Library and Information Science Commons^™

Creation Of An Open Access Textbook, Sue Ann Gardner

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Presentations

Slide presented during the PRCA Research Celebration, June 3, 2025, in the University Libraries, University of Nebraska-Lincoln titled Creation of an Open Access Textbook, about the development and publication of Concepts in Animal Parasitology, co-edited by Scott L. Gardner and Sue Ann Gardner and published by Zea Books (Lincoln, Nebraska, USA) in 2024.

The Library Is Open: Making The Case For Academic Libraries As The Planning Hub For Frederick Douglass Day, Shaina V. Anderson

Urban Library Journal

This case study showcases the value of having a library act as the central planning and event location at a public, land-grant university. Frederick Douglass Day is a hybrid day of “…collective action for Black history” (Center for Black Digital Research, n.d.) that was founded by Dr. Jim Casey, an African American Studies faculty member at Pennsylvania State University. It is a day where students and community members from higher education institutions, archival institutions, and museums from around the world log onto a transcription program and participate in transcribing historical documents. Some of the participants are assigned to be “transcribers” …

Arts-Based Sustainability: From New York To Malawi, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Recognizing that libraries serve multiple constituencies and subject areas, this chapter documents and advocates for development of transdisciplinary arts-based research (ABR) and culture-related projects linked to environmental challenges. Libraries contribute collections and spaces, as well as the research of library and information scientists. Libraries are currently among invisible contributors to sustainability planning and services. The chapter will link this invisibility to the value of what visual arts refer to as negative space elements in subjects ranging from traditional ecological knowledge to environmental science. Library collections, projects, and research contribute to education for sustainable development (ESD) as required to achieve the …

Why University Libraries Should Not Overlook Research Staff, Bella Ratmelia

Research Collection Library

In a commentary, the uthor noted that university libraries often overlook research staff due to the transitory nature of these roles. She emphasised that these staff are key drivers of research productivity, bringing specialised skills and adaptability to evolving methodologies. To better support them, the author urged libraries to engage research staff through initiatives like SMU’s workshops co-taught by librarians and researchers and the SMU Researcher Club, which fosters their professional and personal growth while building future collaborations across academia and industry

Technical Communication Instruction Partnership With Engineering Faculty, Ashley S. Mcguire, Michael M. Lipscomb

Libraries Professional Work

Graduate students in STEM fields are often expected to communicate – both in writing and orally – at a professional level by the time they submit their theses and dissertations. Unfortunately, many graduate students lack opportunities to learn how to do that in a STEM setting. An informal review of US programs revealed that many offer writing courses modeled on traditional composition courses, which are not necessarily directed to the needs of STEM students. Further, many of these courses provide a series of isolated learning modules with little continuity or encouragement to revise and in which technological writing assistance is …

Une Library Services Quarterly Report June 2025, Une Library Services

Quarterly Reports

Highlights of accomplishments of the University of New England's Library Services department.

How Academic Libraries Support Systematic Reviews And Evidence Syntheses, Alyssa C. Borozan, Bonnie L. Fong, Siobhan K. Mccarthy

University Libraries Scholarship and Creative Works

As more faculty and graduate students conduct systematic reviews and other evidence/knowledge syntheses, it can be helpful for academic libraries to provide services and resources to support this type of research. This study identifies trends in evidence/knowledge synthesis support services among (thirty-six) selected institutions with Carnegie classifications of R1 or R2. Data about services and resources was collected from research guides, webpages, and via communications with library employees. There are many similarities between how R1 and R2 institutions are providing support, with a higher incidence of more comprehensive services among R1 universities. Most R1 institutions in our sample provide a …

What Language Are We Speaking?: Marketing Information Literacy On University Library Websites, Aleksandar Golijanin

Communications in Information Literacy

This study investigates how Canadian university libraries communicate information literacy (IL) to non-library faculty members on faculty-facing web pages. A content analysis was conducted of websites from institutions affiliated with the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (n = 25) to identify trends in the terminology used to describe IL. The findings reveal that the term "information literacy" appears with varying frequency across website headings, subheadings and body text, while terms like “research skills” and “critical information use” may appear in its stead. University libraries may intentionally be employing these terms to enhance faculty engagement in response to the existing …

"Some Level Of Skill For Life": Secondary Teacher Librarians Supporting Student Information Literacy Skill Transfer Beyond Secondary School, Kasey L. Garrison, Kay Oddone

Communications in Information Literacy

Students entering higher education are expected to transfer information literacy skills and knowledge developed through their primary schooling and sharpened in their secondary years. However, the constant evolution of the information landscape means the mastery of these skills presents challenges for students to develop and teachers to teach. Through interviews, this phenomenological study examines the perspectives and practices of 19 Australian secondary teacher librarians supporting student information literacy skill transfer in school and life contexts and considers important changes in the teaching of these skills. Findings suggest time and content overload are preventing integration across subjects and limiting students’ ability …

Generative Ai For College Students: A Collaboratively Developed Online Microcourse On Genai In The College Classroom, Amber Willenborg, Tessa Withorn

Communications in Information Literacy

Academic libraries have taken a variety of approaches to addressing the opportunities and challenges of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in higher education. For universities that have no standard policy around GenAI, instructors are left with little guidance on how to teach students about GenAI in the classroom and may have varying levels of comfort with GenAI and its applications. To address the need for more instruction around GenAI, a team of librarians and university writing center and digital media suite staff took an innovative approach to teaching AI literacy by creating a six-lesson microcourse in their learning management system all …

Exploring Positional Knowledge: Using Theory To Teach Bias, Thomas C. Weeks, Melissa E. Johnson

Communications in Information Literacy

In this article, the authors explain how librarians can use positionality theory to understand how students produce value judgments around questions of bias, authority, and credibility. Librarians can help guide students to recognize the student’s own positionality when approaching issues of bias. Students are often instructed to choose credible sources for their research, which they often interpret as sources that avoid bias. Source evaluation tools and checklists, such as the CRAAP test and SIFT, also tell students to watch out for biased language. Unfortunately, many people, students and librarians alike, misunderstand bias and fail to recognize its significance in the …

Enchanted April, Christopher V. Hollister, Allison Hosier, Jacqulyn A. Williams

Communications in Information Literacy

This editorial is a tribute to former CIL co-editor-in-chief, April Schweikhard.

From Novice To Expert: Exploring The Relationship Between Information Literacy Threshold Concepts And Epistemological Development, Amanda L. Folk

Communications in Information Literacy

The Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education articulates the ways of thinking, knowing, and doing that are valued in the academic community. Prior to the Framework, several scholars explored the potential relationship between information literacy and epistemological development, or the ways in which learners develop their understanding of and positionality to knowledge creation. However, the intersections of information literacy and epistemological development have been underexamined in the era of the Framework. In this article, I analyze the Framework through the lens of two epistemological development models, the Epistemological Reflection Model (Baxter-Magolda, 1992) and Reflective Judgement Model (King …

From Cynicism To Trust: Strategies For Teaching Students Source Evaluation Skills, Mandi Goodsett, Melanie Gagich

Communications in Information Literacy

Concerns about the spread and adoption of misinformation abound, and academic librarians have played a part in trying to stem the tide through information literacy instruction. However, teaching students how to evaluate sources can be complicated—teaching fact-checking skills may be insufficient if it increases students’ overall cynicism about information ecosystems. This study explores how teaching fact-checking and lateral reading skills, along with instruction about “bias filters,” can help to reduce the cynicism of first year writing students, while also increasing their misinformation detection skills. Results are mixed, but teaching about the information creation process and “bias filters” is especially promising. …

Visual Literacy Instruction At Scale: Developing Asynchronous Learning Objects For First-Year Art And Design Students, Jacqueline Huddle, Sarah Carter

Communications in Information Literacy

While learning modules are not new to academic librarianship, student-centered, asynchronous learning modules are an innovative approach not commonly considered within the academic librarianship literature. This article discusses the development and implementation of visual literacy asynchronous learning modules created by two librarians for a cohort of first-year studio art students. In creating these modules, the goal was to offer studio art students visual literacy instruction specific to their personal interests and future careers. Specifically, this article discusses the module design process and how student-centered learning can be incorporated into modules in order to offer deep learning opportunities.

Elbow Patches To Eye Patches: A Phenomenographic Study Of Scholarly Practices, Research Literature Access, And Academic Piracy, Lance Eaton

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Changes to academic publishing in the form of digital technologies and copyright law over the late 20th century have created increasing roadblocks for scholars to consistently and conveniently access research literature in their pursuit of scholarly work. As a result, academic pirate networks (APNs) such as Sci-Hub and Library Genesis have risen to fulfill the unmet needs of scholars. This study examined the experiences of scholars using APNs with a focus on how scholars make sense of their experiences with participating on APNs. By identifying meanings that scholars attributed to their participation on these networks, the study clarifies how these …

Co-Creating Ai Learning Solutions: A Qualitative Analysis Of Student And Faculty Deliverables In An Algorithmic Literacy Learning Community, Samantha Legrand, Zoeanna Mayhook, Jing Lu

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

This research describes the conceptual development and insights from implementation of Partners for Algorithmic Literacy (PAL) - a groundbreaking student-faculty learning community model, facilitated by academic librarians, where undergraduates and instructors partner to co-design curricular plans integrating or interrogating AI in the classroom. In the fall of 2023 and 2024, two cohorts in this learning community were partnered. In weekly sessions, partners experimented with AI tools and engaged PAL’s novel Algorithmic Literacy Pedagogy Framework to guide their conversations and co-design process.

Employing qualitative content analysis, an in-depth exploration is underway to glean valuable insights from the student-faculty partners’ personal reflections, …

Tracking Affordable Learning: Is Airtable Right For Your Institution?, Janelle Wertzberger, Mary R. Elmquist

All Musselman Library Staff Works

Gettysburg College began tracking OER adoptions in a Google Sheet – and we quickly outgrew it. We migrated to Airtable (a web-based spreadsheet-database platform) in 2023 and immediately appreciated its advanced capabilities and potential for making sense of our complex data. As a result, we can now produce raw statistics and compelling data-based stories regarding OER use and zero-cost/low-cost courses for campus stakeholders at all levels. Learn more about how this platform works and how you might be able to benefit from it in your local context. Maybe Airtable is right for you!

Improving Accessibility Of Anatomy Physical Study Aids, Michael Hopwood, Dorothy Berenbrok, Timberlyn Weber, Abby L. Adamczyk Mlis, Ahip

Academic Commons and Scott Memorial Library Staff Papers and Presentations

Background

Physical anatomy models are a valuable tool for student learning.^1-3 The Scott Memorial Library, an academic health sciences library, houses a total of 240 anatomy models in 75 different forms (e.g., hand, arm and shoulder, whole torso, etc.) at the service desk. These models are used by students across the health professions including medicine, physician assistants, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. Previously, library catalog records were the only way to find a list of available models. These catalog records were not comprehensive, did not use a consistent naming system, and did not contain images of the models. This …

Library News-- May, 2025, Rwu University Library

Library Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Notes For The Stalled, V17n08, May 2025, University Of Northern Iowa. Rod Library.

Rod Library newsletter: Notes for the Stalled

Contents:

--- De Stress Days
--- Extended Hours
--- Work in Progress
--- Congratulations!

To Lead Or Not To Lead? How Smu Libraries’ Ellssa Program Can Help Develop Leaders For The Future, Rajendra Munoo, Sumita Govindan

Research Collection Library

Digital libraries exist symbiotically with traditional physical libraries creating an ecosystem of hybrid services built around innovation and creativity. Leading the digital library requires the ambidexterity to keep up to date with trends and developments and be a catalyst to lead change management. With the pandemic, academic libraries learnt to become champions of agility in transforming their services to meet the new demands and needs of the community they serve. Libraries are now facing new challenges; the disbanding of the Institute of Museum and Library Services in the United States, the rising threats of censorship, and the gradual erosion of …

May 2025 Library & Learning Newsletter, Minnesota State University, Mankato. Library & Learning Dean’S Office Communications Team

Library & Learning Newsletters

PDF version of the May 2025 (Volume 3, Issue 7) Library & Learning Newsletter.

Conducting Effective Literature Searches And Writing Strong Abstracts, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

This invited presentation for students at Poland's War Studies University communicates ideas on how Ph.D. students at this institution can enhance their research quality. Specific content includes formulating your research question, determining research aims and methodology, reviewing a research question checklist, understanding the meaning of search terms you propose to utilize, devising effective search strategies, consulting multiple varieties of information resources from multiple countries, finding gaps in literature, being able to distinguish between nuances in literature and data, writing succinct abstracts, and enhancing the clarity of your prose.

Msu Archives Hotdish: A Research Apprentice Program In The Archives, Daardi Sizemore Mixon, Heidi J. Southworth, Jamison Vierstraete

Library Services Publications

This session focuses on the ingredients used by the University Archives at Minnesota State University, Mankato to make a successful Research Apprentice Program Hotdish. In 2024, the University Archives at Minnesota State University, Mankato participated in the Undergraduate Research Center’s Research Apprenticeship Program (RAP). The RAP provides students new to research with opportunities to collaborate with faculty and staff on mentored research, scholarly, and creative projects. Daardi Mixon, University Archivist will discuss the development and implementation of the RAP program within the archives and how library and university strategic plans were incorporated into the outcomes with a focus on high-impact …

I Have To Pay To Keep My Job: Examining Financial Barriers To Promotion And/Or Tenure, Amanda Koziura, Faith Bradham, Maura Seale

Library Faculty Research

Drawing from data collected in 2020 and 2023 through national surveys, this paper will illuminate financial barriers faced by academic librarians in tenure-track or professional positions with a promotion requirement related to service, scholarship, or other professional engagement.

April 2025 Library & Learning Newsletter, Minnesota State University, Mankato. Library & Learning Dean’S Office Communications Team

Library & Learning Newsletters

PDF version of the April 2025 (Volume 3, Issue 6) Library & Learning Newsletter.

The Impact Of Free Course Materials On Study And Financial Habits: A Survey Of Students Taking Z-Courses At Fhsu, Claire Nickerson

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

A z-course is a course that uses zero-cost course materials. In Fall of 2025, a study of students taking z-courses at FHSU was conducted. The goal was to determine how using free course materials affected students’ budgetary and study habits.

Notes For The Stalled, V17n07, April 2025, University Of Northern Iowa. Rod Library.

Rod Library newsletter: Notes for the Stalled

Contents:

--- National Library Week
--- Research Award
--- CFPL@UNI
--- What Were You Wearing?

Leading And Collaborating In A Complex Space: Developing And Evaluating A Course Materials Program, Catherine Fraser Riehle, Melissa Gomis

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Librarians at a large public university describe ongoing efforts to develop a strategic, multi-pronged Libraries Course Materials Program to reduce course material costs for students. These efforts include the integration of course materials in the university’s learning management system in addition to offering course materials reviews, consultations, and grant opportunities for instructors. A pilot program in the College of Business provided a path for direct outreach to instructors as well as significant potential student cost savings and revealed challenges related to communication and recruitment. Authors share their approach to program evaluation for understanding and communicating impact and for estimating the …