Office Hours: The Research Journey

This column explores my three years working on the IMLS-funded Institute for Research Design in Librarianship.

Since 2014, academic librarians from across the United States have gathered at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) in Los Angeles to be part of an immersive learning experience—the Institute for Research Design in Librarianship (IRDL).

My colleague from the School of Information, Dr. Lili Luo, and Greg Guest, a cultural anthropologist working in Durham, NC, designed the research skills–focused curriculum and served as lead instructors for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)–funded program. For nine days in the summer the selected participants, IRDL Scholars, live and breathe all aspects of generating new knowledge for the profession.

I also had the honor to serve as an instructor for IRDL, presenting ideas about personal learning networks and mindful practice early on in the course. The inspiration I have taken from the Scholars this year was palpable.