Library and Information Science Commons^™

Improving Queries To Retrieval-Augmented Generation Ai Tools By Inferring The Sources Of Bad Results, Julie Arendt

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

Since ChatGPT’s wide release, businesses have rushed into expanding their use of generative artificial intelligence. Information providers, including suppliers of library databases and integrated library systems, are joining the trend, with many products combining the verifiability of direct source access and citation with the conversational answers produced through large language models. Retrieval-augmented generation is a common technique that overlays search results with text extracted and processed through generative artificial intelligence. This poster provides an overview of retrieval-augmented generation and summarizes ways that it can produce errors. Strategies for improving results, based on those error modes are suggested.

Longitudinal Growth And Use Of Open Repositories In The U.S. Since 2015, Jimmy Ghaphery

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

One indication of the maturity of institutional repositories (IRs) in 2015 was that the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) added two questions focused on IRs to their Academic Library Trends and Statistics Survey. ACRL has continued to collect this data annually, documenting the number of IR items and downloads. This lighting talk will take a longitudinal dive into this data for a quantitative IR portrait of the past decade and include the type of U.S. higher education institution as defined by Carnegie classification. By looking at this self-reported data from the past decade, growth trends and benchmarks can …

Navigating Censorship: The Impact Of Book Challenges On Library Professionals And Advocates In Virginia, Hope Y. Kelly Phd, Easter Digangi

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

This work seeks to document the effects of book challenges and other censorship efforts on library professionals and advocates in Virginia in the early 2020s. The results offer insights into the lived experiences of individuals, highlighting the implications of censorship across the state. This work was a collaborative effort with a Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Librarian and an active member of Virginia Library Association’s (VLA) Intellectual Freedom Committee that developed after initial interviews from association leaders (VLA & Virginia Association of School Librarians) had been collected in 2023.

Validating Search Strategies For Healthy People 2030’S Leading Health Indicators: An Update On The Ph/Ha Caucus’S Structured Evidence Queries Project, Samantha Guss, Anita Kuiken, Erin Wentz, Dani Lapreze, Erin Reardon, Laura Zeigen, Courtney Pyche

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

The Public Health/Health Administration (PH/HA) Caucus’s work in developing Structured Evidence Queries (SEQs) for Healthy People 2030’s leading health indicators, an initiative from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) aimed at improving the nation’s health in measurable ways highlights their search validation strategy and plans for outreach and assessment as the project nears completion. The SEQs, developed for PubMed, are designed to measure progress toward specified health outcomes while addressing health disparities and promoting health equity. The team collaboratively developed and peer-reviewed these SEQs, refining criteria and creating a validation strategy using resources from HHS. Plans for …

Looking Into Mirrors And Windows: School Librarians' Perspectives On Diverse Representation In Book Collections, Kimberly Reichenbach Krutka

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Librarian professional standards include the development of collections with diverse representation, and the study of multicultural literature is often part of masters programs. However, there is a lack of scholarship examining what multicultural literature signifies for librarians. In addition, the current landscape surrounding libraries has jeopardized students’ access to literature, furthering a narrative that attempts to exclude specific identities and portrays librarians as irresponsible and harmful. This study aimed to build a foundation of understanding and critical insights into this problem through a survey distributed to Texas school librarians. Data was analyzed through descriptive statistics and content analysis to understand …

The Sisu Of It All: Authentic Application Of Vital Skills, Samantha Hull

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The article focuses on the integration of multiliteracy and media literacy within the Finnish education system and the role of school librarians in supporting this initiative. Multiliteracy is defined as the ability to obtain, combine, modify, produce, present, and evaluate information across various contexts and tools, fostering critical thinking and learning skills. The Finnish national curriculum emphasizes collaboration between classroom teachers and librarians to enhance educational experiences, with public libraries serving as vital partners in promoting lifelong learning. The article highlights the importance of creating authentic learning environments where students can practice real-world skills, ultimately preparing them to be engaged …

Claude Ai And Literature Reviews: An Experiment In Utility And Ethical Use, Max Sparkman, Alan Witt

Milne Library

Generative large-language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT and Claude have sparked debate throughout higher education about their potential and threats to the current pedagogical models for research. This paper scans the literature on the benefits and drawbacks of using LLMs in teaching and research, and compares and contrasts two literature reviews on the subject, one written by a human author and one produced by Claude. The comparison explores areas where the generative AI excels, such as quickly summarizing points of agreement across sources, as well as its limitations, like struggling with synthesis, providing incomplete citations, and hallucinating false information. While …

Fulcrum, Newsletter Of The Furman University Libraries. Issue 22, Madeline Eastergard, Kathie Sloan

Libraries Institutional Records

Scholarship Reception Celebrates More Than $8M in Grants for Research Projects

From the Director

Explore Furman's StoryMaps

Celebrating Douglass Day 2025

University Reads: A New Shelf Showcases Furman Authors

Meet Our Newsest Librarian Lauren Lundy

New Postcard Window Display

Level Up Your Skills with O'Reilly for Higher Education

Help Us Improve the Library Website

What We're Reading

Important Dates

Foreword: Censorship Is A Drag, Emily Drabinski

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Educating The Educators: Six Frames For Three Identities, Eric Silberberg, Laura Cameron, Christina Jones, Amy James, Alison Lehner-Quam, Robin Ewing, Margaret Gregor

Publications and Research

Educating tomorrow’s teachers is a complex and evolving process. !ey are preservice teachers in undergraduate programs, current teachers pursuing career advancement in master’s programs, and aspiring educational researchers in doctoral programs. Perhaps nowhere else on campus does information literacy instruction have more potential to affect generations of information users than when librarians educate the educators as education students will, in turn, impart information literacy skills to the students in their classrooms for many years.

Education students inhabit three overlapping identities as they progress through degree programs: as students fulfilling assignments, professionals conducting evidence-based research, and future teachers responsible for teaching …

Techno-Pedagogic Discourse And The Online Learning Assetization Regime, David F. Ayers

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Research on academic capitalism has critiqued the commodification of knowledge, but it has not critiqued assetization. The difference between commodification and assetization is more than a technical distinction. Extracting value from assets requires a different regime of coordination than what is required for extracting value from commodities. Through an analysis of 132 texts related to the online course review process at 16 research universities in the USA, I propose and problematize an online learning assetization regime which transforms discipline-based knowledge into digital content that can be owned, controlled, and managed as a university asset. This process potentially alienates faculty from …

Capacity Building In Research Data Management Services: A Case Of Malaysian Research-Intensive Universities, Mohd Ikhwan Ismail

Student Works (2020-2029)

The increasing volume of research data has led to the emergence of research data management (RDM). Researchers generate substantial amounts of data that require efficient management throughout various stages of the research lifecycle. Dissemination and sharing of research data are key components of open science and RDM, driven by the requirements of funders, publishers, and institutions. Consequently, libraries have become vital in supporting researchers and adapting to the rapid growth of research data. The academic librarians providing RDM services need the capacity to fulfil roles and responsibilities for the research community. In the Malaysian context, RDM is still in its …

Uso De Herramientas De Inteligencia Artificial Generativa Por Parte De Docentes En Una Escuela Del Suroeste De Puerto Rico, Glorimar N. Rodríguez Guiliani

Theses and Dissertations

Esta disertación aplicada fue diseñada para investigar el nivel de conocimiento, uso y dificultades que enfrentan los docentes de quinto a duodécimo grado en una escuela privada del suroeste de Puerto Rico respecto a tecnologías emergentes las cuales presentan desafíos significativos para los docentes y los estudiantes. Se exploró la utilización de herramientas de inteligencia artificial generativa (GenAI) como ChatGPT dentro y fuera del aula para actividades pedagógicas y administrativas.

Los hallazgos revelaron una notable carencia en el conocimiento docente sobre el uso y habilidades de la inteligencia artificial. Se identificó, también, una deficiencia en la capacidad de los docentes …

Ai Literacy For All: A Universal Framework, Leo S. Lo

University Libraries & Learning Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Artificial intelligence has become a pervasive force shaping society, economy, and daily life. Despite widespread media coverage and business adoption, a significant gap persists between superficial awareness and meaningful understanding of AI's principles, ethical dimensions, and societal implications. This paper introduces AI Literacy for All: A Universal Framework, a comprehensive model designed to foster responsible engagement with AI across diverse populations.

The framework integrates five essential components—Technical Knowledge, Ethical Awareness, Critical Thinking, Practical Use, and Societal Impact—each structured into four progressive levels guiding learners from basic awareness to strategic insight. This design balances accessible technical understanding with ethical reasoning, critical …

Review Of Digital Degrowth: Technology In The Age Of Survival, Michael Kirby

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

The Bib Record In The Age Of Digital Reproduction, Michael Kirby

Publications and Research

Taking both structural and thematic inspiration from Walter Benjamin’s “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,” this article posits that the movement from physical card catalogs to ALSs [Automated library systems] and ILSs [Integrated library systems] was not solely the result of technological progress. Rather, this transition had its genesis in a process Marx called primitive accumulation—in this case a form specific to the library profession. In other words, this article seeks to recast the history of digitized catalogs within libraries, seeing them, first and foremost, as harbingers of disenfranchisement and dispossession, specifically of catalogers. The article …

Fant Memorial Library Annual Report, 2025, Hillary A. H. Richardson

Fant Library News and Reports

A report of the activities from Fant Memorial Library in 2025.

Implementing A Z-Course Program At Fort Hays State University, Claire Nickerson

Library Faculty Publications

In 2018, the Fort Hays State University (FHSU) Open Educational Resource (OER) Committee proposed a Z-Course Program to track and incentivize the use of zero-cost course materials. It included a course-marking initiative, the implementation of a small cost-share fee to students to fund the program and incentivize departments to offer Z-courses, and a Z-Course Grant Program for faculty who wanted to convert their courses. The proposal was approved in 2020 and implemented beginning in 2021. Since then, the course-marking and fee implementation have been streamlined, and the committee is working on qualitative assessment.

Copyright And Artificial Intelligence, Part 2: Copyrightability

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

This report by the United States Copyright Office addresses the legal and policy issues related to artificial intelligence (AI) and copyright as outlined in the Office’s August 2023 Notice of Inquiry (NOI).

The report will be published in several parts each one addressing a different topic. This part addresses the copyrightability of works created using generative AI. The first part, published in 2024, addresses the topic of digital replicas—the use of digital technology to realistically replicate an individual’s voice or appearance. A subsequent part will turn to the training of AI models on copyrighted works, licensing considerations, and allocation of …

Journal Of Family Of Strengths Website Re-Designed!, Alice Sherwood

TMC Library Newsletter (2015-)

The Journal of Family Strengths (JFS), formerly Family Preservation Journal, is an open-access, double-blind peer-reviewed online journal produced by CHILDREN AT RISK in partnership with the Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention Center – Prairie View A&M University and The TMC Library.

For additional information, visit the Library Blog

Profiles Of First-Year First-Generation Students’ Library Perceptions And Use: An Intersectional, Mixed Methods Study, Megan Hodge

Theses and Dissertations

To effectively support first-generation students, academic libraries must understand their needs. However, limited library research has been conducted into how these students, who often embody multiple structurally disadvantaged identities, perceive and use academic libraries or how their intersecting identities manifest in differing library needs. This study aimed to build understanding of first-year first-generation students’ perceptions and use of academic libraries. To do so, the researcher used an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. First-year first-generation students at Virginia Commonwealth University were surveyed using Winkler and Sriram’s (2015) Academic Capital Scale and Anwar et al’s (2012) AQAK: Library Anxiety Scale for Undergraduate Students. …

United States Environmental Protection Agency Scientific Integrity Policy

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

US EPA SIP

Introduction To Systematic Review For The Health Sciences (Spring 2025), Bethany S. Mcgowan

Libraries Faculty and Staff Creative Materials

The course syllabus for the Spring 2025 iteration of the graduate course ILS 595: Introduction to Systematic Review for the Health Sciences.

Implementing Information Literacy Practices In Curriculum, Ongelle Schroeder

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This literature review explores the value of integrating information literacy instruction into existing curricula, with a focus on collaboration between faculty and librarians. As students face an overwhelming volume of information, equipping them with the skills to navigate, evaluate, and use sources effectively is increasingly essential—especially in course that require source-based writing, research, and critical analysis. The review highlights key approaches and resources to support educators in embedding information literacy into instruction. While this literature review was written for the contexts of ENG 101 and COMM 100/102, its themes are applicable to a wide range of teaching contexts.

Information Literacy Instruction Trifecta: Universal Design For Learning, Culturally Responsive Teaching, And Andragogy In Action, William Ortiz

Library Faculty Publications & Presentations

Instruction is an integral part of many academic librarians’ responsibilities, yet many enter the profession with varying levels of experience in teaching. While librarians can gain a basic understanding of the general best practices of instruction through myriad means before and after becoming librarians (e.g., a course in library school, professional development, mentorship from other librarians, personal research), many librarians do not get the chance to engage with critical pedagogies and fundamental learning theories the way that teachers do. To that end, this LOEX 2025 workshop is intended to act as a primer and a creative space so that instruction …

Survey Study On College Student’S Acceptance And Attitude Towards Generative Ai To Their Learning, Jinhua Wang

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

This study investigated college students’ attitudes and acceptance of generative AI tools like ChatGPT. These tools are advanced programs capable of understanding questions and responding in a conversational manner. The main objective is to determine whether college students find generative AI tools helpful for their learning and schoolwork. A comprehensive survey was conducted with 57 college students at an online survey platform SurveyMonkey.com. The survey solicited college students’ perceived usefulness of generative AI tools in academic settings regarding their school activities (such as writing papers, explaining complex topics, coding, solving math problems, and researching information). The model of Diffusion of …

An Exploratory Study On The Usability Of Distance Learning Technology In The U.S. Army Recruiting And Retention Command, Rony Arizandieta Rodas

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

This exploratory study investigates how integrating distance learning technologies within the U.S. Army impacts enlisted soldiers in terms of implementation, usability, and long-term career mobility. With internet-based education, active-duty enlisted personnel can pursue academic degrees from accredited military-affiliated institutions while simultaneously fulfilling operational duties, deployments, and daily training. The U.S. Army Recruiting Command has capitalized on this advancement by framing online education and digital accessibility as core components of its enlistment strategy. This approach is particularly relevant given that a significant proportion of new recruits originate from rural and economically disadvantaged areas, where access to higher education is often limited, …

Conference Program 2025, Georgia Southern University

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

2025 Program

An Uphill Battle: School Library Professionals Fostering Student Reading Engagement, Margaret Kristin Merga, Saiyidi Mat Roni

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Reading engagement influences students’ literacy attainment. School library professionals provide resources, environments and guidance to promote reading for pleasure, but little is known about how this role is currently supported or challenged. Drawing on mixed methods survey responses from 971 school library professionals from 63 countries, integrated findings suggest that younger students had greater access to the library, and that limiting access may negatively influence student engagement. The educative value of reading aloud and reading for pleasure may be poorly understood in some schools. Most parents had no access to the school library; in some contexts, this was due to …

Math And Aftermath: Impacts Of Unbundling A Large Journal Package On Researcher Perceptions And Behavior, Kizer S. Walker, Adam Chandler, Caitlin Finlay, Gabriela Castro Gessner, Tobi Hines, Jesse Koennecke, Susan Kendrick, Leah Mcewen, Jacob Sayward, Henrik W.W. Spoon

Articles

This study seeks to understand the effects on researchers’ work at a large research university in the wake of the university library’s shift from a near-comprehensive journals package with a single, large publisher to a selective list of individual journal subscriptions. Analyzing historical journal usage, along with turnaway and interlibrary loan trends from the years following the changes, the authors made use of structured interviews with local researchers to bring context and meaning to the quantitative data. The interviews highlighted researchers’ strategies for gaining access to literature in their fields to which the library does not subscribe, and revealed assumptions …