Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2022, Educational Leadership

Through a critical phenomenological approach, this study captured the lived experiences of directors in the Ohio Private Academic Libraries (OPAL) consortium and their responses to dual pandemics, the COVID-19 pandemic and the pandemic of racism. Individual qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten OPAL directors to examine their roles as leaders in times of upheaval. Findings indicate that the pandemics amplified challenges in emotional and practical ways. Directors contended with emotional labor marked by ambiguity and burnout. Practical challenges (staff reductions, enforcing safety protocols, and the Great Resignation) further impacted morale. Racially just, equitable systems encourage workplaces defined by compassion, autonomy, and respect. Thus, directors must prioritize antiracism actions to dismantle white supremacy and racial capitalism in their libraries.

Committee: Meredith Wronowski (Committee Chair); Miriam Matteson (Committee Member); Thomas Oldenski (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Leadership; Higher Education; Library Science

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2015, Organizational Communication (Communication)

The recent technological advances that have transformed access to information have also radically altered the work of academic librarians. While many academic librarians now focus on conducting information literacy instruction for college or university students, many questions remain about the identity of the librarians as they and their libraries move into an increasingly digital future. This study uses a structurational understanding of organizational identification (Scott, Corman & Cheney, 1998) to examine how academic librarians think about their work-related identities and identify with organizational targets. Using a grounded theory approach to data collection and analysis, I interviewed 18 academic librarians who are currently engaged in information literacy instruction. Analysis of the interview data indicated that the participants identified with their instructional role, considered their work to be a part of the overall student learning process on their campuses, and spent time explaining their teaching role to colleagues, friends, and family. Evidence of identification included: the librarians' self-presentation as teachers, the prioritization of instruction over other work, a dedication to the instructional component of the library's missions, participation in campus outreach to improve information literacy instruction opportunities and participation in professional development related to teaching and information literacy. Participants indicated that they used communication with both their colleagues and supervisors to help set priorities and make decisions about their day-to-day work. Given the results of this study, I conclude that the librarians' identity as an information literacy instructor serves as an internal structure (Stones, 2005) that guides their daily lives. The perceived misunderstandings of library work also serve as an internal structure against which many of the participants actively fought. Finally, the information literacy (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Claudia Hale PhD (Advisor); Brittany Peterson PhD (Committee Member); Chen Yea-Wen PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Library Science

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of Dayton, 2008, Educational Leadership

This case study of the Ohio Private College Libraries (OPAL) consortium, 1998-2007, explored how OPAL participants interpreted the concept of organizational agility through the collaborative leadership activities of structuring and agenda setting. As a complete insider, I combined the qualitative research strategies of personal journaling, participant observation, document analysis, and participant interviews in a process of heuristic inquiry to discover why OPAL had not expanded its agenda beyond its shared integrated library system (ILS). OPAL was formed by OHIONET so that small college libraries could afford a high-quality ILS for the purposes of library management, resource sharing, and related activities. Research findings showed that participants shared leadership power through decision-making on structure and a complementary agenda to shape OPAL incrementally from an informal roundtable to a formal hierarchy of large committees. The consortium participants also transformed from a group eager to add many shared services to a group focused intensely on the ILS as one clear and strongly supported group purpose. Their shared decisions about structuring had the leadership effect of a close interpretation of the OPAL mission statement in the context of a complex library environment. I concluded that OPAL demonstrated organizational agility primarily through changes in structure that sharpened participant focus on the processes of sharing the ILS. Implications of the research were as follows: (a) Although well-organized, strongly supported, and agile, OPAL remained temporary, given its dependence on voluntary member support in an environment of unpredictable change. The lifespan of OPAL depended on sustaining participants' agreement that the OPAL collaboration was providing their local libraries with unique and high priority advantages that justified ongoing investment of local funds and human resources. The broader and very advantageous environment was an importan (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Darla J. Twale Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Theodore J. Kowalski Ph.D. (Committee Member); Timothy J. Ilg Ph.D. (Committee Member); Edward D. Garten Ph.D. (Committee Member); Thomas J. II Lasley Ph.D. (Other) Subjects: Educational Leadership; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration; Library Science; Organizational Behavior

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2019, Higher Education (Education)

The ideal college campus provides a supportive, inclusive atmosphere for all students, enabling them to challenge their beliefs, extend their understandings, and engage in meaningful learning and knowledge production – inside and outside of the classroom. However, even on a single campus, students do not share uniform perceptions regarding the support and inclusivity of their campus environment (Smith, 2015). Students who identify with historical marginalized groups regularly report a lower sense of belonging and a less inclusive climate than their privileged peers (Hurtado, Alvarez, Guillermo-Wann, Cuellar, & Arellano, 2012). Students' sense of belonging is integral to student success and it is increasingly understood to be tied to social identity, particularly for students who identify with a minoritized group (Strayhorn, 2019; Vaccaro & Newman, 2016). Sense of belonging is also closely related to a student's perception of various campus environments. Students' most immediate experience with campus environments is via the components of campus in which they regularly interact (Strange & Banning, 2015) and an important component of the residential campus environment is the informal learning space - the places outside of the classroom in which students choose to do their studying and academic work (Painter et al., 2013). Using a critical constructivist lens and an ecological development framework, in this basic qualitative research, I explore the relationship between a diverse group of undergraduates' experiences in informal learning spaces (or study spaces) and their sense of belonging. The findings indicate that students' navigation of study spaces can be related to their minoritized identities and describe how the participants navigate campus study spaces when experiencing uncertainty around belonging. Factors such as peer anxiety, peer motivation, study space exploration, gendered spaces, group avoidance, and disciplinary identity all played a (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Laura Harrison M. (Committee Chair); Peter Mather (Committee Member); David Nguyen (Committee Member); Emmanuel Jean Francois (Committee Member) Subjects: Higher Education; Library Science

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1975, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Library Science

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1972, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Library Science

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1968, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2016, Higher Education Administration

As institutions become more learning-centered, there will be an increased need to collaborate across organizational boundaries. Partnerships between student affairs professionals and academic librarians are one such method to encourage and demonstrate a seamless learning environment on campus. This study utilized a case study methodology to explore how student affairs professionals and academic librarians collaborate to advance student learning. Augustana College, a small private, Midwestern institution was chosen as the site for this study, and 18 participants (8 librarians, 5 student affairs professionals, 4 members of senior administration, 1 other) comprised the participants. The Stage Model for Collaboration in Higher Education (Kezar & Lester, 2009) was used as the theoretical framework. The findings indicated that although student affairs professionals and academic librarians shared a common definition of student learning, the professions were operationally invisible to each other prior to the opening of a shared library/student union facility. This hybrid facility acted as a catalyst for collaboration between the two units, but was not a panacea. The lack of knowledge of each other's profession was a barrier to increased collaboration and formal information-sharing initiatives and relationship-building measures were needed to increase collaboration. Evidence suggests that that by working together, academic librarians and student affairs professionals are better able to support students, while advancing departmental goals through programming, employment, and outreach initiatives. Librarians provide a bridge to faculty that may validate the student affairs mission on campus and pave the way for increased learning partnerships campus-wide. Similarly, student affairs professionals act as a bridge to the student body, which may enforce and enhance the relevance of libraries for today's student. Additional implications for practice and research are included.

Committee: Kenneth Borland D.Ed. (Advisor); Maureen Wilson Ph.D. (Committee Member); Michael Coomes Ed.D. (Committee Member); Sara Bushong MLS (Committee Member) Subjects: Higher Education; Higher Education Administration; Library Science

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2015, Leadership Studies

The Bolman and Deal (1984, 2003) leadership orientation framework was used in this quantitative study to determine library administrator frame preference and what effects the following independent variables have on frame preference: administrator role, total years of administrator experience, and self-perception of effectiveness in current position. Portions of the Bolman and Deal (1990) Leadership Orientation Instrument-Self (LOI-Self) were used. The survey was sent to 627 library administrators at 120 higher education institutions in Michigan and Ohio. There were 328 usable responses for a 54% response rate. More women (68%) than men (32%) participated in the survey. Most participants were White (90%). The academic library administrators in this sample had a single primary frame preference for the human resources frame using the cut score of 32. The upper-level administrators preferred the human resources frame followed by the structural, political, and symbolic frames. The middle-level academic library administrators preferred the human resources frame followed by the structural, symbolic, and political. Four three-way (2x2x3) ANOVAs were conducted. Administrator role was broken down by upper level-administrators (deans, directors, associate/assistant deans, associate/assistant directors) and middle-level administrators (chairs, coordinators, heads, managers, supervisors and team leaders). Total years of administrator experience was categorized by those with fewer than 15 years of experience and those with 15 or more years of experience while self-perception of effectiveness in current position was categorized by moderate, high, and highest. Inferential statistics revealed no statistical significance for any of the interaction effects. However, self-perception of effectiveness in current position as a main effect was statistically significant across all frames. Post hoc comparisons revealed that all levels of self-perception of effectiveness in curr (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Patrick Pauken (Advisor); Ellen Broido (Committee Member); Catherine Cardwell (Committee Member); Toni Sondergeld (Committee Member); Chris Willis (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Leadership

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2007, Higher Education (Education)

Several higher education institutions have merged their libraries and computing centers/IT units to form a merged information services organization (MISO). It is believed that with the rise of information technology a natural convergence of these units is taking place and integrated organizations will best provide support in these areas. As information technology and libraries represent two of the largest, if not the largest support organizations on most campuses, it is important to understand how well merged units are succeeding. This descriptive, exploratory study is to ascertain the effectiveness of merged information services organizations at liberal arts colleges as perceived by chief information officers and academic deans. The study also examines their perception of how well these organizations have delivered proposed benefits in academic, administrative, institutional and organizational areas. A survey of MISO heads (CIOs) and academic deans of liberal arts colleges with merged information services organizations was undertaken. In addition to a general assessment of the MISO, a taxonomy of expected benefits was developed from the literature. A questionnaire was developed based on the literature to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. Respondents provided information that addressed the general effectiveness of the new organization, its delivery of the expected benefits, and costs their institutions have incurred using the MISO model. Both CIOs and academic deans had a favorable impression of the MISO and believed it was effective in providing support and delivering most of the expected benefits. The perception of effectiveness in institutional benefits was not as strong as in the other areas. The study identified areas of concern among both CIOs and deans with the implementation of a MISO. Concerns were raised that the MISO organization requires staff development time to ensure its role and functions are understood by MISO staff. A potentially sign (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Marc Cutright (Advisor) Subjects:

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2011, Leadership and Change

The intent of this study was to aid academic librarians in examining their perceptions of the future of higher education, engaging disciplinary faculty members to understand their views, and determining actions to take to shape the future. In this mixed methods study, scenarios about the future of higher education served as the basis for collecting quantitative (survey) and qualitative (focus group) data at one institution. During this study, staff, faculty, and administrators at one library developed new ways to craft strategies and make decisions, shifting their focus from strategic planning as an event to strategic thinking as a process, a way of organizational learning. Most traditional strategic planning processes operate from foundational beliefs that planning is rational, the future is predictable, and change is linear. Futures work, however, is not grounded in these assumptions. Creating and using scenarios as the basis to set strategic directions aided the group in thinking more broadly and more creatively about how they will approach the changing nature of higher education. This study, with its orientation toward action research and futures research, is issued under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. This document is accompanied by a brief audio interview with the author in MP3 format. The electronic version of this dissertation is available through the OhioLink ETD Center at http://etd.ohiolink.edu/.

Committee: Jon F. Wergin PhD (Committee Chair); Alan E. Guskin PhD (Committee Member); David J. Staley PhD (Committee Member); R. David Lankes PhD (Other) Subjects: Educational Leadership; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration; Library Science