The idea of the university has undergone a conceptual evolution that has lasted nearly one thousand years. In inspecting this historical discourse more closely, it becomes clear that it is a conversation led by academics and that some voices in our university communities are in fact absent from the dialogue. This raises a number of interesting…

This article investigates learning and teaching in library makerspace programs. Given the recent trend for libraries and makerspaces to define themselves in terms of learning, the findings of this article are particularly relevant to current initiatives. The article first reviews pedagogical theories which are referenced in literature connected…

Although school libraries have changed greatly since the publication of the first set of school library standards in 1920 (National Education Association and North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools 1920), each subsequent iteration of the standards has sought to define the next incarnation of a profession undergoing continual…

While the mission of research libraries remains constant, the nature of research libraries and what they do is changing. Research libraries are taking on new roles in digital scholarship, data management, and scholarly communications. More than ever, libraries know they must align their mission with the objectives of key stakeholders. This article…

Established standards and guidelines promote school librarian leadership in technology integration. Despite the imperatives implicit in professional guidelines and standards, school librarians' active engagement as leaders is not pervasive practice. Technology rich 21st century school libraries present a challenge to school librarians to lead…

Dissemination of news and information is often challenging in small, rural communities, where sprawling geography and limited resources can limit the effectiveness of communication systems. While traditional media and local organizations attempt to inform the public through newspapers, flyers, radio, social media, and word of mouth, no one means…

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…

Open access institutional repositories can be ill-equipped to manage the complexity of research outputs from departments of fine arts, media, drama, music, cultural heritage, and the creative arts in general. The U.K.-based Kultur project was funded to create a flexible multimedia repository model using EPrints software. The project launched the…

The main objective of this study was to identify the library resources available for persons with special needs in the libraries of public and private sector universities of Lahore, Punjab province. The sample of the study included 23 librarians working in the libraries of different departments which were selected through simple random sampling…

Finals week activities have become increasingly popular in academic libraries in the last few years, but what is a library to do when it is not allowed to have therapy dogs? This column examines a progression of increasingly popular activities at Michigan State University Libraries. Included is an assessment of what makes them popular, our…

The "Best of the Literature" column is intended to keep librarians, administrators, and staff up to date with the most recent, relevant, and useful literature of the field. In the last few years, students of color across the nation have spoken out about their experiences of racism and racial microaggressions on their campuses. They have…

Baker Library at Harvard Business School is increasingly asked by the school's faculty to create custom digital information products to enhance course assignments and to find novel ways of electronically disseminating faculty research. In order to prioritize these requests, as well as facilitate, manage, and track the resulting projects, the…

Based on 30 interviews with instructors who implemented affordable materials in their courses at a large research university, this study explored their motivations for using such resources, the processes they employed, and the extent to which the new course materials influenced teaching methods and perceived learning outcomes. Results suggest that…

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought about significant disruptions in higher education, including changes within the field of academic librarianship. This paper reports on a March 2021 survey of tenure-track faculty librarians. The purpose was to identify the challenges they faced because of the pandemic, the effect on their confidence, and…

The shift to online library instruction during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges for librarians and staff because of the lack of online teaching and technological competencies. This study examines the competencies of academic and school librarians in teaching information literacy online. The findings have implications for…