Library and Information Science Commons^™

Government Documents For All, Tim Dodge

The Southeastern Librarian

The Government Documents for All column for the Spring 2026 issue of The Southeastern Librarian

Member Spotlight, Blair Jones

The Southeastern Librarian

Member Spotlight no. 4 for the Spring 2026 issue of the Southeastern Librarian. The spotlight shines on Crystal R. Gates, Chief Executive Officer of the North Little Rock (Arkansas) Public Library System.

Character Demographic Assessment In An Academic Library's Graphic Novel Collection: Implications For Collection Development, Bridgette L. Whitt

The Southeastern Librarian

This article presents an analysis of the main character demographics across a graphic novel collection housed at the Paul Meek Library, University of Tennessee at Martin. The study evaluates the presence of specific identified character traits such as race, ethnicity, ability, emotional or psychological themes, and the settings of the 451 evaluated titles. The assessment also evaluates the genre distribution of fiction, nonfiction, and biographical content and how often the novels were set outside of the United States. The goal of this study was to better understand the narrative scope and representation within the graphic novel collection, with a focus …

The President's Column, Laura Slavin

The Southeastern Librarian

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

Mob Rule In The Ozarks: The Missouri And North Arkansas Railroad Strike, 1921-1923, Kristine Stilwell

The Southeastern Librarian

Author: Kenneth C. Barnes

Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 2025

ISBN: 9781682262627

304 pp., $24.95 (Pbk)

Building Community At An Academic Library With Bilingual Story Trails, Laura Bright, Janice S. Lewis

The Southeastern Librarian

A story trail is an activity that combines exercise and literacy as visitors read sequentially displayed book pages while walking. Story trails are often set up outdoors along existing paths and feature rotating selections of children’s picture books. Many story trails are set up and maintained by community groups, public libraries, or schools. Academic libraries can use story trails as opportunities to promote literacy, foster a sense of local community, support families, and encourage healthy habits. The authors of this article use City of Greenville (North Carolina) StoryWalks® created by staff at East Carolina University’s Joyner Library as an example …

Chet Atkins: Mr. Guitar, David W. Young

The Southeastern Librarian

Author: Don Cusic

Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2025

ISBN: 9780820373393

464 pp. $24.13 (Hbk)

Cultural Humility In Libraries: A Call To Action And Strategies For Success, Megan Callaghan

The Southeastern Librarian

Authors: Shannon D. Jones & Beverly Murphy, eds.

Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2024

ISBN: 9781538162156

196 pp. $39.95 (Pbk)

News From The States, Blake Denton

The Southeastern Librarian

Library news reports from SELA member states

From Print To Pixels: Preserving Alabama’S Historic Newspapers Through Digitization, David Ferrara, Melissa Young

The Southeastern Librarian

This article presents a case study of the Alabama Digital Newspaper Project (ALDNP), a grant-funded initiative to digitize Alabama’s historic newspapers. It outlines the establishment and history of ALDNP, including its accomplishments, and the challenges faced and overcome by University of Alabama Libraries Special Collections (UALSC) staff. This case study details ALDNP’s workflows, including title selection, metadata creation, technical standards, and microfilm digitization. This article also highlights outreach efforts, including collaborations with regional archives, student workers, and community educators. In addition to providing details on the accomplishments of ALDNP, it also outlines potential areas for growth and expansion. Detailing a …

Editor's Notes, John H. Barnett

The Southeastern Librarian

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

Sela Leadership: Officers, Executive Committee, State Representatives, Committees, Sections, Round Tables, And Ad Hoc Committees, John H. Barnett

The Southeastern Librarian

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

Lesson Plan For Dataone Lifecycle’S “Describe” Stage Using Historical Data From The Alabama Insane Hospital Annual Report (Aihar) Collection, Marla Hertz, Tricia Martone

Libraries Professional Work

This activity will teach the value of documentation in research data management using real data from Alabama mental institutions. During the Describe stage of data management, the why, who, what, when, where, and how of the data is provided to improve the interpretation and reuse of research data. This lesson includes options to complete the activity in an analog or digital fashion and is appropriate for undergraduate students and up.

Learning outcomes:

• Learners will be able to articulate the value of documentation in data creation and sharing.
• Learners will be able to construct a data README to describe their data …

The First Cut Is (Hopefully) The Deepest, Michelle Colquitt

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Keep It 100 @ The Sea*: Navigating The Choppy Waters Of Departmental Change, Michelle Colquitt

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Reshaping Academic Libraries As Dynamic Partners And Knowledge Hubs For Research Productivity And Professional Development For Academics, Abdullahi Olayinka Isiaka, Benjamin Adebisi Bamidele, Adelani Rotimi Ibitoye, Abdullahi Adebola Yusuf, Kaliat Oyindamola Abdulwahab, Ajeigbe Emmanuel Afolami, Ifelayo Esher Bamidele

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Academic libraries have long been regarded as repositories of knowledge, but their roles are rapidly evolving to meet the growing demands of research productivity and professional development among academics. This paper explores how libraries are transforming into dynamic partners and knowledge hubs to facilitate access to resources, tools, and services that enhance research output and academic growth among academics. This study adopted a survey design approach. The population of this study is all the 86 academic librarians from the nine university libraries in Kwara State. Total enumeration sampling technique was used and data were collected via questionnaire from the respondents. …

Exploring Information Literacy Skills, Attitudes, And Barriers Among Medical And Nursing Students In Bahrain: A Mixed-Methods Perspective, Asif Altaf, Suchita N. Dsilva, Simple Sibi Joseph, Fida Mukhtar, Muhammad Zeeshan, Bindhu Nair

Communications in Information Literacy

Information literacy is essential for evidence-based medical education, yet Gulf-region studies rarely examine student competencies and barriers. This study examines the information literacy skills, attitudes, and challenges faced by medical and nursing students at RCSI Bahrain. A mixed-methods design was employed, combining a quantitative survey (n = 343) with qualitative focus groups (n = 10). Students reported high self-perceived information literacy across domains. Time constraints and information overload were identified as the primary barriers to effective communication. Focus group findings highlighted the late introduction of curricula, technical access challenges, and inequities between medical and nursing programs. Library training attendance, academic …

Teaching Inquiry As Conversation: Bringing Wonder To Life, Barbara K. Stripling, Darryl Toerian

Learning Hub

In Teaching Inquiry as Conversation, Barbara Stripling and Darryl Toerien invite school librarians, classroom teachers, and education leaders into a deeper conversation about what inquiry can make possible for learners. Building on the Stripling Model of Inquiry and Toerien’s FOSIL framework, the book presents reflective inquiry as more than an academic process. It is a whole-child approach that helps students develop curiosity, identity, cultural responsiveness, voice, agency, and lifelong learning skills.

In their ALiVE! Library Project interview with Dr. David Loertscher, Stripling and Toerien discuss inquiry as a communal process of coming to know and understand the world. Their …

Librarian Leaves Behind A Lasting Impact, Jennifer Hoyt

Libraries Faculty & Staff Publications

A retirement party to recognize Stuart Frazer, Administrative Services Librarian & Assistant Dean of Libraries, brought dozens of colleagues, friends, and family to Perry Library’s Gallery space, along with dozens of freshly-baked brownies. A must on the party menu, guests prepared their own special batches with full knowledge that the retiree prefers the signature dessert. When asked what ingredients helped define Frazer’s longtime career, guests listed a unique mix of expertise, knowledge, and creativity.

Joining Forces: Enhancing Website Usability Through Ux And Assessment At An Academic Library, Josie Cotton, Liz Bober

Researchers, Instructors, & Staff Scholarship

In this chapter, we show how we used assessment and user experience (UX) methods to improve our library’s website. We conducted usability testing, during which we observed participants complete tasks on our website. To help support our testing, we used our library’s biennial user satisfaction survey, where we included several targeted questions that assessed user engagement with the website. We used the results of both assessments to inform updates to the website. Together, the results of our usability testing and survey provide a full picture of website use and lead to a more user-centered website. While the survey was quantitative …