Fitzgerald, Sarah Rose

Job Title

Assessment and Planning Librarian

Last Name

Fitzgerald

First Name

Sarah Rose

Discipline

Higher Education
Scholarly Communication
Scholarly Publishing

Introduction

I hold a PhD in Educational Administration from Michigan State University, a Master's of Library and Information Science from Wayne State University, and a Bachelor's in English from the University of Michigan. My research interests include scholarly communication, faculty work, and information seeking behavior.

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Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 14

Exploring faculty consideration of instructional resource cost to students
(2023-01-01) Turner, Christine N.; Fitzgerald, Sarah Rose; Graham, Anne
This study investigated how instructors consider resource cost and availability to students when selecting reading and viewing assignments. It employs a critical incident technique method, asking instructors to consider one course syllabus when considering their assignment practices. Findings address differences across formats including books, chapters, articles, and media. Most instructors never consulted library personnel regarding their reading and viewing assignments. Social and behavioral science instructor responses demonstrated interest in course material cost to students. Humanities and fine art instructor responses also demonstrated interest in cost and familiarity with library services. Responses from natural science, nursing, and engineering demonstrated less familiarity with library services and copyright laws.
Semiotic Analysis of a Science Library: Inclusion and Messaging
(2023-01-01) Fitzgerald, Sarah Rose; Reznik-Zellen, Rebecca; Berube, Suenita; Fischietto, Cai
Purpose and goals The purpose of this study is to investigate what semiotic analysis can discover about how welcoming and inclusive a science library space is for patrons. Semiotic analysis examines the meanings that individuals interpret places as having. It involves the study of objects, which can range from images and words to physical items, and their meanings as individual interpreters understand them (Hall, 1997). We chose to study a science library space because the lack of racial and gender diversity in STEM is a persistent challenge despite the growth in the number of STEM jobs and STEM degrees earned (Pew, 2021). Design, methodology, or approach We conducted a semiotic analysis of a science and engineering library to determine how well the signs and signifiers in the space reflect its goals. To that end, we examined how diverse groups of patrons might interpret elements in the space, which behaviors are encouraged and discouraged, and whether the space promotes scientific disciplines to its visitors. The space we investigated serves as a case study highlighting the ways in which library spaces can communicate messaging to patrons of various backgrounds. Findings Based on our semiotic analysis, the library space’s communication to its patrons succeeds more in promoting science and encouraging desired behavior (or discouraging undesired behavior) than in promoting diversity and inclusion. Practical implications or value In keeping with universal design, libraries should provide clear and visible signage for the library itself, as well as its elevators, exits, restrooms, quiet study spaces, group study spaces, and browseable stacks. Libraries should provide gender inclusive restrooms and clearly marked spaces for religious reflection. Libraries can make an effort to choose inclusive art and display artifacts to appeal to patrons from a variety of backgrounds. Libraries can learn from our findings that library signage that precludes activities frequently performed by patrons should be accompanied by library signage that directs patrons where they may participate in these activities without disturbing other patrons. This will balance the prescriptive, negative messaging in libraries with positive, inviting messaging. Libraries should consider their priorities in terms of safety versus a feeling of surveillance for patrons when designing study spaces. While glass can help library staff monitor activity in the library, glass walls can also lead to a lack of privacy and a feeling of distrust. Likewise, libraries must make decisions between the security for their materials provided by wired glass and theft detectors versus a more welcoming atmosphere of trust. A science library should be updated with modern, clean, furnishings in good condition to show respect for its patrons and their work. It is important to represent the interests of patrons a library wishes to welcome in a balanced way. A science library should not have a predominance of science items from any particular science discipline it serves, but provide appealing displays from a variety of disciplines representing both the history of science and modern advances. Educational disciplinary displays can incorporate diverse scientists to promote the inclusion of diverse patrons.
Decision-Making by and for Academic Libraries during Covid-19
(2023-01) Fitzgerald, Sarah Rose; Hutton, Sarah; Reznik-Zellen, Rebecca; Barlow, Charlie; Oldham, Will
Academic libraries are fundamental in promoting equitable access to education but are often overlooked and underfunded. The COVID-19 pandemic amplified these inequities. This study investigates how 39 library deans and directors perceived decision-making by university administration during COVID-19’s onset. Open-ended survey questions were sent to deans and directors asking them to describe their experiences working with university administration to adjust library services during the crisis. Some library leaders reported that working closely with other departments strengthened their campus connections. Others commented that disagreement between library personnel and university administration caused discord. Some deans and directors were forced to cut staff funding or felt pressured to reopen, while others were trusted to choose their budget and service priorities. The authors recommend that library leaders be more consistently relied upon for their expertise during university decision-making.
The Faculty Role in College Affordability: Syllabus Creation and Resource Affordability
(2023-01) Fitzgerald, Sarah Rose; Turner, Christine N.; Graham, Anne
This study investigates how instructors consider resource cost and availability when compiling assignments in their course syllabi. The academic planning model from Lattuca and Stark is used to frame the influences on instructional material selection. It employs a critical incident technique method, asking instructors to take into account one course syllabus when making assignments. Findings address differences across formats including books, chapters, articles, and video. Findings show differences between disciplines and concerning lack of familiarity with fair use. Increased consultation with library personnel regarding course books would help provide students with affordable materials in compliance with fair use.
Becoming a Professor: Exploring New Faculty Learning
(2023-01) Bano, Sara; Fitzgerald, Sarah Rose
Faculty careers come with formal and informal expectations for how faculty should behave. This study investigates how faculty discover these expectations using an adult learning theory lens. Phenomenological interviews with faculty were conducted to identify themes in their learning. Diverse experiences from faculty of different fields and ranks were included. Key themes that emerged from our study include missing information, diversity of faculty work, emotional labor, and exceptional circumstances as a result of the pandemic. We found that adult learning theory explained certain aspects of faculty learning behaviors; however, andragogy did not address socio-emotional aspects of the learning process.
Crossing disciplinary, institutional and role boundaries in an interdisciplinary consortium
(2018-01) Fitzgerald, Sarah Rose; Gardner, Alexander C.; Amey, Marilyn J.; Farrell-Cole, Patricia L.
To illuminate barriers to collaboration, this study examines who participates in cross-boundary scholarly collaboration most often and which types of boundary crossing (disciplinary, institutional, role) are engaged in most often. The data of this study came from an interdisciplinary consortium with five partner institutions, including one Historically Black College and University (HBCU). The core disciplines involved in the consortium are life sciences, computer science and math and engineering. Through statistical analysis, we determined that members of the consortium engaged more in interdisciplinary research than inter-institutional research. Participation in all boundary crossing collaborations was greater at the HBCU and students and postdocs were less likely than academics to cross-institutional boundaries.
Twelve tips for teaching medical students online under COVID-19
(2021-01) Jiang, Zhehan; Wu, Hongbin; Cheng, Huaqin; Wang, Weimin; Xie, A'Na; Fitzgerald, Sarah Rose
Universities worldwide are pausing in an attempt to contain COVID-19’s spread. In February 2019, universities in China took the lead, cancelling all in-person classes and switching to virtual classrooms, with a wave of other institutes globally following suit. The shift to online platform poses serious challenges to medical education so that understanding best practices shared by pilot institutes may help medical educators improve teaching. We provide 12 tips to highlight strategies intended to help on-site medical classes moving completely online under the pandemic. We collected ‘best practices’ reports from 40 medical schools in China that were submitted to the National Centre for Health Professions Education Development. Experts’ review-to-summary cycle was used to finalize the best practices in teaching medical students online that can benefit peer institutions most, under the unprecedented circumstances of the COVID-19 outbreak. The 12 tips presented offer-specific strategies to optimize teaching medical students online under COVID-19, specifically highlighting the tech-based pedagogy, counselling, motivation, and ethics, as well as the assessment and modification. Learning experiences shared by pilot medical schools and customized properly are instructive to ensure a successful transition to e-learning.
The Role of Affect in the Information Seeking of Productive Scholars
(2018-01) Fitzgerald, Sarah Rose
Carol Kuhlthau's (2004) work shows that affect is a vital part of information seeking for high school students and undergraduates. This article explores the influence of affect on research university faculty. Like beginning information users, advanced information users are influenced by their confidence, ambition, and interest in their work. This study employed phenomenological interviews to explore how scholars' willingness to tackle new areas of research, submit manuscripts to prestigious publications, approach colleagues for collaboration, and conduct literature searches with tenacity is impacted by their emotions and dispositions.
Toward a Conceptual Framework for Scholarly Information Seeking
(2020-01) Fitzgerald, Sarah Rose
This article reviews literature on information seeking theories and discusses the relevance of those theories to the information seeking habits of faculty with research expectations. A new model is constructed to depict the factors influencing scholarly information needs. The model incorporates career advancement factors, the influence of discovery tools, and the influence of interpersonal networks. Theoretical frameworks from T.D. Wilson and James Krikelas play important roles in building the model to describe scholarly information needs. This model can be of use to librarians, discovery tool designers, and university administrators supporting the information seeking, research, and teaching of faculty.
Serving a Fragmented Field: Information Seeking in Higher Education
(2018-01) Fitzgerald, Sarah Rose
This study examines the information seeking habits and needs of scholars of higher education. Because higher education is a field which draws on many disciplinary traditions rather than a pure discipline in itself, the information needs of these scholars require diverse information seeking strategies. Phenomenological interviews with productive scholars of higher education were conducted and analyzed for this study. Ellis' (1989) common information seeking behaviors of social scientists are used as a framework to examine the behaviors of these applied social scientists in the modern information seeking environment.