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Many institutional models exist for advising undeclared students, a group often requiring much guidance and support through the advising and discernment process. This research explored the experience of undeclared students with a librarian advisor. Fifteen students were interviewed after they declared a major to understand how they perceived their advising experience and their satisfaction with advising and their advisor. Overall, students reported feeling mostly satisfied with their librarian advisors. Most students would choose a librarian as their advisor again. Although interview data was largely positive, areas for improvement were identified.

Informed by relationality and reciprocity, Indigenous librarians who teach play a key role in creating learning opportunities for students to gain information literacy (IL) skills and become better users and creators of information. Through unstructured interviews with seven Indigenous librarians, we find that Indigenous identity and ways of knowing based on relationality and reciprocity are key components shaping the pedagogy of Indigenous librarians, as it informs the ways they enact accountability, build relationships, set boundaries, and practice care. Through this work, we offer a definition of Indigenous information literacy, which is the ability to use information and create or gain knowledge, while practicing the Indigenous concepts of relationality, reciprocity, and respect. This work lays the groundwork for further explorations of relationality, kinship, and Indigenous ways of knowing in information literacy and Indigenous librarianship.

As a part of a larger study titled, First Years Meet the Frames, this work explores the perceptions of first-generation students (FGS) on their readiness for college-level research as well as their first-year college experience with libraries and librarians. Although, by definition, these students lack the cultural capital normally derived from parents who went to college in order to readily assimilate into higher education institutions, depending on their high school experiences, they may be able to build social capital. Accordingly, this article investigates such opportunities which lie in high schools with strong library programs that have a full-time certified librarian working in alignment with the national school library standards of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL). It addresses what aspects of this preparation facilitate the development of social capital and follows FGS into the first year of college to see how they continue to build it. It also compares FGS to their continuing generation student (CGS) counterparts from the same high schools. Findings show that FGS can build social capital via these high school library programs and continue to leverage their high school experiences and skill sets in order to create new networks and to tackle college-level research during the first year of college. FGS demonstrate similar preparedness and similar confidence in research abilities as their CGS counterparts.

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) poses challenges as well as opportunities for anyone or anything dealing with digital technologies, including libraries. Libraries and librarians have a twofold challenge in that they simultaneously must consider AI applications in library operations as well as AI skills and knowledge as part of the information literacy (IL) training they provide for their users, whether it be in IL programmes or informal learning contexts. This study follows a learning circle in which 123 librarians in Sweden did a pre-existing online course about AI and met up at regular intervals to discuss its contents in a library perspective. The increased knowledge about AI and libraries and the confidence to pass on this knowledge to library users is measured through a self-efficacy test conducted on three separate occasions during the learning circle. The result from the test shows an increase in AI knowledge during the learning circle, although the small sample makes it difficult to draw definitive conclusions. A focus group from the learning circle was interviewed to get an in-depth understanding of librarians' core topics of concern and excitement regarding AI and libraries. The results from the interview showed that there was a mainly positive view of AI in relation to making library collections more accessible and easier to manage, while there was more concern regarding AI's impact on the media landscape and how this could impact library users. Introspectively, the focus group perceived challenges in including AI when teaching IL to users as well as in the lack of AI skills among colleagues that could make it difficult to apply or discuss AI in relation to the workplace and the library profession. This paper presents a method of increasing AI knowledge among librarians and library staff. It highlights topics relevant for several library types when faced with the development and application of AI in libraries and in society that based on the results of the study are difficult to escape. The insights may prove useful when planning educational endeavours and when considering library development and strategy related to AI and their implications for libraries and library users.

This study aims to analyze how professionals preparing to use technology in education reflect on the phenomenon of chatbots as learning objects. The study is divided into two parts. For the first part of the study, 17 studies indexed in the Web of Science database that focus on using chatbots in education were selected for a systematic review. From this study, six discourses were identified: a Chatbot is not human; a Chatbot is developed iteratively; a Chatbot is a solution to a specific educational problem; a Chatbot is a technological issue; a Chatbot is constituted by narrative and a distinct "psychology"; and a Chatbot is always available with the correct information. In the second part of the study, the responses of 29 respondents (12 teaching librarians and 17 students of the Educational Technology course) to questions about chatbots were processed by qualitative analysis. The analysis used the discourses obtained from the review study and examined their specific perception among this particular group. A key result was that even though the respondents worked with three chatbots without AI, they mentioned similar characteristics in their evaluation that they would apply to a live teacher. Thus, they understand chatbots as part of their learning environment without differentiating between living and nonliving systems.

This article describes using aha moments as an assessment approach to gain a better understanding of student learning in relation to the six frames in the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) "Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education." Librarians asked students to share an aha moment following information literacy instruction sessions during the fall 2022 semester. Researchers coded responses to one of the six IL frames and found that student insights most often reflected learning aligned to the "Searching as Strategic Exploration" frame, though "Information Has Value" also had a strong presence. The results provided a holistic picture of student information literacy learning at Northern Kentucky University and are driving programmatic changes.

Although critical information literacy, critical pedagogy, and online library instruction are commonly discussed in the library and information science literature, they are rarely discussed together. This qualitative interview study with academic librarians conducted in 2022 identifies opportunities and challenges of teaching critical information literacy online. Findings suggest that critical information literacy and critical pedagogy can be integrated into online library instruction through online workshops, digital learning objects, and online credit-bearing courses. However, librarians face challenges implementing critical pedagogy online related to the lack of dialogue and co-creation of knowledge between students and instructors, limitations of the one-shot model of library instruction, which is often replicated online, limited engagement during asynchronous learning, and limitations of educational technology. Additional research is needed to establish frameworks and best practices for teaching critical information literacy and implementing critical pedagogy in online library instruction.

Information literacy (IL) open learning object repositories (LORs) provide a space for librarians to find and exchange instruction resources and lessons. Given many librarians enter the workforce with little or no formal training or educational opportunities to learn about pedagogy, these repositories are indispensable resources to the Library and Information Science field. This study explored the contents of two popular IL LORs, Project Cora and the Association of College and Research Libraries Framework for Information Literacy Sandbox, to uncover how users engage with the resources and how the repositories differ. This study's findings suggest that while resources within the LORs are being used, yearly submissions have stagnated. Intentional assessment of disciplinary and information literacy concept gaps, followed by targeted calls for resources, may improve and increase engagement with the repositories as communities of practice.

Neoliberal capitalism's demands for efficiency and innovation have greatly impacted North American academic libraries and the work conducted in them, including information literacy instruction. The divisive forces of neoliberalism must be met with resistance, and libraries hold the potential for generating an information literacy praxis where learners engage information with a critical consciousness instead of a consumerist one. Using library labor conditions and the contradictions between innovation and student learning as focal points, we argue that academic library workers should seek to center attention to inequities and injustices in the information economy and scholarly information systems in their instruction, identify shared issues within their workplaces to organize around, and build coalitions outside libraries to transform what is possible for academic labor and student learning alike.

Librarians within a newly combined, multi-campus research and instruction department undertook a large-scale peer review of their online instruction program and materials. This collaborative assessment project sought to unite three library departments with a cohesive vision for self-guided online library instruction while establishing consistent quality standards and building a shared sense of ownership and accomplishment. These goals were achieved through a collaborative assessment of online instructional modules that included the development of a novel rubric based on the Quality Matters Course Design Standards. This article reports on that ongoing journey, as well as the goals, challenges, and outcomes of the process, which at its core was dedicated to ensuring that high-quality online research, information, and data literacy programming are available for faculty and students. The processes and structures that the team built to facilitate collaboration and quality assurance may serve as a model for other academic libraries experiencing similar transitions.

This research study investigates the effects of library instruction tutorial format (written versus video) on student preference and performance in chemistry education. The authors assessed the format of tutorials used to provide library instruction in an introductory chemistry course by observing 27 student participants as they took in instructions in either a video or a written format and then completed two chemistry information tasks. While participants expressed strong preferences for particular formats, neither the video tutorials nor the written instructions significantly improved task completion speed or performance. Rather, the authors determined that student preference alone is enough to justify the continued production of multiple versions of instructions for the same assignment.

The graphic edition of Snyder's "On Tyranny" (2021) states "truth dies in four modes," which is a contemporary synthesis connected to Klemperer's "Language of the Third Reich" (1957). The researchers connected these four modes to information literacy (IL) instruction - but would others? The researchers surveyed academic librarians engaged in IL instruction on whether they felt they addressed any of the modes in their work. The researchers also asked whether they believe the ACRL "Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education" works to circumvent any of the four modes. Nearly 150 librarians responded and, while most respondents were unfamiliar with the two texts referenced and their thoughts were mixed, many saw their work and the "Framework" as antagonistically related to Mode 1 (Open Hostility to Verifiable Reality). This paper discusses survey results and their implications for better understanding of how academic librarians engaged in IL instruction view their work in a socio-political context.

How can we engage new engineering and computer science graduate students in meaningful conversations about research and publication ethics without establishing a common understanding of the issues and expectations? Most universities offer extensive responsible conduct of research (RCR) training programs, which are usually a semester-long. Absent a requirement, it is unlikely that engineering and computer graduate students and their advisors would prioritize a lengthy training during the student's first semester. Recognizing this, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas' Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering designed and implemented an introductory research ethics workshop for all graduate students entering engineering and computer science. We engaged an interdisciplinary team of faculty and staff in the workshop's design and implementation, and approached our design within the sensemaking framework for ethical decision-making. Each workshop included lecture content in four priority topic areas identified by the college faculty: research design and data ethics, publication ethics, computer coding ethics, and intellectual property. The workshops also included a face-to-face panel discussion with experts including engineering, computer science, and law professors; librarians; and technical writers. Our assessment showed that after completing the workshop, students demonstrated increased content knowledge, and their self-assessed expertise ratings were better aligned with their content knowledge.

In 2019 the American Association of School Librarians adopted a strategic plan with three goals, including "AASL advances research that informs school librarian practice." Members of the 2020 Community of Scholars Committee undertook this study to pilot an annual aggregation and systematic review of research related to school librarian practice. The AASL Strategic Plan (2019) also included five core values: learning; innovation; equity, diversity, and inclusion; intellectual freedom; and collaboration. This review also explores how published research in 2019 reflects the core values. A scoping literature review and the search string "school libr*" were employed to provide a broad sweep of potential studies. Fifty-nine studies were identified as "in scope" and were categorized using the AASL core values. Of the 59 articles published, 24 applied to the core value of learning; 14 to innovation; nine to collaboration; three to intellectual freedom; two to equity, diversity, and inclusion; and seven to a category of "other." Subsequent systematic annual reviews of published research in the field should serve to not only document patterns and trends but also to provide guidance or inspiration to practitioners and to the faculty who prepare practitioners.

The current LGBTQIA+-hostile political climate highlights a growing need among school librarians for evidence-based support addressing inclusive professional practices. To establish a baseline of studies providing this evidence and to identify areas where further research is needed, this study used systematic literature review methodology to examine international empirical research in the field of school and youth librarianship published between the years of 2009 and 2021. The study's objectives were to identify and categorize published empirical research on LGBTQIA+ topics in school and youth librarianship and to identify and categorize gaps in that research, proposing focuses for future research studies. Findings determined that little research has been done to examine LGBTQIA+ inclusive school library services for youth. Also revealed was a monolithic approach to the discussion of LGBTQIA+ identities and expressions. More research in this area and the employment of diverse methodologies to uncover a detailed and expansive picture of what LGBTQIA+ inclusive service means are desperately needed.

Higher education institutions strive to turn out graduates that are well-rounded, engaged, and civic-minded individuals no matter their discipline or major. The authors believe that more can be done to ensure that this goal is attained. To address this issue, two librarians designed a learner-centered course that embraced the uncertainty found in today's information landscape through the use of dialog, questioning, and reflection. This article will describe the social and educational atmosphere at colleges that necessitates looking deeper into how and why colleges and universities need to build these new types of courses to meet their goals. From there, it will move into describing the foundational concepts that the class is built on which include Socratic discussion, team teaching, and a learner-centered classroom. It will also describe the specific methods, assignments, and goals used within so other educators may apply the course to their own institution. Marshall McLuhan's "Understanding Media," famous for its aphorisms, is the course's foundational text and primed the class for discussion and questioning throughout the course. Discussion and questioning are seen as two of the keys to educating the next generation to be able to not only survive but thrive in the 21st century.

Academic librarians deliver information literacy instruction (ILI) to students, engage with a range of stakeholders, and work in a range of learning environments that are continually changing. While past research has focused on the perceptions of librarians regarding their role in ILI, this has not been a significant focus of research in the Australian higher education context. This study set out to explore the perceptions of six practising academic librarians at a regional Australian university, seeking to understand their perceptions of information literacy (IL), their role in ILI and the challenges they face in this role. The participants did not have a consensus on the nature of IL, despite having a clear definition from the institution. Librarians felt they had both an educative and supportive role and that they brought expertise and authority to ILI. Librarians note­­d that their ILI supported the broader function of the university to meet internal policies and external regulatory requirements. Librarians suggested that an integrated approach to ILI at the institution would improve librarians' agency in supporting students. The analysis of the findings led to the development of a model for the delivery of effective ILI for this institution. The findings of this study contribute to the existing body of IL research by (a) giving voice to the views of academic librarians working in a regional Australian university, and (b) highlighting the challenges that academic librarians face when delivering ILI at their institution.

Providing targeted experiences for first-year students both inside and outside the classroom is essential for building connections and creating a foundation for skill development necessary for academic success. Many first-year programs include a standalone course for incoming students or specific content weaved into existing course offerings. Information literacy skill-building holds an important place in these efforts; therefore, instruction librarians are provided additional opportunities to collaborate with faculty and reach students. Depending upon the size of the institution, however, the sheer number of first-year courses combined with shrinking library staff pose challenges. This Innovative Practices article is one library's experience with building, executing, and assessing an information literacy program specific to the needs of first-year students in response to these challenges. Offering an array of library resources, collaborating on ideas for instruction delivery, and crafting a more intentional approach to assigning classes are solutions that may be adapted to address scalability and sustainability concerns.

Frequently, information literacy instruction takes the form of a one-shot library session with minimal collaboration between librarians and teaching faculty. To offer an alternative to this model, librarians implemented the Information Literacy Mini-Grant; an incentivized program inviting teaching faculty to collaborate with librarians to redesign an assignment to integrate information literacy into their course. Following the semester-long collaboration, teaching faculty provided written feedback and participated in a panel discussion to share their experiences with the program. This case study examines teaching faculty's perceptions of collaborating with librarians in the pilot year of the program. Teaching faculty's feedback provided insights into their perceptions of librarians, their thoughts regarding librarians' unique expertise as pedagogical partners, and the challenges of collaborations. This case study considers the successes and challenges of the program and provides recommendations for future faculty-librarian collaborations that position librarians as partners in student learning.

This study investigates instruction librarians' perceptions of their relationships with teaching faculty. Respondents to a survey of U.S. instruction librarians indicated that they tended to agree that their teaching was valued and they had autonomy in what they taught. However, the often one-time nature of library instruction limited their effectiveness as teachers, and respondents felt that faculty did not view librarians' teaching as equivalent to their own. Respondents also reported a disconnect between their professional identities and others' viewpoints, describing having their teaching role minimized or misunderstood by others, especially faculty. Additionally, a relationship was found between some aspects of librarians' perceptions of the faculty--librarian relationship and three separate factors: formal, non-library teaching experience; length of time as an instruction librarian; and librarians' amount of teaching. This research sheds light on the complexities of this important relationship and helps instruction librarians understand how others' views impact their professional identities.

This Innovative Practices piece details the design of a scaffolded project in a public health course that paired a narrative inquiry assignment with an empirical health literature review assignment to highlight both the positivist and constructivist epistemologies of critical health research in public health. The authors discuss and reflect on the five parts that constitute the project, student learning outcomes, and the benefits of engaging with critical information literacy in an undergraduate public health course. The goal of this article is to provide practical applications of critical information literacy to librarians in the health sciences who work with undergraduate students.

In a faculty-focused, or "teach the teachers" (TTT) model of information literacy (IL), librarians would spend a significant portion of their time on faculty development. To support the adoption of this approach, there needs to be evidence that librarians can act effectively as faculty developers and that faculty development (also referred to as academic or educational development) can produce positive changes in teaching practices and student learning. This paper explores the faculty development literature in order to better understand the potential of the faculty-focused model of IL. Two research questions guided the review. What can the literature on the effectiveness of faculty development tell us about the potential of the faculty development approach to IL? Additionally, what insight can the literature on the background, experiences, and identity of faculty developers provide to our understanding of librarians acting as faculty developers? The analysis provides indications that a model of IL instruction focused on faculty could support increased integration of IL into the curriculum, as well as additional evidence that faculty development should be considered a viable role for librarians. However, the review also surfaced concerns about the identity and status of developers and the challenges of assessing faculty development that are relevant to librarians' adoption of the faculty-focused model of IL. By exploring the faculty development literature as part of a consideration of the TTT approach to IL, this paper provides a valuable perspective to the ongoing debates about the future of IL.

Teaching is a core role for librarians in academic contexts, although most librarians are not formally prepared to teach and encounter significant challenges in the role, including complex relationships with campus colleagues. The purpose of this research was to explore how community college librarians, an understudied population, understand their teaching role. Online interviews lasting fifteen to seventy-four minutes were conducted with thirty community college librarians who provide information literacy (IL) instruction. Participants were recruited by direct email invitation and were asked questions relating to their instructional practices. Interview transcripts were analysed qualitatively, with a specific focus on participants' experiences of the teaching role. Participants reported positive relationships with students, and significant challenges in their relationships with disciplinary faculty and administrators. Their lack of formal preparation for the teaching role led to infrequent and informal assessment and evaluation practices. Pre-service education for the teaching role could be strengthened to provide librarians with the skill set and confidence to provide more effective instruction. Instructional quality is critical as the importance of IL is increasingly recognized as key to academic, workplace, and personal success.

This article attempts to comprehend the current issues and hurdles that Indian colleges affiliated with Tamil Nadu State Universities encounter when trying to subscribe to a software that detects plagiarism. The study's goals are to determine whether colleges employ anti-plagiarism software, whether they ensure that their student-given assignments are free of copyright infringement, whether tutors teach about academic misconduct, and what people seem to think of anti-plagiarism software. We surveyed for this study and distributed the questionnaires among college administrators, principals, and librarians. The study respondents are 15.9 per cent principals, 64.2 per cent library professionals, and 19.9 per cent college administrators. The survey study report shows that 70.9 per cent of the majority of the colleges did not subscribe. 41.7 per cent gave the reason it is too expensive, and 30.5 per cent of respondents thought that for their college, it is unnecessary to subscribe. However, nobody has confirmed whether or not all colleges possess access to plagiarism detection software. Thus, according to this investigation, further Indian states must be involved in this research to understand the specific context fully. This report advises the UGC to enforce the requirement that colleges have plagiarism detection software; they either provide colleges additional money to subscribe to such software, or the university must grant free access to the affiliated colleges.

This exploratory study examines trends in librarian teaching support for open science (OS) practices in higher education. The study was conducted through semi-structured interviews with academic librarians and a survey that was distributed through academic librarian interest groups. The results indicate that academic librarians have varied approaches to teaching OS and different opportunities to collaborate within institutions. There were common pedagogical OS topics and perspectives on teaching OS practices in higher education. The findings also include insights regarding professional development needs and opportunities for librarians.

Student employees are often vital members of an academic library's workforce, though the extent to which they contribute to library geospatial services has not yet been explored in a systematic way. The present study was designed to address this gap through a survey of academic library professionals involved in employing students to provide geospatial services. Topics addressed in the survey include department staffing, student employee responsibilities, funding and compensation for student positions, and the perceived benefits and challenges of employing students to provide geospatial services. Data generated through survey responses indicate potential differences in the types of responsibilities performed by graduate/professional and undergraduate students, enhanced productivity and collective wisdom as library benefits, professionally relevant experience and transferable skill development as student benefits, and common challenges across institutions. By providing a baseline understanding of student employment practices in library geospatial services, this study offers actionable information for current practitioners and can serve as a foundation for future scholarship on supervisor and student employee experiences.

A previous study of creative writers' self-reports revealed important differences between research as it is carried out in the context of creative writing and the more scholarly types of research academic librarians often focus on. However, that study left many questions open. For this follow-up study, the author interviewed published creative writers about the role of research in their creative process. This study offers new insight into creative writers' attitudes toward the use of creative license. Though the sample was relatively small, the findings support the results of the original research.

This article reports on findings of an online survey about academic instruction librarians' conceptions and experiences of teacher agency in relation to their instructional work, and, more specifically, on the role of librarian-faculty relationships in these conceptions and experiences. The research study is informed by an ecological model of teacher agency, according to which agency is understood in terms of not only individual choices and actions, but also relationships and interactions among individuals and groups and the environmental conditions in which they interact. This article builds on the findings reported in a previously published article that concentrated on study participants' conceptions of teacher agency and their affective orientations toward the concept.

Diversity is an important issue in higher education communication and media programs. This study shows how librarians can use audit data to assess and strive for diversity in their library's print monographic collections. This article explores aspects of diversity within two fields of study, communication and media, and discusses the results of a diversity audit of communication and media monographs published between 2013 and 2022. The author analyzes thirteen diversity-related topics and their coverage within communication and media. A discussion of the current landscape as well as implications for researchers, librarians, and publishers are provided.

As learning environments shift toward meeting the needs of an increasingly diverse student population, empathy is becoming an important tool for instructors. Empathy deepens the connection between students and instructors. This connection can also emerge in the library, where librarians are teaching students in a variety of contexts, from the reference desk to the one-shot instruction session. This article references current literature on empathy in the classroom and elaborates on how empathy can lead toward relationship-building based in trust, which ultimately enables learners to put aside their apprehensions and deepen their understanding of new concepts.

The goal of the study presented in the paper is to assess the knowledge about Alzheimer's Disease (AD), among library and information science students in Croatia. Understanding how much future librarians know about dementia is the first step towards providing them with relevant educational intervention which will equip them with required knowledge to develop dementia-friendly library services in a society which is increasingly affected by dementia. A total of 183 students participated in the study which used Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS), a validated instrument that measures what people know about AD using a 30-item questionnaire across seven knowledge domains: risk factors, symptoms, assessment and diagnosis, course of the disease, life impact, treatment, and management, and caregiving. The collected data were analysed using basic descriptive statistics and a parametric test (t-test). Findings show that respondents have poor AD knowledge. Only 35.78% questions were answered correctly and the mean knowledge score was 10.76. The findings revealed that participants with previous exposure to the disease have significantly better knowledge (P = 0.003).

This study assessed how an academic library implemented lean principles to enhance its electronic resource workflows and processes. Twelve librarians who managed access to electronic resources at the library participated in the study. Data were collected through interviews and observation. Reflexive thematic data analysis revealed that knowledge and skills were necessary for librarians to function effectively. The systems for facilitating access to electronic resources were ineffective, and there was a need for procedures to be documented and streamlined to reduce waste through adopting lean concepts. This case study contributes to the literature on improving access to e-resources and professional practice.

Higher education institutions have become increasingly interested in exploring the innovative learning opportunities afforded by open educational resources and practices (OER). These same institutions have begun to more seriously consider ways to eradicate racism. However, few institutions have considered the ways that OER may prove useful in dismantling anti-racism and how to prepare instructional faculty to do so. Given their expertise and research skills, librarians may be uniquely positioned to take on this role. In this paper, we explore one such online asynchronous effort--adaptation and implementation of the Open for Anti-Racism faculty workshop in a Learning Management System--and offer insights for librarians and instructional faculty. These findings include: the importance of 1) adapting for local institutional context, 2) providing multimodal peer engagement opportunities, and 3) having facilitators occupying different professional roles and social locations.

Over the past 30 years, the nation has experienced a decline in the number of public school library programs. New York City has been trying to combat this trend by implementing several innovative programs. One of them is the VITAL Libraries program. VITAL stands for Vital, Instructional, Transformative, Accessible, Learning Libraries. It is a program New York City school librarians can apply to for a grant of up to $50,000 to enhance and revitalize their school libraries. The goal was to take existing school libraries to the next level by making them more sustainable. The program also sought to create model school libraries across the city. One way to make school libraries more viable and equitable was to require the school's administrators to be more heavily embedded in their school's library programs. How to persuade them to be more involved? The program would require the principals to commit to participating on the Library Advisory Committee (LAC), in return for this substantial and coveted grant. A LAC is a group consisting of the library's stakeholders, who have a vested interest in the operational success of the school library program. The purpose of the LAC is also to increase buy-in for the school library program from stakeholders and others in the school community, develop and design the school library program, and build community and create community ownership.

School librarians have a critical role to play in supporting the use of Ed Tech within our schools. It is an ever-changing field. Additionally, it is often the school librarian who has the unique responsibility of introducing and sharing new technology with their school community. However, school librarians also have the added responsibility of maintaining an ongoing awareness of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). It is a federal law that continues to be developed, expanded, and applied in new ways. The key components of COPPA are applicable each and every day in our schools. These include such aspects as "verifiable consent," for students under 13 who are using apps or websites within the school library media center, and the ongoing rights of parents to limit the disclosure and retention of their child's personal information. As a licensed New York State attorney and Connecticut school librarian, the author has always been interested in the intersection between the law and our work as school librarians. Librarians stand at the forefront of introducing new technology that can enhance and better serve the needs of all learners. Librarians are also in the significant position of ensuring that the technology is used safely, effectively, and does not overreach or breach the personal privacy protection rights of our learners.

This article is about what the future of reading looks like. Currently many districts across the country--including New York City--are adopting research-based methods called the science of reading that focus on mechanics. Leanne Ellis surmises the future of reading holds great promise if school librarians can promote, showcase, and advocate for a reading culture that is multimodal, multidimensional, and free of judgment. As educators, they speak about learners needing tiered interventions to support their learning; the same holds for creating lifelong readers--they need a tiered approach with format, fiction, misinformation, and artificial intelligence (AI) to engage and ignite learner passion for words, ideas, and inquiry.

Schools (and some librarians) relegated librarians to the "business of books" and disregarded them of proven technological expertise. Fortunately, school librarians have either continued to insert themselves into digital technologies or emerged from the stacks to reclaim their role as digital resource experts in their schools. So, how do school librarians stay on top of issues and trends as digital leaders? For many, social media platforms help address this question.

According to the author, we are all creators and consumers of media. Technology has made it easy to copy, paste, and transfer anything educators might want to use in their classrooms. As educators, school librarians have an obligation to honor the law and be the role models that learners and other staff members need them to be. So many times the author has heard "Fair use covers me," or "Because I'm a teacher, I'm fine." The author states they were once guilty of this themselves. If educators expect learners to respect and follow copyright rules, they must follow them as well. In most states, the library media specialist degree is one of the only graduate degrees that requires a class on copyright and intellectual property. The author states it is vital to be transparent about one's qualifications and to make it clear that any information provided is based on personal understanding and experiences, rather than professional legal advice. Fair use is a wonderful thing, however it does not provide carte blanche to everything in education. According to the author, this is probably the biggest misconception among educators. Fair use has a four-factor test that one can use in determining if a copyrighted work can be used without permission. These factors are applied on a case-by-case basis, and fair use determinations can vary depending on the specific circumstances of each use. This is a great tool to teach both learners and staff. Fair use is a flexible and context-dependent doctrine. There is no fixed percentage or word count that can be universally considered fair use in all situations. Most of the time, as the author states, we think of copyright as being a standard school librarians teach learners. It is, but if librarians also lead by partnering and supporting classroom teachers, school librarians could build a stronger knowledge of copyright with learners. Librarians should be seen as a resource for both learners and staff. School librarians may not always be able to provide professional development, so be creative on how to send out information. Advocating for copyright does not mean school librarians need to be an expert, but it is essential to promote a fair and balanced approach that respects both creators and consumers.

School librarians often find themselves betwixt two different worlds that come with quite varied expectations. They are seen as the arbiters of traditional learning and academia, with library spaces providing books and quiet places for self-enrichment and study. They are also often given the responsibility of being the building's technology experts: distributing devices, doing minor repairs to screens and keyboards, as well as helping classroom teachers better utilize educational technology. With school librarians being so firmly planted in the past and present by outside expectations of their "duties as assigned," they cannot always look towards the future of learning and how they are perfectly suited to lead that work in our schools. The human connection to learning is at the root of rethinking education. The 20th century provided a system of schooling that relied heavily on rote memorization and behavioral preparation for working in a factory. That is no longer the world we live in and is not the world we are moving into. If we truly want learners to be able to pursue their passions in life, we must provide them with an educational experience that gives them the proper tools to do so. To fully understand how to prepare young people for a future of employment and life that is still being designed, we must embrace what we have known for hundreds of years--how to be human.

In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into our daily lives is undeniable. From AI-powered email assistants like Duet AI in Gmail to the ever-present ChatGPT and other generative AI products, AI has become an integral part of our educational and professional environments. Consequently, schools must adapt to this AI-driven world by developing comprehensive Acceptable Use Policies (AUPs) to guide learners, classroom teachers and school librarians, and administrators in the responsible and ethical use of AI. Gone are the days when schools could simply block AI tools and hope for the trend to pass. Learners now have access to AI through their personal devices, and AI is here to stay. It is essential for educational institutions to recognize this reality and proactively create AUPs that align with their educational goals. In this article, the author will explore why school librarians are uniquely qualified to play a leading role in shaping AI AUPs and outline key components of an effective AI AUP.

In an era where digital and media literacy is as fundamental as reading, writing, and arithmetic, the role of school librarians transcends traditional boundaries. They are the perfect teachers to nurture digital citizenship among learners, an increasingly vital role. This article delves into how these unsung heroes and digital leaders use their digital superpowers to guide young minds toward safe, savvy, and socially responsible digital interactions. These superpowers are also directly aligned with the American Association of School Librarians Standards for Learners (2018) shared foundations: inquire, include, collaborate, curate, explore, and engage, which are easily crosswalked with the International Society for Technology in Education Standards for Students (BrooksYoung 2016).

Over the past 20 years, school libraries have gone through a significant digital transformation reflecting a broader shift in education and information access. Traditional card catalogs have been replaced by online databases. Hardcover A-Z encyclopedias have given way to digital versions with numerous additional online research tools. Literature is still very much a part of library life in its print format, but ebooks and audiobooks have risen in popularity and are now a more common staple in school libraries. The advent of internet access and its widespread availability has instigated this major integration of online resources. However, what stands out as a harbinger of more drastic change is the surging popularity of Artificial Intelligence (AI). This article presents the integration of AI in school libraries.

Digital citizenship should be an embedded component of all curriculum. In order to teach students to be empowered digital citizens, school librarians must use their libraries as safe spaces to explore the layers of digital citizenship. Through classroom discussions, online learning, and unplugged activities, learners can engage with aspects of digital citizenship and practice in a somewhat controlled environment. By teaching learners digital citizenship in the learning space first, librarians equip them to effectively use the internet and be participatory citizens and empathetic learners. School librarians model ethical use of information and lead by example. A school librarian participates in the creation and use of Acceptable Use Policies, as well as digital citizenship curriculum alignment. By participating in digital professional learning communities, school librarians are able to not only learn about leading-edge technology and digital tools but also share what they know. School librarians are digital leaders.

School librarians, because of their role in their learning community, are uniquely situated to support and facilitate student learning through collaborative partnerships with other educators. This kind of collaborative work is built into the work of school librarians, exemplified in the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) shared foundation Collaborate. School librarians will best be able to serve their communities by investing early and regularly in relationships with colleagues, administrators, and other librarians. These relationships demand consistency, communication, and intentionality as librarians work to build credibility with their colleagues. This article shares tips for building these professional relationships.

Relationships are all about connection. Teacher librarians are more effective at positively impacting learners when they have established relationships with them. There are a myriad of ways to build these bonds, and even small efforts can yield great results. In this article, the author presents the power of relationships when building bonds with young readers.