The dominance of English-language journals marginalizes national and local scholarly publications. Focusing on Canada’s bilingual (English and French), community‑oriented and Open Access‑rich journal ecosystem, this study uses comprehensive data to ask who relies on Canadian journals, how language and research focus affect reach, and what that reveals about balancing local relevance with global visibility. Drawing on two major bibliometric databases (OpenAlex and Dimensions), we show that Canadian journals play a key role as venues for the dissemination of locally relevant research while also contributing to the global infrastructure for scholarly communication. Most articles published in Canadian journals are authored by researchers affiliated with foreign institutions, and most research authored by Canadians is published in journals based outside Canada. We find that Canadian authors are most likely to publish their work in national journals when they are in decision-making roles, when the language of publication is French, or when the topics are locally relevant. Our findings also challenge the notion that only the Social Sciences and Humanities are locally bound: for the Canadian case, Life and earth sciences and Biomedical and health sciences were also found to be linguistically and geographically grounded. Finally, while researchers affiliated with government institutions are the most likely to publish in Canadian journals and to engage in research that has a Canadian object of study, researchers affiliated with French-speaking Québec-based universities stand out as the largest contributors to the Canadian journal ecosystem and account for the highest volume of French-language publications.
In this review paper, we synthesize human-computer interaction (HCI) and psychology research to identify how social media platform design leads to online experiences that reduce users’ wellbeing. Specifically, we show how design features known as attention-capture dark patterns induce meaningless normative dissociative states (i.e., zone states) in social media users instead of positive normative dissociative states (i.e., flow states). These dark patterns, and the zone states they promote, provide a possible explanation for the link between social media use and reduced user wellbeing that has, to date, received little attention in the HCI and broader information science, internet, and media studies literature. We present an explanatory model that illustrates how attention-capture dark patterns absorb users’ attention for extended periods of time yet simultaneously demand little physical or cognitive effort (i.e., low challenge and low skill), diminish user agency, and provide few intrinsic rewards. The result is a social media environment that induces prolonged states of normative dissociation in users but fails to support wellness-boosting flow. We review and evaluate digital wellbeing tools to help users break out of the zone, finding varying efficacy among these tools in limiting digital media use. We conclude that future research should investigate how social media design features could support flow states. This paper argues for a shift from the dominant digital wellbeing paradigm – which focuses on disconnection – to the alternative approach of redesigning social media platforms to promote users’ entrance into flow states: intrinsically rewarding experiences where users actively stretch their skills to match perceived challenges.
Gender and intersectionality remain underrepresented in Library and Information Science (LIS) education, where related content is frequently peripheral, elective in nature, or left to individual staff initiative. This paper presents a narrative review of international studies on gender inclusion in LIS curricula and pedagogy. We reviewed a final sample of 42 sources and synthesised them thematically. The analysis is guided by intersectionality, feminist pedagogy, and a critical curriculum stance, foregrounding how power operates through what curricula include, omit, and assess. Across contexts, literature identifies persistent structural gaps: explicit gender or diversity learning outcomes are rare in core modules; inclusive‑language commitments are uneven; teaching materials and bibliographies often reproduce androcentric and Eurocentric canons; and evaluation mechanisms remain limited. Inclusion is also commonly confined to electives or isolated staff initiatives. Faculty frequently report limited training, time, and institutional support to teach gender‑related content with confidence, and studies highlight a disconnect between equity scholarship and its translation into classroom practice, as well as diluted or performative uses of intersectionality. Addressing two research questions, the review examines (1) the extent and forms of gender and intersectionality integration in LIS curriculum design, pedagogy, and institutional mechanisms, and (2) the barriers, enablers, and promising approaches for achieving structural embedding. Participatory action research, co‑created syllabi, and community‑linked learning projects emerge as promising but unevenly implemented strategies. The review recommends embedding gender through assessed learning outcomes, resourced staff development, and periodic curriculum audits. Sustainable change requires shared institutional accountability and reflexive, justice‑oriented pedagogical practice in LIS education.
This paper provides an overview of mobile storytelling applications developed for and by Indigenous communities. It identifies and examines a variety of mobile applications to support Indigenous cultural and linguistic heritage. These applications include those reported in the literature as well as those available in application stores. The review provides a detailed overview of the mobile application interface functions and features, including recording capabilities, language-related features, accessibility, content categorization, and geolocation. Based on the review, this paper provides a set of design recommendations for developing mobile applications for Indigenous communities, including for Indigenous protocols, voices, and community needs.
Cet article examine certains défis liés à l’opérationnalisation des services d’accompagnement en gestion des données de recherche en milieu universitaire, principalement au Canada. À partir d’une revue de la littérature, nous montrons que plusieurs défis structurels freinent l'adoption des bonnes pratiques en GDR, notamment en termes de sensibilisation des chercheurs et des étudiants, d'opérationnalisation au niveau institutionnel et d'intégration des bonnes pratiques dans la culture de recherche. En mobilisant des sources empiriques et analytiques de différents contextes nationaux, nous proposons une lecture transversale de la GDR, à l’intersection des logiques institutionnelles, disciplinaires et organisationnelles. Trois grands enjeux sont analysés : (1) les enjeux de la sensibilisation des chercheurs à la GDR; (2) les difficultés organisationnelles et structurelles au sein des universités; (3) le suivi limité de la politique par les organismes subventionnaires fédéraux. Nous proposons également quelques pistes de solutions pour surmonter les défis relevés dans la littérature scientifique.
Au cours des dernières années, les développements technologiques dans le domaine de l’éducation et de l’enseignement supérieur ont redéfini les modalités par lesquelles les pratiques pédagogiques s’opèrent. Avec le déploiement massif des environnements numériques d’apprentissage, l’accélération d’un tel phénomène avec la COVID-19 et les dernières avancées en matière d’intelligence artificielle (IA), les enseignants créent et consomment de plus en plus les jeux de données éducatives à plusieurs fins. Pourvu que ces traces documentaires soient mieux exploitables, il importe qu’elles soient gérées selon des règles collectivement partagées par plusieurs intervenants. Cet article se propose donc d’aborder la gestion des jeux de données éducatives ouvertes dans une perspective multidisciplinaire intégrant celle de l’archivistique, de la bibliothéconomie, de l’informatique, de la science des données et celle de l’éducation. Nous abordons la manière dont une telle gestion devrait s’opérer tout en identifiant les enjeux de cette collaboration et les pistes de solutions pour les pallier.
The classical paradigm of knowledge organization, epitomized by hierarchical systems like Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC), is predicated on a nineteenth-century model of certainty and order. Contemporary scholarship has revealed its inherent limitations, including structural biases, epistemic injustice, and an inability to accommodate the fluid, interdisciplinary nature of modern knowledge. While computational models have increased efficiency, they largely inherit the classical goal of reducing ambiguity to a single, authoritative outcome. This paper argues for a paradigm shift, proposing a novel theoretical framework for classification inspired by the field of quantum cognition. The framework reconceptualizes the information object not as a static entity with intrinsic properties, but as a dynamic system of potential meanings. We adapt three core concepts from quantum theory for library science: Knowledge Superposition to model interdisciplinarity, Semantic Entanglement to provide a formal basis for serendipity, and Observer-Dependent Measurement to address issues of subjectivity and classificatory authority. The viability of this framework is demonstrated through a computational proof-of-concept that simulates how a single, multifaceted document can yield different, probabilistic classifications based on the user's contextual perspective. This approach offers a robust solution to long-standing challenges, shifting classificatory authority from the institution to the user and providing a path toward transforming the library from a static repository into a dynamic, participatory knowledge system.
Collaboration between librarians and teachers within formal education, in teaching various literacies has long been recognized as one of the most effective ways of teaching. The paper analyses, using data from three studies, aspects of collaboration between librarians and teachers at primary, secondary and tertiary level. Three research questions focus on forms and extent of collaboration, its elements and approaches, and challenges and obstacles. Results point to still existing differences between higher education and lower levels of education, and to large differences between librarians and teachers in their behaviours, values, attitudes and practices. This opens an important debate around how to effectively approach these issues to improve collaboration, and which of the issues belong to the personal, institutional, and national level. The paper provides some suggestions on how to address these issues at all three levels.
This study employed narrative inquiry and critical race approaches to explore Black youth's perceptions and experiences of Canadian public library programs and materials. In response to calls in Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy (2024) and Ontario's Anti-Black Racism Strategy (2025) for social service institutions to address anti-Black racism, the research examined Black youth experiences in public libraries and how these experiences relate to anti-Black racism in education and social service settings. The study was conducted in London, Ontario, with Black youth aged 13 to 24 and parents of youth using a community-based participatory research approach in partnership with the Where We Are Now (WEAN) Black Community Centre & London Black Community Public Library. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and an arts-based qualitative tool (personal meaning mapping) with 21 participants: 14 youth and seven parents. Findings reveal that, while many youth reported positive early memories of public libraries often associated with family members, they also identified significant challenges in belonging and feeling welcome. These challenges stem from under representation in library materials and staff, from institutional approaches to inclusion that participants experienced as performative rather than transformative, and from experiences of microaggressions and bias. The study proposes a collaborative, community-based research framework applicable across library and information science contexts to examine broader challenges related to representation, belonging, and performative inclusion.
A "floating collection" is a popular approach to public library collection management where materials are shelved where they are returned rather than sent back to a "home" location. While it has been suggested that this approach refreshes local branch collections and reduces transit costs, it is unclear whether these benefits are realized. Concerns about this approach have also emerged as it relies on customer-initiated item movement such as holds, yet item movement resulting from holds fulfilment may exacerbate inequitable access to popular materials. In this analysis of a large and diverse urban library system, we show that floating does not appear to refresh local branch collections nor significantly impact transited materials. Our analysis also suggests that items seem to stay within a geographic area and gravitate towards branches with a higher volume of holds, meaning that items are unlikely to naturally return to branches with a lower volume of holds. Additionally, for items returned from elsewhere, a subsequent checkout at the return branch was more likely at branches with a high volume of holds
This commentary reflects on the potential impacts of the technology, Unpaywall, on the systems of scholarly research dissemination. Unpaywall is a technological tool used to increase access and discoverability of Open Access versions of paywalled articles, making materials visible, disrupting current infrastructures, and highlighting existing alternatives. Because of its reliance on the external standard of the Digital Object Identifier, however, it also risks perpetuating the inequalities that already exist in this space. I explore how technologies affect surrounding infrastructures, how these effects are reflected in higher-level systems, and how they can be evaluated for alignment with professional standards and established goals.
This article reports on revisions to a course in Library and Information Science (LIS) made by the instructor, to apply, test, and evolve a transdisciplinary approach to class inquiry. This study was part of a larger research project grounded in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, entiwas to support transdisciplinary educators in justifying, evaluating, and legitimizing knowledge claims about their work through the application of a novel Transdisciplinary Epistemic Practices (TEP) model integrating elements from STEM, Arts, and Design (often referred to as STEAM). The TEP model is a conceptual tool that promises to be useful for the Critical Making stances that are common in technology courses for librarians. It was operationalized and tested in eleven courses across Pratt Institute, including a Library and Information Science course called Growing Up Digital (INFO 678), which is the focus of this paper. The first author, Leanne Bowler, was a participant in the study, applying action research methods to her own teaching practices in this class, and reporting results back to the larger project led by Mark Rosin.
This paper explores information hygiene as a crucial framework for fostering a healthy digital lifestyle and promoting overall resilience. It traces the concept's evolution, noting its increasing relevance amid rising challenges like artificial intelligence, misinformation, disinformation, and digital addiction, exacerbated by recent global events. The study integrates findings from two comparative research projects on student information behavior in Czechia and Slovakia, alongside an analysis of Czech national reports on digital addictions. These investigations consistently reveal student concerns regarding digital distress and the negative impact of technology on personal interactions. The paper proposes information hygiene as a comprehensive approach, resting on information literacy, cybersecurity, and digital resilience. It emphasizes that effective information hygiene involves both sound information habits and healthy lifestyle habits that bolster overall well-being. A case study of a new university course on information hygiene demonstrates its practical application. Ultimately, public libraries are identified as key institutions uniquely positioned to champion information hygiene, empowering individuals to navigate the complex digital world with greater resilience.
The authors share the sentiments of other researchers that conducting a literature review and creating a matrix is a cumbersome task. The development of research tools that benefit researchers in their study conduct is always interesting and welcome. Thus, the objectives of this study are: (1) To evaluate the features and functionalities of Elicit, SciSpace, and Consensus in facilitating literature review and research and recommend the applicability of each tool for a type of research; (2) Assess and identify the strengths of these tools and align the impact with research workflows and efficiency; and (3) Utilize documented user feedback and opinions to ensure the appropriate AI tool is available for the researchers. This study adopts a mixed-methods approach. Firstly, a systematic literature review is conducted to gather relevant studies, user feedback, and expert opinions on the AI tools. These same studies will be used as the sample variables for this study. Secondly, a comparative evaluation of each AI tool against the original document and each other is conducted to assess each tool against the established evaluation criteria, which include search capabilities, document retrieval, summarization accuracy, citation analysis, and integration with existing research workflows. Lastly, the strengths and weaknesses of each tool are identified in relation to the criteria, and the effectiveness of the AI tool is determined based on the original content of the sample material. The findings of this study include (a) identified AI tools, such as Elicit, SciSpace, and Consensus, which offer valuable contributions to the research community through productivity-boosting features. (b) Each tool has strengths and weaknesses in search capabilities, document retrieval, summarization accuracy, citation analysis, and integration with existing research workflows; and (c) Documented user feedback indicates positive experiences with the usability and effectiveness of the tools, highlighting their potential to enhance research workflows. This study acknowledges potential limitations, including the reliance on user feedback and the subjective nature of user experiences. The evaluation is based on a specific set of criteria, and the results may vary depending on individual research needs and preferences. This study offers practical implications for researchers, students, and professionals seeking efficient and effective tools for conducting literature reviews. Elicit, SciSpace, and Consensus offer insights into their strengths, weaknesses, and potential applications. The findings contribute to informed decision-making regarding the adoption and utilization of these AI tools in research. This study examines AI tools designed explicitly for conducting literature reviews, distinguishing itself from existing research that predominantly emphasizes the application of AI in academic research settings. It offers an analysis of how various AI features can enhance the literature review process, thereby contributing a unique perspective to the ongoing discourse on the integration of AI in research methodologies.
Citizen science, a core component of the open science movement, emphasizes public participation in scientific research and fosters inclusive, community-driven knowledge production. Libraries are increasingly recognized as critical facilitators of citizen science, offering infrastructure, support, and access to resources. This study investigates the intellectual structure of citizen science within the field of library and information science (LIS) through a co-citation analysis using data retrieved from Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus. The analysis identifies the most frequently co-cited authors and sources, revealing emerging research clusters and thematic trends. Findings show that while citizen science in LIS is a growing area of interest, the field remains relatively fragmented, with limited author interconnectivity and modest citation frequencies. The most frequently co-cited sources include journals focusing on academic and medical librarianship, highlighting the multidimensional relevance of citizen science across subfields. Keyword analysis reveals dominant themes such as open science, crowdsourcing, and digital humanities, which align with libraries' evolving roles in participatory research. The study provides a comprehensive overview of current research dynamics and collaboration patterns, offering insights into the evolving role of libraries as active participants in citizen science initiatives.
This article explores open-ended qualitative feedback collected through an online survey of public library staff (e.g., managers/directors, librarians, volunteers, etc.) in the American South about the racial climate in their internal workplace. Theory of change is the conceptual principle driving this research study that calls for developing relevant solutions stemming from identifying a needed social change based on points of view of stakeholders embedded in the phenomena under study. The contextual background is the reality of racism that is THE PROBLEM in the United States and the world over. The survey questions were focused on four response categories: workplace inclusion and culture, staffing and professional development, workplace policies and procedures, and personal experiences. This research study briefly provides a listing of thematic results for each response category analyzed via application of grounded theory and open, selective, and axial coding. Implications to operationalize civic engagement for racial justice are briefly identified based on the data collected.
This study investigates how digital storytelling (DS) functions as a communicative strategy for the online presentation of local heritage. It aims to understand the extent to which DS mitigates digital disruption and supports inclusive, participatory, and identity-based narratives. The research applies a qualitative discourse analysis, complemented by a quantitative scope analysis, to a selected sample of 57 websites containing local heritage content. The analytical framework is organized into four levels of discourse analysis: textual, contextual, interactional/action-based, and ideological. The websites were evaluated according to narrative structure, emotional tone, multimodality, user interaction and curatorial authority. DS was identified in 60% of the websites in implicit, explicit or combined form. These DS strategies frequently include multimodal formats (text, audio, video, and image), personalized expression and emotionally resonant language. A recurring paradox was observed: while visual design is becoming more minimalistic, narrative richness is increasing. Most websites exhibited integrative and microhistorical approaches; however, a subset retained institutional or canon-based frameworks that limit narrative diversity. Methodologically, the study underscores the need to adapt discourse analysis to multimodal and non-linear environments. It also highlights the significance of curatorial power in shaping digital heritage narratives. The findings are relevant to libraries, cultural institutions and digital curators seeking to enhance user engagement and inclusivity through narrative strategies. This research contributes to digital heritage, information science and internet studies by considering DS as a form of socio-technical resilience that supports meaning-making, identity and cultural memory in digitally mediated environments.
