Ithaka Report available

The Ithaka organization has published their findings from a 2006 survey of both faculty and librarians about scholarly publishing and how technological change has changed the faculty/library relationship. The studies, Ithaka’s 2006 Studies of Key Stakeholders in the Digital Transformation in Higher Education raise some interesting questions for academic libraries. One of its recommendations is that academic libraries need to be clearer about what they are doing to help faculty understand exactly what the library can and is providing.

“An important lesson is that the library is in many ways falling off the radar screens of faculty. Although scholars report general respect for libraries and librarians, the library is increasingly disintermediated from their actual research processes.”

and

“In the case of the library, both the library leadership as well as individual librarians should be reaching out to faculty members, formally and informally, to understand the nature of their teaching and research projects, and how their needs are being met or could be met better.”

This process can not happen if librarians sit in their offices or at the desk waiting for faculty and students to come to them. We have to provide relevant help at the point of need and we have to determine what that help should consist of both in person and online. Asking our faculty what they need from us should be an ongoing process and the more librarians understand of these needs, the more effective we can be. if we allow ourselves to become invisible to those we serve we make ourselves redundant.

Children and Higher Education

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Source: www.pbase.com/munichpride/image/49844677

There was a post today on Guardienne of the Tomes about an Inside Higher Ed career advice piece to a graduate student who was feeling guilt about not spending enough time with her 3 year old. I have mixed feelings about Guardienne’s comments and feel that her not having any children herself, empathy may not be high on her priority list. Her comments included the following, “Needless to say, any prof teaching graduate classes worth his/her salt will say no.” This in reference to professors allowing a toddler in the class on a regular basis. I agree that a child that young would be less than likely to remain quiet and not disrupt the other students and/or professor. Interestingly she singled out graduate classes, I would assume that any class, undergraduate or graduate, would likely be disrupted by a 3 year old. However, there are always exceptions to any and all situations. I have attended campus meetings where someone had their infant in a carrier seat and still managed to be productive during the meeting. How would a parent leaving to deal with a child be any different than those who wander in and out going to the bathroom or to take a call?

Having taught graduate students myself, it is hard not to overempathize with parents, single or otherwise. I have had a student drop my all day class due to their internal conflict over how this affects their relationship with their child. I have also had graduate students bring their children to class with permission on occasion. Now, personally I think that forcing any child to spend even a few hours in a class that they have zero interest in would be torture for them. The only time the other graduate students were concerned/upset was the day that we were discussing intellectual freedom and academic libraries which led to a discussion about limiting pornography which led to an intense discussion about academic freedom and what that entailed. It was one of the most best discussions in my class, ever, and a student approached me at the break expressing concern that another student’s son had been listening. I explained that as he had been quiet and didn’t disrupt the discussion there was no reason to ask that a 13 year old leave the room. I also noted that it was the parent’s role to determine what their child was ready to be exposed to, not mine or hers. I acknowledged that she had a right to feel uncomfortable but that those were her feelings to deal with. Let me note that others in the class thought that the young man looked exceedingly bored throughout the entire discussion.

I attended some of my mom’s lectures with her while she was working on her degrees and I also got to spend time with her in an art studio. These memories are really strong ones for me and I remember them fondly, although the lecture on phallic representation in the Ashanti culture was a little confusing since I was 12. I remember the other students turning around to look at me during the lecture looking concerned. How could they know that my mother never limited my exposure to “real life” and allowed me to form my own opinions about art from my own level of understanding? I thank her for encouraging me to have an open mind and to learn from any and all opportunities.