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Emailing a former professor about research breakthroughs. Downloading copyrighted papers off the internet. Sharing login credentials. Aren’t these all harmless characteristics of academia? Everyday tricks of the scholarly trade? Alan Brill, Senior Managing Director in the Cyber Risk practice at Kroll, warns that seemingly harmless actions or good intentions may lead to serious consequences—can the push toward academic freedom end up endangering our information in the process? In this final episode, Alan discusses hackers’ exploitation of free-flowing information. He tackles the issue of Sci-Hub—the controversial website that shares pirated research—and the importance of respecting patents, copyright protection, and trade secrets. Alan also reveals his perspective on emerging threats in cybersecurity, and why cyber risk preparation at a university is so essential in today’s information age. “There is no such thing as 100 percent protection … What we need is a pre-planned incident response program … so that when it happens—and I think the only rational position today is don’t think in terms of if, think in terms of when it happens—you’re going to know what to do.” Missed an episode? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!

Simon Rolston, in his new book Prison Life Writing: Conversion and the Literary Roots of the U.S. Prison System, separated the history of American prisons into two categories: the “rehabilitative” Treatment Era of the mid-1940s to mid-1970s, and the contemporary state of mass incarceration. Though the conversion narrative has remained constant throughout these two periods, prison life writers’ critiques of capitalism, colonialism, and white supremacy have shifted. What subtle and not-so-subtle changes have taken place? How have past and current calls for prison reform and abolition affected prison life writing? In this final episode, Simon touches on the differences between traditions of prison life writers from the 1960s and 70s compared to those of today. He highlights the stories of Jimmy Santiago Baca, Shaka Senghor, and the intriguing paradox of Susan Burton’s conversion narrative, which mirrors the transformative journey of an Alcoholics Anonymous member. Simon also underscores the need for the support of those outside the prison system—from protesting the prison industrial complex to helping the incarcerated rebuild their lives and connections. Finally, he shares his hopes for the future of prison life writing; namely, that it will no longer exist. “I’d love to be able to say in 20 or 30 years we’re no longer going to have a tradition of prison life writing. We’ll have a tradition of people who are treated fairly within a criminal justice system.” Missed an episode? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!

“They try to put guilt on you. They try to make you think it’s your professional responsibility to help them. But the key is: security procedures only work if we use them consistently, and if we’re trained to know that bad actors are going to play on those emotions.” Alan Brill, Senior Managing Director in the Cyber Risk practice at Kroll, understands the ploys hackers use during a cyberattack—and the training needed to combat them. What kind of preparation yields the best security against the growing risk of organized, sophisticated cyberthreats? What’s the librarian’s role in contributing to this cyber-safe campaign? In this third episode, Alan listens to a clip from a recent Choice webinar on cyberattacks, reviewing what went right and lessons learned. Alan also walks through the various tricks hackers can pull—dropping in personnel names, making requests appear incredibly urgent—to persuade staff to abandon protocol and grant access. Last, he shares guidance on what both librarians and administrators can do to enforce unified, collective cybersecurity across campus. Missed an episode? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!

“As an incarcerated or formerly incarcerated person, you don’t have a lot of room to move. You don’t have a lot of choice in terms of narratives that are available to you.” Simon Rolston, author of Prison Life Writing: Conversion and the Literary Roots of the U.S. Prison System, found a pattern in prison life writing. Of the many books he read by incarcerated authors, the vast majority followed a conversion narrative—you enter prison a certain type of person, and emerge as another. But what about the stories that don’t follow that pattern? What can they tell us about the narratives we choose to publish—and those we leave behind? In this third episode, Simon discusses the limits of the conversion narrative, and how its complexities reflect on the genre and system of incarceration. He digs into James Carr’s autobiography Bad, which utilizes both African American folk storytelling traditions and prison storytelling customs to tell his violent, hyper-sexualized, and controversial story. Simon also explains how the history of the US prison system’s treatment of incarcerated women—a focus on the return to the “domestic sphere” and curbing supposed promiscuity—continues to influence female prison life writing. Missed an episode? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!

In recent years, universities have become target-rich environments for cyberattacks. But why? What do hackers want from academic institutions? According to Alan Brill, Senior Managing Director in the Cyber Risk practice at Kroll, information. Because of universities’ breadth of non-public data and extensive interconnectivity across campus and state networks, institutions have become a hot bed of cybercrime. “Once you understand the scope of the risk, you have to start asking the question: Are we matching our preventive and detective tools to that risk? And if we’re not, why not, and what are we going to do about it?” In this second episode, Alan digs into why proactive measures—rather than reactionary—can help mitigate cyber risk. He explains the threats in and outside of an institution, what a “zero-day attack” is, and why zero-day risks require such immediate alarm and action. Plus, Alan shares his advice on how librarians can prepare for and fend off these attacks—don’t delay updating your software! Missed an episode? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks! In recent years, universities have become target-rich environments for cyberattacks. But why? What do hackers want from academic institutions? According to Alan Brill, Senior Managing Director in the Cyber Risk practice at Kroll, information. Because of universities’ breadth of non-public data and extensive interconnectivity across campus and state networks, institutions have become a hot bed of cybercrime. “Once you understand the scope of the risk, you have to start asking the question: Are we matching our preventive and detective tools to that risk? And if we’re not, why not, and what are we going to do about it?” In this second episode, Alan digs into why proactive measures—rather than reactionary—can help mitigate cyber risk. He explains the threats in and outside of an institution, what a “zero-day attack” is, and why zero-day risks require such immediate alarm and action. Plus, Alan shares his advice on how librarians can prepare for and fend off these attacks—don’t delay updating your software! Missed an episode? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!

When researching for his new book, Prison Life Writing: Conversion and the Literary Roots of the U.S. Prison System, Simon Rolston found an intriguing pattern: conversion. If entering the prison system as apolitical, uneducated, or violent, incarcerated writers would craft their stories to emerge as a revolutionary, poet, or believer. So why the need for conversion? How does this pattern work in conversation with the American prison system’s own narrative of rehabilitation? As Simon asks, “If they’re following the same process, what’s the ideological work that’s happening there?” In this second episode, Simon teases out how the prison system’s transformative narrative relates to incarcerated writers’ own tales of conversion. Simon also details Malcolm X’s well-known transformation, explaining how he flipped the prison’s educative tools to understand himself not as a criminal, but a victim of oppression. Last, Simon digs into how incarcerated writers use the conversion narrative to shape their image in society, highlighting the story of Shaka Senghor in the process. Missed an episode? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!

What steps do you take to safeguard your digital information? Maybe you change your passwords every other month. Turn on two-factor authentication. Keep your Netflix log-in under lock and key. But what about at your workplace? How does your campus protect its information, and what role do you play in successful cybersecurity implementation? Alan Brill, Senior Managing Director in the Cyber Risk practice of Kroll, believes that cyberattack prevention requires collective action across an institution. The administration, registrar’s office, faculty, library staff, and more must all do their part to achieve strong, preemptive cybersecurity. In other words, no siloing off cyber responsibilities to the IT or risk management departments. Throughout this four-part series, Alan digs into what campus-wide cybersecurity look like, why universities have become such a rich target for hackers, and how the library fits into the effort of information protection and cybercrime prevention. In this first episode, Alan explains why effective cybersecurity has become more challenging in our interconnected world, and the importance of the university library’s close partnership with the IT department. Plus, Alan offers up his best tips to protect your workplace—number one: trust, but verify. Missed an episode? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!  

The autobiographical genre of life writing takes many forms: personal essays, memoirs, diary entries, letters—all forms that the currently and formerly incarcerated write in. But what are the characteristics and complexities of prison life writing? How does it mirror the history of incarceration? What’s its relationship with resistance literature? While studying for his master’s degree, Simon Rolston, author of Prison Life Writing: Conversion and the Literary Roots of the U.S. Prison System, mapped reading groups in and around Alberta. Other students chose to map groups who read romantic fiction, others westerns, but Simon wanted to study the reading habits of those incarcerated; more specifically, those at the maximum-security prison, Edmonton Institution, and a provincial jail, Fort Saskatchewan Correctional Centre. Through his research, he received numerous recommendations for books by incarcerated authors, thereby inspiring Prison Life Writing. In this four-part series, Simon introduces us to the prison life writing genre, highlights stories by George Jackson, Malcolm X, Susan Burton, and more, and explains the prevalence and significance of conversion in stories by the incarcerated. In this first episode, Simon digs into the personal and scholarly genesis of his book and explains why prison life writing often falls under resistance literature—and why he resists that presumption. Missed an episode? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!  

Throughout this four-part series, our guests have drilled down into how to support diverse students on their academic journeys. In this final episode, they zoom out to examine longstanding incentive structures built into the scholarly ecosystem. How can faculty, librarians, and publishers dismantle patterns in academia that disadvantage students from diverse backgrounds? Dr. Pamela Queen of Morgan State University explains why non-tenure and adjunct faculty play an important role in recruiting and encouraging students of color, women, and international scholars. She also details the non-traditional resources—blogs, newspapers, opinion pieces, and other popular media—that she brings into the classroom to spur discussion and supplement traditional scholarly content. In addition, Dr. Rihana Mason of Georgia State University highlights why inclusive policies introduced during the pandemic—widespread closed captioning, interactive virtual options, global communication—should remain long after the return to campus. On the publishers side, Miranda Nunhofer and Todd Baldwin of SAGE Publishing reveal workflow changes in academic publishing that support DEI initiatives. In particular, they highlight proposals like examining existing biases in editorial boards, updating terminology, and establishing new guidelines for book editors, authors, and reviewers. Missed an episode? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!

For many libraries, tracking user data isn’t simply an effective way to keep tabs on patron habits. Instead, it’s a tool used to justify purchases and champion resources for students and faculty. How can librarians make the most out of their library’s metrics? In this final episode, Steven Rosato of OverDrive Professional explains the significance of detailed user data in the face of the pandemic and potential budget cuts. He chats about how understanding lending patterns empowers librarians to make smarter, more cost-effective choices that work best for their institution’s needs. Steven also discusses the publisher response to COVID-19, and how OverDrive advocates on behalf of libraries with its publisher partners by pushing for flexible lending options like Cost Per Circ. Missed an episode? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks! For many libraries, tracking user data isn’t simply an effective way to keep tabs on patron habits. Instead, it’s a tool used to justify purchases and champion resources for students and faculty. How can librarians make the most out of their library’s metrics? In this final episode, Steven Rosato of OverDrive Professional explains the significance of detailed user data in the face of the pandemic and potential budget cuts. He chats about how understanding lending patterns empowers librarians to make smarter, more cost-effective choices that work best for their institution’s needs. Steven also discusses the publisher response to COVID-19, and how OverDrive advocates on behalf of libraries with its publisher partners by pushing for flexible lending options like Cost Per Circ. Missed an episode? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!

It’s no secret that the publishing industry is an homogenous field. Issues range from barriers of entry to recruitment strategies to workplace culture. What can scholarly publishers and university presses do to retool outdated, exclusionary practices? In this third episode, Todd Baldwin and Miranda Nunhofer of SAGE Publishing discuss how to break down the barriers that publishers face in implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. They highlight possible strategies, like partnering with universities for outreach programs, expanding the applicant pool via remote work, and investing in academic pipeline programs. Adding to the discussion, Dr. Pamela Queen, a finance professor at Morgan State University, explains how she implements social issues into her case studies to prepare students for the critical thinking and problem solving skills needed in the boardroom, classroom, and elsewhere. To close out the episode, Dr. Rihana Mason, a research scientist at Georgia State University, reveals the importance of transparency and vulnerability with students—breaking down the challenges of academia can help encourage and empower scholars on their academic journeys. Missed an episode? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!

In March of 2021, the United States Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), a $1.9 trillion stimulus bill in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill included an expansion of health care access, unemployment benefits, and rental assistance—not to mention direct stimulus payments to many Americans. But how has the bill impacted higher education? Can university libraries reap any benefits? In this third episode, Steven Rosato from OverDrive Professional digs into how COVID aid can help academic institutions subdue the effects of budget cuts from the past year. Whether used to recoup lost revenue or subsidize digital learning investments, Steven explains how the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) III section of ARPA can support universities and their libraries. Steven also shares his long-term purchasing trend predictions and reflects on the staying power of social justice and political titles. Missed an episode? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!  

The “leaky pipeline” in academia—researchers forgoing a traditional, tenure-track future for corporate, government, or other non-academic jobs—is often regarded as a fundamental problem in higher education, especially when those leaving are academics of color or women. But is this move to outside the academy all that bad? In this second episode, our guests explore the “problem” of the leaky pipeline and examine why students leave academia. They also share their unique perspectives on how to retain students through innovative programs, initiatives, and encouragement. First, Dr. Pamela Queen, a professor at Morgan State University, explains how pursuing non-academic ventures can inform research, uncovering the potential fluidity of scholarship. She walks through the challenging culture of postdoctoral work, and how programs like The PhD Project can support diverse students through it. Next, Dr. Rihana Mason, a research scientist at Georgia State University, digs into academia’s many exit and re-entry points, surfacing an update to the leaky pipeline, the “braided river.” She also discusses her new co-authored book, Academic Pipeline Programs: Diversifying Pathways from the Bachelor’s to the Professoriate, which outlines key elements of effective pipeline programs—mentorships, professional development, and sharing success stories with students. To wrap up, Todd Baldwin and Miranda Nunhofer of SAGE Publishing highlight new initiatives at SAGE that support diverse students throughout their academic career and beyond. Missed an episode? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!

Provide highly-focused content for researchers. Expand course reserves to ensure equity and accessibility. Grow the digital collection to include ebooks, audio content, and streaming video. These tasks all fall under the academic librarian’s list of collection development goals—goals the pandemic only made more urgent. When university library budgets fall short, how can librarians do more with less? In this second episode, Steven Rosato from OverDrive Professional breaks down how OverDrive’s staff of current and former librarians can alleviate the pressure of collection development. Representatives can weed through thousands of resources, highlight picks of interest based on relevant borrowing trends, or walk through which lending models would work best for an institution. Steven also touches on OverDrive’s acquisition of RBdigital last year, which expanded its customers, global reach, and content. To wrap up the episode, Steven previews OverDrive’s hopes for the future, including more partnerships with service providers to better serve library needs. Missed an episode? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!

Supporting diverse students doesn’t end when they leave the classroom. In fact, our guests on this four-part series demonstrate that meaningful, valuable, and equitable support should begin before a student steps on campus and extend past graduation—even if they make their way outside of academia. This month, two academics and two publishers join us on the Authority File to discuss their unique perspectives, strategies, and needs to ensure equitable student support. The first academic, Dr. Pamela Queen, a finance professor at Morgan State University, understands the importance of post-graduation support all too well. After reaching the glass ceiling in her corporate management position, she decided to return to academia with the aid of The PhD Project—a non-profit organization that works to increase workplace diversity by helping African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans earn their doctorates in business. Joining Pamela, Dr. Rihana Mason, a research scientist at Georgia State University, found that GSU lacked a comprehensive list of DEI programs, curricula, and resources for students and the greater community. She and her colleague, Dr. Curtis D. Byrd, developed the Georgia State University Diversity Database, with the help of their indexing and inventory tool, THRIVE (Type, History, Research Preparation/Routines & Activities, Inclusion/Identity, Voice, Expectation). Finally, Todd Baldwin and Miranda Nunhofer, both of SAGE Publishing, highlight projects that SAGE has introduced in support of DEI, including video resources, targeted author recruitment, and expanding their reach at student conferences. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates, and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!

It’s no secret that diversity in reading mediums—print, ebook, audio—make for a more robust, accessible, and patron-friendly collection. But how has the COVID-19 pandemic affected circulation trends? As we inch closer to in-person learning, will audio and ebooks lose their appeal? Steven Rosato, Manager of the Sales Team at OverDrive Professional, found himself asking the same questions. He decided to track usage trends pre- and during COVID, discovering that ebook and audiobook use (predictably) exploded. Moving forward, Steven believes that the demand in the scholarly audio market will only grow; the portability, accessibility, and predictability of audio are too useful for students to resist. In the first episode of this four-part series, Steven chats about his findings and predictions for e-content engagement. He also digs into the genesis and development of the business management division of OverDrive, which works with academic institutions, corporate libraries, and government accounts. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates, and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!

This week Bill talks with Will Davis, head of the OECD’s Washington office about what, exactly, the OECD is, how it got started, and how it works. He details how the organization operates by consensus, rather than through voting, and how it differs from other international organizations like the U.N. They also discuss the OECD’s research and how it’s used by a wide variety of sectors–from businesses to academics to government agencies–to make decisions and influence policy, and some of the OECD’s ongoing work in areas like the digitalization of the economy and building consensus on corporate minimum tax rates. To catch a video version of the episode, be sure to tune in at the ALA Annual Conference, June 23-29, where this discussion will take place on the Showcase Stage.

Paula Krebs, Executive Director of the Modern Language Association, is sick of having to defend the Humanities. Though Paula agrees that a public relations issue exists, she argues that the existing culture—whether in the form of political attacks, budget cuts, or even parents urging students to pursue other majors—needs to transform. “I get really tired of the rhetoric of crisis around the Humanities … The Humanities are the framework through which we examine and we critique and we try to change the culture—the culture is what’s in crisis.” In this final episode, Paula asserts that the Humanities are at the forefront of our most pressing societal issues—the pandemic, white supremacy, and immigration, to name a few. Paula also explains how the MLA supports social and racial justice through conferences, shared resources, and vigorous engagement with the academic community. Missed an episode? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!

Paula Krebs, Executive Director of the Modern Language Association, definitely did not expect insurrectionists to storm the US Capitol the day before the 2021 MLA Annual Convention. However, when she re-recorded her introductory video to reflect the societal temperature, she found that her most salient points remained—whether in crisis or not, the Humanities help us sift through and make sense of the nonsensical. “I wanted to let them know that the convention was a place that’s in the culture, not separate from the culture … and only after and with the kind of informed critical analysis of the Humanities can any kind of change happen.” In this third episode, Paula unpacks how the Humanities have been affected and possibly invigorated by new and enduring crises like the coronavirus pandemic and a fraught political climate. Paula also digs into the inequitable effects COVID-19 has had on higher education, as well as encouraging changes in accessibility spurred by our current digital learning environment. Missed an episode? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates, and check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!

If we only had access to the “right” news, would all of our information literacy problems be solved? Who is allowed to be the authority on a subject? How do we determine what is the truth?<p> The Modern Language Association recently celebrated the 100th anniversary of its Bibliography, a human-curated database of Humanities research. Paula Krebs, Executive Director of MLA, hopes that its team of editors and curators can help curb falsehoods, and teach users to understand the background of a source and its legitimacy in the field. “It’s about being responsible and accurate in participating in a larger conversation. It’s about acknowledging the work of others and not inventing things out of whole cloth.”<p> In this second episode, Paula digs into the hot topic of info lit and MLA’s role as both an authoritative source and a tool for accuracy. Paula also discusses how the Bibliography has changed over time, and the deliberations MLA makes to better implement inclusive practices in its resources.