Scholar of the Month

Jere: I became a librarian because I am curious about too many things. Working with researchers from across all schools and departments gives me the opportunity to learn new things. As an academic librarian I research topics in scholarly communication—including where and how people publish and share knowledge.

Rachel: I’ve always loved libraries and learning, so following those interests into academic librarianship seemed natural to me. As a student I personally benefited from open access resources, and being able to expand open access for those who come after me is a rewarding experience. I’m less than a year into librarianship, but I currently have interests in researching increased accessibility to research.

Jere: The cost of knowledge has been a problem that introduces bias into how research is conducted and disseminated. I study how researchers publish, where they publish, and why they make the choices they make. Understanding these factors can help universities better support the cost of publishing and make knowledge accessible to more people.

Rachel: Currently, there are upcoming legal requirements for all online materials in our repositories to be accessible according to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. In trying to figure out how to make our repositories accessible to those with disabilities, we’ve found that many publishers are still struggling to meet these guidelines. Hopefully, my research will help us and other repositories in making resources accessible to everyone.

Jere: My work informs research evaluation policies, but more often than not librarians at other institutions want to know how we do what we do at IU Indy. The sharing of that practice-based knowledge has a broad impact that is often overlooked.

Rachel: As I mentioned in my previous answer, all repositories are going to have to be compliant with the WCAG 2.0 guidelines by April 2026, at least in the United States. Many other scholarly communications librarians are also working on the issue of accessibility so that we may all be compliant, but also so that everyone has equitable access to our materials.

Jere: My favorite part of the work is building an information commons with people who care about a world where knowledge making is participatory, open, and in the interests of the public. Really, it’s those mission-driven, passionate people that make this work rewarding.

Rachel: My favorite part is working toward a future where information is freely available for everyone who needs it and being able to help people find currently accessible information. I really benefitted from open access as a student on a budget and being able to pay it forward is very rewarding!

Jere: I edit a lot of Wikipedia. It’s fun. It’s open. It’s a knowledge product that can’t be purchased by a technocrat.

Rachel: I originally wanted to be a book illustrator, and while I pursued a different book-related career I still enjoy drawing in my free time. I also love to take hikes with my dog and am an avid supporter of the FC Cincinnati soccer team.

Jere: Students work with us to code data, design visualizations, write reports, posters, and articles.

Rachel: We’re still beginning our accessibility work, but we hope to include student workers from the Center for Digital Scholarship in testing of various accessibility checker software to determine the best way to remediate documents.

Jere: My Wikipedia work is the most community-driven, community-engaged project that I have ever participated in. There are museums and libraries and individuals across Indiana that want to learn more about editing Wikipedia and to improve the information that is shared there. We have regular meetups and events.

Rachel: In the fall semester, I plan on creating an advisory or focus group of local people with disabilities who would benefit from our accessibility work so that they can be involved in the process, checking that our work is actually improving their online experience with our materials. It’s important to include the group of people who will be impacted by this work so that their voices are heard.

Jere: I am researching the role of open researcher identifiers in the development of scholarly reputations. In short, will having an ORCID and/or a Wikidata identifier lead to eventual “notability” as defined by Wikipedia?

Rachel: As I said in my last answer, I’m going to be creating an advisory or focus group for input on our accessibility work over the next year. While we must be compliant with the WCAG 2.0 guidelines by April 2026, accessibility work will continue into the future.