Preferred Delivery
In-Person
Length of Presentation
50 minutes
Start Date
7-10-2022 11:00 AM
End Date
7-10-2022 11:50 AM
Document Type
Presentation
Abstract
The first sentence in the mission statement for Eastern Illinois University’s Booth Library states “Our mission is to collaboratively empower the intellectual and creative growth of our diverse campus and community.” This commitment to the promotion of diversity has led the librarians and their DEI committee to ask an important question, are students of diverse backgrounds comfortable using our facilities? This research used a mixed-methods study to survey and interview numerous African American undergraduate EIU students to learn more about their experiences with Booth Library, specifically how it is used, when it is used, and changes they would like to see. We found that students are comfortable using the facility, though they note the lack of representation among the staff and would like more outreach.
Description
Description: The session will outline research conducted in the Spring of 2022 at Eastern Illinois University by the presentation team that engaged Black undergraduate students and measured their sense of belonging within Booth Library based on their lived experiences and exposure to library related initiatives and programmatic endeavors. This information is pertinent and relevant to all library professionals across institutions of higher education and relevant persons whose primary focus is diversity, equity, and inclusion at institutions of higher learning. The research evidence presented was shared with the dean, faculty, and staff of Booth Library, and they are actively making changes to ensure a more inclusive environment for Black students. The research reflects findings that diversity initiatives can greatly enhance the students' learning experience and feelings of belonging. Booth Library directly contributes to student learning as it is a central hub for many different resources students can utilize to enhance their experience. The research directly speaks to diversity, equity, and inclusion as the researchers sought to understand if Booth Library serves Black students in the ways they need. The objectives of the presentation include sharing the findings of the mixed methods research to relevant and interested parties, draw attention to and acknowledge the shared desires of Black undergraduate students that will assist in the sense of belonging of those students, educate individuals of the necessary development needed at institutions of higher learning to meet the needs of minority populations and create and engage in dialogue intended to grow and foster diversity initiatives for minority students such as the ones highlighted in our research. The session will enhance the conference by shedding light on the current needs of Black undergraduate students through highlighting research that may be transferable to more minority populations and to other institutions of higher learning.
This is part two of our submission, the first part being the quantitative survey, this part being the qualititative focus groups.
Library Welcomeness internal report.pdf (379 kB)
Report to Library Services on the findings of and recommendations from our library welcomeness study.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Included in
Exploring Diversity in Booth Library
The first sentence in the mission statement for Eastern Illinois University’s Booth Library states “Our mission is to collaboratively empower the intellectual and creative growth of our diverse campus and community.” This commitment to the promotion of diversity has led the librarians and their DEI committee to ask an important question, are students of diverse backgrounds comfortable using our facilities? This research used a mixed-methods study to survey and interview numerous African American undergraduate EIU students to learn more about their experiences with Booth Library, specifically how it is used, when it is used, and changes they would like to see. We found that students are comfortable using the facility, though they note the lack of representation among the staff and would like more outreach.
Speaker Information
Dionne Lipscomb is a graduate student in the College Student Affairs Program at EIU. She serves as a graduate assistant in the Student Success Center where she is an advisor, an instructor for EIU 2919 – Strategies in Academic Success, and a teaching assistant for the University Foundations course. Dionne is the executive administrator for the College Student Personnel Association (COSPA) and advises the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) EIU chapter. Dionne is also a 2022-2023 recipient of the Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois Fellowship Grant. She holds a BA from the University of Illinois. She is interested in working to ensure the success of students of color. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her partner, friends, and family.
Jacob Mueller is a graduate student at Eastern Illinois University pursuing a master's degree in College Student Affairs. Jacob currently serves in a dual capacity graduate assistantship where he works for both the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and University Housing and Dining Services. Jacob obtained his bachelor's degree in Sport Management from the University of Southern Indiana. Jacob is passionate about collegiate fraternal experiences and that has been his primary source of professional development. Jacob contributes to the professional development organization COSPA and serves on different committees both as a student and as part of his graduate assistantship. Jacob is an avid sports fan, a self-described choral music nerd, and greatly enjoys spending time with his partner Cody, his family, and his friends.
Maddie Reiher is the Student Accountability and Support Advisor at EIU and a graduate student in the College Student Affairs program. She is the professional development chair of the student affairs RSO, COSPA. She has a BA in Geography from Eastern Illinois University and an MA in Cultural Geography from The University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Maddie is interested in developing programs devoted to promoting the professional development of undergraduate students, specifically students in online programs. Outside of student affairs, Maddie spends her time reading high fantasy novels and playing board games with friends and family.
Ellen Corrigan has been a cataloging and metadata librarian at EIU's Booth Library since 2008. She previously served as an art librarian at University of California Santa Barbara and at Penn State-University Park. She holds an MLS and an MA in art history, both from the University of Maryland College Park. Her research interests include the presentation and dissemination of information through visual sources. At work, Ellen is currently a member of Booth Library's DEI Committee. At home, she is the proud mother of two wonderful sons.
Kirstin Duffin is a research support librarian at EIU’s Booth Library and liaison for the sciences and math. She is co-director of EIU iSTEM, a group committed to encouraging and empowering underrepresented students in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields. Kirstin is interested in developing library resources and services to enable the success of every EIU student. She holds an MLIS from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and an MS in Biological Sciences from EIU. Outside libraries, Kirstin enjoys hiking the scenic hills of east central Illinois and playing cooperative board games with friends.