Public libraries offer a wide range of developmental support and learning opportunities for young children with and without disabilities. Libraries in many communities function as hubs and places of support for parenting, literacy, education, technology, as well as general local, and health information. A research team recently conducted focus…

The present study examines how changes in higher education systems -- caused mostly by neoliberal ideologies and the knowledge revolution -- affect non-faculty professionals such as academic librarians, and how they cope with these changes. Specifically, relying on Bourdieu's theory of distinction, we show how Israeli academic librarians adopt…

Alzheimer's Disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia, is an incurable neurological disease with an unknown cause. Since AD is not only social and health challenge but also an economic and fiscal burden and its prevalence is expected to grow exponentially as world population gets older, in 2012 the World Health Organization (WHO) and…

Library learning spaces in the 21st century are expected to be service-rich spaces. In these spaces, students are often supported by librarians and other campus units offering support for student learning and well-being. This study investigated services offered in library learning spaces in select academic libraries in Kenya through interviews and…

Adopting a demand-oriented perspective helps librarians to understand their users better. Involving them in ongoing changes has the potential to have a lasting positive effect on the satisfaction of existing users and the recruitment of new ones. Three case-studies, which involved creating new learning spaces at the University Library of…

An academic library's single service point, where users can get answers and help with their library needs in one place, is often the first and most popular place used by students. Studies assessing desk design are rare but needed to help guide planning for renovation or service model change. This study investigated an academic library's service…

Primary school libraries are a vital part of the education system. A well-resourced primary school library not only supports literacy levels but has a positive effect on the mental wellbeing of pupils. Despite their numerous benefits, there is currently no statutory requirement for primary schools to have a library and even before the COVID-19…

In this study, researchers used basic qualitative research to understand the spaces, resources, and services available to K12 students in their school libraries. Using observation and semi-structured interviews with K12 teacher librarians, this research allowed for a comparison of the K12 and post-secondary environments through which the authors…

This literature review explores the changing nature of the academic library and the role of the academic librarian within a wider context of societal and higher education change. Ninety-five articles were reviewed and thematic synthesis was used to identify the themes in relation to innovations in learning and teaching in academic libraries. The…

Fourteen scholarly papers and eight abstracts comprise the content of the twenty-second annual Brick & Click Libraries Conference, held annually at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri. The proceedings, authored by academic librarians and presented at the conference, portray the contemporary and future face of…

Ray Palin, librarian at Sunapee Middle High School in Sunapee, New Hampshire describes what it takes to make the school library a space for those looking for "peace and quiet." Palin begins this article by noting that much has been written about the advantages associated with the learning commons model of library design, however less has…

As libraries adjust to the needs of the 21st century, there needs to be a different way of thinking in regards to its design. School libraries have traditionally been designed as large rooms for the storage of materials for research and pleasure reading. As more and more districts focus their attention on digital acquisitions, the need for storage…

The role of the academic library has shifted from developing book collections to serving the information and technology needs of students and faculty. The needs of library users change more quickly and unpredictably than the needs of books, and library directors have pushed beyond the traditional incremental approach to library development to…

This paper identifies approaches, challenges, and best practices related to planning and designing today's academic library learning spaces. As part of the Project Information Literacy (PIL) Practitioner Series, qualitative data is presented from 49 interviews conducted with a sample of academic librarians, architects, and library consultants.…

In this project, co-investigators explored how college and university curriculum centers are addressing challenges with K-12 electronic textbooks (particularly acquisition, cataloging, and access) and implementing technology-focused services for pre-service teachers. The results of this research have provided guidance for planning the future of…