Saskatchewan Libraries Conference 2019

 An Excerpt from the Sabbatical Project on Minority Librarians, Leadership, and Diversity in Canadian Academic Librarianship
Maha Kumaran
For this session, Maha Kumaran is presenting parts of her sabbatical research data. This research explored Canadian academic librarians’ diversity and leadership perceptions to determine how visible minority librarians may be integrated into librarianship. The data presented will focus on some aspects of the survey results.

Although the data analysis phase is still underway and conclusive results are yet to be determined, the visible minority participants’ activities surrounding librarianship and leadership indicate a need for strategies to narrow the gap between the two groups.

Online Academic Profiles: How Popular Are They?
Li Zhang
Academic profiles are online platforms that allow researchers to create a professional profile, organize and showcase their research, and/or interact with other researchers. Academic profiles include Google Scholar Citation, ResearchGate, Academia.edu, and ORCID. This research explores how science faculty at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) use academic profiles.


Researchers identified faculty members in the science departments at USask, searched the four academic profile websites to find if the faculty member had established a profile, and recorded the information and activities of the member as provided on these sites. This session will explore the results of the research and conclusions reached.

Practical User Experience: collecting, Interpreting, and Using Data from Library Users
Shannon Lucky and Jen Murray
User experience (UX) testing is growing in popularity but the prospect of doing a study can be daunting and knowing what to do with the results is not always obvious. Using examples from the USask Library, we will cover how we begin with a question, design a study, collect and assess data, make a decision, and communicate the change. We will also discuss unexpected things you can learn and what to do when the results surprise you. An open-minded approach to UX can answer your questions while raising new ones and setting a foundation for strong relationships with your users.