This study explores how acquisitions practices and infrastructure influence building diverse distinctive collections within Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member institutions. Through a survey of the existing acquisitions practices within ARL institutions, this study interrogates the collections-based methodologies that are utilized to…

Despite comics' popularity and cultural significance in Italy, its integration into Italian libraries has been slow, problematic, and uneven. This is reflected in the scarcity of academic research on the topic, which demands further in-depth exploration. In the context of Italian libraries, characterized by chronic underfunding and staffing…

In early 2021, the Schusterman Library at the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa satellite campus took a new step towards building a culture of interest by creating the Graphic Scholarship Collection. This new endeavor is a curated collection of graphic novels, primarily non-fiction, aligned with the academic programs on campus, as well as promoting…

Policy language plays a central role in ensuring that academic libraries are accessible and inclusive to patrons with disabilities. However, relevant accessibility information is often missing from publicly available library policies. This article uses findings from a content analysis of SUNY libraries' public collection development and…

Purpose: The purpose of this research project is to examine the state of mental health library research guides in the United States as well as the services offered by academic libraries. This paper highlights the informational background, mental health resources and tools and support services available besides academic library guides.…

In academic libraries there has been growing interest in developing better ways to diversify collections, but STEM collections are sometimes overlooked. To better understand current practices and challenges, a survey was distributed to librarians with STEM collection responsibilities in the summer of 2021. Results from the survey indicated that…

Library staff developed a project to reclassify the Curriculum Materials Collection of a specialty library on the campus of a regional comprehensive university. Materials were reclassified from a custom classification system derived from those developed by Lois Belfield Watt in 1962 and Harlan Johnson in 1973, to the Dewey Decimal Classification.…

Fulfilling requests for media content in support of classroom and faculty research activities is demanding for academic libraries. Libraries strive to meet requests for media while working with challenges such as intellectual property license contracts, advances in digital communication technologies and copyright issues. This article provides an…

The time and resources required to prepare archival collections for use by researchers is a source of constant frustration in archives and libraries. Almost always, aspirations and collections exceed limited resources. The last fifteen to twenty years have seen archivists and librarians putting great effort into increasing standardization and…

A limited number of interlocking institutions provide career opportunities within contemporary visual art, which affects both who is seen and written about. This paper compares the proportions of recent art exhibition reviews and catalogs to artists' race and gender, and how that is reflected in library collections. Overall, publications covered…

The Punjab University Library (PUL) is the oldest and largest public-sector university library in Pakistan, established in 1873 as a Punjab University College Library and then upgraded as PUL in 1882. As in many other post-colonial countries, the end of British rule over South Asians in 1947 did not end colonialism itself, as an embedded feature…

This report presents the findings of a research project carried out for the School Library Association of New Zealand Aotearoa Te Puna Whare Matauranga a Kura (SLANZA) and the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa (the National Library) in 2024. School libraries are not mandatory in Aotearoa New Zealand schools.…

Background: Information literacy supports individuals' academic abilities of critical thinking and reasoning which enable them to quickly grasp new ways of learning. It helps build long-term learning as it motivates and improves critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Students mostly use applicable resources such as books and the internet to…

The Wood River Middle School (WRMS) serves approximately 600 students a year. The school is diverse, with roughly half Latinx students and a large English language learner population. The library collection boasts almost 16,000 books. The most popular section? If you combine the manga and graphic novel sections, they win the top prize, with 38% of…

According to a report by PEN America, 40% of banned and challenged books have BIPOC protagonists, and 41% have LGBTQ protagonists and/or LGBTQ major plots or themes. Librarians know that censorship is bad. Censorship surges in school libraries are not a new or uniquely 2020s problem. In the early 1980s, the American Library Association's (ALA)…