Over the past several years, there has been an expansion in the use and awareness of open educational resources (OERs) in postsecondary institutions in the United States. Some states have invested funds to expand the use of OERs across their campuses as an alternative or supplement to traditional course materials that students typically pay for…

The pandemic and resulting shift to remote work stressed the importance of distance library services. As librarians explored different modes of engagement, embedded librarianship became increasingly important but also more complicated than before. While there is a wealth of literature on embedded librarianship, few authors agree on how to define…

In 2019, Policy Studies Associates conducted an evaluation of the Free Library of Philadelphia's Literacy Enrichment Afterschool Program (LEAP), focused on identifying program strategies to support early literacy development. The recommendations that emerged from this evaluation for the Free Library can also inform the efforts of other public…

This study investigates how co-curricular programming in universities can demonstrate and communicate impact in new ways. The Association of College and Research Libraries report "Academic Library Impact: Improving Practice and Essential Areas to Research" provides a framework to better understand how co-curricular programming…

This article builds on a 2018 study and reports on a survey conducted in 2022 to examine the value of advanced subject degrees in addition to the Master of Library Science for academic librarians. This study explores the impact of advanced subject degrees on scholarly contributions, compensation, teaching roles, and tenure status in academic…

With more than 25 years of experience providing library-based out-of-school time (OST) programming to Philadelphia children and youth in grades preK-12, LEAP (Literacy Enrichment Afterschool Program) offers insights into the distinct operations and contributions of drop-in programs. A 2019 evaluation of LEAP, conducted by Policy Studies…

This study examines how academic libraries in the UK responded to the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 open access policy. Thirteen information professionals at twelve institutions across the UK took part in semi-structured interviews. Findings from the interviews reveal how libraries created and deployed new infrastructures, workflows,…

The Free Library of Philadelphia's Literacy Enrichment Afterschool Program (LEAP) is a key part of Philadelphia's comprehensive citywide Out-of-School Time (OST) system. For more than 25 years, the Free Library has offered children academic support and enrichment through LEAP, a free, voluntary, and drop-in program. At the request of the Free…

Systematic reviews, along with other types of knowledge synthesis, are a type of research methodology that attempt to find all available evidence on a topic to help answer specific questions. Librarian involvement in systematic reviews is well established in the health sciences, and in recent years there has been growing awareness of, and…

Financial literacy came to the forefront as the 2013-2014 presidential focus of the Association of College & Research Libraries division of the American Library Association, bringing increased attention to the topic among academic librarians and encouraging an exploration into new and developing roles for academic libraries in financial…

As higher education continues to focus its attention on first-generation college students, academic libraries are increasingly interested in designing outreach and instruction programs to support these students, especially during their first year of college. This study informs these efforts by implementing a standardized test to assess the…

A growing number of studies have reported that using open educational resources benefits students, but few studies have investigated academic impacts of adopting library-sourced eBooks as the course textbook. This mixed-methods study utilizes the Open Education Group's COUP Framework (Cost, Outcomes, Usage, Perceptions), which has previously been…

Purpose: Using a descriptive case study approach, this paper aims to validate academic librarians' perceptions that they are marginalized by faculty during academic program reviews, and recommends ways for the two groups to collaborate more effectively to make program reviews more meaningful. Design/methodology/approach: The paper describes a case…

Grounded in the Free Library's mission to "advance literacy, guide learning, and inspire curiosity" and commitment to being an open and accessible community resource, LEAP (Literacy Enrichment Afterschool Program) offers afterschool drop-in academic support and enrichment at libraries throughout Philadelphia. These promising strategies…

This paper will examine the findings of a survey on the job roles and responsibilities of Education librarians (academic librarians with liaison responsibilities for the field of Education). Existing literature on Education librarianship has focused on particular facets of the job role, including the unique instructional needs of Education…