The Authority File

In the second episode of this four-part series, our guests—Ceceilia Parnther, assistant professor in the Department of Administrative and Instructional Leadership at St. John’s University; María Evelia Emerson, Student Success Librarian at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Amber Eakin, Instructional Librarian at Strayer University; and Andrew Boney, executive editor in Sage’s Learning Resources Division—turn their attention to the library’s role in supporting student success. First, the speakers highlight the library’s part in advancing information literacy and critical thinking skills, in addition connecting scholars with resources that best suit their research needs. Next, they share opportunities to better integrate the library into the classroom, as well as guidance on alleviating library anxiety and establishing the library as a partner and resource to support campus stakeholders. Finally, the guests close with how libraries can better delegate tasks on student success among staff through data analytics and inclusive collaboration.

Missed an episode? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates, and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!

The Authority File has discussed diversity, equity, and inclusion topics in series past, often focusing on publisher and librarian perspectives. For this next series, we sit down with Nicole Gallo, Executive Vice President of Rittenhouse Book Distributors. As Nicole explains, Rittenhouse’s unique position as a distributor in health sciences allows access to viewpoints from the publishing and librarianship worlds. From this vantage point, Rittenhouse can build distinctive editorial and collection management strategies to support both parties and better disseminate DEI resources.

In this four-part series, Nicole shares her thoughts on how DEI collection policies and procedures have shifted over the years in response to patron demand, institutional guidelines, and racial justice activism. In addition, she chats about the importance of data to Rittenhouse’s operation, the benefits of sorting digital content by topic, and the urgency of communicating academic library budget constraints back to publishers. For this first episode, Nicole introduces us to her role and Rittenhouse’s mission of collecting content from publishers small and large to best serve customer needs. She also delves into the urgency of DEI resources in the health sciences publishing market, and the distributor’s goal of making trusted, peer reviewed, and vetted content equally available.

Missed an episode? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates, and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!

In this series, four guests join The Authority File to discuss how libraries, faculty, and publishers can support student success. Our speakers include: Ceceilia Parnther, assistant professor in the Department of Administrative and Instructional Leadership at St. John’s University; María Evelia Emerson, Student Success Librarian at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Amber Eakin, Instructional Librarian at Strayer University; and Andrew Boney, executive editor in Sage’s Learning Resources Division. Diving into the evolution of content delivery and partnership strategies across campus, our guests explain their own unique strategies to connect with and aid students. Further, they highlight how “traditional” approaches to student success have become outdated or inefficient, thereby reflecting on the characteristics and challenges of today’s learning environment and championing the versatility of the library to underpin this work.

The first episode of this four-part series provides key context on our guests’ roles and institutions—each demands distinct approaches to online learning, digital tools, and fulfilling administrative goals. In addition, they offer their own definitions for student success, such as completing a degree, achieving economic mobility, becoming media literate, or receiving the equitable support needed to attain their goals. They also summarize how technology has impacted content, as shorter, more flexible, and more interactive resources become the new norm.

Missed an episode? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates, and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!

In the final episode of this four-part series, Nicola Jones, Director of the Springer Nature SDG Programme, discusses the product development of Nature Journals and Books in support of the Sustainable Development Goals. Deviating from the traditional model, Nature Journals assembled multidisciplinary experts to work together in producing high-impact research on the same topic—such as, Nature Human Behaviour launched in 2017, and, more recently, Nature Mental Health (for an interview with Rebecca Cooney, PhD, Chief Editor of Nature Mental Health, click here). In addition, Nicola explains how, despite their individual identities and audiences, Springer and Palgrave Macmillan joined forces for a cross imprint related to the goals, which forged connections between the publishers and avoided saturating the market with SDG content. Last, she highlights the significant role open access plays in the SDG Programme, and the book publishing partnership with the Lyrasis consortium that supports this commitment to open research.

Missed an episode? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!

In the final episode of this four-part series, Tanis MacDonald, professor at Wilfrid Laurier University and General Editor of the Laurier Poetry Series, reveals how she keeps up with the latest contemporary poets by relying on her well-read friends, publishers of her own poetry, literary events, and her students. Further, she discusses how the mission of the Laurier Poetry Series has evolved from preserving the work of previous generations of writers to expanding the Canadian canon to include BIPOC and LGBTQ poets who haven’t received the accolades or recognition they deserve. Next, she dives into her Watershed Writers podcast, which takes a hyperlocal lens to literature by interviewing authors in the Grand River Watershed area. Finally, she chats about her latest book, Straggle: Adventures in Walking While Female, explaining the inspiration behind the title, the political implications of walking in public or wild spaces, and the “if you know, you know” audience recognition of its themes.

Missed an episode? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates, and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!

In the third episode of our four-part series with Nicola Jones, director of Springer Nature’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Programme, we discuss several examples of the publisher’s SDG Hubs, which collect and spotlight Springer research related to individual SDGs. Nicola first outlines the broad scope and audience of Good Health & Well-Being, which includes scholarship in disciplines like applied sciences, public health, and social sciences. Next, she walks through the focus areas of Quality Education, distinguishing between research on how to deliver quality education and current debates or issues in education, including contemporary discourse about critical race theory and culture wars. Last, Nicola highlights the Sustainable Future webinar series, part of the Affordable and Clean Energy hub, and offers insight into how the many disparate groups at Springer work together to keep the information for each hub relevant and updated.

Missed an episode? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates, and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!

In the third episode of this four-part series, Tanis MacDonald, professor in the Department of English and Film Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University, discusses how poetry appeals to younger generations due to its (often) short length, accessibility, and experimental, wide-ranging possibilities. She explains why she positions herself as an advocate for poetry, and how the frequently maligned “Insta poetry” can act as a legitimate jumping off point for finding prominent contemporary and classic poets and expanding one’s perception of the medium. Last, Tanis contemplates the art infrastructure available outside of large metropolitan areas, and how that connects to her book, Out of Line: Daring to be an Artist Outside the Big City. She closes by underscoring the need to “step out of line” in your own art, and offers a cautionary message to young artists of the potential for harm and abuse even within art communities.

Missed an episode? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates, and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!

In the second episode of this four-part series, Nicola Jones, director of Springer Nature’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Programme, speaks of the operational elements that support the Programme. Nicola highlights Springer’s working groups based on individual SDGs, which create a dedicated space and time for colleagues to communicate—and collaborate!—on projects related to the goal. She also underscores how the publisher supports sustainability goals through mandatory sustainable business training, climate pledge commitments, and the (seemingly) simple task of proper signage on office recycling bins. Last, Nicola discusses the challenges of organizing Springer’s extensive, multidisciplinary publishing portfolio, in addition to solutions like SDG hub webpages that collate relevant books, journals, articles, blog posts, and podcast episodes for site-goers.

Missed an episode? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates, and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!

In the second episode of this four-part series, we continue our discussion with Tanis MacDonald, professor in the Department of English and Film Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University and General Editor of the Laurier Poetry Series. She digs into the intricacies of teaching poetry in today’s classroom, first highlighting how Canadian literature has historically been taught through the lens of regionality; while these parameters have their merits, they also limit writing style and subjects. In addition, Tanis explains the monopoly that “the novel” has over English literature curricula, and points to the value of advocating for courses in poetry and drama—especially for young scholars. Last, Tanis chats about how the Laurier Poetry Series supports teaching courses in poetry, and how she encourages her students to get out of the classroom and experience poetry through live readings and online events.

Missed an episode? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates, and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!

After the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in 2015, Springer Nature responded with the SDG Programme, an initiative to connect researchers with relevant, often multidisciplinary scholarship related to goals in learning and education, gender equality, sustainability, and more under the SDG umbrella. Coincidentally, the UN’s adoption of the SDGs occurred soon after the 2015 merger of Springer Science+Business Media and Macmillan Science and Education. As the publisher looked to push forward research in support of the SDGs, it also found an opportunity to connect disparate disciplines across the newly consolidated publishing group—a very two birds, one stone situation.

In this four-part series, Nicola Jones joins The Authority File to discuss Springer Nature’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Programme and her unique role as director of the Programme. She underscores the unique qualities of her position, particularly its demands of both project management skills and a highly editorial eye. As recognition of the SDGs grew, Nicola’s role shifted from awareness raising and coordination across publishing hubs to keeping track of the many initiatives currently in the works. Throughout the conversation, Nicola outlines these changes, in addition to her efforts to encourage cross-disciplinary alliances, examples of new projects, and how Nature Journals has evolved along with and in support of the program.

In this first episode, Nicola chats about the complexity of her role and how she has approached its broad scope. She also provides background on why the SDG Programme was created and how it united the differing publishing groups under one roof. Last, Nicola spotlights the virtual conference series Springer launched during the pandemic, and how the virtual-only environment allowed for a more global, inclusive lens.

Missed an episode? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates, and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!