Current Issue: January 2026
Article • January 2026
Finding Their Own Way: A Phenomenological Study of Academic Librarians’ Experiences with Tenure
Jolene Cole
This article examines the advantages and disadvantages of the tenure system in academic libraries and the perceptions of tenured and tenure-track librarians regarding their professional identities in relation to tenure. Utilizing the participants’ descriptions of their professional experiences, the study aims to (a) critically examine the advantages and disadvantages of the tenure system and (b) understand how the status of tenure impacts librarians’ professional identities within their respective institutions. ...
Article • January 2026
Interventions for Reducing, Preventing, or Overcoming Librarian Burnout: A Scoping Review
Natalie Logue, Jessica C. Garner, and Stephanie Hendren
This scoping review categorizes the interventions discussed or explored among academic librarians to address the issue of burnout. Through a scoping review of the literature going back as far as 1982, the pattern of interventions suggests a strong emphasis on the individual managing their burnout through personal actions. However, in more recent years there has been a significant increase in the suggestion of organizations taking responsibility to reduce rates of burnout. More quantitative research is needed before specific interventions can be identified as effective. ...
Article • January 2026
The State of Funding for Curriculum Materials Centers and Collections
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. ...
Article • January 2026
Search Data Privacy in Academic Libraries: Qualitative Perspectives of Members of Marginalized Groups
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. Using the qualitative framework of interpretive description and constant comparative analysis, 27 undergraduate students at Virginia Commonwealth University—an urban research institution in the southeastern region of the United States—were interviewed. 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 as academic libraries increasingly employ learning analytics and individual-level data. The purpose of this article is to amplify those voices. ...
Article • January 2026
Publication Patterns of U.S. Academic Librarians and Libraries, 2018–2022, with Comparison to Previous Studies
This study continues a series on publication patterns of refereed library and information science journal articles by United States academic librarians (USALs). Following previous studies conducted in 5-year increments starting in 1993, this study covers 52 journals from 2018 to 2022. The proportion of USAL-authored articles decreased despite an overall increase in USAL publications. Coauthorship and the percentage of USALs who publish three or more articles in 5 years increased. Large public research universities remain the most productive. The change in percentages of USAL and non-USAL articles in the studied journals points to differences in growth among journals. COVID-19 appeared to impede USAL productivity. ...
Article • January 2026
Social Network Analysis of Liaison Librarian Relationships
Ellen Hampton Filgo and Joshua Been
This study employs social network analysis (SNA) to visualize the relationships between liaison librarians and faculty at a university library. To enhance targeted outreach and support library engagement, this research aims to identify strong and weak departmental ties, liaisons who are central to the network, and strongly connected faculty. Findings reveal that longer-tenured liaisons generally maintain stronger connections, while active participation in campus activities enhances relationship-building. The results underscore the significance of fostering long-term institutional ties and suggest targeted outreach for departments with weaker connections. Future research could broaden the scope by including data from other library staff, exploring undirected networks, and cross-institutional comparisons. ...
Book Review • January 2026
Serving Hispanic, Latine, and Latinx Students in Academic Libraries
Reviewed by Marina Luz Corrales
Serving Hispanic, Latine, and Latinx Students in Academic Libraries addresses a persistent gap in library and information science (LIS) literature: the lack of sustained, practical attention to the experiences and needs of Latine students in academic libraries. While case studies and institutional initiatives exist, this edited volume offers a practice-oriented collection of strategies across multiple areas of librarianship. It is a timely and valuable contribution to a field that is grappling with issues of equity, representation, and cultural responsiveness. ...