Information Literacy Commons^™

Is Artificial Intelligence Intelligent? Trust, Verification, And The Responsible Use Of Al In Libraries, Norman Desmarais, Janice Schuster

Library Faculty and Staff papers

We live in an age of alternate realities. If we do not like the current situation, we can pick or rearrange facts to suit our worldview. It appears our information systems follow suit, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI). Developers in the Al industry generally want friendly Al that does what the human user wants (as long as it is not too naughty). They do not want Al that says "I do not know," so they design models to be fluent, not factual. Consequently, the engines confidently invent citations, titles, or people if not constrained or verified, a phenomenon called AI …

An Enduring Mission, Expanding Responsibilities: Reexamining Educating Students To Think Forty Years Later, Victoria Therriault

Learning Hub

This article reexamines the role of school librarians forty years after the publication of Educating Students to Think. It argues that the central mission of school librarianship, helping students locate, evaluate, synthesize, and use information thoughtfully, has remained consistent while librarians’ responsibilities have expanded. The article connects this mission to contemporary practices including inquiry learning, instructional collaboration, digital and media literacy, AI literacy, digital citizenship, equitable access, and instructional leadership. It also presents an updated framework and practical strategies for applying these responsibilities in modern school library programs.

Navigating Ethical Ai Use In Online Education: Leveraging The Framework For Information Literacy For Higher Education, Grace Kaletski-Maisel

FDLA Journal

As generative AI transforms online education, students are confronted with the many ethical quandaries that this technology poses. A document known as The Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education (Framework) has great potential to serve as a tool for educators who strive to guide students towards ethical decision-making in AI use. Information literacy is “the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning.” This definition was posed by the Association of College …

When Everyone Is A Librarian: Examining Job Titles And Responsibilities In California School Libraries, Mary Ann Harlan, Jeffrey Mattison, Jodi Hwang

Learning Hub

School libraries in California are staffed by a wide range of personnel, including credentialed Teacher Librarians (TLs) and paraprofessional staff working under a variety of job titles. Analysis of responses from the California School Library Survey revealed substantial variation in self-reported library staff titles, raising questions about the relationship between job titles, job descriptions, and professional responsibilities. This study examined the titles used by individuals working in California school libraries as paraprofessionals and analyzed corresponding job descriptions to determine whether distinctions exist between professional standards and descriptions and paraprofessional duties. Using survey data from the 2022–2023 California School Library Survey, …

De-Centering And Re-Centering Digital Scholarship, Ten Years On, Matthew Hunter, Aaron Retteen, Micah Vandegrift

Faculty Scholarship

Ten years after the publication of a manifesto attempting to describe what digital scholarship could do for and within libraries, some of the original authors reflect on the progress of the call-to-action. This article describes areas in which the integration of digital scholarship activities as core parts of librarianship has and has not become commonplace and traces larger-scale developments in the academy and global knowledge landscape that have contributed to the accuracy of the predictions made in 2017.

Finding And Using Validated Surveys In Health Science Research, Tracy Ashby

Library Class: Lunch & Learn

Join us as we introduce techniques for identifying and using validated surveys in health sciences research. Learn strategies for finding reliable, evidence-based measurement tools in the databases and gain tips on how to evaluate their quality and relevance.

Demographic Context Of Media And Information Literacy (Mil) Skills Among Senior High School Students In Ghana, Patience Emefa Dzandza Ocloo, Aurelia Ayisi, Abena Animwaa Yeboah-Banin, Annie Oye

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This paper explores the media and information literacy (MIL) competencies of young Ghanaians in senior high schools. It is premised on the rising spate of misinformation, online security breaches, and the avalanche of content young people must navigate. Together, these factors demand young persons to be new media savvy in order to use the affordances of the current media ecology to their benefit. To advocate for comprehensive MIL education in senior high schools in Ghana, the study adopts a comparative analysis logic to examine demographic differences that attend young people’s media and information literacy. A nationwide survey of 1200 senior …

The Generative Turn: What Ai Doesn't Do And A Framework For Responsible Use, Deborah Lee

Mississippi Libraries

This column examines the limitations of generative AI as a foundation for responsible and informed use.  While much attention has been given to what AI can do, effective and responsible use depends on understanding what it does not do well.  For librarians as professionals grounded in information literacy, these limitations underscore the importance of critical evaluation and contextual understanding.  By recognizing both the capabilities and constraints of AI, librarians can better guide their communities in using these tools thoughtfully and effectively.

Assessment Of Information Literacy Instruction In Reference: Applying Vanscoy’S Conceptual And Procedural Framework In Practice, Vanessa Arce

Publications and Research

The instructional aspect of reference work has long been acknowledged, especially in academic libraries. The current RUSA guidelines include helping users develop information literacy as a goal of reference. In this context, investigating the presence and nature of information literacy instruction can be used to assess the quality of reference services. This study applied Amy VanScoy’s conceptual/procedural framework for point-of-need instruction to a sample of chat reference transcripts at Lehman College, City University of New York. One of the assessment’s goals was to determine the prevalence of instruction and type of knowledge addressed in reference interactions. Another goal was to …

Nsu Library Link - Summer 2026, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Florida Link Newsletter

No abstract provided.

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

The Southeastern Librarian

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

The President's Column, Laura Slavin

The Southeastern Librarian

SELA President Laura Slavin's column for the Summer 2026 issue of the Southeastern Librarian

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)

Government Documents For All: The Basics Of Public Patent Search, Tim Dodge

The Southeastern Librarian

The Basics of Public Patent Search: Column No. 10

Second Acts In Academic Librarianship: Trends, Impacts, And Implications, Tiffany Davis Norris, Phill Johnson

The Southeastern Librarian

This study investigates the increasingly common phenomenon of academic librarianship as a second career. Survey data from more than 500 academic librarians found that nearly 70 percent of respondents did not begin their professional lives in the library field. These findings challenge the long-held perception of librarianship as an early or primary career choice and highlight significant trends with implications for library education, recruitment, leadership development, and burnout prevention. The study explores patterns in first careers and examines demographic trends, age distributions, and correlations between career background and current leadership roles. By framing librarianship as a deliberate career pivot rather …

Christianity, Gender Identity, Parents’ Rights: Book Censorship Discourse In Tennessee Communities, Janet Kesterson Isbell, Shawn Hinkel

The Southeastern Librarian

Hate and hostility toward the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer+ (LGBTQ+) community and people of color, inflamed in recent years by political extremism and radical conservatism, have permeated many areas of society. One context where hostilities have emerged in the past decade is public debate surrounding book challenges, which prompted a yearlong investigation into the polarizing phenomenon of book censorship in the United States. After extensive reading of media reports from around the nation, the authors focused on public discourse related to book challenges in Tennessee public and school libraries, where debate was contentious, librarians were threatened, and the state’s …

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.

Sela Member Spotlight: Tim Dodge, Blair Jones

The Southeastern Librarian

SELA Member Spotlight No. 5, Summer 2026; Tim Dodge, History, Political Science, Economics, and Theatre & Dance Librarian, Auburn University

Haint Country: Dark Folktales From The Hills And Hollers, Samantha Duncan

The Southeastern Librarian

Haint Country: Dark Folktales from the Hills and Hollers
Matthew R. Sparks and Olivia Sizemore
Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2024
ISBN: 9781985900974
216 pp., $24.95 (Pbk)

Of Slash Pines And Manatees: A Highly Selective Field Guide To My Suburban Wilderness, Ashley Roach-Freiman

The Southeastern Librarian

Of Slash Pines and Manatees: A Highly Selective Field Guide to My Suburban Wilderness
Andrew Furman
Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2025
ISBN: 9780813080963
208 pp., $28.00 (Pbk)

The Jewish South: An American History, A. Blake Denton

The Southeastern Librarian

The Jewish South: An American History
Shari Rabin
Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2025
ISBN: 9780691208763
296 pp., $29.95 (Hbk)

Author Insights: Book Reviews In Depth: An Interview With Ann Hite, Author Of I Am A Georgia Girl: The Life Of Lucille Selig Frank, Melissa Lockaby Howell

The Southeastern Librarian

Ann Hite
I Am a Georgia Girl: The Life of Lucille Selig Frank
Macon: Mercer University Press, 2025
ISBN: 9780881469981
337 pp. $32.00 (Cloth)

News From The States, A. Blake Denton

The Southeastern Librarian

Library news reports from SELA member states

Editor's Notes: Summer 2026, John H. Barnett

The Southeastern Librarian

The Southeastern Librarian editor's column for the Summer 2026 issue

Sela Leadership

The Southeastern Librarian

List of SELA Officers, Executive Committee, State Representatives, Committees, Sections, Round Tables, Ad Hoc Committees, and Working Groups for the Summer 2026 issue

Enhancing Research Communication With Visual Tools, Sonya Fogg

Library Class: Lunch & Learn

Understand the role of visual communication in medical research. Distinguish between data visualizations, infographics, and visual abstracts. Identify best practices and some resources and tools for creating effective visuals.

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., …

Maintaining Student Support During A Library Restructure, Ashley Purvis, Jenn Ann Monnin

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

This talk presents a brief, collaborative autoethnography of a health science library downsizing due to budgetary constraints. Prior to Fall 2024, the library consisted of five librarians, with one liaison to each school on the Health Sciences Campus. After staff downsizing, a functional model was instituted with two librarians serving students, faculty, and research. One librarian focuses on support of the research enterprise, while the other focuses on student success, completing the majority of health sciences instruction. Presenters will briefly describe the new library structure and spend the majority of time presenting their reflection on the division of labor; deciding …

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, …

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.