The Authority File Round-Up: October 2022

A quick overview of last month's episodes, in case you missed them

Posted on November 8, 2022 in Blog

Amidst a global pandemic, the climate crisis, and political upheaval, safeguarding mental health remains vital. Yet stigma around mental wellbeing persists, and our healthcare systems often fail to account for disparities in support across social, racial, and economic lines. In the first of two series last month, we took an in-depth look at Nature Mental Health, a forthcoming journal centered on framing mental health as a human right. Our speaker dove into how to put inclusive publishing ideals into practice, highlighting the benefits of partnering across disciplines, developing lived experience advisory boards, and increasing dialogue among readers. Our guest further discussed the shifting role of librarians in the current publishing landscape, and how to take an equitable approach to open access.

In our second series, we explored the value of personal libraries and what happens when private collections are made public. Speaking with the editors of Unpacking the Personal Library: The Public and Private Life of Books, this series uncovered how personal collections provide key insights into a collector’s intellectual development and what they can reveal about the cultural moment. Our guests also explained the value of physical objects amidst digitization and how collection development strategies differ based on budget and a collection holder’s level of fame. 

Here’s a quick round-up of the episodes, in case you missed them. We hope you find the conversations beneficial, engaging, and thought-provoking. Thanks for listening!

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Introducing Nature Mental Health

In this first series, Dr. Rebecca “Bek” Cooney, Chief Editor of Nature Mental Health, dives into how the upcoming journal plans to take a holistic approach to mental health. Bek emphasizes the importance of equity and accountability, noting the role of pledges as a useful starting point. She also explores how a more widespread understanding of mental health can help overcome stigma, and the journal’s goal of bridging the gap between general science and public health. Brought to you by Springer Nature.

Listen to episode one: The Editorial Approach and Planning for the Launch
Listen to episode two: Equity in Mental Health
Listen to episode three: Putting Ideas into Practice
Listen to episode four: The Publishing Landscape and Mental Health as a “Last Frontier”

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Unpacking the Personal Library

Our second series brings together Jason Camlot, professor of English and Research Chair in Literature and Sound Studies at Concordia University, and Jeffrey Weingarten, professor in the School of Language and Liberal Studies at Fanshawe College, co-editors of Unpacking the Personal Library: The Public and Private Life of Books. Jason and Jeffrey map out the catalyst for the title and address the types of collections covered. They also parse out the malleability of collections—fitting into academic libraries, museums, archival storage, and more—as the context around a collection can influence how it’s both preserved and perceived. Brought to you by Wilfrid Laurier University Press.

Listen to episode one: Introducing Our Guests and the Origin of Their New Book
Listen to episode two: The Many Meanings of Collection
Listen to episode three: Defining the Academic Library and its Purpose
Listen to episode four: Key Takeaways and the Evolution of Collection Development

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Missed September’s episodes? We’ve got you covered.

Last month, a professor, student, librarian, and publisher joined the program to discuss their collaborative research project on course reading lists and the undergraduate workflow. The speakers examined how collaboration can underpin engagement, and ways to better serve students by developing clearer signage, fixing broken links, and accounting for different learning styles. You can listen to the series here.

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What’s Coming Up in November

We have two terrific series this month. First, Rachel Friars, a PhD student in the Department of English Language and Literature at Queen’s University, discusses the use of primary sources in her research on 19th-century lesbian literature and history. Rachel emphasizes the importance of uncovering first-hand queer history, and highlights how digital archives aid her exploration of the diaries of Anne Lister, a lesbian diarist whose extensive journal entries add significantly to the queer canon. Click here to listen to the first episode.

Our second series of the month brings together Stephanie Espinoza Villamor, eLearning librarian at the College of Southern Nevada, and Kimberly Shotick, student success librarian and assistant professor at Northern Illinois University, to chat about their new title, Practical Marketing for the Academic Library. Our speakers highlight the benefits of empathetic marketing and the importance of applying a DEI lens when promoting library services. They also walk through how to craft effective messaging to increase student and faculty engagement and administrative support. You can listen to the first episode here.

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You can find more episodes of the Authority File here on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Thanks for listening! See you next month.

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