LIS 7050 - Research Methods

"Since 2022, when ChatGPT’s free chatbot was released most of the conversation in academic libraries and instruction has focused on integrating AI into library practice and information literacy instruction because whether we like it or not, it’s here to stay. I was curious to investigate this rhetoric of inevitability in my research proposal as it relates to if and how librarians are incorportating long-term ethical concerns (those concerns that go deeper than plagarism and copyright) in information literacy instruction among university students. Because of the rapidly changing environment, it is my sense that academic instruction librarians are pressured to get ahead of the trend and work with student use of AI and LLMs to counteract some of the immediate academic pitfalls while still encouraging what is becoming generally agreed on by the field to be the positive uses of this technology--i.e. develop "AI literate" students. This is a valid and understandable approach, but it can often leave out other, longer-sighted but perhaps untimately more important pedagogical ethical concerns, like the exploitative and corporatized nature of LLMs, increased limiting of searcher agency, and the long-term environmental impacts, among other things. I would contend that for students to become truly AI literate, instructional librarians need to incorporate these long-term concerns in addition to other concerns and benefits into AI literacy instruction. My research questions were: 

• RQ1: Which ethical concerns are instruction librarians currently incorporating into their information literacy instruction on AI and LLMs?

• RQ2: How prepared do academic librarians feel to address a wide variety of ethical concerns as they address AI in instructional settings?

• RQ3: What challenges or barriers do instruction librarians face when trying to incorporate AI ethics into their teaching?

To address these questions, I proposed employing a mixed-methods study including a quantitative and qualitative online survey alongside follow-up qualitative interviews." - Katie

LIS 7720 - Academic Libraries

"For my final research project in LIS 7720: Academic Libraries, I conducted an issue analysis of the accessibility of academic library websites. My research revealed that individuals with disabilities often find it difficult to use academic library websites to access digital resources and obtain information of interest to them. This is problematic for a variety of reasons, including the likelihood of students with disabilities participating less in educational activities due to the inaccessibility of online academic library information resources. According to experts in the field of web design, there are three major issues that currently undermine the accessibility of academic library websites: errors in HTML coding, shortcomings in accessibility web page content, and suboptimal usability features. My paper responds to these problems by proposing strategies that academic librarians can implement to improve the HTML coding, accessibility of content, and usability of their library’s websites. Some of these solutions include remedying common HTML errors, such as low contrast ratios and missing alt text. Others include adding synonyms to accessibility pages to improve their search engine optimization and employing a top-level navigational structure that would enable users with disabilities to skip to desired content. With millions of undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students in the United States reporting having a disability, it is imperative that college and university libraries design their websites to be as accommodating of the diverse needs of their patrons as possible. Failure to accommodate patrons with disabilities with inclusive website architecture may make the experiences of such individuals in academic libraries so onerous as to dissuade them from using library resources, to the detriment of their academic success. My hope is that my paper will help raise awareness about the inaccessibility of academic library websites for many students, and highlight steps that can be taken to remedy the issue." - Nick