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Access Service Departments are dynamic units that often thrive in an ever changing environment. This became more apparent as libraries across the world faced the outbreak of COVID-19. The Access Services Department of one mid-sized academic library was one of a handful of libraries in the state that remained open to serve patrons on campus. This case study will address the challenges Access Services faced during COVID-19 including concerns about patron and staff safety along with the sanitation of physical materials and spaces was balanced with the need to provide access to equipment, physical collection, and library support.

As the nature of public library services expands and transforms, continuing education (CE) for both degreed and non-degreed library staff is critical. An ongoing challenge for the LIS community is to identify the key areas in which to increase professional knowledge and skills. The purpose of this study was to identify what working library staff considered valued competencies for youth services, reference services, director, and non-degreed library staff positions, as well as their preferred delivery format for CE. Open-ended survey activities were conducted via four research sessions, with a total of 57 library staff members participating in the study. The findings from the study suggest that the preferred CE delivery format is low-cost or no-cost, limited-time-commitment workshops with high interactivity. Valued competencies identified in the study indicated interdisciplinary trends of business management skills for library directors; technology skills and diversity/inclusion training for library staff and adult services/reference librarians; and knowledge around child and adolescent cognitive, behavioral, and literacy development for youth librarians. The findings from this study will help inform LIS schools and other CE providers on how best to create and deliver CE that meets the needs of public library staff.

Accurate documentation is important in all library areas, especially as workflows change quickly to adapt to new technologies, policies, and practices. Many library faculty and staff use online tools and in 2019, the author conducted a survey to learn if and how colleagues use internal LibGuides to maintain accurate internal documentation. This article presents the survey results and analysis, covering both internal LibGuide use and current library documentation practices more generally.

Introduction: This study explores the extent to which an institutional repository makes papers available and accessible on the open Web by using 170 journal articles housed in DigiNole Commons, the institutional repository at Florida State University. Method: To analyse the repository's impact on availability and accessibility, we conducted independent known-item title searches on both Google and Google Scholar (GS) to search for faculty publications housed in DigiNole Commons. Analysis: The extent to which the repository makes articles available and accessible was measured quantitatively and the findings that cannot be summarized with numbers were analysed qualitatively. Results: Google and Google Scholar searches provided links to DigiNole metadata for a total of 145 (85.3%) of 170 items, and to full texts for 96 (96%) of 100 items. With one exception, access to either metadata or full text required no more than three clicks. Conclusions: Overall, the results confirm the contribution of the institutional repository in making papers available and accessible. The results also reveal some impediments to the success of open access, including impediments linked to contractual arrangements between authors and publishers, impediments linked to policies, practices and technologies governing the repository itself, and the low level of faculty participation in the repository.

There is no national policy for school libraries which compels school governing bodies and principals to have a library in their schools. It is thus not surprising that in 2011, only 21% of state schools had libraries, only 7% had stocked libraries and 79% of schools had no library at all (Department of Basic Education (DBE) Republic of South Africa, 2011a:23). This article forms part of a broader qualitative study which investigated 10 primary schools in Gauteng Province, South Africa that had libraries, or were in the process of setting up a library, with the intention of providing a rich description of the issues and challenges facing these schools. The 10 schools used in this study were chosen on the basis of their location and fee structures. They represented the full continuum of fees within the state structure. In this article, we discuss three core categories of predicaments faced by primary school libraries. These were resourcing the library, operating the library and the role of the library. Our main contention is that school libraries are not playing an effective role in supporting and enabling quality education for all South African children. This needs to be addressed by government as a matter of urgency.

In January 2012, a group of four school library professors attending the ALA Midwinter Meeting were having lunch and discussing various issues related to the school library field. These school library professors agreed that one challenge facing the profession is preparing future leaders. As current school library leaders retire, it is difficult to identify people who will step into these leadership roles. These four colleagues shared what they had tried to implement in the past to alleviate this situation, including applying for funds to subsidize the tuition for school library doctoral candidates or to create a self-sustaining doctoral program for school librarians to prepare them to become school library professors or high-level district leaders. None of these possible solutions had become reality. From this one ordinary lunch--a common occurrence at various conferences--came a commitment from these professors to explore further possibilities for cultivating the next generation of leaders for the school library profession. This article traces the evolution of Nxt Wave, Leaders for 21st Century School Libraries. The purpose of the project was to provide training and mentoring for the "next wave" of school library leaders. The NxtWave sponsors developed four guiding principles that drive the NxtWave project. NxtWave Scholars will: (1) Develop a depth of knowledge about their school library profession; (2) Be visible and engaged leaders in their professional community; (3) Articulate an informed vision for the profession; and (4) Create and contribute to the knowledge base of the profession. In addition, the original Invited Scholars' Retreat (ISR) that the four colleagues attended allowed the four to begin the initial planning of the project, develop a timeline, identify the requirements for applicants, and begin planning the curriculum.

Important happenings related to the concept of intellectual freedom (IF) coincide with the annual back-to-school ramp up. This article discusses how to use the summer hiatus to develop learning opportunities related to events such as Banned Books Week (BBW) and Banned Websites Awareness Day (BWAD). The author provides resource information to aid in observing these events. Helen Adams, Michelle Luhtala, and Christopher Harris share their insights on what school librarians can do to develop programs to observe BBW, BWAD, and deal with filtering issues as well as ensure the development of school communities that value the concepts of intellectual freedom.

School librarians regularly face difficult intellectual freedom questions. Is it a good idea to put grade- or reading-level labels on the outside of books or use labels to determine what students should read? Do children have First Amendment rights? The ALA "Intellectual Freedom Manual" provides answers and guidance. The "Intellectual Freedom Manual" has been an essential resource for decades. Over time, it grew considerably in size and scope, containing official ALA policy statements on intellectual freedom and essays about the history of those statements. Based on feedback from librarians, the ninth edition has been revised and reorganized. This article describes what is included in the new edition, how it is arranged, and how school librarians can put it to use.

What do school librarians fear most? Hands down, their biggest fear is a formal challenge to a resource in the school library. There are no accurate statistics about the number of challenges to school library resources. The staff of ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom estimates that only about 20 percent are reported to ALA annually. For the year 2014 the number of challenges reported was 311 (ALA, 2015). Following an introduction by Helen Adams, two courageous school librarians tell the stories of their challenges and what they learned. Both were recognized with national awards for their stands against censorship. Dee Ann Venuto received the American Association of School Librarians Intellectual Freedom Award in 2011, and in 2013 DaNae Leu was awarded the Robert B. Downs Intellectual Freedom Award from the faculty of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The first selection by DaNae Leu is entitled "Not in Our House;" and the second selection, by Dee Ann Venuto, is entitled "Professional and Personal Growth: The Realities of Challenges to Intellectual Freedom."

In 1939 technological advances included the first handheld electric slicing knife, the first mass-produced helicopter, and the first transmission of a picture via a cable system (Science and Technology 2001). That year also saw the first Code of Ethics adopted by the American Library Association (ALA OIF 2010, 311). Can an ethical code first promulgated the year World War II began remain relevant more than a decade into the twenty-first century? This article will demonstrate why these ethical principles are more important than ever and will inform the reader about the latest developments related to the Code of Ethics.

The article is divided into three sections. The main section, "Filtering beyond CIPA: Consequences of and Alternatives to Overfiltering in Schools" (Kristen Batch) describes factors that contribute to the overimplementation of CIPA. Internet filtering is a routine practice in public schools and libraries. The Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) does not require that all schools and libraries install filters, only those that accept certain types of federal funds or discounts for the provision of Internet access. Although CIPA grants these institutions the flexibility to develop filtering policies appropriate to their communities, many institutions are filtering well beyond the requirements of the law. Schools, in particular, do not limit filtering to visual images as the law mandates, and routinely block access to broad swaths of information that all users are entitled to view (Chmara 2010). Increasingly, schools block access to entire social-media and social networking sites and to any websites that are interactive or collaborative, such as blogs or wikis (AASL 2012). They also rely (mistakenly) on filtering to deal with issues of hacking, copyright infringement, and cyberbullying, denying access to certain websites and technologies. The American Library Association's Office for Information Technology Policy and Office for Intellectual Freedom, with support from Google, Inc., recently conducted a study to investigate, in part, the broader impact of CIPA on achieving educational and social objectives for the twenty-first century. Drawing on extensive research, interviews, and input from over thirty experts and practitioners, the study "Fencing Out Knowledge: Impacts of the Children's Internet Protection Act 10 Years Later" identified an overreach in the implementation of CIPA. This overreach restricts access to information and learning opportunities for students, and disproportionately impacts those without a home broadband connection or smartphone. This article summarizes the main findings from the report and four recommendations for actions the ALA should undertake to help schools and libraries align filtering practices with the requirements of the law. The second contribution, "I'm being Required to Install an Internet Filter. What Should I Do?" (Trina Magi), details the steps that can be taken to minimize the impact of filters--such as exercising care in choosing filtering software and also in installing and maintaining software. Other strategies described include developing a well-crafted policy for responsible Internet use, and implementing a program to educate students about online behavior. The final contribution, "Banned Websites Awareness Day" (Michelle Luhtala), offers a discussion of Banned Websites Awareness day, which directs national attention to Internet filtering's impact on teaching and learning.

Financial management skills are necessary for responsible library management. In light of the profession's current emphasis on financial literacy, the authors posed four questions: (1) to what extent are library and information science schools providing courses in financial management for their graduates; (2) what is the quality and quantity of library financial management textbooks available for current librarians and librarians in training; (3) to what extent are there sufficient library continuing education venues available in North America to provide this training; and (4) does any evidence exist to show that librarians with library financial management responsibilities are well-trained enough to manage library finances competently and effectively? This study attempts to answer the first question. The authors examined the curricula of all American Library Association (ALA) English-language accredited library schools in North America to determine the extent to which financial management skills are taught. The results are worrying. Although many accredited Library and Information Science (LIS) programs require a general library management course for program completion, only a small percentage of these courses offered even a brief focus on financial management. The authors conclude by encouraging professional organizations and graduate library schools to enhance their menus of educational programs. The profession must provide the skills and support necessary to ensure the profession's future.

School librarians act as servants of the school community and protectors of students' rights, and it is the ethical duty of school librarians to champion student privacy and resist threats to it. This article addresses the legality of this process based upon the 2007 article "How Does the Family Rights and Privacy Act [FERPA] Affect You" by Thomas V. Toglia, which explained that under the law, student records can be disclosed to third parties only with authorization from a parent if the student is under the age of eighteen (2007, 61). Although library records are not explicitly discussed in the act, they are not listed in the exemptions. Therefore, it is common practice to include library records in the definition of student records (Adams 2005). What should school librarians do when local law enforcement wants to take a peek? This article covers such an issue as presented by the author in her role as district library supervisor and the steps that were taken to protect student rights.

Introduction: Our aim is to compare the advantages and problems of e-book acquisition identified in research literature to those experienced by two Swedish university libraries. Method: A literature review was used to identify the main issues related to acquisition of e-books by academic libraries. The data for comparison were collected through case studies in two Swedish universities. Document analysis, interviews and personal experience were used for data collection. Results: The main drivers of e-book acquisition by Swedish academic libraries are the perceived needs of the users. E-books are regarded as potentially useful for solving some of the problems of library service. A number of challenges and problems identified by the participants in the case studies coincide with those that were derived from the literature review. Conclusions: The problems of e-book acquisition in academic libraries seem to be common to the economically strong Western countries. University librarians see certain advantages of e-books for their users and libraries. Publishers and academic librarians expect that e-books would not lose the advantages that printed books offered to them. Hence, publishers restrict the usage of e-books to ensure revenues as if from selling individual copies. Librarians try to regain the same level of control over e-book collections as for printed materials.

Evidence-based library and information practice (EBLIP) provides school librarians a systematic means of building, assessing, and revising a library program, thus demonstrating a school library program's worth to the larger school community. Through survey research collecting both qualitative and quantitative data, 111 public school librarians in Texas shared the extent to which they applied components of EBLIP to practice, the extent to which they shared EBLIP data and with whom, and the extent to which formal LIS education has supported their applications of EBLIP. Findings indicate the large majority of respondents engaged in some form of EBLIP, typically referencing professional journals, standards, and guidelines; informally collecting evidence from stakeholders; and writing mission statements. Few respondents, however, engaged in the complete process. With the intent of gaining, increasing, or securing something, respondents were most likely to share goals and data with administrators and teachers than with other stakeholders. Despite so few respondents' engaging in the complete process, approximately half expressed the belief that their LIS programs contributed to their understanding of EBLIP.

Fieldwork exists as a component of many library schools' curricula. Site supervisors, students, and the schools themselves all play a role. A final part of most fieldwork experiences involves the use of an evaluation form filled out by a site supervisor about the student. In this study, forty seven evaluation forms were collected and analyzed through inductive content analysis in order to discern the attributes that are used to rate students. Attributes were compared to the "ALA Core Competences of Librarianship" and grouped into related subject-categories. Findings show that form content varied widely and few forms captured all tenets of the "Core Competences." Recommendations include a new all-encompassing evaluation form that can be tailored to many different fieldwork experiences, and suggestions for future study on fieldwork.

Leadership is an often-misunderstood word, especially in the context of libraries. With multiple definitions for the word "leadership" and vast numbers of leadership styles, it can be difficult to identity what exactly is meant when discussing library leadership. This literature review brings together 10 years of scholarly research on leadership in the library as it relates to LIS education. Through a close evaluation of this literature, a more holistic understanding of "leadership" as a concept in LIS education can be better understood. Several topics are highlighted and discussed including the ambiguity in definitions of "leadership", the qualities of library leaders, leadership in LIS curriculum, library leadership and organization change, and library leadership and new librarians. For this review, the definition of LIS curriculum includes professional association leadership programs. Closing this literature review are recommendations for incorporating leadership education and mentorship opportunities into MLIS programs.

Although recent archival scholarship promotes the use of primary sources for developing students' analytical research skills, few studies focus on standards or protocols for teaching or assessing archival instruction. Librarians have designed and tested standards and learning assessment strategies for library instruction, and archivists would do well to collaborate with and learn from their experience. This study examines lessons learned from one such collaboration between an instructional services librarian and archivist to evaluate and enhance archival instruction in the University Archives' Student Life and Culture Archival Program (SLC Archives) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library. Based on evaluative data from a student survey and in-depth interviews, the authors offer strategies for successfully meeting and exceeding learning outcomes for archival intelligence.

This article addresses development for information literacy (IL) practice through building internal library organizational culture. Using an analysis of relevant literature and reflection on lived experience, the authors explore issues and concepts for instruction librarians and leaders to consider as they advance and sustain IL initiatives. Through a lens of second order change the article proposes change agency theory and organizational development as theoretical approaches; calling on librarians to adopt roles and techniques that honor personal learning and continuing education while simultaneously focusing on student learning. It additionally suggests a flexible roadmap for managed change processes including organizational assessment techniques, inspiration for conversations and inclusive dialogues, reasons for and ways to address resistance, and steps to implement action plans. The authors conclude IL initiatives will be more effective if supported by an internal library culture that is embraced and implemented by knowledgeable instruction librarians and their leaders.

In 2018, after a failed search for the Executive Director of the American Library Association (ALA), ALA members put forth a ballot initiative to determine whether the educational requirements for the position should be modified, in part, to expand the potential applicant pool. With this research, the authors examined if current ARL administrators hold an MLS/MLIS and whether current ARL administrators felt it was necessary for library administrators to hold an MLS/MLIS. Additionally, the researchers examined ARL administrators' perspectives regarding whether it was necessary for them to earn additional degrees to achieve their highest library administrative position, and whether they felt their degrees prepared them to be successful in the position that they currently hold.

Leading organizational change can be an enticing and exciting venture for library professionals. However, unforeseen difficulties can challenge even the most enthusiastic leader. This article explores one librarian's experience with organizational change and offers practical strategies for weathering obstacles to the success of new initiatives in academic libraries.

The current diversity and disparate needs of stakeholders present significant challenges to academic libraries globally. The constructivist grounded theory presented in this paper recognizes the guiding role of the library director in responding to this problem and the need for different strategic mechanisms for engagement with various stakeholder groups. Key contributions of this work include establishing a strategic framework for engagement with stakeholders and tentative suggestions for various types of university libraries. The implications of this research include the need for outward-looking library directors, an evidence-based approach to stakeholder engagement, and the encouragement of a customer-focused organizational culture among staff.

Using a mixed-methods approach, the researchers explored the experiences of 108 academic librarians who served as interim library leaders at U.S. institutions of higher education between 2012 and 2017. Statistical analysis showed no associations between gender, type of institution, or degree-granting level with the duration of interim service or whether a respondent applied for or was hired as the permanent leader. The authors provide recommendations for future interim library leaders and the university executives who appoint them. Serving as an interim library leader can be a once-in-a lifetime opportunity well worth the experience.

After 40 years under one manager, the Circulation Department at the Richard J. Daley Library was long past due for a change. The challenge of reorganizing included interesting and interrelated aspects: changes to workflows and assignments, moving staff and functions inside the department and across departments, and a deep dive into the culture to which staff had become habituated. Managers eliminated redundancies and increased services, effectiveness, productivity, and joy. This case study is a testament to how successful change happens with patience, respect, and a willingness to be flexible.

University libraries are going through a period of enormous transformation and have been for some time. This study considers ten years of both incremental and transformational change at the University of Limerick (UL) Library in Ireland. In the last decade library services, staffing, collections, and spaces underwent great changes, in line with international trends. Retrospective analysis of LibQUAL + survey data from 2007 to 2016 was conducted to explore how users responded to these changes and to their gradually transforming library. This study outlines the many changes that occurred in the library over the course of ten years and found that satisfaction levels steadily increased in tandem through a systematic step-by-step approach to driving continuous improvement and managing change. The data tells a compelling story of a library where staffing, services, collections, and spaces transformed and where readers' perceptions of the quality of library services significantly improved.

Staff reorganizations and department mergers are common strategies libraries use to respond to changing needs and economic pressures. To make organizational changes work well, however, librarians need to consider how best to bring people on board and enable them to thrive in the new environment. This article argues that the creation of a core competencies document, developed by the staff themselves, helps establish a common culture for a successful merger. A relevant, living document should include mechanisms for assessment and revision and should encourage personal and professional growth. Core competencies--the skills or attributes that people need to carry out their work effectively--can articulate shared values that will empower staff to advance the library's mission.

This study uses qualitative and quantitative data to identify science library trends at Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member institutions. Our recent count found 69% of all ARL academic institutions have at least one science library. Comparing our data to a 2010 study of American ARL institutions, the number of science libraries at American ARL institutions is down 17%. Our analysis shows this decrease is due in large part to a continuing trend of departmental libraries (e.g., mathematics, chemistry, and physics) merging into multidisciplinary science libraries. We also surveyed ARL science libraries and found that their primary focus is on providing comfortable, inviting study space and promoting student and/or faculty collaboration. Both datasets from this study can be used to support the ongoing management of science libraries, including collections, facilities, and services.

Outreach programs remain essential in fostering the use of library collections and services. A review of one hundred seventy-four papers on academic library outreach from 2008 to January 2019 highlighted the popularity of these programs during this period as well as the identification of five themes. These themes point to the importance of library outreach to targeted groups, the popularity of specialized library outreach programs, the need for collaboration in fostering outreach efforts, the benefits of managing these programs and the use of social media for library outreach. Foremost, these materials highlight opportunities and challenges for librarians in providing library outreach in academic institutions.

This paper describes the design of an innovative educational experience that took place during the summer of 2011 with a cohort of library science students at Appalachian State University. This group of students, working online in their own virtual public libraries, engaged in an extended epistemic game that required the participants to undertake the experience as if they were practicing professionals in charge of a library. The paper describes, through analysis of an end-of-course questionnaire and follow-up interviews conducted one year after the completion of the course, students' perceptions of the ways in which the epistemic gaming format employed in the course affected their learning experience.

Stagnant perceptions continue to persist in the general public regarding the services libraries offer. LIS research suggests an increased need for marketing, yet LIS programs and students may not view marketing as core to the degree. The Google Online Marketing Challenge (GOMC), a global competition for online marketing, was incorporated into two LIS courses to build skills in project management, industry analysis, marketing, and search engine optimization. A qualitative analysis was conducted to investigate whether they perceived the marketing project as relevant to their courses and degrees. A model was created to represent the factors that had an impact on project success. Overall students experienced an increased interest in marketing. Leadership, teamwork, and communication played strong roles in how students dealt with project challenges and their perceptions toward the end of the project.

Chicago Public Schools librarians have discovered that iPads engage students in developing their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills while expressing their creativity. Their librarians embarked on a year-long experiment with the mobile devices that inspired them to completely reinvent the way they teach. This article presents tips that schools can use to start a similar program.

"Affective competence," managing the feelings and emotions that students encounter throughout the content creation/research process, is essential to academic success. Just as it is crucial for students to acquire core literacies, it is essential that they learn how to manage the anxieties and emotions that will emerge throughout all phases of the learning process. Librarianship that acknowledges students' affective learning needs can be messy, but is always intensely rewarding for the student and the librarian. This article describes a librarian's research sessions with students, in which she asks students questions guided by informal assessment of students' affective needs, and focuses on guiding each student toward continued personal library creation and information management.