Digital Commons Network^™

Volume 46, Number 2, June 2026 Olac Newsletter, Laura Kane Mcelfresh, Kyla Jemison, Tanesa G. King, Nerissa Lindsey, Amanda Mack, Michael Herrick, Heather Pretty, Lisa Romano, Janelle Zetty

OLAC Newsletters

Digital version of the June 2026 issue of the OLAC Newsletter.

Application Of Information Literacy Skills To Everyday Life Information Seeking In College Students: Implications For Instruction, Stephanie Ward, Rachel Dineen, Darren Ilett

Communications in Information Literacy

Academic librarians who teach information literacy (IL) skills hope students will transfer those skills to their information seeking in everyday life. However, there is little evidence that students are transferring what they learn about research to their lives outside college. This study aims to find out what search and evaluation strategies college students who have had IL instruction apply to their own personal information seeking behaviors. To do this, a talk-aloud protocol was used to record participants’ thoughts and actions as they navigated scenarios that required them to select a source that met a non-academic information need. The findings indicate …

The Spectrum Of Authority: A New Approach To Teaching Ai And Primary Source Literacies, Kristen Howard

Communications in Information Literacy

This article presents an information literacy workshop designed for undergraduate history courses that introduces students to generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) while strengthening primary source literacy. Anchored in the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, “Authority Is Constructed and Contextual,” the workshop employs an innovative pedagogical device, the Spectrum of Authority, to help students critically evaluate information sources. Through comparative analysis and guided discussion, students increased their ability to assess credibility in information sources. Student feedback indicated increased confidence in analyzing primary sources and a greater understanding of GenAI’s capabilities and …

Critical Information Literacy In Higher Education: An Evolution In Theory, Practice, And Assessment, Dan Williford

Communications in Information Literacy

This article offers a critical synthesis of scholarship on critical information literacy (CIL) in higher education from 2015 to 2026, extending and recalibrating prior longitudinal reviews to account for post-2020 theoretical, political, and technological shifts. Drawing on a corpus of 48 peer-reviewed publications published between 2020 and 2026, the study employs thematic cluster analysis—building on Tewell’s four-domain framework—to examine developments in theory, pedagogy, digital and political engagement, reflexive critique, and assessment. Rather than treating critical information literacy as a settled framework, this review positions it as an evolving and contested practice shaped by the political economy of higher education. It …

"An Open Mind And A Critical Stance": A Content Analysis Of Information Literacy Integration Into A Course About Poverty And Discrimination, Ashley Shealy, C. Rebecca Oldham, Clay Oldham, Tara L. Griffith

Communications in Information Literacy

The ACRL Framework argues that infusing curriculum with information literacy concepts can improve students’ attitudes and abilities to navigate complex information landscapes. This paper describes how a librarian and a faculty member integrated an information literacy curriculum into an undergraduate upper-division course about poverty and discrimination. Curriculum efficacy was assessed through directed content analysis of student responses to open-ended questions about engaging with news and social media, forming opinions, and having conversations about controversial topics. Responses were analyzed using a coding scheme based on course objectives derived from Framework dispositions and knowledge practices. Results indicated that exposing students to an …

Leadership Experiences Of Gender-Diverse Managers In U.S. Libraries And Museums, Galen Jay Talis

Faculty Scholarship

This article explores how gender-diverse managers in U.S. libraries and museums experience leadership and perceive gender to influence leadership. In-depth interviews were conducted with five gender-diverse managers. Data were analyzed with inductive, semantic thematic analysis and a complementary, deductive analysis using Wharton’s multilevel gender framework. Participants described relational, pragmatic, point-person leadership—connecting and supporting people, coordinating work, and translating between units—while expressing ambivalence about formal and hierarchical roles. Most did not initially link leadership to gender; when prompted, they articulated gender’s influence at individual, interactional, and institutional levels. Gender discrimination and transphobia persist even in woman-dominated contexts, shaping decisions about visibility, …

Generation Z And The Ai Misinformation Paradox: Understanding A New Digital Vulnerability, Cecilia Cooley, Elizabeth Sperber

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

This paper asks: How and why is Generation Z more vulnerable to AI-generated misinformation and disinformation than older generations? Using a comparative review of recent empirical studies, survey data, and meta-analyses from 2019–2025, this paper synthesizes research on Gen Z’s exposure to and interaction with AI-produced content across social media platforms. Although it is commonly assumed that Gen Z ’s technological exposure and fluency make them better equipped to recognize false information, findings show the opposite: Gen Z is consistently outperformed by older cohorts in detecting AI-generated falsehoods. This vulnerability stems from three intersecting factors: (1) the sheer volume of …

Pengaruh Media Sosial Terhadap Proses Pembelajaran Mahasiswa Perpustakaan Dan Sains Informasi, Aswan Pratama, Muh Wahyu Al Fauzal Nasrul, Harianto Harianto

Jurnal Ilmu Informasi, Perpustakaan, dan Kearsipan

This study aims to analyze the influence of social media usage on the learning process of Library and Information Science students. Using a qualitative method with in-depth interview techniques, this research explores students' experiences and lecturers' perspectives regarding digital interaction in an academic context. The results identify four main patterns: high digital distraction increasing cognitive load, the use of social media as a learning support system, emotional dependency triggering academic procrastination, and self-control strategies applied by students. The findings indicate that social media has a dualistic impact; on one hand, it serves as a source of distraction and time management …

Breaking Barriers: A Literature Review On The Experiences Of Black Male Librarians In Urban Academic Libraries, Quintis Pinder

Urban Library Journal

This literature review examines the underrepresentation of Black male librarians in academic libraries, focusing on systemic barriers that they face, such as stereotype threat, microaggressions, and lack of mentorship. It explores the challenges to their career advancement and leadership opportunities, highlighting the influence of racial and gender biases in the workplace. The review also discusses the strategies Black male librarians use to navigate these obstacles, including personal coping mechanisms, mentorship, and support from professional organizations like the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA). Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, advocating for …

Librarians As Guardians Of Knowledge: Artificial Intelligence And The Future Of Librarianship, Michelle Q. Zeren, Alex D. Mcallister Ed.D

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This article examines librarianship in the new age of AI, specifically how librarians can enhance and improve upon their already unique responsibilities by expanding to new and exciting jobs requiring AI information integrity. Librarian roles are becoming more crucial to the information environment as they help people fully embrace and protect knowledge in a challenging world of AI. The authors explore the evolving librarian roles needed to safeguard unbiased AI oversight, protect patron privacy, teach proper AI ethical academic usage, and fact check research information to maintain ethical integrity in academic studies. Librarians must continue to evolve and embrace an …

Recruitment As Care: Building Trust With Hard-To-Reach Populations In Sensitive Health Research, Alexander N. Vera

MUSC Conference Presentations

Recruiting participants for sensitive health research on social media presents unique ethical and methodological challenges. This session shares lessons learned from a qualitative study examining how young adults in South Carolina use TikTok to seek sexual health information. The presentation highlights creative and trauma-informed recruitment strategies that successfully engaged a hard-to-reach population while maintaining participant trust and privacy. Attendees will learn how recruitment language, social media algorithms, and transparency practices shape engagement, and why building trust matters more than technology alone. The session also considers how these lessons can inform future research in health sciences librarianship, especially for librarians supporting …

Jadughar: The House Of Magic, Dhruvi A. Shah

Masters Theses

Jadughar or the House of Magic is what people call a 'museum' in parts of South Asia. The practice of museum making, at its origin, is the act of collecting, preserving, interpreting and representing a culture’s tangible and intangible heritage to make it accessible to diverse audiences. Since the early 19th century such practices have been performed at various kala bhandars (art centers) in India, without the need of a formal or institutional organisation. The British introduced the model of a ‘museum’ in South Asia, with the aim of not only preserving ethnographic collections, but also showcasing their power and …

Accessibility In Digital Publications, Ana Bichanich, Emily Hills, Corey Parson, Michelle Wallen

The Piedmont Publishing Symposium

Presented at the 2026 Piedmont Publishing Symposium.

May 20-21, 2026

Wofford University

Using Environmental Scans To Help Direct And Sustain Local Best Practices, Emily Lapworth, Carol Kussmann

Joseph P. Healey Library Publications

The digital landscape is in a state of constant change, and there is no one-size-fits-all formula for managing your digital assets, so understanding your local context is crucial to planning an effective digital stewardship strategy. Whether you are just starting out or have been at the same institution for 10 years, conducting an environmental scan can help. What are the internal and external changes you need to manage? What kind of stuff are you dealing with, and who are the stakeholders? Where is it located, and what systems are you using? What tools are available, and how have best practices …

Exploring The Benefits Of Yoruba Indigenous Knowledge And The Herbal Medicine System, Sunday Opene Ozonuwe 7317673, Ayobami Aderonke Ogungbade, Faith Ohwofasa

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The Yoruba people are one of the West African's main ethno-linguistic or ethnic groups. They have an impressive indigenous knowledge and herbal medicinal system. They pre-occupied Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Kwara, Ondo, Lagos and Koji state. The researchers developed seven (7) research objectives and seven (7) research questions to investigate the nature, forms, benefits and methods of preparing and administering Yoruba Herbal Medicine. Descriptive research design was adopted for the study, interviews and observations were the instruments used for data collections. Eight (8) herbal medicine practitioners were interviewed in Oyo and Ogun state. The result of the interviews was also presented …

Ethical Issues In The Use Of Emerging Technologies In The Library, Funmilola Olubunmi Omotayo

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Digital tools and emerging technologies are transforming our world, including library settings. Libraries are shifting their collections from predominantly print publications to digital resources. Librarians have turned from an ethos of ownership and authority to service, guidance, and collaboration. From pedagogy to resource sharing, the success of many libraries relies upon diverse technologies and their widespread adoption. Librarians create technological processes, design resources, manage resources, and make use of diverse technologies to support library administration. Emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and Robotics and Data mining and analytics tools are now being adopted for library administration. …

How Open Is Merlot? A Descriptive Study Of Oer Availability In A Major Learning Object Repository., James Thibeault, Jamie Schmidt

Open Educational Resources Publications

The Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching (MERLOT) has long been regarded as a reputable source of open educational resources (OER). However, this reputation has rarely been subjected to systematic empirical scrutiny. This preliminary descriptive study examines how reliably MERLOT's Business section surfaces OER. Using a browsing-based methodology mirroring typical user behavior, 500 catalog records were manually evaluated across six access status categories. Results indicate that only 134 of 500 sampled resources (26.8%) qualify as OER under a definition requiring both open licensing and immediate accessibility. Of the 315 live links, 42.5% were OER, while 136 records (27.2%) …

Pioneering Change: Digital Reformatting For Sustainable Av Stewardship, Cory Nimer, Ben Harry, Abby Beazer, Miya Jensen, Michael Gates, Karen Glenn

Faculty Publications

Archives and libraries face growing preservation challenges from aging audiovisual collections due to carrier degradation and playback equipment obsolescence. As the media becomes more difficult to access, its archival value decreases, leading to questions about its ongoing storage. One proposed solution has been to digitize and discard the original media, preserving the recordings as digital masters with derivative files for public access. The suggestion to reformat audiovisual materials raises questions for cultural heritage professionals, and each stakeholder group may have its own concerns. Yet as media capture and digital preservation technology improve, to maintain our program's sustainability, we have begun …

“Overworked, Undernourished, And Weak In The Eyes”: The Portrayal Of Librarians In Comics, Alessandro Camarra

Staff publications

Librarians and library workers have frequently appeared as characters within the medium of comics, perhaps more so than people realize. While the discussion usually begins and ends with Barbara Gordon/Batgirl, the number of examples that can actually be found is astoundingly vast.

Whether they are fictional beings wholly created by the artists, or based on real-life individuals, librarians represent a standard archetype within popular culture that creators often reference in order to convey a specific image to their audience. Usually, but not always, this involves an emphasis on negative stereotypes associated with the profession: demanding silence from patrons, outdated modes …

Evaluation Of School Library Resources, Availability And Usage Among Female Students In Senior Secondary In Owo Local Government Area Of Ondo State., Fasa Rachael Aladeniyi (Ph.D.) Cln, Temitope Samuel Owokole, Bartholomew’Zango Wonder’Kachidi Nickaf

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study focused on the Evaluation of School Library Resources, Availability and Usage among Female Students in Senior Secondary in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population comprised 1,137 female senior secondary school students from two selected secondary schools, while a sample of 240 respondents was selected using stratified random sampling technique. A total of 232 copies of the questionnaire were properly completed and returned. Data collected were analysed using frequency counts and simple percentages. The findings of the study revealed that school libraries in the study area are mainly …

Ischool Student Research Journal, Vol.16, Iss.1

School of Information Student Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Research On Knowledge Service For Emergency Supplies Supply Under The Framework Of Cognition, Architecture And Operation, Xun Jiang, Mingwei Tang

Journal of Scientific Information Research

[Purpose/significance] To address the challenges in matching supply-demand information within the emergency material supply domain, this study constructs a knowledge service framework from three dimensions cognition, architecture, and operation to enhance the agility of emergency response and the resilience of supply chains. [Method/process] A cognition-centered knowledge service framework is proposed for the emergency material supply field, encompassing five dimensions: scenario, approach, structure, perspective, and model. Subsequently, a system architecture is developed focusing on three aspects: emergency data integration, knowledge-driven supply, and emergency scenario perception. The operationalization of the proposed knowledge service is explored in terms of its logic, mechanisms, and …

From The Editor: Your Story Belongs Here, John Mack Freeman

Georgia Library Quarterly

No abstract provided.

For Those Who Come After: Building A Website That Colleagues Can Operate, Tom Webster

Georgia Library Quarterly

The article discusses the necessity to design a website with accessibility of not just the front-end, but also the back-end user in mind. Georgia Highlands College was updating its website and rather than go with a normal html coded webpage, the web development team realized they could use Libguides to make a home page that was professional and easy to use, while also being something that librarians could edit without needing html coding experience. While this cannot perfectly future-proof the website, this can make it so librarians can add updates as needed even if the webmaster is indisposed.

News From Georgia Libraries Conference, Nancy A. Shore

Georgia Library Quarterly

No abstract provided.

Notes For The Stalled, V18n08, May 2026, University Of Northern Iowa. Rod Library.

Rod Library newsletter: Notes for the Stalled

Contents:

--- Extended Hours
--- Duck Hunt
--- DeStress Days
--- Congratulations!
--- Upcoming Events

How Licensing Compromised The Library, Aaron Perzanowski

Articles

Libraries are under attack on multiple fronts. Fueled by right-wing talking points, social-media misinformation, and conspiratorial fantasy, efforts to remove or restrict access to books in public and school libraries have exploded across the United States. At the same time, libraries have confronted a disturbing rise in threats of violence and harassment directed at staff and patrons. State and federal actors have targeted library budgets. And on occasion, local residents have voted to defund their own libraries.

But it gets worse. Libraries face new challenges to their basic operations. Materials are harder than ever to acquire, and many in-demand digital …

Moving Beyond Willpower: A New Direction For Media Literacy Instruction, Mandi Goodsett

Michael Schwartz Library Publications

Academic librarians and others often engage with media literacy instruction by promoting fact-checking strategies, such as lateral reading or Mike Caulfield’s SIFT. Evidence shows that these strategies are valuable and can be effective, but they all ultimately rely on individual students to use willpower to overcome cognitive habits, biases, strong parasocial relationships with content creators, the power of algorithms, and other challenges to fact-checking content in the moment. This paper offers an alternative approach that instead encourages librarians to support students in intentionally redesigning their information environments to improve the quality of information that they encounter in the first place.

Understanding The Role Of The School Librarian: Insights From Principals And Librarians, Ruby Shivery

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study examines how principals and school librarians understand and define the role of the school librarian with the K-12 school system. Guided by Role Conflict Theory, the study explores how differing expectations regarding instructional support, leadership, collaboration, and library management contribute to role ambiguity and professional tension. As the responsibilities of the school librarian continue to expand, inconsistencies in how the role is perceived may influence both professional relationships and the effectiveness of the library programs themselves. Using semi-structured interviews with both principals and school librarians, the study investigates areas of alignment and conflict in participants' perceptions of the …

Georgia Library Spotlight The Success Of Cobb County Public Library Perks Program, Katherine Zavala

Georgia Library Quarterly

No abstract provided.