Walter W. Stiern Library: Library Impact and Assessment

This article showcases an instructor–librarian collaborative model for teaching critical information literacy (CIL) skills in a higher education course by incorporating interactive workshops into a sequence of required course assignments. Using an asset-focused design, this assignment sequence allows students to first demonstrate their existing research strategies and then evaluate those strategies during workshop activities, applying the CIL principles they are learning. In this way, the approach recognizes students’ existing strengths and builds upon them, while emphasizing self-reflection opportunities and an intentional research focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and representation. Results from our one-year study are also highlighted. The suggested instructional strategies could be adapted to any course with research-related projects.

Rapid-response COVID-collecting eforts by archivists have created research collections and opportunities for future scholars; provided a means for patrons to refect on, interpret, and grieve their experiences; engaged communities at a time when everyone has been distanced from them; and given the team focus during uncertain and foreboding times.

The escalating costs that are associated with earning an undergraduate degree often force students to make difficult choices regarding whether they can afford the financial costs to remain in school. Our students encounter many economic challenges and hardships as they attempted to earn a degree. We believe that required textbook costs for courses should not hinder student learning or be the obstacle that prevents students from completing their courses and graduating. For many students, textbook affordability is a pressing retention need. If the choice that students need to make is deciding on whether they can afford to pay the rent, purchase food for the month, or buy a textbook, the probability of investing in a textbook is slim at best. Within the context of this paper, we discuss the challenges and opportunities that emerge in the California State University system, when moving from traditional high-priced textbooks to low or no cost Open Educational Resources for university course offerings that can reduce the financial burden on students and potentially increase retention to graduation rates.

Because strong oral communication skills have well-known academic, social, and professional benefits, they are increasingly targeted and reinforced throughout general education programs in higher education. In these efforts, public speaking assignments most often ask students to discuss information they have previously written about (e.g., theses defenses, position statements, research papers). This article presents a reverse approach—using short oral presentations to prepare students for subsequent written assignments. Previous studies have found that students will more closely read and evaluate source materials when they must articulate the information orally for an audience. Integrating oral presentations in the writing process gives students practice with language and vocabulary, but maybe more importantly, it also has the potential to increase students' self-efficacy—their confidence in their ability to understand and successfully complete additional research-related activities—which can, in turn, positively affect engagement and retention.

On May 13, 2020, Chancellor Timothy White announced the fate of California State University's 23 institutions of higher learning for the Fall 2020 academic term, impacting the educational destinies and lives of over 500,000 students, staff, and faculty within the largest public instituion in North America. The COVID-19 pandemic had created unprecedented changes to the way faculty and students were expected to teach and learn. Faculty and students learned simultaneously how to navigate this "new normal" with limited training and expertise. With the additional constraints of how COVID-19 impacts the health and well-being of the campus, the pervasive sentiment is that everyone is experiencing difficulties in this uncharted terrain of remaining connected, interactive, and compassionate while we all scrable to return to learing and "teaching without PANTS (Pandemic Accelerated, Novel Technology Sypmtoms)" in response to COVID-19 in Academe. This chapter draws from preliminary data obtained from a university-wide survey of students at a 4-year pulblic university in southern California. The survey was administered at the on-start of the campus shifting from face-to-face instruction to a virtual learning environment. A discussion of best practice teaching strategies and techniques that faculty are currently implementing to address the challenges of "teaching without PANTS" is included, with specific attention to the integration of Affordable Learning Solutions that enabled a rapid response to virtual instruction.

When creating information literacy instruction for distance learners; location, preferred use, technological skills, availability of online resources, and confidence in information-seeking skills and behaviors factor into providing service. This study established areas in which online, traditional, and hybrid nursing students displayed confidence and identified places where students might be weaker in their understanding of how to use library services. The objective was to create pedagogical opportunities whereby students could gain information literacy skills using the Association of College and Research Libraries Framework. These skills will strengthen students' understanding the use of and access to library resources, regardless of location.

Streaming video acquisition models have varied widely in the last ten to twenty years as has use and delivery of the format. Recent changes in this format have made it more readily available to libraries and faculty in higher education. However, streaming video is still quite expensive and cost prohibitive for small to medium academic libraries. This case study evaluates the various models employed at California State University, Bakersfield and how the library is attempting to meet faculty need for this format within their budget.

The Efficient Team-Driven Quality Scholarship (ETQS) Model is a research and writing system, providing strategies for librarians and other faculty to complete scholarly research within a set time frame. ETQS includes a team-driven, collaborative approach, predetermined timelines, built-in quality controls, and concurrent research processes. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of the ETQS Model to overcome common research obstacles and promote research success factors. Using the process evaluation method, the authors use the research and writing of this article to assess the ETQS Model. Team member reflections of the process are analyzed and ETQS strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) are evaluated and ameliorated. ETQS, in this case study, is effective in fostering scholarly productivity, promoting success factors, and overcoming obstacles. Utilization of this model could strengthen other collaborative research efforts.

On May 14, 1938, Methias Warren, father of former United States Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren (Brown v. Board of Education), presidential candidate, three-time Governor of California, and chair of the infamous commission investigating the assassination of John F. Kennedy (JFK) that bears his name, was found bludgeoned to death in his home at 707 Niles Street in Bakersfield, CA. Many theories regarding the identity of the killer and the motive were asserted. Many argued that the assailant was most likely a transient. However, the evidence points to other plausible motives. There were many other "whodunit" theories, and, to this day, the case remains an unsolved mystery.

There is limited aggregated data showing the amount and levels of preparedness training for active shooter situations in public, academic, and K-12 libraries in California and across the United States. The purpose of this research is to assess the state of preparedness of librarians, staff, and volunteers working in these libraries for active shooter situations. In 2018, the authors collected data from academic, public, and school library personnel about their attitudes and levels of preparedness for active shooter situations. It is hoped that this research will contribute to the development of best practices in raising safety awareness in academic and public libraries.

Recently, there has been some discussion about how to get and keep students interested in history and historical preservation. To address this, the Walter Stiern Library at California State University, Bakersfield collaborated with the History Department to integrate an archival service-learning program into the curriculum. Coinciding with this, the library redesigned its archival program to include an applied learning environment where students get hands-on experience. This case study traces the establishment of this program and provides initial findings about the benefits service-learning has for students and the community. It also considers the implications service-learning has for archivists and the archives.

Libraries are making great efforts acquiring, maintaining, and promoting electronic book (e-book) collections; therefore, understanding what preference users have regarding e-books will help with current and future collection-development decisions. For librarians to provide e-book resources and services effectively, a thorough understanding of faculty, staff, and student e-book needs and preferences is needed. A campus-wide online survey was conducted to gather this much-needed data. As the Walter W. Stiern Library at California State University, Bakersfield, moves toward a broader integrated print and electronic acquisition model, it needs to ensure that its users' information needs are being met.