This literature review identifies the content and scope of empirical academic research on making, makerspaces, and fablabs. Using an overview approach, 150 peer reviewed studies were analyzed using expanded activity theory as a framework to examine how researchers have explored various components in a makerspace (subjects, tools, community, rules,…

For decades, popular culture was neglected and frowned upon by academics. In recent years, cultural critics, including librarians, have found popular culture materials to be didactic tools, and vital to the study of society and the zeitgeist that has prevailed at the time of their production. As a result, many academic librarians have found it…

There persists an intense debate on whether or not the traditional reference desk should be in academic libraries. Yet, despite many anti-desk studies, the place of the reference desk still remains. This paper aims to review the current significance of the reference desk for some libraries, as well as the importance of choosing the proper…

In 1897, the University of Chicago Extension Division began offering what we today would call "bibliographic instruction" under the aegis of the Bureau of Information of the Illinois State Library Association. The program was expanded under university librarian Zella Allen Dixson, and by 1900 was designed to train librarians and library…

This article details how the Norman Public School District implemented Guided Inquiry Design and making at all levels of the school system. It highlights how the faculty collaborated with other educators and how learners collaborated with their peers and their classroom teachers on inquiry projects.

Academic libraries have long recognised the benefits of integrating information literacy into disciplinary curricula. One model that addresses the common problems of sustainability and scalability of such efforts is the train the trainer model, where academic librarians serve as faculty developers. Improving faculty development efforts requires…

The global COVID-19 pandemic has demanded new strategies and, at the same time, granted new opportunities for the university regarding community engagement. Online education has become a challenge for all universities and libraries around the world. In this context, the Universidad Viña del Mar (Chile), articulating a collaboration between its…

People experiencing homelessness or other life crises often seek respite, information, and assistance in libraries. Librarians, like social workers, are helping professionals and have historically been advocates for and supporters of low-income groups. However, librarians may lack the knowledge, skills, and capacity to provide adequate support. As…

This paper discusses the development of a source evaluation assessment, and presents the results of using this instrument in a one-semester information literacy course for journalism students. The assessment was developed using the threshold concept perspective, the "authority is constructed and contextual" frame, and an established…

This quantitative study investigates the diversity of the American Library Association's Michael L. Printz Award which is given for outstanding young adult literature titles. The award's website notes that it strives for diversity amongst the award winning or honored titles. This study uses quantitative analysis to determine if the committee's…

Books are often the targets of anti-intellectual censorship efforts in schools for two reasons. First, they are integral to the process and practice of reading, which is how people encounter new ideas. Second, the coercive nature of curriculum means that students must read books with controversial ideas. Emily Knox argues that the people who…

This study aimed to investigate the challenges faced by working students in patronizing library services in Nigeria and to propose tailored solutions to enhance their patronage. A descriptive survey research design was used to collect data from 110 working undergraduate students, which was then analyzed using descriptive statistics. The findings…

Like most of its peer institutions, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries faced the challenge of meeting the needs of a growing number of students taking online courses. The author, hired as the new Virtual Learning Librarian in January 2016, was charged with creating a new Virtual Learning Program. This tutorials-based program was first…

This article explores a case methodology of action research in Tennessee and investigates how library and information science (LIS) educators can extend their social responsibility to the state's small businesses and rural public libraries. Insights are drawn from a planning grant that was recently awarded by the Institute of Museum and Library…

I examine one set of elementary school library standards (New York City School Library System, n.d.) in an effort to analyze the impact that the standards might have on literacy experiences for young children in one urban school setting. Employing a critical discourse analysis framework, I examine the language that the Empire State Information…