Digital Commons Network^™

Southeastern Librarian 74(2) Summer 2026 (Full Issue)

The Southeastern Librarian

Complete issue of the Southeastern Librarian, Volume 74 Number 2, Summer 2026

Proposed Constitution Of The Southeastern Library Association, As Amended

The Southeastern Librarian

Proposed Constitution of the Southeastern Library Association, as Amended (Effective October 2026 following election)

Library Anxiety: A Mixed-Methods Comparison Between Honors And University Learning First-Year College Students, Anthony L. Paganelli, Larry Sean Kinder

The Southeastern Librarian

This study examines the results from a mixed-methods comparison study that explored library anxiety between first-year Honors students and first-year students enrolled in a University Learning course. The study explores the levels of library anxiety, overconfidence, barriers, and behavioral factors. Findings indicate that Honors students had higher levels of library anxiety and associated perfectionism and self-esteem more closely with library use. University Learning students worked longer and more independently to use resources before seeking help. Knowing these results, teaching librarians could create tailored instruction sessions to address and alleviate library anxiety and its effects.

Can We Add A New Language Of Love? Freedom…, Essraa Nawar

Library Articles and Research

"

More than thirty years later, the Five Love Languages remain part of our everyday vocabulary. We ask spouses, friends, and family members, 'What’s your love language?' We have learned that people experience love differently and that meaningful relationships require understanding how others feel seen, valued, and appreciated.

The framework has helped millions.

Yet I wonder whether the conversation is incomplete.

Can we add a new language of love?

I believe we can. I believe there is a sixth language.

Its name is Freedom."

Branding, Catalogs, And Institutional Identity: The Libraries Of Edfu And Alexandria In Historical Perspective, Patrick Roughen

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This article examines library catalogs as brand artifacts in the context of two ancient libraries: the Library of Alexandria and the library of the Temple of Horus at Edfu, Egypt. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of symbolic capital and brand theory, this research argues that the catalogs of these two institutions functioned as early branding instruments. The Pinakes, the catalog of the Library of Alexandria, projected a brand of universal knowledge and intellectual prestige, and the inscribed wall catalog at Edfu reflected a brand focused on sacred authority and the sustaining of cosmic order (Ma'at).  Together, they illustrate two opposing …

An Unsolved Theft, Tim Pyatt

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This article explores the mysterious theft of Civil War narratives from the libraries of the University of North Carolina and Duke University in the late 1970s while the author was an undergraduate at Duke. Using records preserved in the Duke University Archives and personal accounts, the author pieces together how the theft was discovered and the investigation was conducted. Potential suspects included the notorious thieves James Shinn and Stephen Blumberg as well as individuals identified during the investigation. The secrecy around the investigation as well as the effort to protect institutional reputation may have ultimately led to the theft never …

Digitize And Discard: A Campaign For Sustainable Av Stewardship, Cory L. Nimer, Ben Harry, Abby Beazer, Miya Jensen, Michael F. Gates

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 …

A Guide To Change Management Using The Sarah Model, Sara Kern, Sarah Barbrow, Sarah Jane Dooley, Sarah E. Lester, Sarah Over

Library Scholarship

Academic libraries are the heart of colleges and universities and, as such, are often centrally involved in and impacted by changes in the greater higher education landscape. For those working in these spaces, familiarity with strategies for managing change is essential to support yourself and others during especially turbulent times. The SARAH model, described below in bullet points with our modifications in brackets, offers a memorable way to understand responses to change, be they our own or others.

S - Shock or Surprise
A – Anger [Anxiety, Alert, or Anticipation]
R – Resistance or Rejection [Re-engagement, or Rationalization]
A - …

Disaster Preparedness, Prevention And Management In Lagos State University Library, Mausi A. Bokoh, Sophia V. Adeyeye Dr, Oluwaseun Adeola Abiodun-Asanre, Mrs

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Disasters pose significant threats to human lives, infrastructure, and national socioeconomic development. Effective disaster preparedness, prevention, and management are therefore vital for mitigating their impact and ensuring continuity of operations. This study examined disaster preparedness, prevention, and management practices at Lagos State University Library. A survey research design was adopted, and data were collected through a structured questionnaire covering key aspects of disaster management. Frequency counts, percentages, mean, and standard deviations were used to analyze data.  The findings revealed that the library employs basic preventive strategies such as turning off electricity after work hours and ensuring timely evacuation during emergencies. …

From Crip Time To Care Time: How Library Administrators Can Support Professional Development Of Disabled Employees, Leah T. Dudak, Rhys Dreeszen Bowman Dr.

School of Information Studies - Post-doc and Student Scholarship

Building on our 2025 In the Library with the Lead Pipe article "Cripping Conferences", this piece moves from naming the problem to offering solutions to library administrators. Disabled library workers face significant barriers to professional development, including the financial cost of attendance, the physical and mental toll of navigating inaccessible spaces, and the conflict between crip time and the neoliberal clock time that governs academic and library culture. While accommodations are needed, they are not enough; we need to interrogate the systems that exclude disabled employees. Written by two disabled LIS scholars, this piece offers library administrators practical guidance, from …

Leadership Reflections: The Unique Challenges And Rewards Of Leadership In Library Technical Services, Maria Savova

Library Staff Publications and Research

Library Technical Services functions are at the core of library operations and are indivisible from any public service the library provides. The way technical services librarians and staff approach their work, communications, and organizational experience, however, is distinct and requires thoughtful approaches and concerted effort from leadership. Greater visibility and institutional understanding are critical to resourcing these services properly and sustaining their excellence. Drawing on practice-based reflections, this column proposes approaches to capturing the insight and expertise of the people who steward the library’s largest investments, connecting their task-based sustainer activities to the larger strategic library context, supporting and empowering …

Queer, Hybrid Participatory Design: Relational Practices And Norms For Coalition Building With Rural, Lgbtq+ Communities, Luettamae Lawrence, Maureen Boyle, Chasity Mayo, Catherine A. Rushworth, Moira Anderson, Dorothy Wallis, Jayme Walters

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

This paper examines the first year of collaboration between the Bear River Region LGBTQ+ Community Coalition and queer residents in rural northern Utah, United States, using a hybrid participatory design (PD) approach. Using Yep’s queer relationality theory, we examine how hybrid spaces were designed and iteratively adapted to support inclusion, care, and collective agency among LGBTQ+ community members. Drawing on Community Coalition Action Theory and queer PD, we analyze four cases from May 2024 to June 2025 including workshops and regular meetings to explore how relational practices evolved across different formats and phases of coalition development. In this paper, we …

Archeota, Spring/Summer 2026, Diane Curtis, Angela Brooks, Gaby Stephenson, Nana Turkson, Siera Milton Beal, Charlene Hardin, Lola Jalbert, Emily Stockton, Ryan Martin

Archeota

Archeota is a platform for SJSU iSchool students to contribute to the archival conversation. It is written BY students, FOR students. It provides substantive content on archival concerns and issues and promotes professional development in the field of archival studies. Archeota upholds the core values of the archival profession. Contents: “It’s Virtual, Baby!!”: Creating a Secure Digital Space for an At-risk Community Archives Online Conference by Diane Curtis, My Experience as a MARA Student at Queer History South 2026 by Ryan Martin, AI and Digital Leadership: Transforming Libraries, Archives and Museums for the Future by Angela Brooks, The Threshold …

Building Bridges: The Reference Interview As A Mechanism For Social Capital In School Libraries, Jessica M. Lilly

Learning Hub

Building Bridges: The Reference Interview as a Mechanism for Social Capital in School Libraries

Abstract

School librarians occupy a unique position within schools, interacting across all stakeholder groups and serving as a conduit between students, teachers, administrators, and the broader learning community. This article examines the reference interview not merely as a transactional information-retrieval tool but as a relational practice through which school librarians generate, sustain, and distribute social capital. Drawing on the foundational theories of Putnam (2000), Coleman (1988), and Bourdieu (1986), and on the reference transaction model grounded in Jesse H. Shera's foundational work (Coleman et al., …

Users’ Searching Preferences In Accessing The E-Library Resources Of The Federal University Of Lafia, Nigeria, Alice Olije Odu, Samuel Otsonu Aboh, Olumide Johnson Akanmidu, Grace Sewuese Ape

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Online information activities in the academic environment keeps getting better and easier thanks to the internet that forms part of regular source of connection between users and other information resources. Access to e- library resources are normally via computers and mobile technologies using local network or the internet connection. This makes searching from e-library resource more appealing to academic library users. However, libraries still experiencing low users’ patronage with the e-resource collection, hence this study is undertaken to ascertain the searching preference by the Students of the Federal University of Lafia to help devise better ways of meeting their information …

A Framework For Enhancing Utilization Of Library Electronic Resources In Higher Institutions Of Learning, Niyonsaba Innocent, Atuha Peter, Natukunda Elizabeth, Arahe Turahe Glorious

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract

Electronic resources are now essential for teaching, learning, research and dissemination of knowledge in higher institutions of learning. Although many universities have invested heavily in digital collections, databases, electronic journals, electronic books, institutional repositories, and online reference services, the use of these resources is not as high as expected in many universities, especially in developing countries. Low awareness, lack of information literacy skills, limited technological infrastructure, poor internet connectivity, lack of training, and weak institutional support continue to impede the effective use of electronic resources. This is a review paper that explores the current state of electronic resource utilization …

Library As Third Space:​ Anchored By Student Voices And Udl​, Sarah N. Campbell, Zaidee Everett, Rebecca Gagne, Erika Gearing, Meika Matook

Library Staff Publications

Attendees will leave energized with new ideas on how to transform your physical library space into a true third space, using a UDL framework. The session demystifies the process of moving from inaccessible to accessible. It offers practical, budget-friendly tips for sourcing free items, leveraging campus relationships, and eliciting and integrating student feedback for continuous improvement. Before you know it, you too will be basking in the gentle glow of dimmable lights.

Evolving Roles And Realities In Canadian Academic Law Libraries, Yemisi Dina, Sharon Wang, Sooin Kim, Alexia Loumankis

Librarian Publications & Presentations

Canadian academic law libraries are undergoing profound transformation, shaped by shifting university funding models, restructured institutional reporting lines, and the accelerating move toward digital legal information. This plenary session will explore how law libraries across Canada are responding to these pressures while continuing to support legal education, research, and access to justice.

Ai In Education And Information: Tool, Threat, Or Teammate? How Academia Is Shaping The Future Of Intelligent Work, Essraa Nawar

Library Presentations, Posters, and Audiovisual Materials

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the future of intelligent work across education, healthcare, leadership, communication, workplace culture, and health information management. Yet while AI adoption continues accelerating, institutions and professionals are still trying to understand what this transformation actually means for people, learning, careers, ethics, trust, governance, and human judgment. This interactive and forward-thinking panel brings together voices from higher education and healthcare information management to explore how AI is reshaping classrooms, workplaces, healthcare systems, professional identity, and future workforce expectations across generations.

Rather than focusing only on technology itself, the conversation will examine the broader cultural and organizational shift …

Assessment Of The Status Of Open Access Publications In Central Universities Of India: A Review Of Literature, Gulam Jilani, Swapna Banerjee

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Unrestricted access to research outputs and increased exposure and distribution of academic information are two benefits of Open Access (OA) publication, which has emerged as a revolutionary method to scholarly communication. With an emphasis on its economic models, international and Indian publishing trends, institutional activities, regulations, and researcher attitudes, this study explores the literature on open access publishing. The paper examines many OA models, such as gold, green, hybrid, bronze, and diamond access, emphasizing their benefits, drawbacks, and implications for the fair distribution of information. The expansion of open access publication in India and throughout the world is also covered, …

Connected, Traceable And Trusted Identifier In China, Jia Liu, Xiaolei Xia, Lijuan Wang, Shu Wang, Yuanchun Zhou

FORCE 2026

Persistent Identifiers (PIDs) has been recognized as a critical infrastructure for the Open Science. The Chinese National Standard GB/T 32843-2016, Science and Technology Resource Identification was launched in 2016 which specifies the numbering schema of the Science and Technology Resource Identification(CSTR). The standard systematically defines the identification objects, encoding rules, and applications for science and technology resources, establishing a robust technical foundation and operational guidelines for their complete lifecycle management. CSTR Identification Platform（https://www.cstr.cn/en） based on the Standard, providing unique identification service for global science data, papers, patents and other science and technology resources.
Connected
CSTR platform services cover …

The Use Of Surveys In Soliciting Patron Feedback: Effective Strategies For Creating, Promoting, And Applying Them, David J. Fuller

The Christian Librarian

This literature review examines recent sources that explore ways to optimize the helpfulness of surveys in different information organization management contexts. In the landscape of the scholarly literature on using surveys in information organizations, three significant sub-topics for discussion emerge: strategies for incentivizing participation and completion, using surveys in combination with other assessment measures, and formulating action steps from survey results. These three sub-topics are discussed with a focus on common themes, contradictions, and gaps in existing research.

Supporting Fair Practices In Scholarly Publishing With The Editorial Reference Handbook, Susanna-Assunta Sansone, Allyson Lister, Rebecca Taylor-Grant, Matthew Cannon

FORCE 2026

Co-produced by academics and publishers (incl. CUP, Cell Press, EMBO Press, Taylor & Francis, GigaScience Press, OUP, PLOS, Springer Nature), the Editorial Reference Handbook (https://publishers.fairassist.org) assists scholarly publishers in supporting the sharing of digital research objects and in operationalising FAIR research practices by addressing gaps in editorial workflows, policy implementation and stakeholder alignment. The Handbook comprises three interrelated components—a checklist, detailed guidance documentation, and a flowchart—intended primarily for in-house editorial staff while also providing value to reviewers, authors, and service providers.

Beside this practical collaboratively developed product, the Handbook is also a socio-technical pilot to improve the culture …

Ten Years Of Tuwhera: A Commitment To Sustaining Open Access Publishing, Donna Coventry

FORCE 2026

Tucked away, far from the conference circuit, is a part of the world which doesn’t tend to make the headlines when it comes to open access initiatives. New Zealand and by extension, the South Pacific, is a region struggling with a history of colonisation and trying to make systematic change around decolonisation - open access to research about ‘our place in the world’ is vitally important. 

Ten years ago Auckland University of Technology’s library (Te Mātāpuna) made the decision to start hosting Diamond open access journals. Starting with two established journals, the service was named Tuwhera which can be translated …

Asian Open Research Data And Its Potential For Ai: Bridging The Digital Divide Through Strategic Data Sharing, Mark Hahnel, Simon Porter

FORCE 2026

The growing momentum for open research data in Asia intersects with global advances in artificial intelligence (AI). Open data policies and infrastructures are increasingly recognized as critical enablers of research equity, reproducibility, and innovation. This talk examines the current state of open academic data, highlights economic and scientific arguments for its adoption, and explores the transformative potential of Asian open data ecosystems in powering AI-driven discovery. Drawing on global examples such as the Protein Data Bank and emerging health datasets, the discussion positions Asian institutions to leverage open strategies that simultaneously meet compliance mandates, enhance visibility, and accelerate breakthroughs in …

Managing Ai Bot Access To Open Scholarly Infrastructures, Petr Knoth

FORCE 2026

The rapid rise of generative AI has created unprecedented demand for large, high-quality research corpora. Open access repositories and other open scholarly infrastructures have therefore become primary sources for AI bots, because they host research that is not universally reliable, but remains far more evidence-based than most web content. This is both an opportunity and a strain: repositories are now more valuable than ever, but machine traffic brings sustainability, capacity and policy challenges. Repositories may be able to scale, but who should fund that scaling, and under what conditions?

The core dilemma is how to curb abusive high-load bot activity …

Beyond The Launch: Seven Years Of Sustaining An Open Educational Resource After The Grant Ends, Susan Gardner Archambault

FORCE 2026

This presentation shares seven years of lessons from maintaining Project CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), an award-winning, open-access platform where librarians and educators share adaptable information literacy assignments. Launched in 2016 with grant support and strong community engagement, CORA saw early success: international page views across 150+ countries, 200+ shared assignments and teaching resources, and community-building features like "adapt this assignment" and leaderboards.

But when funding ended in 2018, Project CORA entered what many open projects experience but few discuss publicly: the precarious post-grant phase, when initial funding and enthusiasm fade but infrastructure still needs support. Annual contributions dropped …

Diamond Open Access Journals In India: Status, Sustainability And Challenges, Mallikarjun Dora, Kanagasabai K, Raj Kishor Kampa

FORCE 2026

Open-access publishing has transformed scholarly communication in recent decades. The share of OA articles between 2014 and 2024 increased by 26%, from a modest 14% in 2014 to 40% in 2024. OA journals have evolved over time and exist in various models based on funding mechanisms, including the Gold, Green, Hybrid, and Diamond models. While OA publishing emerged in response to scientific inequality, middle- and low-income countries face the barrier of high Article Processing Charges (APC), which hinder them from publishing in those journals (Alperin, 2022). The Article Processing Charges are part of the Gold and Hybrid OA models, where …

Using Ai-Assisted Programming To Develop Research Services Tools For Research Impact, Open Access Publishing & More, Gary Lee

FORCE 2026

Academic libraries play a vital role in scholarly communication, As research practices become more data‑driven and interdisciplinary, librarians can help scholars by creating and sharing flexible, customizable tools that align with local workflows and user needs.

AI Assisted programming (sometimes called “vibe coding”) offers a new way for librarians without extensive programming knowledge to develop such tools . This allows previously non-expert librarians to go from conceptual goals to working applications by rapid prototyping, experimentation, and roll-out, resulting in service innovation and improvement.

This presentation illustrates how librarians at HKUST have explored vibe coding with tools like GROK, POE, and …

Archiving In Advance Of Mission Completion, Molly Stothert-Maurer

Journal of Western Archives

This paper presents a detailed case study of the born-digital archiving efforts associated with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) Asteroid Sample Return Mission at the University of Arizona Libraries Special Collections. From the perspective of an archivist, the project exemplifies the integration of digital archiving into an active scientific mission, conducted in collaboration with multiple departments across the university. By preserving mission-critical content, including project management documents, social media interactions, and web content, this initiative serves as a model for resource light digital products utilizing batch descriptive techniques. The paper …