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For the first time, data are used to explore the current degree of management feminization in Spain's leading archives and libraries. By examining male directors' perception of the possible implications of the profession's feminization on their work, this study contributes to research into the feminization of the archival profession and librarianship. The various results were cross-checked, revealing that both current data and 40-year-old data show a prevalence of female leadership and therefore feminized management in Spain's main archives and libraries. Pertinent contributions on the historical process of these professions' feminization in Spain are offered, together with surprising data on the low number of female directors in international professional organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much has been written about the demographic make-up of librarianship, which remains overwhelmingly white and female, but little has been discussed about the socioeconomic background of folks entering the field. In this column, I explore some of the ways that coming from a financially disadvantaged background can impact both entering the profession and the experience of working within it. A mix of practical and aspirational action items are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the results of a survey of library and information professionals in positions of leadership regarding the skills and knowledge expected of MLS program graduates seeking employment in their organizations. The survey demonstrates that, as libraries and other information agencies continue to expand their role as a vital resource within a community, academic institution, or business, it is critical for prospective library employees to develop a balanced array of competencies that combines soft skills, such as adaptability, leadership potential and team orientation, as well as hard technical skills that have traditionally been important for daily library operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigated job demands and requirements in the American Library Association (ALA) job website. The states with the highest number of library and information science (LIS) job openings were California, Texas, Illinois, New York, and Washington. Academic libraries had the highest number of job openings, followed by Public libraries and Government libraries, respectively. The most sought-after LIS job categories were Administration/Management, Special Collections/Archives, Subject Specialist/Liaison, Information Literacy and Instruction, and Collection Development/Acquisitions. A significant majority of libraryrelated jobs required a Master's degree. These findings benefit LIS researchers, educators, professionals, and job seekers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The academic library is an institution in continual flux, with ever-growing demands and challenges for its leadership. Many leadership development texts focus on implementing selected styles or techniques in order to deal with these challenges. However, this article explores how developing reflexivity is an essential component of leadership development for academic library leaders. In order to develop this reflexivity, leaders must become disembedded via relational practices such as engaging within interstitial spaces. Discussion of the topic yields three suggested relational practices for leaders to become disembedded in their quest for reflexivity: (1) participating in regular strategic assessment; (2) cultivating faculty relationships; and (3) engaging in student outreach and embedded librarianship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research impact librarianship is an area within the profession that continues to grow out of need for dedicated expertise of bibliometrics and other various assessment measures. There are numerous methods of creating or re-imagining research impact services. As is common practice within librarianship, sharing experiences and best practices for service provision, especially burgeoning services, is invaluable and informs other professionals about successes they can potentially adapt into their plans for doing similar work. The Libraries at the University of Houston is in the midst of creating a research visibility and impact program born out of an initiative to elevate the university's level of prestige and impact by developing personnel, programs, and practices to support research visibility and impact across the institution. This article discusses the University of Houston Libraries' process and progress toward formalizing research impact services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STEM librarian roles are shifting to accommodate the changing academic research and education landscape within universities. To best support students and faculty, liaisons need to examine current practices within STEM librarianship, experiment with new models of information literacy, and consider how students are using the library. The following articles examine the roles of STEM librarians; the methods they use to connect with STEM students; and the way STEM students are interacting, or not interacting, with university libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on critical librarianship in the health library context. It critiquing societal norms; supporting critical thinking in academic and hospital libraries; advocating for inclusive and accurate indexing of Indigenous populations in research databases; highlights a case study involving the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) thesaurus; and demonstrating how critical examination by information professionals led to impactful changes in information access and representation.

The article focuses on exploring the relationship between information literacy, information access, and artificial intelligence in today's information landscape. Topics include the evolution and standards of information literacy; challenges and responsibilities in education; the critical aspect of information access; the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on information management; and highlighting its benefits and ethical considerations.

This scoping literature review explored specific themes connected to the evolving nature of academic business librarianship (career paths and educational backgrounds, services and job roles, self-assessment, and professional development) with the goal to determine the state of existing literature. Following careful review, two areas of business librarianship—self-assessment and professional development—were identified as lacking in overall research literature. Literature regarding career paths and educational backgrounds, as well as services and job roles demonstrated notable gaps and need for timely revision. Future directions for research in emerging areas of academic business librarianship are also identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents findings from a survey of 291 Australian library and information science (LIS) practitioners, examining their research capacity by identifying attitudes towards, and experiences of research activities, including support needs and barriers. This study found that supported LIS practitioners will be confident LIS practitioner-researchers. Findings reveal that in addition to fostering research skills and knowledge strategies to build LIS practitioners' research capacity, the profession must acknowledge and address the feelings that underlie resistance to research. In addition, before mentoring can be used as a meaningful research support mechanism, LIS practitioners need to first develop confidence that their experiences are sufficient to provide support to others and receive training in research methods to bridge the gap between research as service, and research as partnership. LIS academics, with their expertise in research, are well placed to take an active role in collaboration with LIS practitioners to provide research training and mentoring. For LIS practitioner-researchers' potential to be realised, developmental interventions need to be addressed within LIS institutions. As a supportive research culture within a workplace is enhanced, mistrust in research and anxiety about research practices will diminish, and practitioners will build their identities as practitioner-researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many considerations to take before embarking on a new project or creating a new community partnership. Many such considerations are undocumented and not widely taught in Master of Library and Information Science programs. This article fills in the gap with suggested steps to take before implementing a new service or partnership. Recommendations stem from the author's own experiences and aim to help public library workers—from staff to administration—avoid possible pitfalls and become effective advocates for focus and intentionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial literacy (FL) is an important ability needed by any individual to understand, evaluate, and communicate business and financial information. Having accurate financial information increases one's competency to be financial literate. It is regarded as a common and basic life skill that libraries can develop for their users. Using purposive sampling, this study ponders into the status and challenges of eight public city libraries in the Philippines in terms of providing FL education and how they can potentially share a role in developing the economy of a country. Public libraries' readiness to serve their users can be observed in terms of their collection, web presence, services, and programs. The level of financial knowledge and competencies of city librarians were also assessed. A look into the available professional development programs for public librarians in business and finance librarianship was reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on how Third Iron's LibKey enhances access to library resources through browsers and discovery tools. Topics include the value LibKey provides to libraries by improving enterprise discovery solutions, its integration with library platforms to simplify access, and the features of LibKey Nomad, such as its availability on major browsers and its ability to provide one-click access to articles and ebooks.

The article offers information on exploring generative artificial intelligence (AI), specifically ChatGPT, and its potential applications in information literacy instruction. Topics include the impact of generative AI on teaching and learning, the development and features of generative AI technologies like ChatGPT, and the need for thoughtful integration of AI in education.

The article offers information on working in the electronic resources realm in libraries, which involves duties related to the integrated library system, electronic resources management (ERM) system, and the e-resources themselves. Topics include the multifaceted nature of e-resource librarianship, the dissension among librarians regarding the uniqueness of different library types' experiences with e-resources, and the benefits of sharing experiences across library types.

Professional discussions regarding bias in classification are occurring internationally. Libraries are investigating ways to address these issues in manageable steps as we push for broader changes. This case study details one library's process for adopting the Dewey Decimal Classification optional arrangement for religion (220-299), following the work done by Emily McDonald. This arrangement reduces the Christian bias of the standard schedule. The reclassification project is a step to improve the inclusivity and browsability of the collection while maintaining the library's current classification scheme. In addition to process, the paper highlights the advantages and potential concerns for adopting this arrangement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers various approaches to the practice of copy-specific descriptive cataloging in rare books and special collections and seeks to identify how practice can be improved to ensure greater discoverability. Through applying a survey method, it identifies some of the core requirements of library professionals and researchers working with these materials and proposes solutions toward the standardization of this practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the practices of subject assignment by the two main Norwegian cataloging agencies serving the public library domain, Biblioteksentralen and Bokbasen, analyzing 47,235 records representing media cataloged by both agencies, published between 2012 and 2019. In addition to descriptive statistics representing these practices, we apply the Panofsky/Shatford model, previously used in the analysis of artworks and images, to distinguish aspects of these practices associated with levels of meaning. We find that Biblioteksentralen tends to use more abstract terms in their descriptions, while Bokbasen tends to use more general terms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mintel Reports Academic is a market intelligence database that provides reports on consumers, markets, products, and brands from various geographies. The reports are written by analysts with expertise in different industries and include survey data collected through online surveys. Mintel tracks government statistics, consumer and trade association statistics, and press articles worldwide. The database offers a user-friendly interface for searching and accessing reports, and users can download reports in various formats. Mintel Reports is a comprehensive resource for market research and is particularly useful for business faculty and students, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. [Extracted from the article]

Food systems are the sum of actors and interactions along the food chain. A growing number of public libraries are partnering in the food system, but little research has sought to understand what that looks like. To understand this topic, in Spring 2022 the researchers circulated a survey to members of the American public library profession. Survey results (n = 401) found a majority had displays related to food, and food programs offered through partnerships. Respondents showed an interest in learning more about this topic. After presenting and discussing results, the article concludes with a call to more deeply understand this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative case study explored librarians' and social workers' experiences in an online scenario-game-based training program for Responsive Librarianship, a model for the delivery of personalised library services in response to a health or wellness concern. Analysis was conducted using the Community of Asynchronous Interprofessional Learning Model to determine how participants' responses to course design and activities related to community of practice characteristics. Findings from this study explain how an online training program influences the development of professional identity among librarians and social workers in an interprofessional community of practice learning to provide Responsive Librarianship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Libraries are facing unprecedented challenges, from physical threats of library staff, budget cuts, and increased patrons' psychosocial needs such as poverty, mental health problems, or substance use disorders. There is growing awareness of many library staff experiencing chronic stress and even trauma from their work. With many of these patron challenges related to trauma, as well as the frequent experiences of staff trauma, adopting a trauma-informed organisational approach can be helpful to many libraries. Trauma-informed librarianship requires integrating the six principles of trauma-informed care throughout the library and its policies, programs, and practices. Social workers are often able to help libraries adopt a trauma-informed approach, but may not be accessible for all libraries since many do not have on-staff social workers or existing social work collaborations. Thus, this manuscript describes strategies that can be used by both libraries with and without social workers to develop a trauma-informed organisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing popularity of interdisciplinary partnerships among social workers and public libraries on a global level has resulted in the need to clarify common challenges that team members frequently encounter. Currently, many new library/social work collaborations are 'reinventing the wheel' as they design a new partnership, unaware of and unable to anticipate barriers. Based on the emerging research primarily stemming from the United States, information is presented in this article to guide public libraries and social workers across the globe to understand and navigate these common challenges. Authors of this manuscript note the benefits of cross-disciplinary partnerships and outline five prevalent obstacles both public librarians and social workers face when joining forces. Recommendations for anticipating and responding to these challenges are presented to libraries interested in social work partnerships and to branches that already collaborate with social service professionals. To prepare emerging professionals for such collaborations, guidance is also offered for modifying existing curricula to both social work and library and information sciences graduate education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid-19 pandemic profoundly affected the online presence of every institution as in-person interactions abruptly came to a halt. Libraries had to make both significant adjustments and minor tweaks to their websites to accommodate new remote work and scholarship modalities. In some cases, entire web pages, which would typically require weeks of planning, research, and testing before being launched, were hastily published. In this article, the author explores how web committees can make on-the-fly changes that continue to yield positive results beyond the unique circumstances of a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. They argue that by encouraging the use of design thinking principles, administrators and web committees can effectively showcase remote library services to students, faculty, and staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much has been written about discovery layer strengths and weaknesses in academic libraries. Many academic libraries have a discovery layer, using products, such as those from OCLC, EBSCO, ExLibris, Summon, or open-source products, such as VuFind. But after over 10 years of academic libraries adopting discovery layers as part of their discovery ecosystem, it may be time to take a step back and revisit the question posed by the speakers at the American Libraries Live "Making the Discovery Decision" January 2014 online discussion, namely: What is a discovery layer and its purpose? Are discovery layers accomplishing what they purport to accomplish for the end user? Through examining three particular discovery layers—OCLC WorldCat Discovery, ExLibris Primo VE, and EBSCO EDS—in regards to their conformance to the National Information Standards Organization (NISO)'s Open Discovery Initiative (ODI) "Checklist for Discovery Service Providers," relevancy ranking algorithms, and mapping tables with facets, this article argues that the goals of discovery layers need to be reconsidered. Specifically, rather than the discovery layers' goal to be Google-like and provide a self-sufficient user experience, discovery layers might be better promoted by libraries as a tool to be used most effectively with assistance from librarians. Discovery Layer vendors could focus their design efforts more on accurate faceted searching, citation tools, and saved search features, and less on esthetics and patron self-sufficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deselection and removal of materials (a.k.a. weeding) and gift acquisition of materials (a.k.a. gift books) are two essential practices for librarianship, yet may not be as routine as other aspects of collection development. These practices often become special projects that require more effort and time than routine practices. In June of 2022, the Christopher Center Library Technical Services Department opted to transition from special project weeding and sporadic gift acquisition to an alternating schedule of deselection and gift acquisition. Due to personnel changes and a smaller workforce within the library, creating a routine practice for collection management was not only best practice, but also was necessary to prevent burnout and bottlenecks within workflows. This article will reflect the first 12 months of the newly developed and implemented policy and explore the successes, obstacles and best practices for libraries interested in routine collection management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the potential benefits of eliminating the requirement of a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) for branch library management positions. Waiving the requirement attracts a wider range of candidates, including BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) applicants. Many of the skills necessary for library jobs—such as building community relationships and overseeing budgets—do not necessarily come from acquiring an MLIS and, in fact, are more likely to come from other experiences. At the same time, the MLIS does offer foundational knowledge about library values and professional ethics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This opinion paper discusses the impact of the Library and Information Science (LIS) course/program accreditation, and implications for graduating students when it excludes an international element. The case study describes the accreditation status of Zimbabwe's LIS training and qualifications, while also gathering insight from international practices. Results reveal the need for a solid support system to the LIS profession from various constituents including LIS curriculum developers, library associations, and an environment that encourages library and information professionals to possess qualifications relevant to their respective markets and innovation. The paper concludes with a recommendation for international accreditation practices, principles and standards that produce well-equipped, versatile LIS professionals. In exploring the process and implications of international accreditation and recognition of library science qualifications in Zimbabwe, the paper holds promise for informing other situations beyond Zimbabwe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides initial insight into the infrastructure surrounding outdoor public librarianship, a term introduced in this article. Data from a Fall 2021 survey revealed many libraries moved programs and services outside during Summer 2021. Library workers predominantly used local infrastructure, supplemented by some extralocal infrastructure (primarily their peers within the profession), to develop and implement these programs and services. Data reveal these services are expected to continue, and possibly expand. Given this potential growth, future research to uncover effective practices is needed so that libraries can effectively help their communities benefit from being outside in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aimed to evaluate the research trends in the discipline of library and information science (LIS) originating from the group of nations known as the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). The Web of Science core collection database (WoSCC) has been used to extract the published data during the period 1989–2020. Furthermore, VoSviewer and Bibliometrix R package software have been employed for bibliometric analysis of data and data visualization. Results from data analysis indicate that China has the highest number of publications. There is a positive upward trend in scientific publications and citation patterns. Scientometrics is the most influential journal with the highest number of publications. Wuhan University is the most productive institution. Fourie I (n = 233) attains the first rank as the most prolific author based on the highest number of research publications. The overall collaboration rate of LIS publications among BRICS countries is moderate. Deep learning, machine learning, sentiment analysis, altmetrics, and artificial intelligence are the leading topics in LIS research among BRICS nations. The study will be of interest or helpful for researchers and professionals in the LIS research field who are interested in learning more about research trends in LIS in the BRICS nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although emotional labor—defined as the process(es) by which a worker manages their feelings in order to produce the desired emotional response in a customer—has been studied in various fields and specific domains of librarianship, this topic has yet to be examined in school librarianship. In this exploratory article, I perform a close reading of school librarian job postings to surface expectations of emotional labor and explicate connections to the feminized history of librarianship. The article closes with a call to action, outlining steps for administrators and researchers to prevent the potential harms of emotional labor in school librarianship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of neutrality has long been central to debates on and within librarianship. In the fall of 2021, the online symposium Post-neutrality Librarianship gathered library professionals from research and practice to discuss the concept of post-neutrality and how it manifests regionally, contextually, in societies, and communities. The papers and presentations represented international perspectives on neutrality and post-neutrality in relation to academic, university, and public libraries. From the perspectives of two participating researchers, this paper offers a reflexive summary of the symposium. Although post-neutrality librarianship was the theme of the symposium, a central part of the discussions centered on the questions of neutrality or post-neutrality and whether being neutral is, in fact, possible. Such questions impose a binary reading of neutrality and post-neutrality, which echoes historical debates about library neutrality. This paper problematizes such binary readings of neutrality and post-neutrality. By introducing examples of historical neutrality debates through a discourse analysis framework, the paper seeks to exemplify how the concept of post-neutrality bears with it certain narratives and discourses about neutrality, which co-exist within librarianship today. Acknowledging the interrelation between these concepts allows for reflexive readings and nuanced discussions of librarianship in the era of post-neutrality. The paper, then, summarizes central discussions from the symposium under three dominating themes: the role of libraries, the role of librarians, and the role of LIS education, all relating to how and why LIS professionals, librarians, and researchers should navigate in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an analysis of Fulbright Scholars in library science from Uzbekistan and the United States on the state of development of academic libraries in Uzbekistan, describing problems and prospects. Recently there has been progress in government support; access to scholarly resources has improved' and there are national and international conferences and seminars to support researchers and librarians. As universities and institutes in Uzbekistan move toward expanding research and publication activity into the wider international realm, academic libraries will need to implement new services and provide resources required by this system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the role of librarians in e- learning programs, as a consequence of post-covid adaptations in Nigerian universities. Through a review of the relevant literature and of current practice in existing e-learning programs in Nigerian universities, a discussion is developed around the significant roles librarians can play. The embedded librarianship model was identified as the best practice to adopt in order to secure a place for librarians and libraries in Nigeria in the face of the current change in teaching approaches in the post Covid-19 environment. Furthermore, the paper describes the perceived challenges librarians and libraries may be confronted with in executing the embedded librarianship model with regard to online teaching and learning. The paper advocates that the identified challenges be addressed for the library to play a role in the evolving post-covid adaptations in Nigerian universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the people behind the Pennsylvannia Hospital Library's (PHL) collection. Topics discussed include brief history of the library, background of William Gunn Malin, who served as the first librarian of the collection, and main responsibilities of Mary McCann as director of the library.

The debate on "predatory" publishing within academic scholarly communication continues. Blacklists (or watchlists) pertaining to "predatory" open access publishing by Jeffrey Beall, anonymous websites that cloned Beall's blacklists, with or without updates, as well as a now-defunct blacklist, Dolos list, contain classification errors. During a Google search in 2021–2022, we found that dozens of academic libraries around the world, primarily in the USA, had continued to promote those blacklists. The list was revisited on 23 February 2023, focusing on libraries in seven Anglophonic countries, noting that 37 libraries were still promoting the Beall-based blacklists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entrepreneurial skills are considered one of the most important competencies expected to be possessed by Library and Information Science (LIS) faculty and academic librarians as information professionals. These skills include technical skills, managerial skills, business skills, personal maturity skills, ICT skills and information literacy skills. The context observation and literature review indicated limited research on the entrepreneurial skills of Library and Information Science (LIS) faculty and academic librarians in Nigerian universities. The need to fill this inadvertently created gap initiated this study. The study aimed to assess entrepreneurial skills level as well as identify entrepreneurship issues and prospects of LIS faculty and academic librarians in South-West Nigerian universities with library schools. This paper was anchored on survey research design. The study employed the total enumeration method to cover all LIS faculty and academic librarians in these universities. An adapted structured questionnaire was administered and responses were analyzed quantitatively using frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation. Findings revealed lackluster technical, business and ICT skills of these information professionals including unacceptable managerial skills. Furthermore, entrepreneurship issues showed government-centered, institutional and personal subjects such as government policies, economic problems, legal registration, funding, excessive workload and lack of entrepreneurial attitude. The study also uncovered dwindling entrepreneurship prospects. The study recommends premeditated efforts by LIS faculty and academic librarians and universities at entrepreneurial development and the advancement of citizen-friendly entrepreneurial policies and a blueprint by the government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The librarian's axiom which states that when the economy is failing, use of the public library increases, has existed since the late 19th century. Educator and library administrator Steven James is credited with naming this phenomenon as he attempted to extrapolate the relationship between library usage and economic conditions. James' 1985 research found no correlation between library use and economic using data from the sixties to the mid-seventies. However, the American Library Association's Library Research Center several years later found that material circulation had increased significantly in the late nineties, a time of noted economic strife, leaving the question of the impact of economic trends on library use unresolved. Numerous articles dealing with library usage, economic downturns, library funding, and patron needs seek to understand past trends while anticipating, and even predicting, trends of the modern public library. This axiom bears out anecdotally; yet it is technically unproven statistically. The defined period of the Great Recession provides an opportunity to address this belief by using existing public library usage statistics. For this article, statistics used will be two years before, during, and two years after the Great Recession (2006–2011). Taking the annual data from public libraries which is reported to the state library agencies and then compiled nationally by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Public Library Service (PLS), Library Journal created the LJ Index of Public Library Service and Star library rating system. The LJ Index scores consist of the following four per capita service output statistics: library visits, circulation, program attendance, and public internet use. Specifically, library visits and circulation statistics are utilized to determine if, during this time of documented economic strife, library usage increased as per the librarian's axiom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural Medicines is a prominent resource for topics in complementary and alternative medicine. The database offers several unique features including an evidence-based focus on complementary and alternative medicine, and rating products using a proprietary NMBR system. This column reviews the database, both content and design, and discusses the usefulness of the product for librarians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Threshold concepts are foundational ideas that shape how learners understand a particular subject, without a firm grasp on these concepts, it is difficult for learning to progress. In librarianship, threshold concepts have not been identified for the area of cataloging. This article identifies three related areas with applicable threshold concepts: information literacy, public history, and creative writing. The study applies threshold concepts to cataloging training topics and identifies training improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Library and Information Science (LIS) literature on employee engagement is scarce, with most publications focusing on a related concept of job satisfaction. This article, however, contributes to an understanding of engagement experiences as manifested by public librarians in the context of working with immigrant communities. The study, guided by hermeneutic phenomenology and conducted through qualitative interviews, relies on William Kahn's classical theory of employee engagement and investigates the expression of three components—meaningfulness, safety, and availability—in the work of these individuals. The sample is recruited from library staff serving immigrant populations in large metropolitan libraries in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and New York City, USA. The study concludes that the most important component of engagement in this research population is the meaningfulness of one's work which, in itself, is a composite and complex concept, elucidated in great detail in the study. Meaningfulness is followed by the availability of energies invested in librarians' workplace roles, with safety as the least significant factor. The study observes that librarians' approach to working with immigrants is akin to following a calling, not simply performing work-related duties. It also notes that the phenomenon of vocational awe influences and accounts for librarians' dedicated and committed service to immigrant communities even when the workplace safety net is tentative and uncertain. These findings provide food for thought to public library managers who wish to support and retain their talented, dedicated, and culturally competent staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on collaborating with students at Loyola University New Orleans' Monroe Library to manage electronic resources, using government documents weeding as an example. Topics include the role of work-study students in technical services departments, the responsibilities of the Technical Services department at Loyola University, and the benefits of hiring students to complete projects on time.

The article offers information on the Iraqi Portal of Knowledge, a digital platform providing free resources to researchers on Iraqi affairs and intellectual production. Topics include the project's integration of libraries, archives, and museums, its structured approach to organizing cultural data sources, and its significance in archiving and collecting Iraqi heritage.

This column highlights the work of Georgia school librarian Cicely Lewis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant research has been done on morale within libraries focusing on librarians as teachers, administrators, staff, and faculty members. This review is the second in a series of two with the purpose of providing suggestions on ways to improve morale in librarians and library staff. The first part of this review discusses contributors to low morale in these populations. Searches were conducted between Spring 2020 and 2021 across six databases and by hand (Medline via PubMed, Library and Information Science Collection via ProQuest, Sociological Abstracts via ProQuest, PsycInfo via EBSCO, Library Literature and Information Science Full Text via EBSCO, and ERIC via EBSCO). Broad and narrow searches were performed utilizing keywords and controlled vocabulary terms related to morale and librarians or library staff. Results were reviewed by authors in three stages according to inclusion and exclusion criteria outlined in the article. The initial search resulted in 735 articles for review. After completion of a three-stage review process and hand search, 52 articles remained. The search and hand search update resulted in 13 additional articles for a total of 65 articles for inclusion in the initial review. These articles were then split into two main groups: articles that address contributors to low morale and those that provide suggestions for improving morale. This article will address 28/65 articles retrieved that provided suggestions for improving morale within libraries. There is currently a large body of research on morale related to librarians and library staff; however, it is worth reexamining morale as librarianship and the world around it continues to change. Researchers confirmed that libraries have unique cultures based upon their region, overarching institution, type of library, customer or patron base, and other factors. As such, supervisors must be creative in terms of encouraging their staff and must adapt morale improvement efforts to their individual institution as material resources are not always available as rewards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the general consensus that field experience during library school is important for applying theory to practical situations, there is a lack of understanding about what students want from, and the barriers they face to acquire, graduate employment. A survey was sent to ALA accredited Master of Library Science programs in the United States, asking students about their library employment status and to rank factors that influenced their decision to accept their positions. Patterns emerged when results were grouped by various life factors. The results of this study show what students are looking for from employment, which could help employers recruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As society emerges from an unprecedented pandemic that saw the closure of libraries, schools, and universities worldwide, the potential lasting impacts on institutions, professions, and communities can begin to be assessed. Through a bibliometric study of COVID-19-related library publishing, combined with thematic coding of article abstracts, this paper provides an initial glimpse into the impacts of the pandemic on library operations, services, collections, and the workforce. Two hundred thirty-seven journal articles published in 2020 about libraries and the pandemic were identified and analyzed. These articles indicate broad cross-sectoral, global impacts on libraries and librarianship. This analysis provides a baseline for future research on the lasting effects of the pandemic on the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant research has been done on morale within libraries, focusing on librarians as teachers, administrators, staff, and faculty members. This review is the first in a series of two with the intention to provide perspective on contributors to low morale in librarians and library staff. The second part of this review will be forthcoming and will discuss ways to improve morale in these populations. Searches were conducted between Spring 2020 and 2021 across six databases (Medline via PubMed, Library and Information Science Collection via ProQuest, Sociological Abstracts via ProQuest, PsycInfo via EBSCO, Library Literature and Information Science Full Text via EBSCO, and ERIC via EBSCO). A hand search was added in Spring 2021 in the interest of completeness. Broad and narrow searches were performed utilizing keywords and controlled vocabulary terms related to morale and librarians or library staff. Results were reviewed by authors in three stages according to inclusion and exclusion criteria outlined in the article. The initial search resulted in 735 articles for review. After completion of a three-stage review process and initial hand search, 52 articles remained. The search update and hand search update resulted in 13 additional articles for a total of 65 articles for inclusion in the initial review. These articles were then split into two main groups: articles that address contributors to low morale and those that provide suggestions for improving morale. This article will address 40/65 articles retrieved that discuss contributors to low moral within libraries. Remaining articles and articles that discuss both contributors to low morale and ways in which to improve morale will be discussed in the second half of this review series. There is currently a large body of research on morale related to librarians and library staff; however, it is worth reexamining morale as this profession and the world around it continues to change. Researchers confirmed that libraries have unique cultures based upon their region, overarching institution, type of library, customer or patron base, and other factors. As such, supervisors and managerial staff indicate the importance of examining the culture of one's own library including the motivations of staff/faculty and barriers that they encounter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]