A Review of: Oxborrow Vambe, K. (2025). How can managers in libraries support their teams to engage with mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge)? Journal of New Librarianship, 10(1), 100–115. https://doi.org/10.33011/newlibs/18/10 Objective – To explore how non-Māori librarians in Aotearoa New Zealand learn and interact with mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge). Design – Qualitative analysis of interviews and focus groups. Setting – Aotearoa New Zealand. Subjects – Interviewees consisted of twenty-five non-Māori (primarily New Zealand European) librarians with diverse levels of experience from a variety of locations and sub-sectors. Focus group participants were Māori librarians. Methods – Interviewees were asked to talk about their learning and engagement with Māori knowledge. Focus group participants discussed their perspectives on how non-Māori colleagues interact with Māori people, culture, and knowledge. Main Results – The researcher analyzed responses, highlighted five themes, and included practical applications for managers and leaders. First, promoting Te reo Māori (language learning) is an effective and accessible starting point. Accordingly, managers must provide dedicated work time and resource support for employees. Next, to challenge the ethical issue of "opting out" driven by white privilege and the tendency to over-rely on Māori staff, leaders must encourage teams to push through the fear of making mistakes and acknowledge the negative consequences of relying on others. Additionally, while the Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (LIANZA) professional development program offers valuable Māori components, its optional nature and low participation rate mean that managers cannot rely on it as a primary driver for engagement. Furthermore, leaders can encourage employees to take responsibility for their own learning and promote a culture where Māori knowledge is respected and valued by leading by example and modeling ongoing, sustained commitment. Finally, leaders can also model humility and respect, encouraging employees to recognize their privileged position and persevere while striving to engage in a culturally sensitive manner. Conclusion – The researcher recommended managers and leaders move beyond a reliance on formal professional development offerings as the sole source of learning. Instead, by actively modeling their own learning journeys, managers can foster an environment where ongoing, self-driven development is the norm. Language learning can be a foundational step as managers work towards encouraging employees to take initiative and persevere when discovering and engaging with mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge), or the knowledge and culture of local Indigenous or minoritized groups.
A Review of: Vong, S., Norlin, E., & Cho, A. (2025). Reframing organizational practices through a justice lens: A study on the experiences of racialized librarians in academic libraries. College & Research Libraries, 86(5), 728. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.86.5.728 Objective – To explore how racialized and Indigenous academic librarians experience their workplace’s practices through the lens of organizational justice. Design – Survey with both closed and open-ended questions. Setting – Academic librarians at Canadian and American institutions. Subjects – One hundred and eleven academic librarians who identified as Black, African American, Indigenous, Asian, Latinx, as well as mixed or multi-racial. Most identified as female (or a woman), were in the United States, and were early career librarians. Methods – Authors conducted a survey containing 20 questions (both closed-ended and open-ended) and used professional listservs in the United States and Canada to recruit participants. Questions revolved around career stage as well as racial, ethnic, and other intersecting identities. Additionally, questions regarding participants’ starting salary, workload, experience with management practices/procedures, and professional development were also asked. Data was analyzed by examining the closed-ended responses first. Once this step was complete, open-ended responses were coded and grouped into four themes adapted from an existing organizational justice framework (i.e. distributive justice, procedural justice, interactional justice, informational justice) to further clarity around their responses to the closed-ended responses. Main Results – Forty-four percent of participants felt that their starting salary was not reflective of their skillsets and was inequitable (with reasons that aligned with distributive, procedural, and interpersonal justice themes), though 15% of participants were unsure if their starting salary represented their abilities and was equitable. Most (63%) felt their workload was fair and equitable compared to colleagues, citing reasons that aligned with the distributive justice theme (if provided). Only 45% of participants were confident that Management was creating an inclusive and equitable work environment, which largely aligned with the interpersonal justice theme. In this vein, 50% of participants felt that human resources were not supporting inclusivity (citing reasons that aligned with procedural and interpersonal justice themes), and participants stated “Yes” (39%), or "Unsure" (39%), when asked if their performance reviews were inclusive and equitable (aligning with the informational justice theme). Lastly, most participants (74%) felt that their professional development experiences were equitable and fair, citing reasons that aligned with distributive and information justice themes. Conclusion – Racialized and Indigenous librarians in North America are experiencing different forms of organizational justice, but managers and Human Resources departments still have work to do to foster inclusivity within academic libraries.
A Review of: Rodger, J., & Erickson, N. (2025). Leadership perspectives on emotional labour in large urban public libraries. Canadian Journal of Information and Library Science, 48(2), 108–120. https://doi.org/10.5206/cjils-rcsib.v48i2.22897 Objective – To explore middle managers’ knowledge about emotional labour and how their knowledge impacts the way they support their staff in the workplace. Design – Semi-structured interviews. Setting – Three large, urban public library systems in Canada. Subjects – 27 middle managers. Methods – The researchers conducted interviews online via videoconferencing software. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed qualitatively using thematic analysis. Main Results – The participants of the study articulated varied understandings of emotional labour and how it related to their role as leaders in the workplace. Many participants were aligned in identifying the undervalued and often unspoken nature of emotional labour, while also recognizing it as central to their role as middle managers. Equipped with styles of leadership that centred communication, collaboration, support, and employee autonomy, participants employed a variety of techniques, including check-ins, boundary setting, and emotional validation to support their staff’s emotional well-being; however, many noted that inconsistent support from senior leadership prevented them from addressing systemic problems that were at the root of their staff’s concerns. Participants also cited a lack of formal structures of support for middle managers while negotiating the competing expectations of staff, upper management, and patrons as contributing to increased emotional strain. Feelings of alignment with the organizational goals of their library and support from upper management varied among participants and impacted how well participants felt they were able to manage their staff’s and their own experiences of emotional labour. Conclusion – The study revealed a need for libraries to be proactive in how they address the impacts of emotional labour experienced by leaders and staff. Recommendations for this proactive approach include increased support for middle managers, recognition of the collective responsibility of addressing emotional labour, embedded training programs, and the prioritization of authentic leadership and emotional intelligence.
A Review of: Todd-Diaz, A., & Mello, A. L. (2025). Who wants to be a library leader? A mixed-method study investigating reactions to an academic library leadership job advertisement. Journal of Library Administration, 65(8), 843–864. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2025.2589492 Objective – To investigate whether archivists’ underrepresentation in academic library leadership roles may be partly explained by lower attraction to leadership job advertisements, and to examine how professional identity shapes perceived fit, reactions to ad wording, and the impact of “tapping” (encouragement from supervisors and colleagues). Design – A cross-sectional online survey study. Setting – Eight general membership email lists of national and regional library and archives’ professional organizations across the United States and two public Facebook groups (“Archivists Think Tank” and “Library Think Tank”). Subjects – 316 information science professionals, including 46% librarians, 36% archivists, and 17% identifying as both. Methods – An online survey was sent to participants recruited from professional email lists and Facebook groups, examining their reaction to a mock “associate dean” leadership job ad developed from a review of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) library organizational structures and the thematic analysis of associate dean postings from American Library Association (ALA) JobLIST backfiles. Key measures included participants’ selection of concerning or compelling keywords from the ad, their desire for the job, perceived qualification confidence, perceived alignment of the role with librarian vs. archivist competencies, and likelihood of applying if encouraged by a supervisor or a trusted colleague. The authors analyzed quantitative comparisons across identity groups with one-way ANOVA and coded open-ended responses about application decisions in NVivo. Main Results – Most participants reported low interest in the associate dean position with 55% stating they probably or definitely did not want the job and merely 22% stating they probably or definitely wanted it. The desire ratings did not differ significantly across librarians, archivists, and those identifying as both. Similarly, approximately one-third of participants (33%) indicated they would apply, again without differences by professional identity. In the qualitative responses explaining these choices, the dominant theme was perceived lack of qualification; over half referenced qualifications and most of those comments expressed feeling unqualified, alongside frequent statements that administrative work was not appealing and that respondents preferred hands-on or non-managerial responsibilities. Participants’ reactions to the job ad’s language were also largely consistent across identity groups. The most frequently selected compelling phrases emphasized inclusion and collaboration, empowerment, and values-based practices, while the most frequently selected concerning phrases included aspirational “vision” language and concrete high-stakes responsibilities such as finances and budgeting, donor relations, and negotiating faculty-related rights. One noteworthy pattern within the librarian group was that the term “archives” appeared among the most selected concerning terms for librarians. Perceived confidence in meeting qualifications did not differ by identity group; 31% of participants reported being confident or very confident they met the qualifications. However, perceptions of competency alignment showed a clear directional pattern: most respondents in each identity group perceived the role as aligning more with librarian competencies than with archivist competencies, including most archivists themselves. Finally, “tapping” appeared to be a strong lever across the board: 69% reported they would be more or much more likely to apply if encouraged by a supervisor, and the same proportion reported increased likelihood if encouraged by a trusted colleague, with no differences by identity group. Conclusion – Archivists were not less interested than librarians in an academic library leadership posting, nor did they differ in perceived qualification confidence or reactions to the advertisement’s language. At the same time, the participants broadly perceived the role as more aligned with librarian competencies, suggesting that identity-based perceptions of “fit” may be shaped by how leadership work is framed and how professional boundaries are culturally understood. Rather than attributing archivists’ underrepresentation in library leadership to lower interest, organizations should strengthen leadership pipelines by refining how leadership roles are framed in job advertisements and by ensuring equitable encouragement, or tapping, and succession planning.
Objective – To map how public libraries in Indonesia support the social inclusion of older adults and to identify lessons applicable to other resource-constrained settings. Methods – This study used a scoping review design guided by established scoping review frameworks and reported according to PRISMA-ScR. Searches were conducted in DOAJ, Scopus, and Web of Science, and supplemented with targeted searches of Indonesian institutional repositories. Publications from 2014 to 2025 were screened using predefined eligibility criteria. Fifteen studies were included. Data were charted and synthesized thematically to identify service models, engagement modes, and recurring constraints and enablers. Results – The included studies report five service models: community-based programs; intergenerational and collaborative initiatives; tailored age-friendly services; outreach and home-based provision; and assisted digital inclusion. Older adults’ engagement is described in four modes: as participants, peer mentors or facilitators, co-designers or evaluators, and outreach users requiring support. Common constraints include limited funding and staffing, accessibility gaps, digital divides, geographic inequality, and weak documentation and evaluation. The most consistent enablers are cross-sector partnerships (e.g., with primary health care, local government, and community organizations), volunteer involvement, and strong community networks. The synthesis informs a conceptual framework for age-friendly library services and a set of practice-oriented principles for local adaptation. Conclusion – Evidence from Indonesia suggests that inclusive services for older adults are more likely to be sustained when they are partnership-based, community-anchored, and supported by outreach and assisted digital access. More consistent documentation and outcome reporting are needed to strengthen the evidence base and improve transferability to other low-resource settings.
Objective – This exploratory study examines changes in traffic to academic library research guides in the early generative AI era by investigating overall traffic trends, measuring differences in usage before and after the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, and examining changes in the referral sources that direct users to the guides. Methods – A quantitative analysis of web traffic to the University of Ottawa Library’s LibGuides (2016-2025) was conducted to examine changes over time. Pre- and post-ChatGPT usage was compared across two equivalent 37-month periods. Google Analytics referral data (2023-2025) were analyzed to identify traffic sources and assess changes in access pathways. All analyses were conducted using RStudio. Results – Research guide usage increased steadily from 2016 to 2022 but began declining in 2023, despite continued growth in the number of published guides. Of the 210 guides analyzed across equivalent pre‑ and post‑ChatGPT periods, most (175) experienced decreased traffic, with changes ranging from −91.3% to +462.7% and a median change of −38.35%, indicating highly variable but predominantly downward usage patterns. Although a small subset of guides (35) saw notable increases, overall engagement declined year over year. Google remained the dominant referral source, but traffic originating from Google also decreased over time, while referrals from generative AI platforms showed steady growth, alongside typical seasonal academic fluctuations. Conclusion – Use of research guides seems to have declined since the emergence of generative AI, mirroring broader reductions in web traffic and click‑through behaviour associated with AI‑generated summaries. By empirically documenting this overall pattern within an academic library context, this study provides a necessary baseline for understanding how generative AI may be reshaping discovery pathways. Although some guides demonstrated increased engagement, the prevailing trend suggests reduced visibility and shifting access routes in an AI search environment. These findings underscore the importance of reassessing the role and discoverability of research guides for contemporary information-seeking practices.
Objective – This research investigates how well non-local chat reference operators perform in their work with local library patrons at an R1 academic institution in the United States. More specifically, the authors sought to learn how this particular reference librarian population (co-op librarians) handled circumstances surrounding when to create a ticket for a transaction and which positive reference strategies were not utilized that should have been. In addition, the researchers rated the co-op librarians’ overall success in answering local reference questions and the kinds and frequency of false or incorrect information that was offered. Finally, the authors used the length of the reference transaction (by time and message count), reference query type, medical/health related questions, and patron satisfaction (both rater perceived and patron self-reported) as variables to learn more about situations where co-op librarians were more and less successful. Methods – The researchers examined one year’s worth of co-op librarian chat reference records from April 2023 to March 2024. The authors created a rating form to capture structural session information like the length of the transaction, transaction day of week/time, query type, if a ticket was created, and patron self-reported satisfaction. In addition, the form solicited subjective assessment information from the researchers covering the topics detailed in the “Objective” section above. The researchers tabulated aggregated frequencies across the data produced, in addition to running a number of tests for statistical significance. Results – The researchers were surprised to see that about one third of co-op librarian transactions happened during times when local librarians were scheduled to be available to answer these questions. They also predicted that co-op librarian performance would decline when faced with medical/health questions, but largely that was not the case. It was discovered that co-op librarians made referrals about one third of the time, and that among the two thirds that were not referred, about one third of those should have been. Overall, co-op librarians were rated as highly successful with about three quarters of their transactions in the top two of a five-point rating scale. Conclusion – A number of overarching conclusions arose from this study, each with implications for chat reference practice. co-op librarians perform well overall, despite the challenges of frequently receiving questions with local aspects. They serve as a good backup for local librarians when the latter miss or are too busy to pick up chats. They do not shy away from attempting to answer questions, largely employ best practices in their work, infrequently inject false information into transactions, usually garner high patron satisfaction levels, and most importantly are largely successful in answering patron questions. The main struggles co-op librarians have involve dealing with account and interlibrary loan focused questions, and they also could be making referrals/tickets more frequently.
A Review of: Chen, X. (2025). OA journals in subscription-based full-text databases in 2024: An analysis of EBSCO’s Academic Search Complete. The Serials Librarian, 86(1–2), 72–83. https://doi.org/10.1080/0361526X.2025.2458295 Objective – To examine the open access (OA) journal content in EBSCO’s Academic Search Complete (ASC) database, including calculating the percentage of OA content among peer-reviewed, full-text, non-embargoed journals. Design – Descriptive cross-sectional study. Setting – EBSCO’s ASC database. Subjects – 3,481 peer-reviewed, full-text journals indexed in ASC, as listed in EBSCO’s title list, with no embargoes or full-text termination dates as of March 6th, 2024. Methods – The author selected two sets of samples from the list of 3,481 journals. The first set is a 10% systematic random sample (n=349) obtained by selecting every 10th journal in an Excel file of the journals. The second set consists of all 270 journals published by eight major publishers indexed in ASC. The author checked the websites of all 619 sample journals to determine if a journal was OA or not, including making a distinction between OA and freely available journals. Freely available journals do not have indicators of an OA journal such as open licensing. The author used descriptive statistics to summarize the findings. Main Results – In the first randomized sample, the author found that 66% (n=231) of the journals were OA, 11% (n=38) were free, and 20% (n=70) were non-OA (paywall). Nine journals (3%) were described as “questionable,” which the author used when the journal website was not found or dead, the journal had not updated in at least three years, or if the journal did not appear to be peer reviewed. The second sample from the top eight publishers had similar findings; 72% (n=195) were OA and 28% (n=75) were non-OA. The author also checked whether the top 50 journals ranked by Scientific Journal Rankings (SJR) were included in ASC’s list of non-embargoed peer-reviewed journals, and only one was included, an OA journal (Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report). Conclusion – Based on two samples, the author concluded that the majority (above 70%) of non-embargoed full-text journals in ASC were OA. The author suggests that researchers could potentially retrieve much of the non-embargoed content for free through sources like Google Scholar.
A Review of: AlHamad, M. M. (2025). Balancing precision and usability: Librarian perspectives on abstracting and indexing databases versus discovery services in academic libraries. Internet Reference Services Quarterly, 29(2), 169–180. https://doi.org/10.1080/10875301.2025.2472419 Objective – To assess the perceived efficacy of abstracting and indexing (A&I) databases compared to general discovery services and to explore strategies for resource prioritization in the context of budget constraints. Design – Online survey. Setting – Academic libraries. Subjects – 69 academic library professionals responded from a pool of thousands. Methods – An anonymous survey was distributed to library professionals in July 2024 through multiple networking platforms, including the American Library Association's (ALA) Connect and several professional listservs. Respondents were asked to choose which resource, A&I databases or general discovery services, they recommend for undergraduate students or advanced users conducting literature searches, the advantages of each, whether A&I databases could be replaced with general discovery services, and how they would prioritize the database renewals if faced with budget constraints. The survey included multiple-choice, multiple-option, Likert scale, and open-ended questions. Main Results – Respondents were library professionals from doctoral/research facilities (45), master’s (15), baccalaureate (2), and associate colleges (2). The author stated that there was no preference for one resource over the other. When asked which database they would prioritize when faced with budget constraints, 48% of respondents would base it on user needs and available budget, 36% would prioritize full-text articles, 3% would prioritize A&I databases, and 1% reported no preference. The advantages of A&I databases reported by the majority of respondents included comprehensive coverage of literature, high-quality indexing and metadata, facilitation of in-depth literature reviews, and assistance in identifying specific articles within a field. A small number (8%) reported that A&I databases offered no advantages over discovery services. The advantages of discovery services include ease of use and broad coverage across disciplines, quick access to diverse resources, and integration with institutional holdings and centralized access points. Similarly, a small number (9%) reported that discovery services offered no advantages over A&I databases. Participants commented that discovery services were helpful for beginners and that A&I databases were essential for systematic reviews and structured searches. Because A&I databases are comprehensive, respondents suggested they were discipline-dependent and valuable in fields of science, technology, engineering, and medicine. Conclusion – The author suggests that the choice between A&I databases and discovery services is dependent on the level of the user and the field of study. There are advantages to each resource, and respondents overall did not prefer one over the other. The author reiterates the complexities of prioritization and navigating budget restraints and highlights the need for information literacy to enable students to make informed decisions between the two and to be able to navigate each effectively.
A Review of: Chohda, N., & Kumar, S. (2025). Impact of demographic characteristics of young generation on perception about attributes of information resources in Indian technological institutions. The Serials Librarian, 86(1–2), 56–71. https://doi.org/10.1080/0361526X.2025.2471919 Objective – The study aims to examine how undergraduate students’ demographic characteristics and institutional affiliations influence their preferences for print or electronic resources when seeking academic information. Design – Survey questionnaire, with observations, interviews, and secondary sources for “auxiliary information.” Setting – Six Indian National Institutes of Technology (NITs) in the North-Western region. Subjects – A survey was distributed to 780 undergraduate students, with 130 from each of the six institutions, and 664 completed it. Methods – The researchers employed a disproportionate sampling strategy. They analyzed the survey data according to demographic variables such as year of study, gender, and residential background, and institutional affiliation. The study compared print and electronic resources across ten features: user‑friendliness (“user friendly”), access (“enhance access”), retrieval (“easy retrieval”), quality of information, innovative productivity (“improve innovative productivity”), readability, reliability, portability, time saving, and currency (“latest information”). The researchers conducted statistical analyses to assess differences in perceptions of print and electronic resources through the following tests: Chi-square (χ²), Wilcoxon signed-rank, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Main Results – Students generally preferred print resources in eight out of the ten features examined, including readability, reliability, and quality of information. Electronic resources received only a slight, statistically insignificant preference for portability and currency. When the researchers analyzed individual features based on respondents’ counts or frequencies, institutional differences were statistically significant in user-friendliness, reliability, portability, and currency but not for the remaining six features; no statistically significant differences were found when comparing responses for the features by year of study, gender, or student residential background. However, when analyzed based on the means, the study found statistically significant differences due to institution, year of study, gender, and student residential background. Conclusion – Although students in the NITs are immersed in a technology-oriented environment, the respondents generally perceived print resources as more suitable for extended reading, more reliable, and higher in information quality than electronic resources. The results showed that the students viewed print materials as easier to access and retrieve. Perceptions of print versus electronic formats differed significantly by institution, year of study, gender, and residential background, according to the study. The findings suggest that print resources continue to be valued in academic settings.
A Review of: Brillant, B., Guessferd, M. R., Snieg, A. L., Jones, J. J., Keeler, T., & Stephenson, P. L. (2022). Assessing diversity in hospital library collections. Medical Reference Services Quarterly, 41(4), 424–438. https://doi.org/10.1080/02763869.2022.2131185 Objective – This study aimed to develop a tool to measure collection diversity in hospital libraries. A secondary objective was to identify trends in the current collection landscape and highlight systemic issues that contribute to bias and a lack of diversity in library collections. Design – Cross-sectional survey design. Setting – Hospital libraries. Subjects – There were 35 respondents, 16 of whom completed the survey in its entirety. Methods – The authors distributed a two‑part questionnaire, designed in SurveyMonkey, through two electronic mailing lists targeting hospital library professionals. The online questionnaire consisted of 56 questions. The first 10 questions collected demographic information and explored respondents’ experience with diversity audits. The remaining questions comprised a collection assessment in which respondents searched their institution’s library catalogue for terms that the authors selected and tested based on age, disability, gender, race, religion, and sexual orientation. Main Results – Respondents included a variety of library workers representing a range of training backgrounds and levels of experience in collection development. Many emphasized the importance of a diverse collection. An analysis of the responses from Part Two allowed for comparisons between diversity categories based on the number of results generated by the catalogue searches. The age group category accounted for the majority of the total titles retrieved. Conclusion – The findings indicate a lack of diversity in the assessed collections, as measured by the survey tool. The study also identified challenges in conducting diversity assessments, including variation in cataloguing practices, problematic controlled vocabulary terminology, and the continually evolving nature of auditing practices.
Objective – This study investigated the search strategies and navigation behaviours of students on an academic library website, with the focus being on identifying usability challenges and opportunities for improvement. The researchers also wanted to test the effectiveness of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in analysing qualitative usability data. Methods – A mixed-methods usability study was conducted with 21 second-year university students. Participants completed three task scenarios on the library website while their screen activity and think-aloud comments were recorded. Quantitative data was collected using a modified usability questionnaire, and the qualitative data was analyzed using multiple GenAI platforms following established prompt frameworks, with human review for accuracy. Results – Students encountered significant barriers in navigation, layout, content accessibility, and functionality. Many preferred external tools like Google over the library website, citing complexity and difficulty in locating resources. The average usability questionnaire score was 50 out of 100, with higher scores among students who had attended library training. GenAI tools expedited qualitative analysis but required careful prompt engineering and human oversight to ensure accuracy and context relevance. Conclusion – The findings highlight the need for ongoing, user-centered design improvements to library websites, emphasizing clear navigation, accessible content, and reduced complexity. Regular usability testing and integration of user feedback are recommended to enhance digital library services. In addition, while GenAI can accelerate qualitative analysis, human expertise currently remains essential for nuanced interpretation and validation.
Objective – This study aimed to design, offer, and assess instructional modules developed using health literacy (HL) concepts for high school students interested in health care professions and to analyze variance results of content-based tests for each module facilitated. It intended to build a sustainable partnership between an academic library and public school system and to foster HL skill development in students. Methods – Taking a quantitative approach to a quasi-experimental methodology, this study included educational content and group-based engagement exercises along with pre and posttests to gauge acumen and effectiveness of material shared during sessions. Instructional sessions were facilitated based on three module themes: Pseudoscience, Human Vulnerabilities to Health Information, and Health Insurance. Sessions lasted up to 90 minutes and took place during a typical district school-specific block period. Test responses were analyzed using parametric and nonparametric statistical measures to determine association between variables. An additional median test score analysis aimed to investigate pre and posttest performance by module. Results – Twenty sessions were conducted reaching 91 students generating 195 pre and 153 posttest responses out of a possible 246 unique responses for each. Median test score analyses found that at least half of student respondents answered correctly on 41.7% of Pseudoscience pretest questions and 83.3% of posttest questions; Human Vulnerabilities (pretest: 33.3%, posttest: 66.7%); Health Insurance (pretest: 40.0%, posttest: 91.7%). Conclusion – Although small scaled, this study’s results should persuade health science librarians to develop programs for their communities because more practice and research are needed to further develop and assess instruction methods related to health information dissemination.
A Review of: Bentil, W. (2025). Analysis of collection development policies for electronic resources at selected academic libraries in Ghana. Collection Management, 50(1/2), 75–89. https://doi.org./10.1080/01462679.2025.2497833 Objective – To examine the extent that collection development policies in selected academic libraries in Ghana address the management of electronic resources. Design – Qualitative content analysis. Setting – Public and private academic libraries in Ghana. Subjects – Collection development policy documents from 3 academic libraries (1 public, 2 private). Methods – Print copies of collection development policies were analyzed using a deductive content analysis approach. An established evaluation tool (Mangrum & Pozzebon, 2012) with 36 elements from 9 criteria was used. Each policy was read twice. The presence of each element was recorded as one point and the absence was recorded as zero points to assess scope of coverage. Main Results – None of the analyzed policies adequately addressed electronic resource collection development. Content-related criteria were most frequently included, particularly academic need and scope. Criteria related to access, cost, usability, and licensing from a user perspective were minimally addressed. No policies included guidance on responsible parties or licensing from a library management perspective. Overall coverage of evaluation criteria ranged from 16.7% to 38.9%, with the public institution demonstrating higher coverage than the private institutions. Conclusion – The study concludes that collection development policies from the sampled Ghanaian academic libraries are incomplete for effective electronic resource management. The authors suggest that libraries revise policies to incorporate comprehensive electronic resource lifecycle elements to support consistent practice, accountability, and informed decision-making.
A Review of: Walker, K. S., Chandler, A., Finlay, C., Gessner, G. C., Hines, T., Kendrick, S., Koennecke, J., McEwen, L., Sayward, J., & Spoon, H. (2025). Math and aftermath: Impacts of unbundling a large journal package on researcher perceptions and behavior. Library Resources & Technical Services, 69(1). https://doi.org/10.5860/lrts.69n1.8170 Objective – To understand researcher behaviours related to the inconsistency between historical usage and interlibrary loan (ILL) requests and historical usage and turnaway data after the cancellation of a “Big Deal” license. Design – Analysis of historical usage data, turnaway counts, and ILL requests for cancelled titles. Qualitative interviews with library users who had published in, cited, or submitted an ILL request for a cancelled title. Setting – Cornell University, an R1 institution. Subjects – Ithaca campus, Weill Medical College, and Cornell Tech library users (quantitative data) and selected Ithaca Campus library users (interviews). Methods – The authors analyzed two years of historical usage data for 853 cancelled journal titles alongside ILL requests and COUNTER-compliant turnaway reports for four years following cancellation. R scripts matched ISSNs with turnaway data and journal titles with respective data in ILLiad. Twenty-four interviews were conducted with “super-users,” library users who had cited one of the cancelled journals in a published work, written an article published in a cancelled journal, or requested an article from a cancelled journal. Questions related to their experiences finding journal articles not available through Cornell’s libraries. Main Results – Connections between historic usage and turnaways varied significantly by discipline. Journals in scientific or medical disciplines had the highest counts for both turnaways and ILL requests. Interviews with “super users” revealed that these patrons employed multiple tactics for finding non-subscribed content, most frequently relying on professional networks through several modalities. ILL was viewed as helpful and quick but was not necessarily the first tactic used by interviewees. Time restrictions for writing or responding to publication process deadlines appeared to inhibit willingness to wait for a requested article through ILL. Library access to a given journal did not affect inclination to publish there for many interviewees, who noted a desire to publish in top-tier or a subject-relevant set of journals. For others, these cancellations invoked questions about a journal’s ability to disseminate their research widely and pushed them towards journals for which Cornell retained a subscription. Conclusion – Disciplinary area appears to be a major factor influencing patrons’ need for cancelled titles, but users’ multiple strategies for accessing non-subscribed content contribute to the disconnect between historic usage and post-cancellation ILL requests and turnaway statistics. The authors believe that lower-than-expected attempts to use library pathways for access and lack of advocacy for specific non-subscribed titles could be further explained by good decisions about which journals to cut. Cornell retains a robust collection, and remaining journal subscriptions could offer many patrons sufficient means to fulfill their needs.
Objective – This scoping review examines the library literature on popular reading collections at academic libraries at both the secondary and post-secondary levels, with a focus on collection practices and characteristics, use, and impact. Methods – Researchers searched six databases for relevant literature from 1995 to the present. In addition to general article characteristics such as publication type, date, and location, the articles (both scholarly and popular) were analyzed for popular reading collection characteristics, activities related to popular reading collections, and implications for libraries. Results – The search identified 2,140 related records, 106 of which were chosen for inclusion in this review. The review found that popular reading collections are maintained by academic libraries worldwide, though the majority of articles were published in the United States and Canada. Circulation statistics are a common measure to gauge success, and graphic novels and other genre fiction are popular with students. Implications of popular reading collections revolved around their impact on students, library workflows, and campus collaborations. Conclusion – This study synthesized the library literature on popular reading collections, outlining their characteristics and impact on undergraduate students. Future research could help develop best practices for academic librarians working with popular reading collections.
A Review of: Jamison, A., & McNamara, E. (2025). Let’s talk about diversity: A content analysis of school library collection development policies. Children & Libraries, 23(1), 17. https://doi.org/10.5860/cal.23.1.17 Objective – To evaluate the public accessibility of school library collection development policies and to gauge the extent to which diversity messaging is present in those policies. Design – Mixed-methods research design using a checklist-based content analysis of school library collection development policies and inductive coding. Researchers analyzed quantitative data regarding policy availability, content analysis data of the checklist, and anecdotal data based on individual researchers’ note-taking. Setting – Public schools in McClean County and 8 bordering counties in north central Illinois. Subjects – 77 school districts, accounting for 244 public schools – 145 elementary schools, 48 junior high schools, and 51 high schools. From this pool, 16 collection policies were analyzed, representing the policies enacted at 53 schools. Methods – The researchers developed a checklist based on the Library Bill of Rights’ Interpretations for Diverse and Inclusive Collections (2006), which established a controlled vocabulary for identifying words related to diversity within the sampled collection policies. Both researchers independently analyzed the collection policies, annotating for instances of language corresponding to diversity. These independent analyses were measured for inter-rater reliability by simple percent agreement. The data from each analysis was used to identify the frequency at which a collection policy was publicly available, categorize the policies based on presence and frequency of diverse language, and finally to identify themes as they relate to the use of diversity in these policies. Main Results – Of the sampled schools, only 21% were represented by a public-facing collection development policy. These 16 policies reflected 15 district-wide policies and one individual school policy, leading the researchers to conclude a general lack of transparency regarding library collection policies in this geographic region. Within these policies, 14 were marked by a low presence of “diversity” or adjacent terms, with one policy showing a high presence, and one having no presence. The researchers found that only the high presence policy defined diversity for collection development, which suggests ineffective practices in other districts or schools. In addition to the prominence of district-wide policies, the researchers also discovered that nine of the sampled policies were identical across different districts, further contributing to a lack of specificity in diverse collections practices. The district-wide policies had not been updated for 5 years. Only 4 policies directly used the word “diversity,” and only 2 of those 4 referred to the American Library Association’s (ALA) Library Bill of Rights (2006). These findings lead the authors to additionally conclude that where policies are available, there is a lack of specificity in addressing diversity in school library collection development practices. Conclusion – Given the lack of accessibility and lack of specific, consistent inclusion of diversity terminology in this sample, the authors identify four policy implications. The researchers contend that policies should incorporate higher instances of well-defined diversity language; policies should be readily available where users are likely to find them; policies should directly incorporate language from current ALA documentation; and policies should have clear commitments to diversity and pluralistic curation practices.
Objective – The objective of this study is to explore whether undergraduate students’ definitions and understanding of student success evolve over time and identify the factors and experiences that shape that development. It also examines implications for how academic libraries can better support student success. The study builds on observations from a prior study that students’ definitions evolved in distinct ways. Methods – The author used a qualitative, inductive approach to conduct semi-structured interviews with twenty undergraduates (n=20). The data was analyzed using thematic analysis and inductive coding to identify key themes related to student experiences, pivotal life moments, evolving definitions of student success, and environmental influences. Interviews from the prior study (n=30) were reanalyzed to assess consistency, yielding a combined dataset of 50 participants. Results – Inspired by Chickering’s (1969) use of vectors in his student identity development theory, the author identified six student success development vectors based on the recurring themes from interviews in both studies (n=50). These vectors illustrate how students define, understand, and experience student success in non-sequential and complex ways. They also underscore the critical role of students' identities, backgrounds, and lived experiences in shaping their evolving understandings of success. Conclusion – The research confirmed that undergraduate students' definitions and understanding of student success are not static but evolve over time, influenced by personal contexts. This study highlights the importance and insight that student voices bring to both student success librarianship and broader higher education conversations. Additionally, the findings support the idea that the concept of student success deserves more understanding in its complexity and should be viewed as individualized and context-dependent, to be defined by students themselves. For academic libraries, this research underscores the importance of holistic support that recognizes students’ perspectives and unique experiences.
