PDA Event: Amplifying Voices: Research on Black & African American Student Experiences in the Academic Library

Join us for an engaging panel discussion showcasing the efforts of librarians of three universities that have surveyed the experiences of Black and African American students within their academic libraries. By sharing these insights, we aim to uplift their voices, enrich library services, and foster an environment where all students thrive.

Discussion Highlights:

1. Design and Implementation: Panelists will provide an overview of their research design and the strategies employed to capture a range of experiences and feedback.
2. Key Findings: Discover the compelling insights from their studies, highlighting both positive experiences and areas that need improvement, as well as the impact of library services on students' academic journeys.
3. Driving Tangible Change: Panelists will share the tangible initiatives, policy enhancements, and program developments that have been informed by the findings, fostering a more inclusive and supportive library environment.
4. Empowering Student Voices: The discussion will explore how the universities have engaged with Black and African American student communities throughout the research process, promoting open dialogues and collaboration.
5. Q&A: Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with panelists through a Q&A session, deepening their understanding of their research methodologies and best practices for implementing similar studies in their own contexts.

Panelists: 

Tracey Overbey - Food & Nutrition, Human Sciences, and Sociology Librarian at The Ohio State University Libraries

I am an Associate Professor and Social Sciences Librarian at The Ohio State University Libraries. I earned a master’s degree in library information science from the University of Pittsburgh. My research interests include issues related to food desert communities and educating and exposing marginalized students to information literacy using library resources. I  won an organizational award for implementing a seed library at The Ohio State University Libraries for students to come and obtain seeds from the library, to plant fresh produce within their residence halls. This initiative helped those students and faculty who live in food desert communities. I have also won state and local grants that expose students who live within economically strained communities to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) resources through programming and hands-on explorations. In addition, I serve on the Executive Board for the Black Caucus American Library Association, Chair the External Liaison group for ACRL, ALAO Board Member at Large, have published in Public Library Quarterly, and International Journal of Environmental Health Research presented conference papers at the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) and the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) conferences.

Emily Daly, Associate University Librarian, Research and Public Services at Duke University

Emily Daly currently serves as the Associate University Librarian (AUL) for Research and Public Services at Duke University Libraries in Durham, NC. Before beginning this role, Emily served as Interim Head of Research & Instructional Services and as Head of the Assessment & User Experience Department for 9 years. Emily finds (nearly!) all aspects of her work interesting, but she especially enjoys working with talented library colleagues; managing projects; learning more about Duke users through in-depth studies, interviews, and usability tests; mentoring graduate students and new library workers; and helping to improve usability of the Libraries’ website and physical spaces, which she’s found to be a never-ending job. 

Amanda Folk, Head of the Teaching and Learning Department at The Ohio State University Libraries

Amanda L. Folk is an associate professor and head of the Teaching and Learning Department at The Ohio State University Libraries. She earned her PhD in social and comparative analysis in education from the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Education and her MLIS from the University of Pittsburgh's School of Information Science. Her research interests include exploring the sociocultural nature of information literacy and implications for teaching and learning, as well as examining the academic and library experiences of student populations that have traditionally been marginalized in higher education in the United States. In addition to serving as the editor in chief for the Journal of Academic Librarianship, she has been published in College and Research Libraries, portal: Libraries and the Academy, College and Undergraduate Libraries, the Journal of Library Administration, and International Information and Library Review. She was the recipient of the 2020 ACRL Instruction Section’s Ilene F. Rockman Instruction Publication of the Year Award.

Jon Moore - User Experience Librarian at UNC-Charlotte

This webinar is part of the NC LIVE DEIA Learning Series happening throughout the month of November.

Register to attend. 

Sponsored by NC LIVE