Just what makes someone an authority? Can a self-proclaimed authority, like Eric Cartman from South Park who screams, "Respect mah authoritay!" be trusted? (Well, obviously you can't trust a 10-year-old cop on a Big Wheel!)
According to the Association of College and Research Libraries' information literacy framework, the trustworthiness of an authority depends on who you ask (constructed) and the situation (contextual). In academia, we might assume a person is an authority in their discipline because they publish in prestigious journals or work at an eminent institution. But, is that always the case? Or might those qualifications privilege that person because they have the "right" academic stature, gender, race, and so on? But what about other voices which may be marginalized due to any of these qualities?
In her article on this information literacy (IL) concept, Brittany O'Neill (2021) mentioned tools such as the CRAAP test, used to teach source evaluation and critical thinking skills, might be too simplistic to consider questions of representativeness or recognize bias on the part of publishers and/or peer review boards. Students—or any information consumer, for that matter—who only consider the type of publication and the author's credentials to determine authority, aren't challenged to think "more critically about the privileges and biases inherent in certain forms of publishing" and explore "other voices from varying sources that may still meet their research needs" (O'Neill, 2021, p. 502).
In addition, Maura Seale (2016) wrote that the library search systems—i.e., indexes and catalogs—we might depend upon to guide students to authoritative sources also historically lend themselves to privileging particular groups. Their controlled vocabulary (think subject headings) and classification systems are based upon the previous power dynamics of our world. (Seale, 2016, p. 78) And, as is typical of institutions, academic publishing and search systems are slow to change their methods of inclusion and equity, and therefore, may contain barriers to including minoritized voices.
As you work to identify information resources in your research, it's important to recognize these power structures and biases, and then figure out how to find those other voices. How can you discover underrepresented voices in academic publishing without having to make assumptions about an author's race or gender? One way is to consult databases like Women Also Know Stuff (WAKS), Cite Black Authors, and People of Color Know Stuff, which allow authors to self-identify, allowing students to avoid making inaccurate assumptions (O'Neill, 2021, p. 503)
The librarians would be happy to collaborate on lessons and/or activities to help students become informed about the constructed and contextual nature of authority and about privilege in publishing. Helping them find relevant voices, which would add value to their specific research topics, can empower them to achieve inclusiveness in their own citation practices. Contact Cali or Jayne if you'd like to implement this kind of lesson in your course.
Association of College & Research Libraries. (2016). Framework for information literacy for higher education. American Library Association.
O'Neill, B. (2021). Authority is constructed and contextual: Empowering students to navigate privilege in academic publishing. College & Research Libraries News, 82(11), 502-504, 508.
Seale, M. (2019). Historicizing the library: Information literacy instruction in the history classroom. In M. Mallon, L. Hays, C. Bradley, R. Huisman, & J. Balenger (Eds.), The grounded instruction librarian: Participating in the scholarship of teaching and learning (pp. 77-86). American Library Association.
Dawn at Mineral King Valley : the Sierra Club, the Disney Company, and the rise of environmental law by 
A History of African American Autobiography by 
Running out : in search of water on the High Plains by 
The state must provide : why America's colleges have always been unequal--and how to set them right by 
Dismantling institutional whiteness : emerging forms of leadership in higher education by 
Meaningful technologies : how digital metaphors change the way we think and live by In addition to a literal clean sweep of all the archive spaces in her six months with Perkins Library, staff member Cheyenne Stillinger was able to make remarkable progress reorganizing & simply taking care of forgotten areas of the library’s special collections. On top of assisting patrons with family research requests, she also digitized nearly 1,200 film slides ranging from Alaskan scenery to Doane's own traveling Vagabond Show Choir. Contact Cali if you have any questions about the archives in the near future.
Removing the library's vinyl record collection — all 6,500 of them! — was the other major project Cheyenne completed in her time with us. There are still a few thousand albums remaining for anyone who is interested in giving them a new home. If you have questions regarding these items please contact the library staff.
The staff really appreciate everything Cheyenne accomplished in her short time with us. Her passion for the preservation and promotion of Doane's archival collections has made a lasting impact on those collections. Cali, Jayne and Tammy wish her the best in her future endeavors!
Online Audiobooks and E-books |
Perkins Library by the Numbers |
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It's true! Over 190 public libraries in Nebraska provide access to tens of thousands of online books, magazines, and audiobooks. (Lincoln and Omaha library users have access to even more titles in OverDrive.) All you need is a valid account set up with your local library, and you'll have access to newly published novels, non-fiction, children's books, and magazines. New titles are added frequently. In addition, Nebraska's public libraries also provide access to several databases for K-12 students and adults through the Nebraska Library Commission. Put your tax dollars to work--GO TO THE LIBRARY! |
The library was a busy place during the Fall 2022 semester. Here are a few numbers collected for August to December 2022: Visitors to the Learning Commons: 35,654 Course sections received library research instruction: 32Database articles accessed: 23,119Interlibrary loan (ILL) requests filled for our users by other libraries: 135ILL requests filled by Doane library (for our and other libraries' users): 327 |
Sat, 3/11 1-5pm
Sun, 3/12 2-9pm
Mon-Thu, 3/13-16 8am-9pm
Fri, 3/17 8am-5pm
Sat, 3/18 1-5pm
Sun, 3/19 2-9pm
Monday-Thursday 8am-11pm
Friday 8am-5pm
Saturday 1-5pm
Sunday 2-11pm
Derek Bierman
Acting Director
Jayne Germer
Learning & E-resources Librarian
Cali Biaggi
Online Learning Librarian
Tammy Roach
Interlibrary Loan Library Assistant
Fine Arts & Humanities
Cali Biaggi
Science, Technology,
Engineering & Mathematics
Cali Biaggi
Social Sciences
Jayne Germer
College of Education
Jayne Germer
College of Business
Jayne Germer
