Spring 2023 Issue

Top Stories

Faculty and Staff Accomplishments, 2022

Ling Hwey Jeng, PhD, (SLIS) facilitated the Path to Leadership Forum, a 2-day APIA librarian leadership development project, sponsored by the Asian Pacific American Librarian Association and Chinese American Library Association and funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The forum was held on January 27-28, 2022.

Jeng was also awarded faculty development leave for Fall 2022. Throughout the semester, she worked on several research projects related to sustainability of libraries and community informatics. In Spring 2022, Jeng teamed with other TWU faculty for presentations:

Jeng, Carol Perryman and Kerol Harrod (both of SLIS) presented on the Community Health Connections in Rural Texas program at Texas Library Association 2022 Annual Conference in Fort Worth.
Jeng and Mehesh Raisinghani (Business) spoke at a Denton Parks & Recreation Center event on April 30, 2022, to kick off Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

Jeng also was quoted in a Texas Standard story on Oct. 28, 2022, about how to address issues related to fake news and disinformation. The story, “What do you do when someone brings up fake news? Look for opportunities to break down barriers first,” also was broadcast on NPR affiliates in Texas, including KERA.

Jeng teamed up with Perryman and Harrod again to develop a five-part webinar series: Community Health Connections. It was approved by the Medical Library Association and the Network of the National Library of Medicine Region 3 for full Consumer Health Information Specialization (CHIS) certification. Public library staff who participated in the series will qualify for Level 2 (full) certification.

Kristen Becker, EdD (SLIS) gave a COPE Research Talk on Feb. 23, 2022, entitled “SCREAM as often as you can.”

That followed two other presentations:

"Scream as often as you can. Strategic planning in community-based organizations" at the Missouri Library Association MLA/PNLA/MPLA Tri-Conference, in Missoula, Montana.
A session on “Integrating a New Framework for Inclusive Evaluation” at the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) annual conference.

In writing, Becker:

Had an article featured in Faculty Focus: "Why the "Why" Matters to Adult Learners."
Had an article published in Academic Leader, “Improving Student Success Rates with OER,” on May 16, 2022.
Had an article titled “High-Priced Textbooks’ Impact on Community College Student Success” published in Community College Review on Oct. 12, 2022.

Carol Perryman, PhD (SLIS) was appointed to the Outreach Advisory Board of the Network of National Library of Medicine, Region 3 and the advisory board of the Journal of the Medical Library Association.

Perryman also received the highly selective Sewell Travel Award for Public Health from the American Public Health Association.

Perryman also saw her course in health science librarianship officially recognized to meet all requirements for national Consumer Health Information Specialization certification by the National Library of Medicine and Medical Library Association. Students who successfully complete the course may apply for the certification at both levels, and the Medical Library Association is waiving application fees for our TWU students.

Kerol Harrod (SLIS) published a Book Review of Libraries and Nonprofits: Collaboration for the Public Good in the Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 63(2), 232-233.

Harrod was also quoted in multiple news stories:

He was interviewed by Larissa Cartwright of Spectrum News 1 Austin Newsroom: “Vandergrift high school students read banned books, politicians support removing even more.”
The Denton Record Chronicle published a story Sept. 20, 2022, examining how book bans may be impacting future librarians. In it, Harrod is quoted extensively.

Tara Zimmerman, PhD, (SLIS) had an article, “Misinformation and COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy,” accepted for publication in the journal Vaccine.

Zimmerman was also selected for the TWU FY 2023 Hanover Research Academy Cohort. The Hanover Grant Academy “seeks to discover and encourage individuals of outstanding talent with a keen interest in research.” It is supported by the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) and the Center for Research Design and Analysis (CRDA).

In addition, Zimmerman co-authored two papers published in the journal JASIST:

"Trust in COVID-19 Public Health Information," in September
"A feeling for the data: How government and nonprofit stakeholders negotiate value conflicts in data science approaches to ending homelessness,” in October.

Zimmerman also presented a poster, "Addressing New Literacies in LIS Curriculum," at the ALISE conference in Pittsburgh in October.

Aaron Elkins, PhD, (SLIS) presented "Using Archives in Queericulums" at the Invisible Histories Project Queer History South 2022: Archives for All Y’All Conference in September.

SLIS Academic Advisor Cindy Englehart was elected as the North Region Chair Elect for 2022-2023 for TEXAAN (Texas Academic Advising Network). In her own words, Englehart is most excited about “increasing my connections and utilizing the tools and resources gained from other advisors and their insight to better my own advising skills.”

Amy Lanier (SLIS) had an article published in the Spring 2022 issue of Texas Library Journal, “Our World is Officially Rocked: Are We Prepared for Patrons in Crisis?”

Meti Tmava, PhD (SLIS) had an article published in New Review of Academic Librarianship: "Faculty Perceptions of Open Access Repositories: A Qualitative Analysis."

Sylvia Vardell, PhD (SLIS) facilitated the 18th Annual Poetry RoundUp at Texas Library Association 2022 Annual Conference in Fort Worth.

Alumni News, 2022

Beatrice Canales (MLS 2019), who was an ALA Spectrum Scholar in 2017, completed her Creative Commons certification with the support of the TWU SLIS S. Janice Kee Continuing Education Award in 2021 and was selected to serve on the Open Texas 2022 Conference Program Committee.

Delaney Daly (MLS 2020) contributed the article “Threatened by Armed, Anti-LGBTQIA+ Extremists in Coeur d’Alene, a Children's Librarian leaves Her Job” in School Library Journal.

Sandra Desjardins (MLS 2022) was one of the recipients of the WoMentoring Award by the TWU Jane Nelson Institute for Women in Leadership.

Esther Garcia (MLS 2012) was featured on a Women’s History Month panel discussion, sponsored by the Texas Library Association Latino Caucus Round Table. Garcia is a librarian at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences Library.

Kimberly Michelle Gay (MLS 2006) was featured on the Chronicle of Higher Education website and in their new report, The Library of the Future. The CHE even used her quote as the headline for the article, "Libraries Are the Great Equalizers".

Jessica Kirk (MLS 2021) was selected as one of the American Library Association 2022 Emerging Leaders. Jessica currently works as a public librarian in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Rolando Ramirez (MLS 2014) was featured in a TLA News Member Spotlight in Spring 2022. Ramirez was a member of the Literacy Matters cohort during his MLS study and is currently the Manager of McAllen Public Library, Palm View Branch, in McAllen, Texas.

Page last updated 8:06 AM, March 14, 2023