Ezell and Rosenbloom Garner Accolades for Research

Monroe Library is so proud of its two latest award winners, Jason Ezell and Lucy Rosenbloom. The two librarians have been recognized by LIRT, the Library Instruction Round Table of the American Library Association, as having authored one of the top 20 articles of 2021 on instructional design in library pedagogy.

This recognition is a significant accomplishment, particularly given the number of pedagogically-focused publications released every year. The honor also places Loyola University New Orleans among a group of institutions known for developing cutting-edge, innovative approaches to library instruction. In particular, their work focuses on the intersection of primary source research and the role that students’ affect and personal experiences can play in motivating learning. 

The article covers instruction that took place in Ezell’s First-Year Seminar, Beyond Stonewall, which focuses on his area of scholarly research regarding the more diverse and complex movement history that follows on gay liberation. Rosenbloom, the embedded librarian for the course, instructed students on searching for archival materials using Gale’s Archives of Sexuality & Gender: LGBTQ History and Culture Since 1940.

Together, the two librarians analyzed student reflections composed after a course research project that asked them to conduct exploratory research in the database that resonated with their personal experiences. 

Affective patterns that Ezell and Rosenbloom found recorded in their reflections were surprise, experience, attention, and stumbling. All reactions demonstrated engagement as well as evidence of mastering fundamental skills needed to meaningfully incorporate primary source materials in scholarly projects. Based on the results they saw in their students’ reflections, the two librarians theorize that additional advance preparation with the students would position them even more favorably for a successful learning experience. Similarly, they assert that following up afterwards with research actions can further drive meaningful freshman interaction with source materials.

Their success with this endeavor has also led to an initiative for primary source instruction in many other places throughout Loyola’s curriculum, supported by Special Collections and Archives’ Digital Collections Librarian/Archivist, Andrew Lau.   

Please join us in congratulating Jason and Lucy and celebrating their achievement!