Jeffery Cruz
The Symposium Program Committee is delighted to announce Jeffery Cruz as our closing keynote address. Please read more about this keynote and our presenter
Why research? Why now?
The importance of research in a library career
For many library and information professionals, formal research doesn’t form part of regular professional practice. In academic libraries, librarians are more likely to support researchers than to conduct research themselves. Throughout my career, practice-based research has played an important role, whether through Design Thinking to improve library spaces, conducting user research to develop digital services, or evaluating new approaches to library practice. More recently, stepping into a university librarian role has brought into sharp focus the important role that original LIS research has to play in the sector. My own recent research examines the evolution of information services provided by Australian university libraries over the past twenty years in relation to changes to student experience in higher education policy and practice. Drawing on experiences from across my career, this keynote explores the many forms that research can take in professional practice and the value it can bring at different career stages. I invite attendees to reflect on their own relationship with research and to consider why research-in-practice matters for the future of library and information professionals.
About Jeffery
Jeffery Cruz is the University Librarian at the University of Queensland (UQ). Jeff has over twenty years of experience in the library sector, with a career in academic, public and special libraries in Australia, the United States and Spain. He is currently completing a Graduate Certificate in Educational Research at the University of Melbourne’s Graduate School of Education, researching the intersection of information services, the student experience and higher education policy and practice. He has previously published on equity, diversity, and inclusion in libraries. In addition to a BA and MA in Spanish, Jeff holds a Master in Library and Information Science from the University of Arizona and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Melbourne.
