SJSU School of Information Student Research Journal Publishes Volume 4, Issue 2

News

The School of Information at San José State University (SJSU) recently published Volume 4, Issue 2 of the Student Research Journal (SRJ). SRJ provides critically reviewed and topical articles that contribute to the advancement of scholarly research in the field of library and information science.

The current issue features an invited contribution from a retired prison librarian, four articles from graduate students at SJSU and the University of Buffalo, plus an editorial from the SRJ editor-in-chief. Addressing social aspects of a modern librarian’s job like safety and security, the articles also point out that librarians must familiarize themselves with several legal issues, such as website filtering, copyright laws, First Amendment rights, and technical issues. 

Vince Wiggins, a retired New Mexico Corrections librarian, provides the reader with an account of the day in the life of a prison librarian in his article “A Correctional Type of Day.”  Paul Kaidy Barrows defines the social aspect of librarianship further in his article “Serving the Needs of Homeless Library Patrons: Legal Issues, Ethical Concerns, and Practical Approaches.”

Another social and legal issue facing librarians, particularly in school settings, is that of website filtering. Jennifer Overaa  discusses the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), and the impact such filtering has on students’ education in terms of the digital divide, lost opportunities for online education,  and loss of educators’ control in her article “Website Blocked: Filtering Technology in Schools and School Libraries.”

Amanda McCormick provides an excellent review of literature on copyright in “Copyright, Fair Use and the Digital Age in Academic Libraries: A Review of the Literature,” and Julee Tanner’s article “Digital vs. Print: Reading Comprehension and the Future of the Book” provides a fascinating explanation on the “advantages of reading from printed books, e-readers, and computer displays from the perspectives of the optical issues, cognitive needs, and metacognitive habits of different readers.” 

The SJSU School of Information has been helping graduate students gain valuable experience in navigating the scholarly publishing process since 2011 through the SRJ. With full administrative and faculty support, SRJ is a permanent online showcase for graduate scholarship in the field.

Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis, with issues of SRJ published in the fall and spring. Please visit SRJ website for submission guidelines, watch a video from our editor-in-chief, and read the current issue and past issues.