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Digital reference is a library question and answering service available via the Internet. Digital reference services provide information seekers access to a variety of resources and services to better facilitate information seekers in meeting their needs. In many services librarians interact with users synchronously using chat communication technologies, which incorporate co-browsing/escorting, and Web page pushing features. These collaborative features enable participants to see each other's desktops and engage in more personalized and interactive information seeking activities. User-librarian interactions are captured by computer server logs, stored, and retrieved as digital transcripts. Currently, there is little research on how information seekers benefit from collaborative digital reference encounters. To fill this gap, this dissertation aims to better understand information seekers participating in collaborative digital reference activities such as cobrowsing/ escorting and Web page pushing as reflected in the transcripts. This is a case study designed to explore and understand information seekers interacting in a digital reference environment. The research assesses transactional and narrative data involving digital reference users affiliated with a large university library in the United States. The study was conducted in four phases. Phase I consisted of document analysis, including a review of the host library's Web site and related documents pertaining to the chat digital reference service. Phase II consisted of chat transcript collection, isolation, and preparation of the study sample. Phase III consisted of pilot testing and final analysis of chat digital reference transcripts. Phase IV of the study consisted of standardized opened-ended interviews of users who participated in co-browsing/escorting related activities during their chat digital reference encounter. This study is significant because transcripts can be reused to unobtrusively assess digital reference transactions in order to gain knowledge about users and their service needs. It is possible that transactional and narrative data might be used to derive a cognitive model of digital reference users. Knowledge gained can be used to better inform the digital reference service providers, which may enable them to design a more user-oriented digital reference service. / Dissertation submitted to the College of Information in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall December, 2006. / September 8, 2006. / Information Retrieval, Computer Supported Cooperative Work, Collaborative Tools, Collaborative Cooperative Work, Digital Reference, CMC, Computer-Mediated Communication, Virtual Reference / Includes bibliographical references. / Gary Burnett, Professor Directing Dissertation; Rodney Roberts, Outside Committee Member; Thomas Hart, Committee Member; Corinne Jorgensen, Committee Member.

This dissertation explores evidence and provides insight to secrecy-related information actions that can and are sometimes used as a method to circumvent established government policy and law. These information actions may also be used to cover up such circumventions after the fact. To better understand secrecy as a negative information action and its impact on democracy, secrecy-related information actions are described according to objectives, methods, the use of information technology and knowledge support. Negative information actions are willful and deliberate acts designed to keep government information from those in government and the public entitled to it Negative information actions are not in accordance with either the rule of law or the system of checks and balances. Negative information actions used by government officials to violate policies and laws during the Iran-Contra Affair are identified, analyzed and categorized by type. The impact of negative information actions on enlightened citizen understanding are demonstrated using the Negative Information Action Model by assigning a location according to type on a continuum of enlightened citizen understanding. Findings are compared with democratic theory, conspiracy doctrine and conspiracy theory. Conclusions and recommendations relating the legal environment as an impediment to information flow as it relates to public accountability and the rule of law are made / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Information in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2007. / October 29, 2007. / National Security, Information, Covert Programs, Democracy, Conspiracy, Secrecy / Includes bibliographical references. / Corinne Jörgensen, Professor Directing Dissertation; Lance deHaven-Smith, Outside Committee Member; Michelle Kazmer, Committee Member; Paul Marty, Committee Member.

This dissertation explored the effects of various types of assistance on the generation, recall, and input of robust passwords containing at least twenty characters. Passwords are desirable memometric authentication secrets for many reasons, but their continued effectiveness depends on increasing their resistance to emerging attacks. Resistance to attacks is increasingly a function of length. Although previous password research revealed widespread use of short, weak passwords and conventional wisdom considers users incapable of reliably generating, recalling, and accurately inputting strong passwords, this study investigated ways to assist users in meeting the specific challenges of robust password management. Interventions in the password-generation stage of this study introduced participants to five password generation schemes, supplied various numbers of example passwords, and required reentry of passwords immediately after generation to explore possible benefits on subsequent authentication performance. Key findings of this research were that: • Twenty-character passwords can be as strong as their corresponding 128-bit hashes; • Acrostic password-generation schemes produced strong passwords; • Confessional and Unexpected Nonsense schemes produced memorable passwords; • Supplying example passwords led to stronger passwords; • All participants easily generated 20-character passwords and most experienced few problems in the vague recall of them; • 30% of participants generated and used very strong passwords without failure for seven weeks; • The input of the precise formulation of robust passwords was the greatest single cause of authentication failure; • Exposure to 5 or 10 additional password examples during the generation stage did not improve subsequent password performance; • Reentry of passwords four times during the generation stage did not improve subsequent password performance; • Although education and training are beneficial, the actual study treatments were not universally effective; and viii • The population of password users and the reasons for password failure are complex, and users who experience difficulties require additional attention and resources on a contingency basis. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Information in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2007. / May 21, 2007. / usability, memometrics, authentication, information security, security, password / Includes bibliographical references. / Charles R. McClure, Professor Directing Dissertation; Michael Burmester, Outside Committee Member; John Carlo Bertot, Committee Member; Gary Burnett, Committee Member.

Librarian characters in films have long been the subject of academic study, usually comparing their features with those of the stereotype or real librarians. Little attention is given to the value librarian characters bring to visual narratives. This qualitative research explores contributions of onscreen librarians by identifying role function within a sample of 30 narrative realist horror films. Function relates to how a character's traits, behaviors, and interactions create meaning that advances the story. The horror genre offers popular conventions and a wide variety of librarian character types. Because the term stereotype is too limiting to describe librarian roles in films, an observational framework is applied that interprets data as signs using constructs defined by Charles S. Peirce. A librarian character, when viewed as an indexical sign, is the product of any combination of signifiers culturally associated with the image that will induce recognition of the occupation, e.g., hair bun or bald, young (and naïve) or old (and frigid), male or female, repressed or wild, helpful or obstructive. A semiotic approach permits contradictions and neutralizes emotions vested in the librarian symbol by members of the profession. Using Esslin's Table of Signs System for data collection, librarian character functions fall into 17 categories, with analyses thematically grouped based on the level of communication flow between filmmaker and audience. Data show that most of the sample films include librarians as protagonists or pivotal characters that express multiple functions. A significantly larger percentage of male librarians appear in these horror films than in general cinema or in real life. While features of the negative librarian stereotype are exaggerated in some films, they support narrative purpose and are not gratuitous. Positive aspects of the librarian symbol are strongly represented. Most of the films in the sample include library settings with familiar cultural signifiers that augment librarian functions. While the portrayal of information services within a library setting ground minor roles, more fully-fleshed characters fulfill a wide range of functions including murderers, victims, action heroes, sources of humor and irony, emotional support, sexual objects, and other purposes. As working librarians they provide information, obstruct information, enact routine library tasks, maintain library rules—and violate them. Whether on the job or interacting in other narrative settings, librarian characters impact their stories, showing the librarian index to be fertile, expressive and capable of communicating deep narrative meaning. This research successfully argues that librarian roles within the narrative realist horror film genre are relevant and, despite a stodgy stereotype, often support drama and excitement. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Library and Information Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2010. / October 5, 2010. / Charles S. Peirce, Semiotics, Signs, Librarian Stereotype, Esslin Sign Systems, Librarian Symbol, Icons, Filmic Function, Librarian Characters, Horror Movies, Horror Films / Includes bibliographical references. / Gary Burnett, Professor Directing Dissertation; Valliere Richard Auzenne, University Representative; Lisa Tripp, Committee Member; Eliza T. Dresang, Committee Member.

Using a case study approach, this exploratory study investigated the manner in which the staff and students of the Florida Virtual School (FLVS) seek information resources and services and whether their information-seeking behavior could be explained by the application of the Bates berrypicking model. Influencing factors studied were integration of information literacy and selected demographics. The context of the case was presented through issues that affect information seeking in a virtual school such as legislative policy, budgetary policy, and accreditation issues. An examination of the literature showed that no previous published research had examined the information-seeking behavior of staff and students in a virtual secondary school setting. The population included sixteen administrators, all twenty instructional designers, and all 308 full time teachers. In addition, thirty-six English II students in a class containing an open-ended research assignment, were included as part of the population of this study. The FLVS, recognized as a leader in K-12 virtual education and viewed as a critical case, was selected as the setting for this study. The results of this study indicated that most course designers, teachers and students surveyed seek information using a berrypicking mode except in subject searching, while teachers in the math and critical research and thinking skills departments preferred a linear mode. This study also showed that FLVS director level administrators viewed their responsibility as important in assuring that teachers and students were able to seek out and use information resources and services. Content incorporated into FLVS courses by course designers was often obtained from Internet websites and FLVS purchased resources (i.e., BrainPOP, United Streaming, and SAS inSchool Curriculum Pathways). Likewise, FLVS teachers relied upon teacher- or department-developed knowledge bases, Internet websites, online databases and textbooks when seeking out information resources to supplement the existing centrally created course content. When completing an open-ended research assignment, FLVS students relied upon information resources provided by the FLVS and those available on the Internet even when they also attended a 'brick-and-mortar' school with a library. Both the influencing factors and contextual issues studied had an effect on the information-seeking behavior of the staff and students at the FLVS. Outcomes or impacts of this study include increased knowledge about information-seeking behavior, increased knowledge about the application of the berrypicking model, new knowledge about information-seeking behavior in the virtual school environment, further evidence-based information practices in virtual K-12 schools, and the identification of additional areas for further research about information-seeking behavior in other state sponsored virtual K-12 schools. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Information in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2008. / March 24, 2008. / Accreditation, Virtual School, Integrating Information Literacy, Information-seeking Behavior / Includes bibliographical references. / Eliza T. Dresang, Professor Directing Dissertation; Tom Anderson, Outside Committee Member; Nancy Everhart, Committee Member; Don Latham, Committee Member.