the objective is to foster awareness of the tangible benefits mangroves offer to both humanity and the environment, emphasizing the intricate interdependence of species reliant on these ecosystems.
CONFERENCE PAPERS
ANLI XIAO, CINDY CHEN (SJMC Ph.D. Student)
Our paper, Corporate Social Advocacy: A Global Perspective, to be presented at the International Public Relations Research conference in Orlando, FL. in March 2024.
Abstract: This study investigates how and why people view corporate social advocacy (CSA) from a global perspective. Through surveys in 5 nations, this study focuses on publics’ perceptions of the roles and their expectations of CSA and explores how culture influences these views. This study yields important theoretical and practical implications.
SHANNON BLAKE-LYNCH
My research examines microaggressions experienced by first-generation students of color in higher education. This study aims to shed light on the challenges these students face and explore potential strategies to create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment. All interviews will be conducted via Zoom and will last approximately one hour.
By focusing on understanding microaggression and exploring ways to make the college experience more inclusive, this research could inform potential social media features by highlighting the experiences of these students, providing resources and support networks, and promoting dialogue and awareness about the importance of inclusivity in higher education.
Abstract: This dissertation investigates the lived experiences of first-generation students of color in higher education, specifically focusing on the pervasive yet often subtle phenomenon of microaggressions. Through a qualitative inquiry, utilizing interviews and thematic analysis, this research delves into the various forms and impacts of microaggressions encountered by these students within the academic environment.
Findings reveal the multifaceted nature of microaggressions, ranging from verbal slights to institutional barriers, and their detrimental effects on the academic performance, mental health, and overall well-being of first-generation students of color. Moreover, this study elucidates how microaggressions contribute to feelings of marginalization and exclusion, ultimately hindering these students' sense of belonging and academic success.
GRANTS
CLAYTON COPELAND, DICK KAWOOYA, ERIC ROBISON
Abstract: Carnegie Whitney Grant, American Library Association
JOURNAL ARTICLES
DAMION WAYMER
Navigating Artificial Intelligence, Public Relations
The public relations field must expertly navigate the intersection of AI and race, because it is our job to provide wise counsel to others in this increasingly diverse and multicultural society. The IRCAI framework can help the PR field understand the racial dynamics of AI, how organizations can avoid the pitfalls of AI bias, and how communicators can navigate a crisis stemming from discriminatory AI. Although we focus on race in this article, the framework can be used to explore AI inequities connected to, and beyond, race such as gender, sexuality, religion and other forms of intersectional marginality. Moreover, the era of non-human stakeholders and digital publics with machine intelligence is here. Many of these artificial agents are already raced and gendered as our case examples demonstrate. The public relations discipline must continue to explore these changes, what they mean for the field, and for society as a whole. If AI is to revolutionize the world in a way that contributes to a more fully functioning society, it is essential that public relations scholars and practitioners take our place at the technology decision-making table sooner rather than later.
Citation: Logan, N., & Waymer, D. (2024) Navigating artificial intelligence, public relations and race, Journal of Public Relations Research, DOI: 10.1080/1062726X.2024.2308868
Abstract: This research responds to calls for more public relations research on the social, cultural and ethical implications of AI as it explores the racial dynamics of AI. We examine three case examples in which AI, race and public relations intersect including: Microsoft’s chatbot Tay, a Facebook recommendation feature, and FN Meka, an AI-powered rap avatar. We introduce a framework we coin Inclusive, Responsible, Communication in Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI) to illuminate the three case examples. We conclude that it is important for the public relations field to navigate the intersection of AI and race, and we reiterate that our IRCAI framework can facilitate such efforts within and beyond the context of race. Link
TARA MORTENSEN, BOB WERTZ (SJMC Ph.D. Student)
Citation: McDermott, B., Mortensen, T. M., & Wertz, R. A. (2024). Measuring the Effect of Presentational Context and Image Authorship on the Credibility Perceptions of Newsworthy Images. Social Media + Society, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051241229656
Abstract: Photojournalists publish images they have created in news publications and on social media, and images captured by ordinary citizens sometimes appear in journalism spaces. This study examines how the professionalism of a photograph’s authorship and presentational context influence the perceived credibility of the image using a two (photographer; staff or amateur) by two (image presentational context; news site or social media) quasi experiment. The small difference in how respondents rate the credibility of the images suggests that, broadly, participants in this study are willing to accept newsworthy images as credible on social media, and social media images as credible in the news. Link
KEVIN HULL
A survey of local television sports broadcasters who had left their positions at a television station for a job outside of broadcasting revealed that they felt overworked and underpaid, and many placed the blame for their problems directly on newsroom management.
This paper was published in Communication and Sport and I will be presenting it at the Broadcast Education Association (BEA) conference in April.
Citation: Hull, K. (2024). Loved It, Miss It, Would Never Go Back: Why U.S. Local Television Sports Broadcasters are Leaving the Industry. Communication & Sport
Abstract: For decades, one of the most recognizable public faces of a local television news station was the sports anchor. However, as newsrooms across the United States struggle with employee burnout, sports departments have not been immune to low job satisfaction and high turnover. The purpose of this study is to examine what factors are causing sportscasters at local television stations to leave the profession. A survey of sports broadcasters who had left their positions at a television station for a job outside of broadcasting revealed that they felt overworked and underpaid, and many placed the blame for their problems directly on newsroom management. Link
LINWAN WU
Instilling warmth in artificial intelligence? Examining publics’ responses to AI-applied corporate ability and corporate social responsibility practices.
Citation: Wu, L., Chen, F. Z., & Tao, W. (2024). Instilling warmth in artificial intelligence? Examining publics’ responses to AI-applied corporate ability and corporate social responsibility practices. Public Relations Review, 50(1), 102426.(IF: 4.2)
Abstract: Through one pilot test and two main studies using experimental design, this research examines publics’ responses to the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in corporate ability (CA) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices. Results from Study 1 (N = 113) revealed that the application of AI in CSR practices generated greater word-of-mouth intention and purchase intention than that in CA practices, and perceived warmth of the company mediated this effect. Results from Study 2 (N = 122) replicated the results from Study 1, and further revealed the boundary conditions created by publics’ varying levels of uneasiness with robots. The more positive outcomes generated by the application of AI in CSR (vs. CA) practices were more pronounced among those with high levels of uneasiness with robots, but such an effect was not significant among those with low levels of uneasiness with robots. Findings were discussed based on interdisciplinary theoretical insights from the CA-CSR typology, HAII-TIME model, and Stereotype Content Model. Implications for public relations scholarship and practices were discussed. Link
PANELS/PRESENTATIONS
VANESSA KITZIE, JENNA SPIERING
Presented a 90-minute workshop for the SC State Library called, "Generative AI: What Librarians Need to Know."
Abstract: Whether we like it or not, generative AIs like ChatGPT and Bing are being used for a variety of purposes—personal, profession, and academic. In this session, we will dive into a discussion about the affordances, drawbacks, and ethical issues associated with the use of Generative AI. We will discuss different types of tools and their various applications and potential for library work in order to maximize professional productivity, use with patrons/students, and identify/mitigate academic integrity issues. Participants in this session will have the opportunity to try various AI tools for research, writing, art, teaching, and presentations.
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
CLAYTON COPELAND
Citation: Copeland, C.A. (2023). Disability Awareness Training for Bloomsbury Publishing. Bringing IDEAS to your organization.
Abstract: Libraries have an opportunity—and a responsibility—to be welcoming, inclusive, and accessible to everyone in their communities. Through principles of universal design and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), libraries can create and enhance access and accessibility for all patrons, including the one in four Americans who are labeled as having disabilities.
In this on-demand webinar, Dr. Clayton Copeland provides a framework to bring IDEAS (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility Solutions) to libraries and to the communities they serve. Learn about the foundations of accessibility and universal design principles in communication, programming, services, and marketing. Link
CLAYTON COPELAND
Citation: Copeland, C.A. (14, February). IDEAS (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility Solutions) in the Library [Webinar]. Public Library Association. Link
Abstract: Libraries have an opportunity—and a responsibility—to be welcoming, inclusive, and accessible to everyone in their communities. Through principles of universal design and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), libraries can create and enhance access and accessibility for all patrons, including the one in four Americans who are labeled as having disabilities.
In this on-demand webinar, Dr. Clayton Copeland provides a framework to bring IDEAS (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility Solutions) to libraries and to the communities they serve. Learn about the foundations of accessibility and universal design principles in communication, programming, services, and marketing.
BOOKS/BOOK CHAPTERS
JABARI EVANS
An adaptation of my previous article with Nancy Baym is being published in “That’s The Joint: The Hip-Hop Studies Reader, 3rd Edition (Routledge).” This newly expanded and revised third edition brings together the most important and up-to-date hip-hop scholarship in one comprehensive volume. Edited by Mark Anthony Neal, Murray Forman and Regina N. Bradley, this intellectual compilation is composed of 46 readings that are organized into nine sections representing key concepts and themes: the history of hip-hop, authenticity debates, gender, the globalization of hip-hop, identities, disability, politics, hip-hop and academia, and hip-hop and the media. This new edition also includes greater coverage of gender, sexuality, and racial diversity in hip-hop; hip-hop’s global influence; and hip-hop’s role in social movements and political activism. The pedagogical features include detailed critical introductions framing each section and brief chapter introductions to help readers place each piece in context and within a broader scholarly dialogue.
This text is essential reading for anyone seeking deeper understanding of the profound impact of hip-hop as an intellectual, aesthetic, and cultural movement. Specifically, it covers how DIY artists on Chicago’s south side have utilized digital tools and technologies to establish authenticity and community around their identities despite facing algorithmic marginalization on social media.
Citation: Evans, J.M. & Baym, N.K. (2024) The Audacity of Clout(chasing): Digital Strategies of Black Youth in Chicago DIY Hip-Hop In. Bradley, R., Forman, M., & Neal, M. A. (Eds.). That's the joint!: the hip-hop studies reader (3rd Edition). New York, NY: Routledge. Link
CONFERENCE PAPERS
ANLI XIAO, YANFENG XU (College of Social Work), and LINWAN WU
More than 400,000 children are placed in foster care annually in the Unites States (Administration for Children and Families, 2021). Foster parents play a significant role in protecting and taking care of these children and they need instrumental and non-instrumental support from child welfare agencies and peer support organizations and groups. Foster parent associations (FPAs), which are the main non-profit organizations serving foster parents, are an important source for foster parents to network with peers, share information, receive training and support, and advocate for themselves (Child Welfare Information Gateway, n.d.). Foster parents rely on social media to look for information on parenting foster children and seek peer support (Lee et al., 2021), yet little is known about how FPAs use social media to communicate and interact with them. This study aims to uncover the underlying patterns in Foster Parent Associations’ communication on social media by answering the question of what do FPAs communicate on social media.
LINWAN WU and YU (CINDY) CHEN (SJMC Ph.D. student)
Cause-related influencer marketing: Are AI influencers up to this job? Paper accepted to present at the 2024 ICA Annual Conference, Gold Coast, Australia.
Citation: Chen, Y., & Wu, L. (2024). Cause-related influencer marketing: Are AI influencers up to this job? Paper accepted to present at the 2024 ICA Annual Conference, Gold Coast, Australia.
Abstract: Although companies have started to collaborate with AI influencers in diverse cause-related marketing (CRM) campaigns, few studies have explored this new digital advertising strategy. To fill the gap, this study tested how uneasiness with robots influences the effectiveness of CRM endorsed by AI influencers. An online experiment was conducted with a sample of 196 participants. The results indicated that participants with low levels of uneasiness with robots evaluated the company more favorably when an AI influencer conducted a cause-related than a non-cause-related marketing campaign. There was no salient effect detected among participants with high levels of uneasiness with robots. These findings are believed to provide both theoretical and practical implications for cause-related influencer marketing in the age of artificial intelligence.
LINWAN WU and ERTAN AGAOGLU (SJMC Ph.D. student)
AI chatbots for emotional support: Chatbot agency locus and user prior experience. Paper accepted to present at the 2024 ICA Annual Conference, Gold Coast, Australia.
Citation: Wu, L., & Agaoglu., E. (2024). AI chatbots for emotional support: Chatbot agency locus and user prior experience. Paper accepted to present at the 2024 ICA Annual Conference, Gold Coast, Australia.
Abstract: Chatbots powered by artificial intelligence (AI) have been increasingly used for providing emotional support. While most existing research has focused on comparing the emotional support effectiveness of chatbots with that of humans, no existing studies have examined the effect of agency locus of AI chatbots on their emotional support outcomes. Through an online experiment, this study examined the joint effect between chatbot agency locus (machine agency locus vs. human agency locus) and user prior experience with chatbots on participants’ stress reduction. The results indicated that participants who did not have a lot of prior experiences with conversational chatbots reported a greater stress reduction after interacting with an AI chatbot with machine agency locus than with human agency locus. No effect of agency locus was observed on stress reduction among participants with lots of experiences with conversational chatbots. These findings are believed to provide meaningful theoretical and practical implications to the area of human-AI interactions.
JOURNAL ARTICLES
VANESSA KITZIE, NICK VERA (iSchool Ph.D. candidate), VAL LOOKINGBILL (iSchool Ph.D. candidate), TRAVIS WAGNER (iSchool Ph.D. alumnus)
Citation: Kitzie, V., Vera, A.N., Lookingbill, V., & Wagner, T.L. (2023). "What Is a Wave But 1000 Drops Working Together?": The Role of Public Libraries in Addressing LGBTQIA+ Health Information Disparities. Journal of Documentation.
Abstract:
Purpose: This paper presents results from a participatory action research study with 46 LGBTQIA+ community leaders and 60 library workers who participated in four community forums at public libraries across the US. The forums identified barriers to LGBTQIA+ communities addressing their health questions and concerns and explored strategies for public libraries to tackle them.
Design/methodology/approach: Forums followed the World Café format to facilitate collaborative knowledge development and promote participant-led change. Data sources included collaborative notes taken by participants and observational researcher notes. Data analysis consisted of emic/etic qualitative coding.
Findings: Results revealed that barriers experienced by LGBTQIA+ communities are structurally and socially entrenched and require systematic changes. Public libraries must expand their strategies beyond collection development and one-off programming to meet these requirements. Suggested strategies include outreach and community engagement and mutual aid initiatives characterized by explicit advocacy for LGBTQIA+ communities and community organizing approaches.
Research limitations/implications: Limitations include the sample's lack of racial diversity and the gap in the data collection period between forums due to COVID-19. Public libraries can readily adopt strategies overviewed in this paper for LGBTQIA+ health promotion.
Originality/value: This research used a unique methodology within the Library and Information Science (LIS) field to engage LGBTQIA+ community leaders and library workers in conversations about how public libraries can contribute to LGBTQIA+ health promotion. Prior research has often captured these perspectives separately. Uniting the groups facilitated understanding of each other's strengths and challenges, identifying strategies more relevant than asking either group alone. Link
SUSAN RATHBUN-GRUBB
Citation: Rathbun-Grubb, S. (2024). Librarians Working with Chronic Conditions During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic, Journal of Library Administration, 64(1).
Abstract: This study follows up with librarians with chronic conditions who completed a survey about their work lives in early 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants shared their experiences with health management, remote working, and the return to workplace during and after the pandemic. Results show that remote work generally made managing a chronic condition easier. 44% did not feel safe returning to the physical workplace, however, 57% felt at least somewhat supported by their employer. 71% believed that their employers had modified their views about remote work, an important accommodation request of many with chronic illnesses. Link
DAMION WAYMER
Why was Big Tobacco able to get away with selling deadly products for years with little consequence? In this essay, Waymer and Hill provide a plausible explanation for how corporations can weaponize scientific communication for self-interested gain. This article will be featured in a special issue on Corporate Science Communication in the Journal of Communication Management.
Citation: Waymer, D., & Hill, T. E. (2024). Corporate science communication: A compound ideological and mega-ideological discourse. Journal of Communication Management. Link
Abstract:
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to contribute to science communication literature by further highlighting the underexplored role of organizational and corporate perspectives in science communication.
Design/methodology/approach: The paper takes the form of a conceptual article that uses two illustrative vignettes to highlight the power of corporate science communication.
Findings: The key argument is that corporate science communication is a compound ideology that results from merging the hegemonic corporate voice with the ultimate/god-term science (see the work of Kenneth Burke) to form a mega-ideological construct and discourse. Such communication can be so powerful that vulnerable publics and powerful advocates speaking on their behalf have little to no recourse to effectively challenge such discourse. While critiques of corporate science communication in practice are not new, what the authors offer is a possible explanation as to why such discourse is so powerful and hard to combat.
Originality/value: The value of this paper is in the degree to which it both sets an important applied research agenda for the field and fills a critical void in the science communication literature. This conceptual article, in the form of a critical analysis, fills the void by advocating for the inclusion of organizational perspectives in science communication research because of the great potential that organizations have, via science communication, to shape societal behavior and outcomes both positively and negatively. It also coins the terms “compound ideology” and “mega-ideology” to denote that while all ideologies are powerful, ideologies can operate in concert (compound) to change their meaning and effectiveness. By exposing the hegemonic power of corporate science communication, future researchers and practitioners can use these findings as a foundation to combat misinformation and disinformation campaigns wielded by big corporate science entities and the public relations firms often hired to carry out these campaigns. Link
PANELS/PRESENTATIONS
DARIN FREEBURG and KATIE KLEIN (iSchool Ph.D. student)
We presented a 1-hour Learning Lab at the LibLearnX Conference in Baltimore: "Stuck in a routine: When library routines become barriers." This is research coming out of our IMLS-funded project on public library work.
AUGIE GRANT
Communication technologies are evolving at a rapid pace. This presentation provides an update on the most important developments in mass media, computers, consumer electronics, telephony, social media, and AI.
Presented my annual overview of the latest developments in Communication Technology. This year's presentation included special attention to AI, streaming, and VR. TFI Technology Conference, January 24-26, 2024.
Citation: Grant, A. E. (2024). 2024 Communication Technology Update
Abstract: This presentation provided a broad overview of the latest developments in electronic mass media, computers, consumer electronics, telephony, and social media. The presentation included extensive discussion of generative AI and its impact on the media industries, as well as the changing landscapes of streaming video and VR.
RESEARCH REPORTS
KIM THOMPSON
This is a project report for the Phase 2 survey research for the Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS) National Leadership Grant No. #LG-252342-OLS-22 (2022-2025). The qualitative, web-based, self-administered survey was distributed to a limited number of management staff at the University of Colorado Boulder Libraries and the University of South Carolina Libraries, as these two libraries serve as the sites for this pilot study. The survey was conducted in February and March of 2023 using University of Denver-supported Qualtrics software. The survey was distributed to library managers by upper-level administrators by request of project directors.
Citation: Dali, K., Thompson, K. M., & Gillespie, C. (2023). Supervising for inclusion: A survey of academic library managers in the context of disability and neurodiversity. Phase 2 of the IMLS-funded project The Practice Model for an Equitable Workplace Transition Program (EWTP): Disability and Neurodiversity. Link
Abstract: Capitalizing on the principles of universal design as applicable to the workplace and learning from the positive experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic that proved to be inclusive of disabled and neurodiverse employees, libraries can improve their job advertisement and application processes; interview processes; day-to-day working environments; and performance evaluations. Link
In addition, here are some iSchool Ph.D. student accomplishments collected in December 2023 outside the Research Roundup Jotform.
Valerie Lookingbill
- Got accepted into the CSCW Doctoral Consortium
- Got a poster accepted into ASIS&T: Lookingbill, V. (2023, October 27-31). Nonsuicidal self-injury and content moderation on TikTok. Poster to be presented at the 86th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T), London, England.
- Started as a Peer Leader in MLA's Research Training Institute over the summer
- Presented at MLA: MacEachern, M., Lessick, S., Batten, J., Conn, B., DeBerg, J., Epstein, H. A., Harnegie, M. P., Justice, E., Kellermeyer, E., Lookingbill, V., Menard, L., Mills, T., Shawcross, M., Stumpff, J., Westrick, J., Varner, D., Lynch, A., & Jankowski, T. A. (2023, May 16-19). Advocating for the value of health sciences librarians. Paper presented at the Medical Library Association (MLA) Annual Conference, Detroit, MI.
Yi Wan
- Became an iSchool reviewer
- Has a paper in press: Zhao, Y., Wan, Y., & Zhang, H. (2023). The balance and adequacy of libraries’ public cultural services in the new era: Definition, components, and equal access. Library. (Accepted, in Chinese)
- Presented a webinar: Wan, Y. (2023, June 19). The price of insights: Cross-national inequity in LIS conferences participation [Webinar]. Scholarly Communication Network. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CJiXmj5h-w
Jesselyn Dreeszen-Bowman
- Published a paper: Spiering, J., Santos Green, L., & Dreeszen Bowman, J. (2023). LGBTQIA+ inclusive school library research: A systematic literature review. School Library Review, 26, 1-33.
- Has a paper in press: Dreeszen Bowman (2023). Good Intentions and Poor collections: The Attitudes of Southern School Librarians of Transgender Material and Library Holdings (accepted in School Library Review).
Nick Vera
- Received CIC funds for doctoral research
- Accepted to ASIS&T doctoral colloquium
- Presented at LIDA: Pierson, C. M., Tait, E., & Vera, A. N. (2023). Critical perspectives on current professional positioning on themes of digital transformation in the United Kingdom. Paper presented at the Libraries in the Digital Age (LIDA) Annual Conference, Osijek, Croatia, May 24-26, 2023.
- Has a poster accepted to ASIS&T: Vera, A. N. (2023). Between Realities: Information Sharing Practices of Deepfake Creators. Poster to be presented at the Association for Information Science and Technology Annual Meeting, London, UK, October 29, 2023.
- Published a paper: Vera, A.N., Kitzie, V., Wagner, T.L. (2023). Queer Mediated Practices as a Method to Center and Sustain Critical Health and Media Literacies [Special issue, “Queer(ing) Critical Literacies in Response to Anti-queer Legislation and Policies”]. International Journal of Critical Media Literacy, Eds. S.A. Shelton & R. Schey.