Academic libraries are increasingly experimenting with generative AI, yet few document how AI personas can sustainably support student-led communications work. This column presents a case study of an AI persona–supported, student-led digital marketing service in a small academic library. A discipline-trained digital marketing student worker collaborated with the library director to rebuild a stalled content pipeline by designing and implementing custom AI personas within the library’s ChatGPT instance. These personas were carefully configured to store institutional context, model tone, preserve writing standards, and scaffold drafting, outlining, and revision—while maintaining human authorship and librarian oversight. The column explains how persona documentation serves as institutional memory, allowing future student workers to inherit a stable, values-aligned framework rather than having to start from scratch. Kloe’s reflections, presented in English and French, illustrate how AI persona (using ChatGPT 5.1)–supported workflows can build confidence for a bilingual student writer, deepen AI literacy, and connect classroom theory to applied practice. The case presents a replicable model for small academic libraries aiming to strike a balance between limited staffing, ethical AI use, and sustainable digital marketing.

Public libraries in Canada face growing social pressures that intensify the emotional labor required of staff—defined as managing emotions in professional contexts. This qualitative study explores how leaders at three large urban public libraries perceive and enact support for emotional labor. Through interviews, it examines policies, practices, and organizational structures such as hiring, training, and wellness initiatives. Findings reveal a disconnect between policy and staff experience: emotional labor is rarely acknowledged formally, and support is often framed as individual self-care rather than systemic change. Leaders expressed tension between their values and the lack of emotionally engaged leadership from upper management. The study calls for comprehensive interventions—policy reform, leadership development, and infrastructure investment—to ensure psychologically safe and sustainable library workplaces.

Ableism within the library profession is commonplace and needs to be addressed. This column article examines ableism through the lens of the “disability tax” that employees with disabilities pay. Similar to the “pink tax” that women pay by keeping the office kitchen clean and brewing fresh coffee, people with disabilities also pay a tax because of their differences. Showcasing examples of ableism, especially from the point of view of people with disabilities, will promote understanding of what ableism can look like and the price that people with disabilities pay when they experience ableism.

Given the focus of research on information literacy in higher education and secondary schools, this study investigates how these concepts and skills are being taught to younger students by Australian primary school teacher librarians. This phenomenological approach employed a survey centered around how changes in the information landscape have influenced respondents’ beliefs and practices engaging students and teachers in information literacy. Findings suggest that broad developments in this area have strongly impacted how teacher librarians support their students with less emphasis on teachers. Respondents identify challenges and opportunities in their critical role as information leader and educator in this context.

This article employs a case study methodology to explore the impacts of utilizing inclusive decision-making practices in the context of organizational structure design and long-term planning. It describes the participative leadership practices used in a department restructuring project by one Access Services department at an academic library and examines both the positive outcomes and challenges observed throughout the process. The authors underscore the importance of participative leadership and employee empowerment in navigating organizational change, emphasizing that inclusive decision-making processes are vital for effective organizational restructuring and for meeting the evolving needs of library users.

Migration continues to influence global dynamics, economies, social structures and public policy. The “new” thinking in global migration is to maximize the opportunities that it presents while managing the challenges it poses. Ghana’s relatively untested migration policy and its recent visa free policy for African passport holders pose challenges as well as opportunities that libraries can take advantage of. Very little research exists in Africa on the role of libraries in migration governance with most of the research focusing on collections and other forms of services to international students. This article serves as a foundational study on practical applications of the library’s role in supporting safe, orderly and regular migration. We explore the vital but often overlooked unique position of libraries – particularly in Ghana – in supporting migration governance in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 10.7 which addresses migration and encourages countries to promote safe, orderly, and responsible migration. Drawing on international frameworks like the IFLA Guidelines for Supporting Displaced Persons and IFLA/UNESCO Multicultural Library Manifesto, we examine how libraries worldwide have responded to the complex needs of migrants and then propose strategies that would encourage Ghanaian libraires to look beyond their traditional roles. Thus, we argue that reimagining libraries as agents of integration and empowerment for immigrants can transform Ghanaian libraires into safe spaces for migrants and subsequently make them indispensable partners in migration governance and the development agenda of the country.

Understanding the drivers of innovative behavior is critical to fostering creativity, increasing productivity, and adapting to an ever-evolving landscape. This research aims to uncover the intricacies of what drives individuals and organizations toward innovative thinking and action. This research uses a multiple-case study to answer the research objective, namely understanding the process of librarians’ innovative behavior. Determining research informants was carried out by applying purposive sampling. The results of this research show that at least several factors can influence the innovative behavior of librarians both internally and externally. All the factors driving the innovative behavior of librarians in libraries are described and narrowed down into basic factors, which are simply divided into internal factors that can be influenced from within the library, such as organization, mandatory leadership, motivation and career development, duties and functions, and self-actualization. The next factor is the opposite aspect, namely external factors that can only be influenced by circumstances outside the scope of the library such as public stigma, changes in user characteristics, developments in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), disasters and unexpected circumstances. The pressure to provide more effective and efficient library services requires librarians to think outside the box. This implies the need for librarians to be creative and innovative in providing services to achieve user satisfaction. This study provides valuable insights and implications for public libraries in Indonesia, especially for library managers or leaders regarding human resource management policies, apart from technical operational aspects in libraries.

This article discusses a research project designed to establish a framework for a sustainable and practical digital literacy program for regions and populations that experience the effects of digital inequity. The study focuses on integration of computer skills and digital literacy training into school curriculum in an environment of low internet and technology access in schools in the Machakos region of Kenya. The initiative began with the development and implementation of digital literacy curriculum and evolved into a research project that investigates educators’ perspectives on digital literacy and information and communication technology (ICT) integration in schools. The researchers collected data from surveys and interviews given to educators at three public schools in the Machakos region of Kenya in summer 2023. Analysis of the data suggests there is a disconnect between the educators’ perspectives on the importance of ICT and digital literacy and the lack of resources available to implement ICT and digital literacy training. Based on this analysis, the researchers plan to expand and diversify their data pool, adapt the digital literacy curriculum in collaboration with Kenya educators, and determine methods of collecting data that may reveal the long-term effects of digital literacy training on students. The researchers will take these measures to further the program’s ultimate goal of positively impacting students and their communities by increasing digital literacy.

This article explores the intersection of librarianship and athleticism, focusing on the author’s personal experience as a figure skater and the broader context of adult athletes in the United States. The author emphasizes the importance of proximity to an ice rink when seeking a new job, highlighting the role of figure skating in managing mental health and disabilities. The article notes that many adults, including librarians, engage in athletic activities, with many participating in competitive sports. Additionally, it discusses the limited literature on librarians as athletes, citing studies on medical and law librarians’ leisure activities and athletic pursuits. The article underscores the need for more research on the personal interests of librarians, beyond their professional roles and offers some concrete actionable steps for recognizing and supporting library staff who are competitive athletes.

This paper examines the predictors of undergraduate students’ perceptions of a sense of belonging at a public research university and explores how undergraduates perceive the impact of their library use on coursework. The findings indicate that students’ library visits, library space satisfaction, and experiences in the building were the strong predictors of their feeling a sense of belonging at the University Library, whereas the use of online library resources and services may not have as significant an impact in shaping students’ sense of belonging to the university community. Future implications are addressed and discussed.