Out on the Web: The Relationship between Campus Climate and GLBT-Related Web-Based Resources in

Academic Libraries

Matthew P. CiszekPenn State Shenango

February 29, 2012

Introduction

• Increasing numbers of GLBT students are arriving at college and university campuses due to a number of factors

• Academic libraries beginning to assess the collections and services provided to the GLBT campus community

• Web-based resources form an important source of information for GLBT persons

Research Question

How do GLBT-related Web-based resources provided by academic libraries compare to

a nationally recognized measure of the GLBT-related campus climate of the

respective institution?

Terminology

• GLBT is an accepted term referring to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons

• GLBT will be used broadly to include people attracted to people of the same gender, people attracted to both genders, or people who identify or express themselves as a person of other gender than birth gender

• This definition also includes those individuals who are questioning or unsure of their sexual orientation or gender identity

Literature Review

• Much of the literature focuses on public libraries

• Collections as opposed to services make up the thrust of GLBT-related research

• Welcoming reference services and non-mediated checkout important to the academic GLBT community

• Academic libraries have a diversity-driven mission to serve the GLBT campus community

Measuring Campus Climate

LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index

• Developed by the non-profit Campus Pride, Inc.

• Colleges and universities participate through a questionnaire on many facets of campus climate including library resources

• Library questions focus on collections, not services

• Institutions given a 1 to 5 star rating of campus climate with 5 stars being the highest

• At the time of research over 250 institutions participated

Measuring Web-Based Resources

• Web-based resources at corresponding institutions analyzed on the following (as of December 2010):

– Does the library make available a research guide on GLBT studies or geared toward GLBT students?

– Does the library have a dedicated selector for GLBT materials or indicate a library staff member to contact for more information on GLBT resources in their research guide?

– Does the library subscribe to the GLBT Life database?

Hypothesized Relationships• A positive direct relationship exists between campus

climate as measured by the LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index and whether an academic library has a GLBT research guide on their Web site controlling for geographical location, religious affiliation, and campus setting of the college or university

• A positive direct relationship exists between campus climate as measured by the LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index and whether an academic library identifies a staff resource for GLBT topics on their Web site controlling for geographical location, religious affiliation, and campus setting of the college or university

Hypothesized Relationships• A positive direct relationship exists between campus

climate as measured by the LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index and whether an academic library subscribes to the GLBT Life database controlling for geographical location, religious affiliation, and campus setting of the college or university

• A positive direct relationship exists between campus climate as measured by the LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index and whether an academic library has two or more of these three resources controlling for geographical location, religious affiliation, and campus setting of the college or university

Binary Logistic Regression Analysis

• Binary logistic regression analysis (BLRA) is used to measure the relationships between variables when binary data (yes/no) is present

• BLRA is common in social science research, especially in nursing and public health

• BLRA is uncommon in library and information science research

Methodology

• Binomial logit model used to determine if a statistically significant relationship (p < 0.05) exists between the dependent and independent variables

• Second analysis using the binomial logit model was performed on the data after statistically insignificant variables were removed

• Second analysis performed to determine if the strength of relationships between the variables still existed after the rejected variables were removed from the testing

Findings in First Analysis• Strong relationship between the Campus Climate Index

and evidence of a GLBT-related research guide (Wald χ2: 11.84; p=0.07)

• Relationship between the Campus Climate Index and evidence of a GLBT selector or library contact (Wald χ2: 10.47; p=0.11)

• Very strong relationship between the Campus Climate Index and evidence of a subscription to the GLBT Life database (Wald χ2: 31.56; p < 0.0001)

• No relationship exists between the cumulative value of the resources tested

Findings in Second Analysis• Second analysis removed statistically insignificant

variables from the first analysis

• Strong relationship between the Campus Climate Index and evidence of a GLBT-related research guide (Wald χ2: 10.64; p=0.005)

• Strong relationship between the Campus Climate Index and evidence of a GLBT selector or library contact (Wald χ2: 8.70; p=0.003)

• Very strong relationship between the Campus Climate Index and evidence of a subscription to the GLBT Life database (Wald χ2: 29.84; p<0.0001)

Regression Analysis Findings

• Regression analysis (F: 15.21; R2: 0.11) suggests that there is a statistically significant impact (p < 0.0001) of Campus Climate Index on the existence of the GLBT Web-based resources tested for in our analysis

• Weaker impact (p = 0.03) between the Campus Climate Index and the urban setting of the college or university

Discussion

• Web-based GLBT-related resources found at less than 30% of institutions surveyed

• Subscription to GLBT Life was found at the highest number of libraries surveyed (31%)

• Propensity for academic libraries to include GLBT-related topics and resources in another research guide often women’s or gender studies

• Crucial limitation of this research is the “self-selected” nature of the participating colleges and universities in the LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index

Recommendations for Practice

• Create a top-level research guide geared toward GLBT-related topics and resources on the library's Web site

• Provide contact information in the GLBT research guide for the library staff member(s) with primary assignment for reference service and in-depth research assistance with GLBT topics and resources

• Assign a selector for GLBT materials who is tasked to keep abreast of resources in the area of GLBT studies and purchase materials for the GLBT community on campus as budgets allow

• Investigate and subscribe to GLBT-related databases and information sources as budgets allow

Recommendations for Practice

• Partner with campus GLBT organizations to acquire information and resources for the library or to place collections housed at campus GLBT centers available in the library's catalog or through lists on the library's Web site

• Highlight GLBT related collections and resources on the library's Web site, newsletter, and other institution communications to the campus community at large

• Perform an assessment of GLBT students, faculty, and staff information and resource needs and create a plan for meeting these needs

• Include the GLBT community in wider diversity initiatives including programming and services

More Information

Presentation and resource list available at www.slideshare.net/mciszek

Thank you!

mpc16@psu.edu