Deards, Graybill Publish Work

Kiyomi Deards, Assistant Professor and Science Librarian at University Libraries and Jolie Graybill, Associate Professor at University Libraries, contributed in the writing and editing of the book, “Succession Planning and Implementing in Libraries: Practices and Resources.”

This book provides information on the process of implementing succession planning in libraries.  It provides insight on the challenges and possibilities of a succession plan’s effect on the success of library organizations.

Deards was a co-editor of the book along with Gene R. Springs, a business librarian from Ohio State University.  Deards and Graybill worked together to write Chapter 5: The Role of Professional Protocols: Recruitment, Retention, and Service (pages 106-132).

This isn’t the first that time that we have acknowledged published works by these two library faculty members. In January, we recognized a published article in an issue of the Journal of Academic Librarianship written by Graybill.  In November 2013 we also recognized Deards’ contribution to the published report Research Data Management: Principles, Practices, and Prospects.    

If you would like more information on “Succession Planning and Implementing in Libraries: Practices and Resources,” you can go to: http://www.igi-global.com/book/succession-planning-implementation-libraries/94864.

 

Thoegersen is new Data Curation Librarian for University Libraries

Jennifer Thoegersen joined the University Libraries on May 1, 2014, as Assistant Professor and Data Curation Librarian. She grew up in Peru, Nebraska and received her BSE in Library Science from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Thoegersen went on to get her MLIS in Digital Library Learning offered in cooperation between Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences (Norway), Tallinn University (Estonia), and the University of Parma (Italy). During her time in Europe, Thoegersen did an internship with the Instituto Centrale Per il Catalogo Unico in Rome, Italy.

In 2013, Thoegersen was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to work in New Zealand at the Computer Science Department of the University of Waikato. She became a member of the team that develops the open-source digital library software, Greenstone. While in New Zealand, she volunteered as a Digital Library Specialist on a project at the University of the South Pacific developing a collection of electronic education resources for Pacific students.

In her new position with the University Libraries, Thoegersen will coordinate the UNL Libraries Data Repository, consult with researchers across disciplines about data management plans, and provide data management instruction.  

Thoegersen can be contacted at (402) 472-4558 or jthoegersen2@unl.edu.

Delserone Elected to Executive Council of US Agricultural Information Network

Leslie Delserone, assistant professor, University Libraries, was elected one of six directors to the Executive Council of the United States Agricultural Information Network (USAIN) in April. Delserone has been with the UNL Libraries since 2010 as a science librarian and liaison to the Departments of Agronomy and Horticulture, Entomology, and Plant Pathology, the Forensic Science Program, and the Doctor of Plant Health Program. She will begin her two-year term on June 1, 2014. 

USAIN, according to usain.org, is an organization that provides a forum for discussion of agricultural issues, takes a leadership role in national information policy formation for agriculture, and gives recommendations to the National Agricultural Library.

As a director, Delserone will participate in discussions and help shape the fiscal and policy decisions made by the Executive Council.  She will also help select the conference site and support the planning of the next national conference. Each director is a liaison to a standing USAIN committee.  Currently Delserone serves on the Preservation & Digital Library and the Legislative & Government Relations committees.

Delserone says that she is really looking forward to working with the other council members, and working on a major initiative -  agricultural research data preservation and sharing - set forth by the President of USAIN.

For more information about USAIN, go to their website usain.org.

DeFrain joins University Libraries as Social Sciences Librarian

Erica DeFrain joined the University Libraries on April 1, 2014, as Assistant Professor and Social Sciences Librarian. She received her MA in Information Resources & Library Science and a MS in educational technology from the University of Arizona. DeFrain also graduated from University of Nebraska in 2002 with a BA in History. Her previous positions include Instructional Design Librarian at the University of Vermont, member of the Instructional Services Team, of the Business and Education Reference Instruction at the University of Arizona, and Educational Technology Librarian at the University of Arizona. She has published several scholarly articles and presented a numerous conferences. As Social Sciences Librarian she will support and work with Psychology, Sociology, and Educational Psychology departments as their liaison librarian. She looks forward to exploring online learning areas for the University Libraries. DeFrain can be contacted at 472-5254 or edefrain2@unl.edu.

Graybill publishes new study on Millennials in workforce

 

Jolie Graybill, Assistant Professor, University Libraries, has published a new article on a study that explores possible leadership perceptions of Millennials working in academic libraries that includes definition, attributes, and whether they perceive themselves as leaders. The article, entitled, “Millennials among the Professional Workforce in Academic Libraries:  Their Perspective on Leadership,” was published in the January, 2014 issue of the Journal of Academic Librarianship.

 

Graybill surveyed Millennials (born 1982 or after) currently working full-time in Big Ten libraries in 2011-12 and found the leadership attributes which Millennials indicated as most important were  group/teamwork, communication, respect, vision, and influence. The study results may encourage current administrators of academic libraries to prepare and plan professional development programming that includes these aspects of leadership for future leadership opportunities that will most likely be filled by Millennials. This may mean that supervisors as a result, need to redesign positions to take advantage of the teamwork interests and skills while also providing Millennials with more support on the other leadership attributes that they might not be as skilled in.

 

The article can be viewed in the UNL Libraries Digital Commons here: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libraryscience/310/