Financial literacy came to the forefront as the 2013-2014 presidential focus of the Association of College & Research Libraries division of the American Library Association, bringing increased attention to the topic among academic librarians and encouraging an exploration into new and developing roles for academic libraries in financial education. Via a survey of academic librarians at large universities of more than 10,000 students, the authors seek to determine what types of financial literacy support academic libraries are providing, who is participating, what prompted the initiatives, and what are the main barriers, challenges, and opportunities.
During COVID-19, academic library employees pivoted to predominantly remote work. Associate deans, associate university librarians, and equivalent managers at the top 50 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) institutions were interviewed about benefits, challenges, pre-pandemic norms, necessary conditions, and the future of flexible work arrangements (FWAs). The findings suggest that successful FWAs require adequate technology and effective managerial communication and depend on the types of positions and individuals involved. Most managers believe FWAs will increase in academic libraries in the future. FWAs provide benefits for both organizations and employees and will likely have a positive impact on library space, recruitment, and retention. At the same time, careful communication and compassionate leadership are needed for successful FWAs.
In this study, the authors examined the value of research consultations, an important component of reference services. Previous research explored the sustainability and scalability of a large-scale research consultation project from the librarian perspective. Through survey responses from the perspectives of more than 1,500 students, the authors gathered evidence on the impact of research consultations on student confidence and their perceptions of the approachability and helpfulness of library personnel.
Colleges and universities employ a variety of strategies to deliver financial education to students. Among these approaches is peer-topeer financial education, which has been explored in many settings but never in an academic library. Following a review of financial literacy approaches used on college and university campuses by libraries, and other units and departments, this article describes the Student Financial Education Center located at Pennsylvania State University Libraries and discusses the unique challenges and opportunities of implementing a peer-to-peer financial education program in this setting.
Although many studies have focused on the relationship between consumers' purchase intentions and their knowledge and attitudes of socially and environmentally responsible issues pertaining to the apparel and textiles (AT) industry, few studies have focused on consumers outside the US and UK. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to better understand the sustainability knowledge, attitudes, and purchasing intentions of Chinese consumers. A paper questionnaire consisting of approximately 80 questions and five scales was given to 52 Chinese undergraduate students enrolled in a course at a university located in the Zhejiang province of China during the summer of 2015. As a result of the data analysis, the Chinese students were much more informed of environmental issues within the AT industry as compared to issues of social responsibility, yet also reported strong attitudes regarding the treatment and safety of workers in AT production and how these issues might influence their purchasing intentions.
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