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The purpose of this paper is to investigate similar and different wayfinding strategies used by novice and expert patrons at an academic library.

The study employed a usability study approach. In total, 12 people, places, or things were identified as important for students to be able to locate within an academic library. Students from one of three groups (high school, freshmen, and seniors) were randomly assigned a scenario requiring them to find the indicated person, place, or thing. Student researchers video recorded participants and took field notes during the wayfinding activity and conducted an interview about participant’s experience following the exercise.

Total and average time needed to locate the person, place, or thing indicated in the scenario were determined for each group. In addition, wayfinding tools (signs, maps, help desks, technology, and experience) used by participants were identified.

The research compares novice and expert wayfinding strategies. It is unique in its use of student researchers as part of a sociology class project, to collect and analyze the data.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted in 1990, comprehensively addressing the life needs and civil rights of people with disabilities (PWDs). Although the ADA would prohibit discrimination in the workforce, public services, transportation, and information, therefore spurring efforts by private and public institutions to plan for and adopt accessible environments and practices, the actual voice and experience of PWDs often remains unacknowledged, even on university campuses and in academic programs that purport to have progressive ideals. This chapter examines the efforts made by one midsized, comprehensive, American university not only to remove architectural, social, and academic barriers to student success as required by law, but to establish an academic voice for the disability experience and the disability rights movement through the newly founded Accessibility Studies Program.

Over the course of their service, veterans are exposed to elevated levels of chronic stress that contribute to a greater prevalence of mental illness than observed in the general population. When mental illness is present, comorbidity is normative. Convergent evidence suggests that co-occurring substance use and mental illness is among the most prevalent forms of comorbidity within veteran samples. The purpose of this paper is to explore issues associated with dual diagnoses among veterans in the USA.

Research on dual diagnoses among veterans was reviewed and consolidated for presentation into three substantive content areas consisting of prevalence, associated conditions, and treatment of dual diagnoses.

Dually diagnosed veterans represent a group at particularly high risk for myriad adverse biopsychosocial and treatment outcomes, including poor health, suicidality, violence or aggressive behavior, arrest, homelessness, and unemployment. A comprehensive strategy has been implemented within the Veterans Health Administration to address dual diagnosis and related problems. Additional research is required to more readily identify co-occurring substance use and mental illness and to refine integrated intervention approaches to minimize burden while improving treatment outcomes for veterans and their families.

The current review includes a wide range of research spanning more than two decades and describing dual diagnosis among combat veterans of all modern eras. Areas in need of further research (e.g. dual diagnosis among female veterans; early detection of psychopathology and fully integrated care among returning veterans) are identified and discussed.

The purpose of this paper is to examine some of the obstacles to interdisciplinary research and examine some ways that academic librarians can help to overcome them.

A broad review of the literature of the social sciences was reviewed for descriptions of difficulties that interdisciplinary researchers encounter. General developments in librarianship from library literature were then applied as a starting point for discussing ways that librarians can provide important services to interdisciplinary scholars.

Librarians, as “meta‐scholars”, can provide useful services to scholars engaging in interdisciplinary research.

Interdisciplinary research has shown great potential for problem‐solving, being focused more on a problem than with disciplinary distinctions. This is a worthy area for librarians to target with their skills and services.

This is a discussion of ways that librarians can break into new roles and responsibilities, and simultaneously strengthen their profile at a time when some expect librarianship to fade away.