Scholarworks

ScholarWorks is an open access repository for the capture of the intellectual work of Montana State University (MSU) in support of its teaching, research and service missions. MSU ScholarWorks is a central point of discovery for accessing, collecting, sharing, preserving, and distributing knowledge to the Montana State University community and the world.

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Scholarship & Research

Recent Submissions

Seasoning Librarianship: Seeking Nourishment on the Tenure Path
(Litwin Books & Library Juice Press, 2025) Moorman, Taylor L.
It all started with a craving, a deep-in-the-belly knowing that becoming a tenure-track librarian was the step I wanted to take. There was a potent mixture at play: a longing for a chance for security, the lure of deep dives into ideas, and an amplification of the work I loved in my previous staff and non tenure-track positions at an academic library. So, when I edited (again) my curriculum vitae and professional statements, read through the job description one more time, and prepared for the interviews and questions and conversations about why and how I could show up in this new space, grounding me was a sense that I was embarking on something that would feed my hunger. Now, two years into my new role, I have found that I must intentionally hold on to that grounding, that I must seek out the connections that feed me, and that this emerging practice has allowed me to be more present for the daily work of librarianship.
Reimagining Academic Library Culture while Maximizing Impact
(Litwin Books & Library Juice Press, 2025) Frank, Jacqueline
This chapter presents slow librarianship as a transformative approach to academic library work, capable of addressing systemic cultural issues while maximizing individual and institutional impact with a values-based approach. Beginning by contextualizing slow librarianship within the broader slow movement and academic landscape, this chapter draws connections to Essentialism, The Slow Professor, and minimalism as theoretical foundations that can be applied in the library context. A critical analysis of the current academic library environment follows, examining how burnout culture and constant growth expectations contribute to unsustainable work practices. This chapter argues that embracing slow librarianship is not just about individual work habits, but about fostering a (literally) healthier culture that challenges these harmful norms. The chapter then delves into practical strategies for enacting slow librarianship and maintaining a sustainable work rhythm throughout the academic year. These techniques include identifying core values, selective engagement to maximize impact, saying "no" effectively, and managing workload to protect quality. These strategies are presented as tools for cultural change, demonstrating how individual actions can contribute to broader institutional shifts. Along the way, I candidly discuss successes, challenges, and lessons learned, offering insights into how librarians can navigate potential criticisms and resistance to change. Particular attention is given to the surprising strategy to maximize impact by doing less. Central to slow librarianship is the process of deeply reflecting on core values and connecting them to work priorities and decision-making. This chapter is also careful to emphasize that slow librarianship is not merely about doing less, but that we can make the most significant impact by utilizing this values-aligned, less-is-more approach. By blending theoretical foundations, practical strategies, and an aspirational perspective, this chapter aims to inspire a reimagining of academic library culture. The chapter concludes with a hopeful vision for the future of academic librarianship, outlining how widespread adoption of slow librarianship principles could reshape the profession. It offers a call to action, encouraging librarians at all career stages to embrace the slow movement and initiate a culture shift in academic librarianship. By offering concrete, actionable strategies alongside thoughtful reflection, this chapter will equip librarians with the tools they need to maximize their impact while fostering a more sustainable and fulfilling professional life.
Improving Streamflow Forecasting Efficiency Using Signal Decomposition Approaches
(Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2025-06) Kumar Vishwakarma, Dinesh; Heddam, Salim; Gaur, Arpit; Kumar Tiwari, Ravindra; Kişi, Özgür; Malik, Anurag; Bishnoi, Chetak; Alataway, Abed; Dewidar, Ahmed Z.; Mattar, Mohamed A.
This study introduces a novel approach utilizing the Maximal Overlap Discrete Wavelet Transform (MODWT) to enhance daily streamflow forecasting at two USGS stations (14211500 and 14211550) from 1998 to 2021. The MODWT is integrated with three machine learning models: Extremely Randomized Trees (ERT), Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), and Gaussian Process Regression (GPR). Autocorrelation and partial autocorrelation functions were employed to determine relevant lags and generate multiple input variables, which were then analyzed through MODWT to derive multi-resolution analysis features. The hybrid model incorporating MODWT significantly improved prediction accuracy. Among the methods, ANN with MODWT (ANN6_MODWT) demonstrated superior performance compared to standalone ANN, ERT, and GPR models. ANN6_MODWT achieved improvements of 15.60%, 24.70%, 39.74%, and 28.34% in terms of correlation coefficient (R), Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), root mean square error (RMSE), and mean absolute error (MAE) at USGS 14211550, and 13.50%, 23.80%, 46.47%, and 34.06% at USGS 14211500. These results underscore the potential of MODWT for enhancing streamflow prediction accuracy.
The potential of electrified barriers to keep black bears out of fenced road corridors at low volume access roads
(Pensoft Publishers, 2024-12) Huijser, Marcel P.; Getty, S. C.
Fences can reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions, but it is not always possible to fence over long distances, especially not in multi-functional landscapes. Side roads, driveways, and the need for access to agricultural fields all result in gaps in the fence. In some cases, wildlife guards or gates are installed at access points. However, gates usually require people to get in and out of their vehicle and they are often left open. Wildlife guards are typically only suited for low traffic speed, and while they can be a substantial barrier to ungulates, they are readily crossed by species with paws, including bears. Electrified barriers embedded in travel lanes can be a substantial barrier to both ungulates and bear species and while they can be suitable for higher traffic volume and speed, the costs are typically higher than for low volume and low speed roads. We explored the potential of low-cost electrified barriers to keep bears from accessing fenced road corridors at low traffic volume and low speed vehicle access points. As a first step, we conducted the study on private land at a melon patch that was a known attractant for black bears. We investigated the effectiveness of an electric fence and 5 different types of electrified barriers designed to keep black bears out of the melon patch. The electrified barriers included a swing gate, a standard bump-gate, a modified bump-gate with conductive netting, drive-over wires a few inches above the ground, and a drive-over mat. Trail cameras were installed at each access point to document approaching black bears and potential crossings into the melon patch. The swing gate, modified bump-gate, drive-over wires, and drive-over mat were an absolute (100%) or near absolute barrier (94.3%) for black bears while the standard bump-gate was a poor barrier (48.4%). Through a step-by-step process, the weak points of the electrified barriers at the vehicle access points and the electric fence around the melon patch were addressed. After addressing a weak point at a vehicle access point, the bears increasingly dug under the fence to enter the melon patch. However, eventually the melon patch became almost inaccessible to black bears. The number of black bears trying and succeeding to enter the melon patch at a particular location depended on how difficult it was to enter at other locations. This illustrates that fences and vehicle access points should be designed, operated, maintained, and monitored as a system rather than as individual features, regardless of whether the goal is to protect crops or to keep animals out of a fenced road corridor. The total number of black bear observations at the locations monitored with a trail camera, regardless of which side of the fence or electrified barriers the bears were on, was 95% lower in 2021 than in 2020. Combined with having no indication of a substantial drop in black bear population size from 2020 to 2021, this suggests that after the black bears were no longer able to enter the melon patch, they drastically reduced their presence in the immediate surroundings and reduced their effort to try and access the crop; the attraction of the melon patch and the habit of eating its melons was broken.
Exploration of Opportunities to Address the Impacts of Roads and Traffic on Wildlife and Non-Motorized Trail Access in and around Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Washington
(Western Transportation Institute, 2026-02-10) Huijser, Marcel P.; Bell, Matthew A.
This report explores potential measures aimed at reducing collisions with large wild ungulate species (most notably mule deer (black-tailed deer) and elk), along WA Highway 14, Evergreen Way, and I-5, and improve connectivity for large wild mammals (e.g., Columbia white-tailed deer, mule deer (black-tailed deer), elk, bobcat, mountain lion, coyote, and black bear), and small species (e.g., amphibian and reptile species) between four National Wildlife Refuges and the higher areas further away from the Columbia River. The four Refuges include Ridgefield NWR, Steigerwald Lake NWR, Franz Lake NWR, and Pierce NWR. In addition, we explore non-motorized access to Steigerwald NWR from the built-up area of Washougal and a nearby school.