Although emotional labor—defined as the process(es) by which a worker manages their feelings in order to produce the desired emotional response in a customer—has been studied in various fields and specific domains of librarianship, this topic has yet to be examined in school librarianship. In this exploratory article, I perform a close reading of school librarian job postings to surface expectations of emotional labor and explicate connections to the feminized history of librarianship. The article closes with a call to action, outlining steps for administrators and researchers to prevent the potential harms of emotional labor in school librarianship.

Social capital in libraries has been explored in a variety of contexts, including public and academic libraries as well as as a form of intellectual capital that libraries manage alongside other types of capital. To date, however, leadership in relation to social capital in libraries has not been addressed in a sustained and practical way. This article introduces the foundational elements of social capital and explains their dynamic involvement with leadership and leaders, whose primary levers of agency in the social capital space are influence and trust. Examples from public and academic libraries are given to illustrate the conceptual domains in which leaders operate in service to broader organizational goals and to virtuous cycles of increasing social capital.

Information literacy instruction and comprehension is often considered a priority in higher education institutions globally, especially in recognition for the role it plays in developing student skills in finding information effectively, critically evaluating information and creatively applying it as part of knowledge construction. Libraries and library departments are often at the forefront of facilitating access to information to support study and research. They are also often tasked with providing opportunities for the development of skills to support the effective, efficient, and ethical use and application of information. This research used survey methodology to assess information literacy understanding amongst undergraduate students of Ada College of Education, Ghana, as well as approaches to accessing information within this Ghanaian Higher Education College, specializing in education training. The results from this survey present an overview of the College’s current approach to information literacy instruction, resource accessibility, as well as students’ information literacy comprehension and application. A series of recommendations are presented for the College to consider in improving its approach to supporting information literacy skills development.

Historically, the majority of digital assistants, including chatbots, have been assigned names, voices, visual representations, and even “personalities” that are stereotypically feminine and reflect patriarchal ideology. This cross-sectional descriptive study of chatbots associated with large academic libraries in the United States found that there are few extant library chatbots, and in a major departure from trends, there are even fewer that are gendered. This is promising, in that it signals—whether intentionally or not—that the practices of creators and adopters are countering entrenched tendencies to typecast digital assistants as women, which may signal more feminist and gender-inclusive technology design to come.

This is part two of a two-part series on the SCELC library consortium which focuses on current programs and initiatives including financials, licensing, business models, and future directions. Part one, which appeared in the previous JLA consortia column focused on the history, governance, staffing, and the early evolution of services in the organization.

This article describes the role of librarians as integral partners in the development and implementation of an innovative university quality enhancement plan designed to promote success for undergraduate students seeking major and career clarity. Through collaboration with the university’s center for teaching and learning, librarians are expanding their influence across campus and enhancing their skills as teachers, instructional designers, and institutional change agents. Initial assessment results suggest that librarians are having a demonstrable impact on students’ information literacy self-efficacy. The article discusses opportunities and challenges associated with large-scale collaboration from an administrative and organizational perspective, including recommendations to facilitate success.

This paper reports the results of a survey of heads of public library administrative units concerning their experiences with and perceptions of the employment of social workers. Among respondents, only six employed social workers. Among those who have not hired a social worker, fewer than half said that they were currently interested in hiring a social worker. Respondents revealed many issues that need to be considered, despite the many benefits that library administrators expect libraries to experience from adding a social worker to their staff. The top three reasons for not hiring a social worker are funding, licensure, and liability.

This article details the development and pilot deployment of Rise Up: A Program for At-Risk Youth, which was created by the Santa Clara County Library District (SCCLD) in partnership with the County District Attorney, County Social Services, City of Gilroy and the South County Youth Task Force. The project focused specifically on youth at risk for drug or violent activity, as well as their caregivers and the adults in Gilroy serving these youths and their families. The process of rolling out Rise Up demonstrated the benefits of adjusting assumptions and how flexibility opens the way to future opportunities. Rise Up also taught the library valuable lessons about the need for improved equity—fulfilling basic needs like childcare and food security can go a long way in ensuring that at-risk youth and families can take advantage of learning opportunities.

Schools are increasingly concerned with the promotion of student wellbeing, and relatively little is known about school libraries as wellbeing supportive spaces in contemporary schools. This article draws on qualitative interview data from students and library managers to explore how students make use of the school library, and how this relates to the library as a safe space. It finds that school libraries can be highly valued for their capacity to foster belonging and sanctuary and allow exposure to books and opportunities for reading. Students also appreciated how libraries provided a space for relaxing and recharging, supporting lively and social activities as well as quietude. There was recognition of the role of supportive library staff, who created inviting and supportive environments with careful selection of furnishings and decorations.

The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Library began planning for the Fall 2020 semester knowing that COVID-19 and social unrest stemming from police actions across the country would impact library safety for the university community. The goal for reopening was to implement best practices that incorporated University health and safety guidelines as well as student feedback. A task force conducted 12 focus group sessions between June 18–26, 2020, in which 56 university students participated. Students identified physical distancing, personal protective equipment (PPE), and monitoring compliance in the library as primary concerns. The campus libraries made extensive changes to its facilities, access to materials and services, and conduct policies to address these issues. This paper will benefit library leaders and administrators making tough and unprecedented time-sensitive decisions using evidence-based data from stakeholders.