ALT College & Research Libraries. January 2025. Volume 86. Number 1. Table of Contents. “I’ll Wait Zero Seconds”: Faculty Perspectives on Serials Access, Sharing, and Immediacy; First-Year and First-Gen: Assessing the Information Literacy Skills of First-Year, First-Generation College Students; Job Control, Library Instruction, and Burnout: A Quantitative Analysis of Academic Instruction Librarians’ Experiences of Job Control While Teaching; Health Sciences and Beyond: An Investigation into Canadian Librarian Participation in Systematic Reviews Across Disciplines; Identifying Metadata Quality Issues Across Cultures; Why Does SoTL Happen in a Librarian-Free Zone?; Developing a Training Program for Student Library Assistants to Make Scanned PDFs Accessible: A Case Study; The Impact of the Research Data Management Toolkit: Assessing a RoadShow Workshop.

ALT New article. Academic success and campus engagement: Insights from library usage at two universities.

ALT Authors: Jung Mi Scoulas, Sandra L. De Groote, Kimberly Shotick, Ian Christensen & Yishan Yu. This paper presents the findings from a survey distributed at two academic institutions, exploring undergraduates’ campus engagement, self-regulated learning, and definitions of academic success. The library was the most frequently visited campus service, and students used it for both academic and nonacademic activities. Students identified obtaining good grades as their top definition of academic success. Participation in library and campus activities, use of online library resources, social learning, and improved concentration were positively associated. These findings highlight the crucial role of academic libraries and their potential for collaboration with other campus units to support student success.

ALT New book review. Instructional design for teaching information literacy online: A student-centered approach. "The book addresses the challenges and specific context of academic library instruction in an online setting which is something other texts and professional development opportunities sometimes generalize."

ALT Review excerpt: The clear organizational structure and accessible language used throughout the book makes for quick reading. LIS students and early career professionals will appreciate the immediate applications and practicalities of the book, while more seasoned librarians will value a deeper reading to draw connections to the multiple layers of theories and frameworks. Instructional Design for Teaching Information Literacy Online: A Student-Centered Approach would fit well in any college or university library with an LIS collection or any teaching librarian’s professional development collection. True to the quality instructional design it looks to model, this book centers the learner, regardless of their previous knowledge or experience with online library instruction. Reviewed by Patrick Leeport.

ALT New article. Three discovery tools: A comparative analysis of retrieval scope, ranking effectiveness, and topic diversity.

ALT Authors: Can Ekşi & Yurdagül Ünal. Discovery tools facilitate access to large-scale academic collections, yet their retrieval performance varies. This study presents a comparative analysis of three discovery tools—EBSCO Discovery Services (EDS), EKUAL Discovery Services (EKUAL DS), and Piri Discovery Services (Piri DS)—evaluating retrieval scope, ranking quality, and topical diversity index. EDS and EKUAL DS retrieved identical results, while Piri DS retrieved fewer records, affecting its retrieval completeness. Piri DS ranked relevant articles higher, but with broader distribution. While all tools exhibited comparable ranking performance, EDS and EKUAL DS demonstrated greater topical diversity.

ALT New article: Librarian IRB Participation

ALT Authors: Emmett Lombard. While Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) are crucial for research integrity, the amount of librarian membership is limited. This study examines IRB rosters and membership criteria to describe librarian involvement. Surveys of IRB members assessed their views on the value of librarian membership and importance of literature review evaluation within IRB process. Results indicate low librarian representation and a deemphasis on literature review importance to human subject research. These findings highlight need for increased librarian IRB involvement—including promoting importance of high quality literature reviews—to further ensure human subject safety.

ALT New book review: Essentials of STEM Librarianship. "What is the purpose of a STEM librarian when everything appears to be available online; and how can modern STEM librarians effectively engage with their departments?"

ALT Review excerpt: The entire book does an excellent job acknowledging that higher education is changing and addressing how liaison librarian interactions with their departments likewise need to adapt. The authors provide suggestions and ideas based on their own experiences and what has worked for them. Many science librarians will appreciate the clear writing and helpful tables, as well as the summaries at the end of each chapter. Reviewed by Clarissa M. Ihssen.

ALT New article. The evolving role of U.S. academic librarians: A snapshot of job responsibilities in 2023.

ALT Authors: Russell Michalak, Laura Rose Taylor, Michelle Reed, Amanda Koziura & Devon Ellixson. This study examines the evolving roles of academic librarians across Canada and the United States. Adapting a survey tool published in a prior Canadian study, the authors surveyed over 350 librarians in the United States, analyzing shifts in research support, teaching and learning, digital scholarship, user experience, and scholarly communication. Results indicate significant engagement in information discovery and digital scholarship, with a growing need for training in digital tools and data management. The resulting report highlights the crucial role of academic librarians in adapting to technological and educational changes, underscoring the necessity for ongoing professional development.

ALT New article: Applying universal design for learning to support non-native English speakers in an embedded information literacy classroom: A case study.

ALT Authors: Molly K. Maloney & Keith T. Nichols. To better serve first-year international students at the University at Buffalo in an embedded, one-credit information literacy (IL) research lab (iLab), undergraduate education librarians built upon a flipped and social constructivist model by employing universal design for learning (UDL). UDL framed the creation of multimodal content targeting trouble areas. The formal assessment instrument was also revised using a pre- and post-test model. Assessment results were used to guide UDL iteration from fall 2018 through fall 2019. The assessment measured the intended IL skills reliably across multiple classes of students. Between fall 2018 and fall 2019, students’ pre- to post-test growth increased by 103.92%.

ALT Opened books overlap across each other, filling the image.

ALT New article. Not just monetary: Arts and humanities scholars' perspectives on the costs of open access publishing.

ALT New book review. Careers in Library and Information Services: First-Hand Accounts from Working Professionals edited by Priscilla K. Shontz. "The greatest strength of Careers in Library and Information Services is its reflection of the diverse opportunities that exist across the sector.

ALT Review excerpt: Nearly 20 years after publishing A Day in the Life: Career Options in Library and Information Science, editor Priscilla K. Shontz offers Careers in Library and Information Services: First-Hand Accounts from Working Professionals as a much-needed update for candidates navigating the 2020s job market. In this edited volume, scores of practitioners across the landscape offer aspiring professionals 101 profiles describing the numerous opportunities our field offers. In the informal style of a fireside chat, contributors provide overviews of their positions; discuss the most enjoyable and demanding parts of their jobs, their professional trajectories, and surprising aspects about their roles or the profession; offer advice to anyone interested in their respective lines of work; and share any final thoughts not already covered. Reviewed by A. Blake Denton.

ALT New article: Publish or Perish? A content analysis of scholarship criteria in R1 academic libraries' promotion and tenure documentation.

ALT College & Research Libraries. May 2026. Volume 87. Number 3. Table of Contents.

ALT New article: Search data privacy in academic libraries: Qualitative perspectives of members of marginalized groups.

ALT Authors: Laura W. Gariepy. This article examines undergraduate students’ attitudes towards search data privacy in academic libraries, with a focus on the experiences and perspectives of members of underrepresented groups. . .Most students were comfortable with search data collection if it benefited them; however, a notable number of those who opposed it expressed strong concerns about potential harm to vulnerable or underrepresented groups. These privacy concerns were primarily voiced by members of marginalized groups, emphasizing the importance of considering student perspectives, especially those who may be most vulnerable to adverse effects of data use. . .The purpose of this article is to amplify those voices.

ALT New article: The state of funding for curriculum materials centers and collections

ALT Authors: Caitlin Stewart and Jenelle Jensen. Using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, researchers analyzed whether there was a correlation between education student enrollment and curriculum materials center/collection (CMC) budget across eighty universities in the United States. Findings indicate that there is a positive correlation between those variables, although the relationship is weak. Universities with large education programs tend to have better-funded CMCs; however, variability across institutions is still significant. Findings suggest that many university CMCs may be comparatively underfunded based on student enrollment in education and historical trends.

ALT New article. Making the connection: An examination of institutional repositories and scholarly communication crosslinking practices.

ALT Authors. Emily Kilcer, Lauren Puzier & Carol Anne Germain. Institutional repositories (IRs) remain a powerful tool for opening, sharing, and preserving scholarship. Scholarly communication (SC) services and resources are essential to promoting and supporting IRs. Linking SC services within an IR offers support to users at their point of need. This study investigates the prevalence of web linking between IR and SC services in 145 Association of Research Libraries and Carnegie R1 libraries. This quantitative analysis identifies gaps and offers practical recommendations for developing connections between SC and IR websites at academic libraries.

ALT New article: Respecting privacy of thought in DEI training.

ALT Author. Kristin Antelman. In the same way that libraries defend the privacy rights of library users so should they respect library workers’ privacy of thought. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) training, as it has been approached in recent years, impinges on privacy of thought and cognitive liberty. . . Because workplace trainings are an expression of an organization’s philosophy of control, it is management’s responsibility to foster privacy by design in the library. The right to freely choose the beliefs that comprise a library worker’s worldview, and disclose them only as they choose, is freedom of thought. The right not to have one’s beliefs interfered with without their consent is cognitive liberty. Each is a privacy right and must be defended in the library.

ALT New Book Review. The Kind Librarian: Cultivating a Culture of Kindness and Wellbeing in Libraries by Helen Rimmer. Published in 2024 by Facet Publishing. "As a former library administrator and the founder and current owner of The Kind Brave Leader, Rimmer brings unique expertise and recommendations to the library world."

ALT Review Excerpt. "Ultimately, The Kind Librarian is a valuable guide full of applicable reflection questions and activities for incorporating kindness, empathy, and holistic wellness into a library work environment. All these concepts can be applied by anyone on any level at any kind of library, which is the book’s most appealing point. Occasionally, chapters feel redundant as the frameworks and steps often overlap even when dealing with different topics, such as conflict resolution or a toxic work environment. The repetitiveness is useful, though, for readers who skip to the specific sections most applicable to them or their workplace. The book is best for managers, or for informal leaders, who are trying to make healthy cultural changes in their workplaces." Reviewed by Clarissa Ihssen for College & Research Libraries (C&RL).

ALT New article. A Bibliometric Study of Art Exhibition Reviews: Intersectionality, Implications, and Impact across Academic and Research Collections.

ALT Author. Emilee Mathews. A limited number of interlocking institutions provide career opportunities within contemporary visual art, which affects both who is seen and written about. This paper compares the proportions of recent art exhibition reviews and catalogs to artists’ race and gender, and how that is reflected in library collections. Overall, publications covered women artists, particularly White women, more frequently than men. In contrast, library collections skewed heavily toward including White men. The study’s findings are useful not only for art library collection development, but also demonstrates one way—distinctive because of its subject focus and intersectional approach—to evaluate library collections.

ALT New article. Assessing the state of publicly available library accessibility information: Guidelines based on a review of policies at SUNY Libraries.

ALT Authors. Colleen Lougen, Claire Payne & Carli Spina. Policy language plays a central role in ensuring that academic libraries are accessible and inclusive to patrons with disabilities. However, relevant accessibility information is often missing from publicly available library policies. This article uses findings from a content analysis of SUNY libraries’ public collection development and accessibility policies to gain insight into current trends and develop best practices in the creation of accessibility policy language. Further, it also offers tools and principles for evaluating existing policies.

ALT New article: What we talk about when we talk about "first-generation students": Exploring definitions in use on college and university websites

ALT Authors: Danielle E. Maurici-Pollock, Rebecca Stallworth & Sasha Khan. First-generation students (FGS) are a population that has received increasing attention, but the term “first-generation student” has been inconsistently defined. Such inconsistency creates challenges not only for research, but for students themselves, many of whom may find they meet the FGS definition in one institutional context, but not another. In this study, we analyze how the term “first-generation student” is defined on the public websites of colleges and universities in the United States and Canada and discuss implications for students and academic libraries.