61st chat, Tuesday July 19th 2016: value sensitive design

Moderated by @metageeky
Storify (pdf, html) by @violetbfox

In multiple discussions, twitter chats, and conference presentations, the need for library work to understand, respect, and address issues of diversity is continually brought up. We talk about the need to not only re-design our cataloging methods but also questioning the underlying technology that drives discovery. This requires navigating, balancing, and integrating diverse aspects of academics, society, and technology. Value sensitive design (VSD) is one design approach to consider for tackling these challenges. VSD emphasizes identifying and respecting human values throughout the interactions of society and technology. Using a multidisciplinary perspective that draws on philosophy, social sciences, and engineering, VSD has been applied to many domains, including city planning, assistive technologies, and Internet privacy policies. Let’s explore its potential for innovation and progress in library work, especially in regards to critical librarianship.

Suggested readings:

• Deibel, K. Value Sensitive Design: slideshow from January 2016 Mashcat presentation (pptx)
• Friedman, B., Kahn Jr., P., and Borning, A. Value Sensitive Design and information systems (2006)
• Friedman, B. and Kahn Jr., P. Human values, ethics, and design (2003)

Discussion questions:

• Q1. How would you define Value Sensitive Design?
• Q2. What are some explicitly-supported values in library work?
• Q2b. In VSD, designers need to recognize if there are any values they explicitly support. Are there explicitly-supported values in #critlib work?
• Q3. How can VSD be applied to #critlib? What areas of library work could VSD and #critlib benefit?
• Q4. What might be some challenges in applying VSD to library work? How could those challenges be overcome?

Additional resources:

• one of the fundamental influencing papers: Latour, B. Where are the missing masses? The sociology of a few mundane artifacts (1992)
• example of Habermass being used in VSD: Borning, A., Friedman, B., Davis, J., and Lin, P. Informing public deliberation: Value sensitive design of indicators for a large-scale urban simulation (2005)
• @metageeky‘s thesis: Deibel, K. Understanding and supporting the adoption of assistive technologies by adults with reading disabilities (2011)
• list of VSD papers: Value Sensitive Designs publications

60th chat, Monday July 11th 2016: caregiving
11am Pacific / noon Mountain / 1pm Central / 2pm Eastern

Moderated by @sarahcrissinger & @ibeilin
Storify (pdf, html) by @nishamody

Suggested readings:

• “Eldercare: The Forgotten Feminist Issue” by Jamie Nesbitt Golden (2014)

Discussion questions:

• Q1. How do you define “care”? We often talk about caregiving in terms of parenthood, but what are other forms of caregiving? #critlib
• Q2. How do social expectations (or a lack of such expectations) for caregiving affect you or your workplace? #critlib
• Q3. What are some of the structural, policy-level impediments one might encounter as a caregiver in LIS? #critlib
• Q4. We often see a disparity in benefits between staff in different roles, e.g. professional, support, faculty. Is this true in your work? #critlib
• Q5. If you have benefits others don’t, how can you work to create more inclusive policies around caregiving? #critlib

Additional resources:

• ALA’s Caregiver’s Toolkit (2011)
• “Quantify Everything: A Dream of a Feminist Data Future” by Amelia Abreu (2014)

59th chat, Monday June 6th 2016: digital preservation

Moderated by @dinahhandel
Storify (pdf, html) by @dinahhandel

Discussion questions:

• Q1 How do you define digital preservation? Does your definition differ from established digital preservation concepts? How & why? #critlib
• Q2 Are digi-pres concepts inadequate for archives? How can we bridge the gap between recommended best practices & digi-pres labor? #critlib
• Q3 What sustainability challenges- environmental, financial- does digi-pres present? How can digi-pres be more sustainable? #critlib
• Q4 In what ways do you see power, oppression, or social justice intersect with digital preservation? #critlib
• Q5 What are your hopes for the field of digital preservation going forward? #critlib

Additional resources:

No need to read any or all of these- just a list of works that give an overview of the field and some of the primary concepts and concerns…

• Bailey, Jefferson. “I review six digital preservation models so you don’t have to” http://www.jeffersonbailey.com/i-review-6-digital-preservation-models-so-you-dont-have-to/
• Digital POWRR, Digital Preservation 101 http://digitalpowrr.niu.edu/digital-preservation-101/
• Egger, Alexander. “Shortcomings of the Reference Model for an Open Archival Information System” http://www.ieee-tcdl.org/Bulletin/v2n2/egger/egger.html
• Lavoie, Brian. The Open Archival Information System Reference Model: Introductory Guide. DPC Technology Watch Series Report 04-01. Digital Preservation Coalition (UK): January 2004. http://www.dpconline.org/component/docman/doc_download/91-introduction-to-oais (pdf)
• LeFurgy, Bill. Lifecycle Models for Digital Stewardship. (Feb. 21, 2012). http://blogs.loc.gov/digitalpreservation/2012/02/life-cycle-models-for-digital–stewardship/
• Lyons, Bertram “There will be no Digital Dark Age” https://issuesandadvocacy.wordpress.com/2016/05/11/there-will-be-no-digital-dark-age/
• National Digital Stewardship Alliance Levels of Digital Preservation: An Explanation and Uses http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/documents/NDSA_Levels_Archiving_2013.pdf (pdf)
• National Agenda for Digital Stewardship: Executive Summary, 2014 http://ndsa.org/documents/2014ExecutiveSummary.pdf (pdf)
• National Digital Stewardship Alliance, Digital Preservation in a Box: Digital Preservation 101 https://wiki.diglib.org/NDSA:Digital_Preservation_in_a_Box#Digital_Preservation_101
• Project ARCC: Archivists Responding to Climate Change https://projectarcc.org/
• Shira Peltzman and Alice Prael, “Can’t wait for Perfect: Implementing Good Enough Digital Preservation” code4lib presentation (video at https://youtu.be/Dd04w–7EuY?t=1h22m2s)
• Reference Model for an Open Archival Information System (OAIS) http://public.ccsds.org/publications/archive/650x0m2.pdf (pdf)
• Rice, Dave. “FLAC in the archives” http://dericed.com/tag/flac/
• Rosenthal, David. http://blog.dshr.org/ In particular the following posts: http://blog.dshr.org/2013/08/more-on-storing-all-that-stuff.html, http://blog.dshr.org/2013/07/immortal-media.html, http://blog.dshr.org/2013/02/rothenberg-still-wrong.html (this post pushes back at some ideas proposed by Rothenberg following his 1998 CLIR report)
• Rothenberg, Jeff. Avoiding Technological Quicksand: Finding a Viable Technical Foundation for Digital Preservation. (January 1998) http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/rothenberg/contents.html
• Schumacher, Jaime, et al. “From Theory to Action: Good Enough Digital Preservation for Under-Resourced Cultural Heritage Institutions.” Digital POWRR White Paper for the Institute of Museum and Library Services. 27 August 2014. http://commons.lib.niu.edu/handle/10843/13610
• Tansey, Eira “Institutional Silences and the Digital Dark Age” https://issuesandadvocacy.wordpress.com/2016/05/23/institutional-silences-and-the-digital-dark-age/
• Tansey, Eira. 2016. Archival adaptation to climate change. Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy 11(2) Published online Mar 02, 2016. http://sspp.proquest.com/archives/vol11iss2/1509-019.tansey.html
• Owens, Trevor. “Digital Preservation’s Place in the Digital Humanities” http://www.trevorowens.org/2014/03/digital-preservations-place-in-the-future-of-the-digital-humanities/

Moderated by @AcornElectric
Storify (pdf, html) by @ArchivistAriel

This chat will help us define visual literacy within our contexts and look at the ways critical librarianship can address the unique way visual information can impact and influence critical perspectives on the culture we live in. From signage in the library to image use and creation in academia visual information wields significant power in our spaces. We’ll discuss how we teach ourselves how to identify critical issues in visual culture, how we raise awareness of these issues, and how we teach visual literacy alongside information literacy.

If you’re unfamiliar with visual literacy feel free to check out the ACRL visual literacy standards and the Hattwig et al. article below about the standards.

Suggested readings:

• Henrich, K. (2014, May 27). Visual Literacy for Librarians: Learning Skills and Promoting Best Practices.
• “ACRL Visual Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education”, American Library Association, October 27, 2011.
• Hattwig, D., Bussert, K., Medaille, A., & Burgess, J. (2013). Visual Literacy Standards in Higher Education: New Opportunities for Libraries and Student Learning. Portal: Libraries and the Academy, 13(1), 61–89.

Discussion questions:

• Q1. How do you define visual literacy and how does visual lit impact and influence our library spaces, intellectually/physically? #critlib
• Q2. What are some critical issues related to visual info and how can #critlib raise awareness of these issues? #critlib
• Q3. How have you learned of critical issues w/in visual culture/how do you share visual lit-related skills/concepts with colleagues? #critlib
• Q4. How do you teach or address specific visual literacy concepts/issues within your community and library? #critlib (For example, critiquing persuasive or manipulative strategies in image production, meaning, message, cultural and historical factors relevant to production of image.)

For further exploration:

• How Do You Look: Promoting Visual Literacy at Duke University and Beyond. From the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University in cooperation with Duke Libraries.
• The Visual Literacy Toobox: Learning to Read Images.  From the College of Arts & Humanities, University of Maryland College Park.
• Visual Literacy LibGuide. From the Boston University Libraries.

57th chat, Monday May 2nd 2016: emotional labor

Moderated by @lettersfromvani
Storify (pdf, html) by @PoorCharlotte

Suggested readings:

• Wingfield, Adia Harvey. “How ‘Service With a Smile’ Takes a Toll on Women.” The Atlantic 26 Jan. 2016. theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/01/gender-emotional-labor/427083/ (Trigger warning: specific descriptions of workplace racism and misogyny)
• Accardi, Maria. “Emotional Labor and Library Instruction.” Librarian Burnout. April 23, 2015. https://librarianburnout.com/2015/04/23/emotional-labor-and-library-instruction/

Discussion questions:

• Q1. What does emotional labor look like (and feel like)?
• Q2. Is emotional labor part of your work, and if so, how? Is it part of your colleagues/coworkers’ work?
• Q3. What are implicit and explicit expectations around the kinds of emotional labor library/archival/info workers do (and how do these relate to intersections of power and privilege)?
• Q4.  How could naming emotional labor inform and transform critical approaches to librarianship? Beyond naming it, what else can we do?

56th chat, Tuesday April 19 2016: lead up to #gsisc16

Moderated by @edrabinski
Storify (pdf, html) by @violetbfox

#gsisc16 is the Gender and Sexuality in Information Studies Colloquium, happening this weekend (April 23) in Vancouver, British Columbia. We’d like to use Tuesday’s chat as a chance for presenters to share what they’ll be talking about, and for those who aren’t able to attend to share their experiences and thoughts on gender & sexuality issues in libraries and related fields. Please join us!

Discussion questions:

• Q1. What are critical topics to address when we discuss gender & sexuality in information studies?
• Q2. How do we see gender & sexuality issues play out every day at work?
• Q3. How do we intervene when we see sexism at work in your library?
• Q4. What should #gsisc16 attendees be sure to address with each other on Saturday?
• Q5. Gender & sexuality in information studies #critpitch! [Share your ideas, upcoming projects/presentations, interesting resources, etc.!]

55th chat, Monday April 4 2016: intro to #critlib (part 2)

Moderated by @courtums
Storify (pdf, html) by @AlicePrael

A repeat of the March 22 chat. For those new to twitter chats, we’ve got a quick outline of the mechanics–just search for “#critlib” in Twitter to follow along!

Discussion questions:

• Q1. What does #critlib look like in practice? How do you define it for yourself?
• Q2. What does change look like in #critlib? Have you seen progress using a #critlib approach in your work?
• Q3. Where do newcomers belong in #critlib? How can we make #critlib more inclusive, especially to people who are new to crit. theory?
• Q4. What was your intro to #critlib and what tips do you have for newcomers?
• Q5. What’s a good reading or primer for an intro to crit theory? #critlib

54th chat, Tuesday March 22 2016: intro to #critlib

Moderated by @catladylib & @courtums
Storify (pdf, html) by @violetbfox

Discussion questions:

• Q1. What does #critlib look like in practice? How do you define it for yourself?
• Q2. What does change look like in #critlib? Have you seen progress using a #critlib approach in your work?
• Q3. Where do newcomers belong in #critlib? How can we make #critlib more inclusive, especially to people who are new to crit. theory?
• Q4. What was your intro to #critlib and what tips do you have for newcomers?
• Q5. What’s a good reading or primer for an intro to crit theory? #critlib

53rd chat, Monday March 7 2016: you don’t have to wear white gloves: critical approaches to rare books

Moderated by @ForgetTheMaine
Storify (pdf, html) by @violetbfox

Suggested readings:

• The “Women in Print” project through the Rare Book & Manuscript Library at the University of Illinois Press, a project that “explores the impact of the imprint in its original form and offers fresh insights into the reception history of books written by women”: http://womeninprint.press.illinois.edu/
• “The Archival Object: A Memoir of Disintegration” by Lisa Darms, Archivaria, 2009: http://journals.sfu.ca/archivar/index.php/archivaria/article/download/13212/14492_1 (pdf)

Discussion questions:

• Q1. Tell everyone about your experience with rare books, if any. Were you allowed/encouraged to handle the materials? #critlib
• Q2. What can rare book librarians do to break down barriers between repositories and the communities they serve? #critlib
• Q3. What do we need to collect to ensure that rare books is more than old white texts? #critlib
• Q4. Can rare books be critical or radical? Can they be separated from capitalistic value? #critlib

52nd chat, Tuesday February 16 2016: serving homeless library users

Moderated by @GinaMurrell1
Storify (pdf, html) by @oksveta

Suggested readings:

• “A home to the homeless” by Ellyn Ruhlmann, from American Libraries (2014)
• “What do I do now? Handling challenging situations with mentally ill and homeless library users, part 2” from Infopeople (2013) (direct link to 50-minute webinar)
• “Not just a place to sleep: homeless perspectives on libraries in central Michigan” by Angie Kelleher, from Library Review (2013)

Discussion questions:

• Q1. Does your library offer support services/outreach to homeless patrons?
• Q2. Does your library have policies that prohibit behaviors often associated with homelessness?
• Q3. What kind of staff training, if any, does the library provide in serving homeless patrons?
• Q4. What role should the library have in providing support services to homeless patrons?
• Q5. What can libraries do to better serve homeless patrons?