Recipients of CALA Annual Jing Liao Award (2012 - Present)

2022 - Guoying Liu

The award committee is pleased to announce the CALA Jing Liao Award for the Best Research goes to Guoying Liu, Head of Systems, and Systems Librarian, University of Windsor Leddy Library. After a thorough peer-review process based on the award selection criteria, Liu’s research paper titled “Information literacy instruction for international graduate engineering students: A case study at University of Windsor,” has been selected as the 2022 winner of the CALA Jing Liao Award for the Best Research.

The CALA Jing Liao Award for the Best Research aims to recognize excellence in Library and Information Science related research by CALA members and to honor the memory of Jing Liao, a long-time CALA member and a devoted and accomplished librarian at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Liu’s study examines the impact of an information literacy session geared towards international graduate engineering students at the University of Windsor. It is significant in adding insights on approaches to deliver library instruction for international graduate students in engineering, who often encounter unique challenges.

The work by professor Liu is well structured, the logical arrangement is precise, and the language is free-flowing. The article utilizes pre-and-post tests and the corresponding analysis to generate an evidence-supported conclusion. Additionally, the article detailed a research design that can be replicated to other similar types of research projects.

2021 - Junli Diao

The CALA Jing Liao Award for the Best Research aims to recognize excellence in Library and Information Science related research by CALA members, and to honor the memory of Jing Liao, a long-time CALA member and a devoted and accomplished librarian at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The award committee is pleased to announce this year’s award recipient: Junli Diao, Assistant Professor, Head of Cataloging & Serial, York College Library, City University of New York.

The award committee received several outstanding applications this year. After a peer-review process based on the award selection criteria, Diao’s research paper titled “Are we represented as who we are? An assessment of library faculty online profiles within the City University of New York,” has been selected as the winner of the 2021 CALA Jing Liao Award for the Best Research.

Diao’s study assessed library faculty online representation and examined its relation to academic identity construction through analyzing online profiles embedded in the libraries’ Webpages within the City University of New York. The study argues that the representation of library faculty identity through online profiles is an important means of safeguarding academic librarian’s faculty status. Misrepresentation of insufficient representation could lead to misunderstanding of library faculty status or even damage their reputation as faculty members.

This paper is significant in terms of defending and promoting library faculty’s status through their online profiles. It is especially valuable while the roles and values of academic librarians are questioned in higher education. The author calls for “the examination of the truthfulness, fullness, and coherence of online representation of librarians’ collective identity as faculty.” Though the study is limited to the library faculty at CUNY, its implications may extend to academic library faculty in other institutions.

The work by professor Diao is well structured and the language is free flowing. The study draws upon literature and framework to generate a rich discussion and supported conclusion.

Below is the citation of Diao’s work:

Diao, J. (2020). Are we represented as who we are? An assessment of library faculty online profiles within the City University of New York. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 46(2), 102-128. doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2020.102128

2020 - Li Sun

The award committee is pleased to announce this year’s award recipient: Li Sun, Head, East Asian Languages Section and Head, Continuing Resources Section, and Library Faculty, Technical and Automated Services, Rutgers University Libraries. After a peer-review process based on the award selection criteria, Sun’s research paper titled “Journals removed from DOAJ appearing within SCImagos ranks: A study of excluded journals in Learned Publishing,” has been selected as the 2020 winner of the CALA Jing Liao Award for the Best Research.

Sun’s study examines DOAJ’s new selection criteria with a focus on whether some of the removed journals deeded to be “Not Adhering to Best Practice” actually have acceptable scholarly quality. Creatively, by comparing the list of excluded journal titles from DOAJ with both the SCImago Journal Ranking indicator and Thompson-Reuters’ Journal Citation Report, the study found support for some journals’ legitimacy in contrast to results of the DOAJ review. The Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) is considered to be one of the most comprehensive indices of open access Directory of Open Access Journals. Even so, as suggested by Sun’s study, a refinement that reinstated the list-worthy removed journals would help improve the quality of its application. The work by professor Li is well structured, the logical arrangement is clear, and the language is free flowing. The article utilizes a creative and yet effective method to generate a well-supported conclusion. Additionally, the methodology could well be introduced to other similar type of research projects. It is important to provide reliable information that allows users to make informed decision on information consumption in the field of information profession, this is especially true during the recent expanded emphasis on open access in scholarship. Professor Li’s work generates discoveries, unique insights, and important considerations to guide OA journal inclusion decisions.

Below is the citation of Sun’s work:

Sun,L.(2019). Journals removed from DOAJ appearing within SCImagos ranks: A study of excluded journals in Learned Publishing. Learned Publishing, July 2019, Vol.32(3), pp.207-211. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/leap.1216

2019 - Wenxian Zhang

It is our pleasure to announce that Professor Wenxian Zhang’s work, China Through American Eyes: Early Depictions of the Chinese People and Culture in the US Print Media, has been selected as the winner for the CALA Jing Liao Award for the Best Research 2019. The CALA Jing Liao Award for the Best Research aims to recognize excellence in Library and Information Science related research by CALA members and to honor the memory of Jing Liao, a long-time CALA member and a devoted and accomplished librarian at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

A full citation of the winning work is:

Zhang, Wenxian. China Through American Eyes: Early Depictions of the Chinese People and Culture in the US Print Media. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing (in partnership with the Peking University Press), 2018. https://doi.org/10.1142/10320.

Regarding the research work, as described by the author, “Cultural understanding between the United States and China has been a long and complex process. The period from the mid-nineteenth century to the early twentieth century is not only a critical era in modern Chinese history, but also the peak time of illustrated news reporting in the United States. Besides images from newspapers and journals, this collection also contains pictures about China and the Chinese published in books, brochures, commercial advertisements, campaign posters, postcards, etc. Together, they have documented colourful portrayals of the Chinese and their culture by the U.S. print media and their evolution from ethnic curiosity, stereotyping, and racial prejudice to social awareness, reluctant understanding, and eventual acceptance. Since these publications represent different positions in American politics, they can help contemporary readers develop a more comprehensive understanding of major events in modern American and Chinese histories, such as the cause and effect of the Chinese Exclusion Act and the power struggles behind the development of the Open Door Policy at the turn of the twentieth century. This collection of images has essentially formed a rich visual resource that is both diverse and intriguing; and as primary source documents, they carry significant historical and cultural values that could stimulate further academic research.”

The CALA Jing Liao Award for the Best Research Subcommittee has reviewed and evaluated many applications. The submitted proposals were very competitive which made it a challenge to pick the winners. The Subcommittee used the score table based on the award criteria and had an online meeting to discuss the merits of each submission to come to its final decision.

After the peer-review process, the CALA Jing Liao Award for the Best Research Subcommittee believes that the author Professor Wenxian Zhang has done a comprehensive and profound study of the images of China and Chinese as reflected in the western print media from mid-19th century to the early 20th century. The collected images have great breadth, accompanied with rich historical information, and reflect different aspects of the Chinese social, economic and political life and status, which reveal a biased yet changing view of the people and culture of China and the Sino-US relations. This research has its important and unique value in the Chinese Studies as well as archive study field.

2018 - Guoqing Li

It gives us a great pleasure to announce that Mr. 慕学勋及“慕氏藏书”初考,” has been selected as a winner of the CALA Jing Liao Award for the Best Research 2018.

Explained by the author, “The Mu’s collection of the Zheng Yu Tung East Asia Library at University of Toronto, Canada, is one of the most impressive collections for the Chinese ancient books collected in North America. The original collection was owned by Xuexun Mu, who was from Penglai in Shandong Province, in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. It took him more than 20 years to accumulate over 40,000 volumes collected in four departments. He compiled the “Penglai Mu’s Bibliography.” With his premature death, unfortunately, the Mu’s collection became frustrated. In 1935, it finally settled down at University of Toronto in North America. Separated by vast oceans for more than 80 years of neglect, it is not easy to inspect it without modern bibliographies. Only with the introduction made by two or three people, do the Chinese people begin to know it roughly. Being limited in vision and understanding, however, errors are inevitable. Incorrectly relaying on erroneous reports, there is a tendency that something real became false and vice versa. This paper crawls the literature and confirms the recent disclosure of the seal of the Mu’s collection with a view to correcting the name of the Mu’s and returning history to the truth.《加拿大多伦多大学郑裕彤东亚图书馆的慕氏藏书乃北美中文古籍收藏中可观者之一。原书主清末民初慕学勋，山东蓬莱人，历时二十多年，网罗遍及四部，积至四万馀册，编有《蓬莱慕氏藏书目》。不幸慕氏遽而早逝，藏书几经周折，１９３５年落户北美多伦多大学。倏忽八十多年，因无现代书志，且又远隔重洋，不易查检，国人惟凭二三者介绍，略知大概。然管窥蠡测，讹误难免。而以讹传讹，有至于假作真时真亦假之势。本文爬梳文献，证以最近披露之慕氏藏书印章，以期为慕氏正名号，还历史以真相。》。”

After a careful peer-review process, the CALA Jing Liao Award for the Best Research Committee (2017-2018) believes that this research will be helpful to generate more academic studies for the East Asian Collections in North America. The scholarly values of this study are generating specific discoveries and unique insights to find the truth in history. Using the method of source criticism and descriptive analysis, the author successfully solved the unsolved puzzles of the Mu’s collection in the subject fields of the East Asian studies in North America.

The CALA Jing Liao Award for the Best Research Committee (2017-2018) would like to thank Mr. Le Yang, the CALA President (2017-2018), and the support of the CALA Executive Committee, who provide a timely guidance and support for the operations of the CALA Jing Liao Award for the Best Research Committee (2017-2018).

Our sincere gratitude goes to the CALA Web Committee headed by Minhao, Jiang and Jingjing Wu. With their timely technical supports, the CALA Jing Liao Award for the Best Research Committee (2017-2018) is able to update the Guidelines for Jing Liao Award Application and Selection without any delays.

A special thank is also given to the CALA members who participated in the CALA Jing Liao Award for the Best Research 2018. We thank you for your ongoing support and look forward to working with you for many years to come.

2017 - Le Yang

It gives us a great pleasure to announce that Mr. Le Yang’s research paper, which is titled “Metadata Effectiveness in Internet Discovery: An Analysis of Digital Collection Metadata Elements and Internet Search Engine Keywords,” has been selected as a winner of the CALA Jing Liao Award for the Best Research 2017.

After a careful peer-review process, the CALA Jing Liao Award for the Best Research Committee (2016-2017) believes that this research will be helpful to generate more academic library studies to follow the digital revolution in the 21st century. The unique scholarly values of this study are to analyze what metadata elements actually facilitate discovery of digital collections through Internet keyword searching and how significantly each metadata element affects the discovery of items in a digital repository.

Le Yang is Assistant Librarian/Head of Digital Lab at Texas Tech University Library in Lubbock, TX, United States. He is a life member of the Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA). He was recognized as the recipient of the Chinese American Librarians Association President’s Recognition Award 2016. His primary research areas range from data management, digital collection, digital preservation, digital repository, metadata, open web resources, web search, etc.

2016 - Jennifer Zhao

The CALA Jing Liao Award for the Best Research Committee is pleased to announce the selection of Jennifer Zhao as the 2016 recipient of the Jing Liao Award. Her co-authored publication cited below is selected asthewinner:? Zhao, J. C. & Mawhinney, T. (2015). Comparison of native Chinese-speaking and native English speaking engineering students’ information literacy challenges. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 41(6), 712-724, DOI: 10.1016/j.acalib.2015.09.010

Ms. Zhao was awarded $500 from the Jing Liao Memorial Fund, and an additional $500 Supplemental Travel Fund at the2016 CALA?Annual AwardsBanquet on?June26,?2016 in conjunction with theALA Conferencein Orlando, Florida. Ms. Zhao received her Master of Library and Information Studies at Dalhousie University in Canada, 2007. She is a Liaison Librarian at Schulich Library of Science and Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec. She has joined the CALA since 2013.

The purpose of this co-authored study was to compare information literacy challenges encountered by native Chinese-speaking and native English-speaking undergraduate students from a communication in engineering course at McGill University. A total of 17 students participated in the 3-session in-depth interview study pertaining information searching, evaluating, reading, writing, and citing. Qualitativedatawascollected.? Thestudy found that the major challenges to native Chinese-speaking studentswere more pronounced in areaof reading, writing, and citing. An alternative Peer Support Program for International Students is suggested in addition to traditional servicesoffered by alibrary.

International students have varied background knowledge and skillsof information literacy. With growing enrollment of Chinese students, it is important to identify barriers they havein information seeking and using.?Theresearch study is a valuable addition to the literature. The findings gathered from this study can be used to inform and guide library servicesfor underserved International students.

The article exhibits high quality in research with its extensive literature review, solid research methodology, in-depth analysis, and an excellent presentation. The article is well structured, the logical arrangement is clear, and the language is free flowing.

2015 - Yingqi Tang

Distance Education/Electronic Resources Manager, Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, AL

Tang, Y., & Tseng, H. W. (2014). Distance students’ attitude toward library help seeking. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 40(3), 307–312. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2014.04.008

This co-authored, web-based survey research was based on a literature review of other relevant studies and then customized to fit the needs of one institution - The Jacksonville State University in Alabama. It examined distance students’ attitude toward seeking library help in a medium size university. Participating distance students were asked to identify themselves as a member of one of the two groups: near-campus and far-campus groups, defined arbitrarily by a 30-mile radius of the campus.

The study found that distance students who visit library and seek help more frequently are more likely have higher self-efficacy on learning. Among all types of library help sources, LibGuides were the most used. Near campus students preferred face-to-face consultation more than virtual service, and they also tend to seek help from peers. However, far campus students were more likely seek help with a distance librarian. Email continued to be the most common way of distributing and receiving library information. Social network tools for information seeking were not appreciated as had been anticipated.

The study exhibits high quality and thoroughness in research and an excellent presentation, supported by figures and tables. The organization of the article reflects the author’s training in research methods, as demonstrated by a clear introduction, thorough literature reviews, and research methods, followed by survey results, discussions, and future research suggestions. Citations and reference list are relevant; analysis and discussion are thorough and complete. The article is very well written in scholarly tone yet easy to read and understand.

The article is a valuable addition to the literature in the distance learning subject field. The data gathered from this survey can be used to inform and guide library services for distance learning as well as for reference services in general. The findings of the research are important and valuable to librarians providing information services through various platforms. The methodology is effective and can be introduced to other similar type of research projects.

2014 - Dr. Zhixian Yi

Lecturer, School of Information Studies, Charles Sturt University, Australia

Yi, Zhixian. 2013. Setting goals for change in the information age: Approaches of academic library directors in the USA. Library Management 34 (1/2): 5-19. DOI (Permanent URL):10.1108/01435121311298234

Using Bolman and Deal’s reframing change model, the author embarked on a quest to uncover approaches by library directors when setting goals. The author reviewed a large amount of literature on goal setting for change in organizations and designed a sophisticated survey to test previous hypotheses using the results of binary and multinomial logistic regressions. This unique study provides useful information to the directors of U.S. academic libraries.

The Bolman and Deal model of setting goals for change includes structural, human resource, political and symbolic - all of which were incorporated into the survey as part of this multi-frame approach. The returns of 596 survey respondents out of the original 1010 led to the findings which ultimately supported the hypotheses that three categories of predictors affected the approaches used to set goals for change by library directors. Notably, the findings are elegantly displayed in numerous tables.

The findings will help library directors understand how their approaches to setting goals for change are affected by demographics, human capital, and library characteristics. The survey result showed that 90.1 percent of the directors used the multi-frame approach to set goals for change. The author states, “This approach would help directors take correct actions to set goals for change and manage change much better.” Additionally, the inquiry may prompt further research including longitudinal studies that would reveal significant factors influencing the approaches used to set goals for change over a period of time.

The article provides a useful overview on how the directors set goals for change, the approaches they used, and the factors that influenced their approaches used. It should be beneficial to current and future library directors, managers, and librarians alike to gain an understanding of the administrative or operational skills that are required for academic library directors. The research work is solid and the author explains how he reached the final conclusions thoroughly.

Combining the theoretical and practical approaches, this study can significantly help directors to steer their respective libraries in the right direction as they manage the unavoidable changes in the information age. It can also help librarians to gain better understanding of the factors that influence the approaches used to set goals for change by library directors of their institutions. The fact that the article has been downloaded more than 500 times is a clear indicator of its value to scholarly community. It is listed on the Emerald website as one of the most popular (download) articles (retrieved from http://first.emeraldinsight.com/journal.htm?issn=0143-5124&type=popular, May 2, 2014).

2013 - Clement Chu-Sing Lau

Associate Director for Technical Services and Administration, University of Baltimore, School of Law Library, Baltimore, Maryland

Liu, Zhusheng 刘朱胜. “Meiguo gonggong tushuguan fa yanjiu 美国公共图书馆法研究 (American Public Library Law).” Tushuguan 图书馆 (Library) 2012.3 (2012): 1-7. Print.

Liu, Zhusheng 刘朱胜. “Meiguo gonggong tushuguan fa yanjiu: xu 美国公共图书馆法研究：续 (American Public Library Law).” Tushuguan 图书馆 (Library) 2012.4 (2012): 1-7. Print.

Mr. Lau’s article was published in two parts. Each part appeared as the “featured article” under the subject of “中美图书馆员交流” (China-U.S. Librarians Exchange) by the journal Library (图书馆). This bimonthly publication has been published by the Hunan Library (湖南图书馆) and the Hunan Society for library science (湖南省图书馆学会) since 1973. It is one of the core library journals in China. It has been indexed by all core Chinese academic journal databases. This article was selected for its high quality and thoroughness in research, and easy to read presentation. His ability to process and organize a large amount of information is commendable. The article is clearly a well-organized and well-researched presentation that is timely and useful to Chinese librarians and the library community. Mr. Lau has made a significant contribution by introducing American public library law, its history, and development to the Mainland Chinese library community. He also provides a great learning opportunity for Chinese-American librarians to understand the U.S. legal system and the libraries in which they are employed. This is indeed an excellent scholarly work that will inspire our colleagues in China and benefit CALA members as well.

2012 - Sharon Q. Yang

Systems Librarian, Rider University Libraries, Lawrenceville, New Jersey

Yang, S. Q., & Hofann, M. (2011). Next Generation or Current Generation? A Study of the OPACs of 260 Academic Libraries in the United States and Canada. Library Hi Tech, 29(2), 266-300. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/07378831111138170

Ms. Yang’s article was selected for its originality and high quality. It is clearly a well-researched paper with an interesting and relevant topic, and solid data collection from 260 college and university libraries in the US and Canada. This is the first and only study on a large scale that evaluates the progress towards the Next Generation Catalog in academic libraries in North America. It contributes significantly to identifying areas for improvement and providing input on how to develop the next generation catalogs in order to maximize the use of library information and services.