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Academic libraries have moved swiftly to grasp the challenges and opportunities of the new Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. The body of academic and practice-based literature is growing fast, showing how libraries are exploring their role in Information Literacy (IL) and AI, ethics and AI, and how they vigorously test and adopt various AI-powered tools for their services. Across these accounts, librarians express concern about their competence, skills and knowledge of the new technology and its implications for the research community. In this article, we present a holistic process model called the B-Wheel that addresses the phenomenon's complexity with approaches adopted from design thinking ideologies. We propose design approaches as an alternative strategy for academic libraries that want to avoid partial optimisation of AI skills and to ensure more generative competency building in their organisation. We drew inspiration for the B-Wheel model from the principles and pedagogy of the 20th-century Bauhaus art and design school in Germany. The article focuses on the model's features and its elements, constructed through workshops in Scandinavian research libraries. We also present experiences from the first use case in a University Library in Scandinavia. We propose that the main principles of the B-Wheel process model – a holistic design approach and learning by doing – are transferable across and beyond academic libraries. • Academic libraries are concerned about their competencies with Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. • Presentation of a holistic and generative process model to build AI competencies, skills and knowledge: The B-Wheel. • Process approach that was inspired by the principles and pedagogy of the Bauhaus School. • Design approaches and methods to guide organisations through the complexity of the AI phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faculty status for librarians is one of the most debated topics within academic librarianship (Bailey & Becher, 2022). Professional associations argue that faculty status benefits librarians, but little empirical work has explored how faculty status plays out in real-world settings (Galbraith, Garrison, & Hales, 2016). This study investigates whether faculty status helps librarians overcome barriers using a comparative case study of two academic libraries representing polarity on this issue. One library offers librarians tenure-track faculty appointments; the other classifies librarians as staff. Through qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews, the study explores administrative obstacles faced by librarians and whether faculty status ameliorates them. This study also examines if debates over librarian faculty status ignore inequality regimes (Acker, 2006) that may appear in both faculty and staff settings. Surprisingly, findings reveal faculty status is associated with more workplace hierarchies and stress, especially for female librarians. Contrary to claims made by faculty status proponents, most librarians feel equally undervalued by disciplinary faculty regardless of status. Ultimately, blanket recommendations for faculty status seem ineffective, and nuanced solutions tailored to local contexts better serve librarians. This study encourages an honest dialogue to empower librarians based on individual needs, not rigid assumptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Textbook affordability programs and the promotion of OER are well-established priorities for many academic libraries, but few studies have examined the prevalence of such programs either in general or across institution types. This paper presents the results of a study designed to gather information about textbook affordability initiatives at university libraries that are members Association of Research Libraries. It uses information from the publicly available websites of ARL libraries in the United States to determine how many of those institutions maintain textbook affordability programs, with those figures further broken down by status (public/private) and membership in the Open Education Network. In addition, the findings reveal some notable characteristics of textbook affordability programs, including an overall lack of visibility on institutional websites, a marked variety in financial incentives, and evidence of programs that have been discontinued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, employees in academic institutions became eager to realign their personal and professional values, which in some cases led to high rates of attrition and faculty and staff disengagement. Library leaders should consider a host of strategies to retain (and attract future) talent, including increased compensation, flexibility in work hours or location, demonstrated compassion, intentional professional growth, and institutional policy change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, many academic libraries have renewed their commitments to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) initiatives in public statements. In this qualitative study, the author interviewed academic librarians to understand how these commitments have been actualized in libraries, and what barriers and challenges have been faced by individuals coordinating this work. All libraries had established committees to implement EDI initiatives, but committees with dedicated positions, budgets, and consistent support from administrators were able to attempt more large-scale, systematic work. The study includes recommendations for library administrators for providing effective structures and support for EDI efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on academic librarian morale is burgeoning, yet less attention has been paid to the workplace experiences of staff. This research team, which included library staff and librarians, conducted 34 structured online interviews with academic library staff across the United States. A theoretical model and interview findings are presented, which reveal the ways in which organizational culture, library hierarchies, and management style affect staff morale. Recommendations are offered, suggesting that, while change can present substantial challenges, efforts to address equity in compensation, provide professional growth opportunities, and create more collegial work environments are essential to improving staff morale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the use of collegiality as a factor in promotion-and-tenure cases for academic librarians. Using data from library promotion-and-tenure documents at R-1 universities in the United States, the researchers asked three questions: How many R-1 university libraries include any mention of collegiality in their tenure guidelines? What language is used to express the concept of collegiality and is it defined in a clear, objective manner? How important is the concept of collegiality to the process of tenure? The results reveal that collegiality or related concepts are mentioned in less than one-third of tenure documents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timely access to guideline-recommended cancer treatment is known to be an indicator of the quality and accessibility of a cancer care system. Yet people who are socially disadvantaged experience inequities in access to cancer treatment that have significant impacts on cancer outcomes and quality of life. Among people experiencing the intersecting impacts of poor access to the social determinants of health and personal identities typically marginalized from society ('social disadvantage'), there are significant barriers to accessing cancer, many of which compound one another, making cancer treatment extremely difficult to access. Although some research has focused on barriers to accessing cancer treatment among people who are socially disadvantaged, it is not entirely clear what, if anything, is being done to mitigate these barriers and improve access to care. Increasingly, there is a need to design cancer treatment services and models of care that are flexible, tailored to meet the needs of patients, and innovative in reaching out to socially disadvantaged groups. In this paper, we report the protocol for a planned scoping review which aims to answer the following question: What services, models of care, or interventions have been developed to improve access to or receipt of cancer treatment for adults who are socially disadvantaged? Based on the methodological framework of Arksey and O'Malley, this scoping review is planned in six iterative stages. A comprehensive search strategy will be developed by an academic librarian. OVID Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL (using EBSCOhost) and Scopus will be searched for peer-reviewed published literature; advanced searches in Google will be done to identify relevant online grey literature reports. Descriptive and thematic analysis methods will be used to analyze extracted data. Findings will provide a better understanding of the range and nature of strategies developed to mitigate barriers to accessing cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sheds light on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the work of university librarians in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The article's importance is in assessing the impact of new strategies in the context of the COVID-19 crisis when libraries were forced to close and operate online only. The content focuses on analysing the physical and mental health impact of COVID-19-infected librarians in leadership positions and on university librarians in general during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the immediate post-COVID period. Taking care of the physical and mental health of people infected with COVID-19 in the aftermath of the pandemic is indispensable if they are to continue to meet the requirements of their profession. This study collected data quantitatively and qualitatively through an anonymised survey and in-depth interviews in six selected university libraries. Interviews were conducted from June 2022 to August 2022, recorded, translated, and topic analysis done by the authors directly before writing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of globalization, the demand for English academic writing instruction at the higher education level is experiencing exponential growth. Consequently, it is crucial to conduct research that transcends national, cultural, and disciplinary boundaries in order to address this pressing need. However, there is a scarcity of research examining the intricate and diverse nature of English academic writing instruction across a wide array of national, cultural, and disciplinary contexts, highlighting an area that calls for further investigation. In response to this gap, Anne Golden, Lars Anders Kulbrandstad, and Lawrence Jun Zhang have collaborated as editors on a comprehensive volume titled "Crossing Borders, Writing Texts, Being Evaluated: Cultural and Disciplinary Norms in Academic Writing." This collection aims to inform educators and researchers about the challenges encountered in multilingual contexts of academic writing and propose empirically substantiated solutions and coping strategies. This article provides a summary of each chapter of the volume, highlights notable features, and offers constructive criticism by identifying areas for improvement. Overall, the authors' adeptness in unraveling the complexity and diversity of English academic writing instruction permeates the entire book. Their utilization of empirical studies, insightful findings, practical recommendations, and consideration of diverse contexts all enable their contributions to the field of English academic writing instruction. Consequently, this book serves as an indispensable resource for researchers, educators, and graduate students who seek guidance in navigating the intricacies of teaching and learning academic writing in multilingual contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to assess the level of copyright knowledge among library staff and law students at the University of Venda (UNIVEN) library in Thohoyandou, Limpopo province, South Africa. The study used a quantitative research approach using a survey to gather data on understanding and awareness of copyright laws on campus. Google Forms was used to collect data. The population consisted of 38 library staff selected using a census sampling method and 112 final-year and postgraduate law students selected using a stratified random sampling method. The results of the study show that UNIVEN law students are more knowledgeable about basic copyright matters such as policies, copyright protection, public domain, copyright limitations, and fair dealing, copyright ownership than library staff. The research findings provided insight into the current level of copyright knowledge among library staff and law students and suggested strategies to improve copyright education and training in libraries. The results of this study will be useful to librarians, academics, and policymakers interested in promoting copyright literacy and compliance in academic libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research support services (RSS) play an essential role in the lives of academics and researchers. The study focused on availability of RSS and doctoral students' satisfaction with RSS provided in public university libraries in Kenya. The success of doctoral students is often determined by the extent of RSS provided by the university libraries. Every library system's main goal is to satisfy its patrons. Specifically, the paper was guided by these objectives: to assess the extent of provision of RSS in university libraries and to determine the level of satisfaction of doctoral students on available RSS. A sample size of 372 doctoral students were selected using stratified sampling and simple random sampling techniques, and 32 librarians were selected purposively from selected public universities in Kenya. This study adopted a descriptive research design and used an online survey research technique to collect data from doctoral students and librarians. Microsoft Excel and the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) were used to analyse the data. Findings indicate that a wide range of RSS were provided in the selected universities and that while doctoral students are satisfied with the availability of materials, they are not happy with the currency of the materials in the library. The study concludes that there were significant differences in the provision of RSS for doctoral students across the selected public university libraries and that doctoral students have varying levels of satisfaction with the research support services provided to meet their information needs at selected public universities. The study findings will help university libraries to improve their services, provide targeted services to doctoral students and develop frameworks that will guide in resource allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to explore first-year engineering students' perceptions of the engineering librarian as an instructor in multimodal environments related to Information Literacy (IL) topics, teaching strategy, content evaluation, organising, planning and support. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative approach was used through a survey instrument based on an online questionnaire. Questions were adopted and modified from a lecturer evaluation survey. A simple random sampling technique was used to collect data from first-year cohorts of engineering students in 2020 and 2022. Findings: Respondents perception of the engineering librarian as an instructor in multimodal learning environment was good. Findings revealed students' learning experiences were aligned with IL instruction even though the environment changed from blended to online. However, an emerging theme that continuously appeared was a lack of access to technology. Practical implications: These findings may help in developing and strengthening the teaching identity of academic librarians as instructors in multimodal learning environments. Originality/value: To the best of the author's knowledge, this study is novel in that it evaluates the teaching abilities of an academic librarian in multimodal environments through the lens of students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to examine the status, explores the hurdles and identifies the prospects for developing a union catalogue of university libraries in Lahore, Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach: Following a quantitative research approach, a questionnaire was developed from literature and authors' experience. After ensuring its validity and reliability, data were collected from librarians after the census. A total of 105 librarians were approached, of whom 73 (71%) responded to the survey. Findings: University libraries in Lahore are well organized, have adequate collections and information technology-literate staff, are well automated, have good internet connections, are equipped with integrated software, follow cataloguing rules and MARC standards; however, the absence of standardized software, lack of funds, absence of uniform policy, professional workload and absence of standardized vocabulary are significant challenges. Private-sector librarians reported facing more challenges. Librarians consider all prospects vital for developing a union catalogue. These prospects include the availability of relevant information, incentives to librarians, coordination with librarians, a realization that sharing is caring, the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan taking initiative and librarians' training. Research limitations/implications: University librarians in Lahore are ready to cooperate with the development of a union catalogue; however, they seek support from higher authorities, professional library associations and the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this research is the first of its kind that examines the status, explores the hurdles and identifies the prospects for developing a union catalogue of university libraries in Lahore. It would lead to the development of a union catalogue of university libraries in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the current economics education system in universities in China differs from developed Western countries, China has been deliberately emulating the economics education system in the West over the past two decades, a system that has been repeatedly criticized by international movements such as the "post-autistic economics movement" and the "International Student Initiative for Pluralism in Economics." This article argues that the dominant position of mainstream Western economics in Chinese higher education contradicts the scientific principles of pluralism and does not align with China's national conditions and the necessity for the development of a philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. Based on the proposals put forward by faculty and students involved in the international movement for the reform of economics education over the past twenty-two years, this article recommends reforms to address the major weaknesses of economics education in China. The reforms address ten areas for improvement, including the overall goals of pluralism in economics education, curriculum design, teaching methods, an independent academic evaluation system, faculty development, and the evaluation of academic disciplines. The purpose of these reforms is to destabilize the dominant position of mainstream Western economics in higher education in China and gradually establish a new economics education system with a curriculum based on a plurality of approaches, a variety of critical pedagogies, and a methodology of problem-based learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiential learning can connect undergraduate students with research projects where they create and analyze data. Research Data Management (RDM) competencies are needed to ensure that research data are effectively organized, described, stored, and curated for future use. In recent years, undergraduates have been taught RDM in credit classes and workshops, but opportunities to learn RDM competencies are not widespread in undergraduate education. This study describes a one-credit asynchronous express RDM course that was developed and taught by an academic librarian as a 100-level undergraduate class between 2021 and 2023. Students applied RDM theory and best practices to marine science case study-based assignments to experience organizing and describing research data firsthand. The course culminated with students writing proposals to implement RDM practices at a research institution. Evaluation of the course is described from the librarian-instructor perspective and using enrollment, grade, and student course evaluation data. Teaching asynchronously at an express pace presented challenges in keeping some students engaged and progressing throughout the seven-week course, requiring proactive outreach and instructor attentiveness. While the asynchronous mode adds flexibility to student schedules, a reduced scope or slower pace is recommended for providing undergraduates a meaningful experiential introduction to data management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For almost thirty years, academic librarians have encouraged their faculty peers and patrons to publish in open access (OA) journals and other venues. Despite these efforts, one of the most difficult barriers to OA still exists: academic faculty at US higher education institutions lack strong incentives to publish in OA venues. This article describes one library school's adoption of a faculty promotion and tenure policy--with evaluative criteria--that strongly and clearly supports OA publishing. The author concludes with recommendations for further research on how academic rewards systems can better incentivize OA publishing, as well as how to effectively develop and implement such policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many institutional repositories continue to struggle with low engagement. A combination of factors is often at play, including overburdened faculty, confusion about copyright, and lack of awareness. Adding to these barriers on the researcher side are resource constraints on the administrative side, with many libraries citing limitations in budget and staffing for institutional repositories.1 Atkins Library at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte sought to address these issues by strategically leveraging citation and copyright information that already existed in Web of Science to grow their institutional repository, Niner Commons. Keeping user needs and staff limitations top of mind, Atkins Library launched a project to reframe the approach to increasing participation with the repository: instead of continuing to expect users to deposit works on their own, the library developed a service in which staff could quickly and sustainably deposit works on behalf of users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the experiences of two librarians at Montana State University in negotiating, executing, and managing seven transformative, or read & publish, agreements. The authors offer their perspectives of transformative agreements and share the hurdles and wins they have had along the way, to help others decide if these types of agreements make sense to implement at their own libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed at exploring the perception of librarians toward adopting Linked Open Data in Uganda, a case of selected university libraries. An exploratory survey approach was employed for this study using a mixed methods approach of data collection. The data was analyzed using SPSS and Ms Excel. The targeted population was 78 professional librarians in seven selected public universities. The study was guided by the UTAUT model using the performance expectancy construct. The findings revealed that the respondents perceived that Linked Data would assist the patrons in discovering relevant information and data through links to other data repositories. They also believed that Linked Data interlinks would be used to describe the relationship between two Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs). The respondents were convinced that Linked Data will enrich data discovery and improve the users' overall search experiences. The study found that respondents perceived that Linked Data will assist the patrons to discover relevant data and benefit research, enrich discovery of data, hence improving their overall searches. Linked Open Data is very important to enable data sharing through the Semantic Web. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching, learning and research at every level of the education system cannot be successful without appropriate resources. Adequate, quality resources are not readily available, especially in resource-constrained countries like Nigeria. These resources come in various formats (physically and/or electronically). Audiovisual resources (AVRs), electronic information resources (EIRs) and open educational resources (OERs) are examples of teaching and learning materials that could be procured by educational institutions and accessed by students and other members of the academic community. The instrument for data collection was a literature review directed to the librarians of the selected university libraries. The educational resources--in terms of availability and usage--were presented in tables comparatively. Findings show that each of the three university libraries has certain types of AVR, EIR and OER, which are available for students' use. Strategies for the effective use of these educational resources in Nigeria's academic libraries were discussed. It is recommended that adequate learning facilities, other than books, be provided by the government or private individual owners of the academic libraries in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. There is also a need for academic librarians and users to keep themselves abreast of the skills necessary for the appropriate use of educational resources (subscription or free-based) in the institutions where they are available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insufficient reporting of the size of the solo academic librarian population exists. Utilizing Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) annual data and adhering to the 1989 Solo Librarians Caucus definition of solo librarianship, a method relying on IPEDS UnitIDs and the Human Resources (HR) survey component was designed to quantify this population working within American institutions of higher education for fiscal years 2016 through 2019. Pairing with additional IPEDS institutional data from two fiscal years provided overview insight into the institution types served by these professionals based on geographic region, enrollment full-time equivalents (FTEs), Carnegie Classifications, and annual library expenditure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper delves into the debate over faculty status and tenure for academic librarians. Unlike subject-area professors, librarians often lack the opportunity for these distinctions. It's imperative that universities acknowledge the significance of these titles for librarians and reform the tenure process. Faculty status and tenure carry prestige in academia, offering job security, salary progression, and protection from arbitrary dismissal. They also safeguard academic freedom, allowing scholars to voice opinions and pursue research without fear of repercussions. However, the issue of tenure for librarians remains contentious. Granting tenure to academic librarians is crucial to creating a flourishing university culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Ghanaian public universities have fully embraced the concept of open access. This is evident in the increasing numbers of institutional repositories (IRs) by universities in Ghana. However, to ensure the sustainability of these IRs, it is vital the current IR infrastructure is capable of responding to current and future demands. The purpose of this study is to investigate the sustainability of the current IR infrastructure of public universities in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach: The convergent parallel mixed methods design was adopted. A total of 830 respondents comprising IR managers, library staff (digitisation and e-resources units), postgraduate students, lecturers and university librarians from five public universities in Ghana were sampled for this study. A questionnaire and a semi-structured interview guide were the main instruments used for data collection. Findings: The findings of this study revealed that the IR infrastructure of public universities in Ghana is robust and has the capacity to expand when the need arises. However, funding, cost of internet connectivity, personnel and erratic power supply were identified as major challenges confronting IRs in Ghana. Originality/value: This study highlighted Ghana's existing IR infrastructure situation. This study is a significant contribution to the literature from West Africa because there is not much research on IR infrastructure from this part of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study has examined librarians' possession of information and communication technology (ICT) skills and knowledge that are requisite to practicing embedded librarianship in Tanzanian academic libraries. An exploratory cross-sectional design and qualitative and quantitative approaches have been employed by the study to collect data from 166 librarians and 6 library directors. While the data collected using a questionnaire have been analyzed using Statistical Product and Service Solutions version 21, those collected using interviews have been analyzed thematically. The study reveals that librarians have inadequate ICT skills and knowledge needed to effectively implement embedded librarianship. More specifically, the librarians lack the skills and knowledge needed to deploy sophisticated ICT tools, software, and online platforms. Regarding the ways through which librarians acquired the ICT skills and knowledge they had, the study reveals diverse sources. To effectively practice embedded librarianship, the study recommends both long-term and short-term ICT training for library professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although LIS research output, globally, has increased in recent years, why is there a dearth in LIS research from countries like India in the Global South? What barriers and challenges impede LIS researchers' active participation in scholarly communications? Is there a bias against research output from the Global South? These are some of the questions that the author investigated with the help of ACRL's Research and Scholarship Grant (2019 - 2020). The author collaborated with a librarian colleague in India at a second stage of the project to collect supplementary data. The second phase of the research was supported by the Marcia Tuttle International Travel Grant from NASIG (2020 - 2021). Important findings include the need for Open Access and training in academic writing standards which could help resolve some of the challenges. Learning from our Global South colleagues may assist with our work with international students and students from multiple backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Support by academic libraries for open access (OA) over the past three-plus decades has largely focused on the development of digital infrastructure, promotion of open access publishing, support of policy-driven access mandates, and more recently, adoption of transformative agreements. Libraries have correspondingly created a broad array of scholarly communication roles to support these varied approaches. Surprisingly, one area of open access support that has received less attention from libraries is the facilitation of description and discovery of open access resources through the creation of robust original metadata. Expertise in Organization of Recorded Knowledge and Information represents a core competency of librarianship, yet the current academic library landscape shows few positions that specifically apply this expertise towards support for OA resources. Efforts to describe OA resources typically fall below those dedicated to licensed resources and pale in comparison to OA advocacy work, repository, publishing and other services. This case study offers an example of how one large academic library has introduced a metadata librarian position focused on description of open access resources into its activities supporting open access. For decades, commercially licensed resources have benefitted from metadata enhanced layer by layer by commercial and library professionals alike. With increased focus and funding being devoted to open access driven by governmental, institutional, and private funders, attention is critically needed to ensure that these new resources obtain the description necessary to allow them to be useful. Metadata librarians focused on open access resources can work with array of positions, such as repository managers and other digital asset management professionals, to ensure that open access resources are properly ingested and managed, and that metadata practices are aligned with best practices for preservation and long-term access. OA metadata librarians could be responsible for developing and implementing metadata standards and practices for open access resources like scholarly articles, data sets, and other digital objects. These standards would help ensure that open access resources are accurately described and discoverable alongside purchased resources, making them more accessible to researchers and other users. In addition to their technical responsibilities, OA metadata librarians can also play key roles in advocating for open access resources and educating library staff and users about the importance of metadata in supporting discoverability and accessibility. Through participation in professional organizations and initiatives focused on open access and metadata, OA metadata librarians can help raise awareness of the importance of metadata in supporting open access resources, their sustainability, and ultimately, their impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research data management (RDM) is a field of emerging concern for academic librarians. As funder agencies increasingly mandate institutions and researchers to ethically and responsibly manage their research data, academic librarians are frequently tasked with creating institutional strategies and services to support researchers. This article explores how a racialized librarian at a medium-sized, teaching-focused Canadian university created an institutional research data management strategy through a process informed by critical librarianship research and contributive justice (Gomberg, 2016; Honma & Chu, 2018). It examines the lack of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) principles in both funder directives and RDM research literature and proposes an approach to do institutional RDM work in an EDI-centered way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author reflects on their 10 years serving as co-chair of the PR Xchange Awards Competition, an annual library marketing contest sponsored by Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA) (now Core), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). The article briefly traces the history of the PR Xchange Awards and discusses the changes over the last decade. Additionally, the article describes how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the contest, how libraries pivoted when designing future promotional materials, how judges assess the submissions, and the potential for future growth of the PR Xchange Awards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly changed the way academic libraries operated. All services had to be reevaluated to serve online students. Librarians working remotely had to adjust to new methods of connecting with students and colleagues. When libraries opened, the student work spaces had to be modified for social distancing and other health protocols. Collections were shifted to accommodate increased online access. The following articles examine and study the various impacts on services, collections, library spaces, and personnel issues that the COVID-19 pandemic brought to various academic libraries, and how those changes impact current services and collections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, academic library reference services have experienced reduced budgets, staffing shortages, and a decline in reference requests. Librarians who provide reference services may have instruction, outreach, and liaison responsibilities that impact their ability to do reference work. This study is designed to conduct research on current reference scheduling models in academic libraries of all sizes at both public and private institutions using an online survey instrument as the methodology. Based on the successes and challenges of the various scheduling models, the authors proposed several recommendations for library administrations to consider. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While academic librarians have been encouraged to collaborate with writing experts to improve students' academic writing and research competence, their collaboration is perhaps far from satisfactory due to the lack of mutual understanding. This study, therefore, interviewed writing experts to investigate their understanding of information literacy as a basis for meaningful collaboration. Findings reveal that writing experts have a simple and rough understanding of information literacy, cannot explain information literacy as a scholarly construct, and highlight the textual dimension of information literacy. Based on these findings, I suggest formal communication of information literacy theories and co-development of a text-based rubric of information literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2021, librarians at Colorado State University Libraries seized the opportunity to serve the university community's educational and personal needs through the creation of a sub-collection of children's books. Through the curation of awards and notable book lists for children's books, the collection was born out of a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice principles. After a review of the literature, this article outlines how the authors identified award-winning and notable titles to launch the collection, saved the collection in the middle of a reorganization, assessed the diversity of the new collection, and ensured the collection's continual development as a vital resource for the university community moving forward. This article provides a starting point for academic librarians looking to ground a new or existing children's collection in diversity and inclusion principles, even when lacking devoted personnel, extensive monetary support, or building space for the collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The text is a review of the exhibition catalog titled "Paul Robert Magocsi Carpatho-Ruthenica Collection." The catalog showcases the collection of rare works on Carpatho-Rusyns amassed by Paul R. Magocsi, a renowned scholar in the field. The collection, consisting of over 10,000 books, serials, photographs, and maps, was donated to the University of Toronto Libraries in 2019. The catalog provides a comprehensive overview of the collection, divided into categories such as reference works, history, religion, language, literature, ethnography, and folklore. The reviewer praises the catalog as a valuable resource for scholars and individuals interested in Carpatho-Rusyn heritage. [Extracted from the article]

Information literacy (IL) is an important means by which academic libraries prove their value within higher education and to broader (sceptical) society. Yet if IL is an array of sociocultural practices that are ultimately about how we find meaning in and engage with the world, then it cannot be taught or obtained in a classroom, even through the most carefully considered (critical) pedagogy. As a result, we find ourselves in a "stuck place", in a relation of "cruel optimism" (Berlant, 2011) with IL, a relation in which we return again and again to the thing we desire, with the expectation that this time, things will be different; everything will work out. What if academic librarians were to acknowledge and refuse the ambivalence of our cruel relation with IL and envision ourselves as helping students learn "how to library" instead? If we de-centred this particular version of IL within academic librarianship, what might we make room for? What alternative spaces for thinking might open up? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study demonstrates that a library instruction observation instrument can effectively foster critical self-reflection among academic library faculty and staff on their teaching practices. The paper outlines the instrument's design, which gathers low inference observations on instructors' use of questioning as a pedagogical strategy based on recommendations from the LIS and education literature. To test and refine the instrument's design, the instructors' utilised the instrument to collect data from classes taught by five participating instructors, who, during postobservation interviews, engaged in thoughtful reflections on their class planning, student participation, and teaching philosophy. They also provided valuable critiques of the usefulness of the instrument. Through analysing the observee reflections and the data from the observation instrument, this study aims to provide academic libraries with a method to incorporate an observation instrument in a peer observation program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the efforts of the Research Services Department at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, to engage and re-energize students' relationship with the library. The department implemented various initiatives, such as adding new zines to the collection, hiring student interns, and organizing zine-making workshops. They also revamped the Performing Arts Resource Center to create a more inviting space for students. Additionally, the library focused on engaging students outside of the library through pop-up reference support, a campus book club, and cultural displays and programming. These efforts aimed to increase student engagement, break down barriers, and create a more inclusive and welcoming environment in the library. [Extracted from the article]