Bharat Mehra, an assistant professor in the School of Information Sciences, recently published a paper in the Journal of Education for Library and Information Science discussing the elements of a community engagement model in library and information science education. The paper is based on a case study of a library collection development and management course Mehra taught during two semesters. Students taking the course worked with community agencies to develop library collections to meet the needs of particular audiences in varied community settings. In many of Mehra’s courses, students explore diversity and intercultural issues and work on social justice and social equity agendas to meet the needs of minority and underserved populations. Examples of community engagement in Mehra’s courses can be found at: http://web.utk.edu/~bmehra/teaching.html.
The research of Bharat Mehra is featured in the Selected Works Author Gallery of Trace, UT’s digital showcase and archive.
Recent Publications
Mehra, B., & Robinson, W. C. (2009). The Community Engagement Model in Library and Information Science Education: A Case Study of a Collection Development and Management Course. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 50(1): 15-38.
Mehra, B. (2008). The Cross-Cultural Learning Process of International Doctoral Students: A Case Study in Library and Information Science Education. Saarbrucken, Germany: Verlag Dr. Muller.
Mehra, B., Allard, S., Qayyum, M. Asim, & Barclay-McLaughlin, G. (2008). Aquí y allá (Here and There) Information-Based Learning Corridors between Tennessee and Puerto Rico: The Five Golden Rules in Intercultural Education. Education for Information, 26(3).
Mehra, B., & Lambert, C. A. (2008). Priority Information Needs of African American Graduate Women: A Pilot Study. Communication for Social Change, 2(1), 105-123.
Mehra, B., & Braquet, D. (2007). Library and Information Science Professionals as Community Action Researchers in an Academic Setting: Top Ten Directions to Further Institutional Change for People of Diverse Sexual Orientations and Gender Identities. Library Trends, 56(2), 542-565.
Mehra, B., & Srinivasan, R. (2007). The Library-Community Convergence Framework for Community Action: Libraries as Catalysts of Social Change. Libri: International Journal of Libraries and Information Services, 57(3), 123-139.
Mehra, B., & Papajohn, D. (2007). “Glocal” Patterns of Communication-Information Convergences in Internet Use: Cross-Cultural Behavior of International Teaching Assistants in a Culturally Alien Information Environment. The International Information & Library Review, 39(1), 12-30.
Visit the Quest Gallery at Trace, UT’s digital archive, to access publications of other Quest Scholars of the Week.