Current Issue: February 2026
Perspectives on the Framework
John Caldwell and Kaitlyn Tanis
Intentional Co-Instruction
Generative AI, Cognition, and Reflection
In 2019, the newly appointed history subject liaison at the University of Delaware sought a collaborator from the Special Collections Department for a three-hour history capstone instruction session on environmental history.That initial collaboration sparked. ...
The Way I See It
Maxwell Gray
It’s Not Easy Staying Human
Generative AI, Cognition, and Reflection
It’s not easy being an academic librarian in this moment of generative artificial intelligence (AI). For librarians in research, teaching, and learning, it’s like being a tour guide in a city whose critical infrastructure is in the middle of being rebuilt. AI overviews and research assistants are changing how we search and think about research. At the same time, ChatGPT and Copilot are changing how we think about the difference between research and writing. Librarians in higher education are ...
Feature
Cynthia Hudson Vitale and Annie Johnson
Anticipating Tomorrow
How the University of Delaware Is Preparing for an AI-Driven World
In February 2025, the University of Delaware (UD) Library, Museums, and Press launched a focused exploration of how artificial intelligence (AI) could shape the future of their work across libraries, museums, and publishing. With AI technologies evolving rapidly and reshaping how knowledge is produced, accessed, and preserved, UD convened its senior leadership team for a half-day strategic planning retreat grounded in foresight, collaboration, and scenario-based thinking. ...
Academic Library Workers in Conversation
Martin Garnar and Rebecca Floyd
No Wrong Turns
A Year of Exploring Why We Choose Librarianship
Academic Library Workers in Conversation is a C&RL News series focused on elevating the everyday conversations of library professionals. The wisdom of the watercooler has long been heralded, but this series hopes to go further by minimizing barriers to traditional publishing with an accessible format. In past issues, the topics were proposed by the authors. However, during 2026, the column will focus on the authors’ stories of librarianship. How they got here, why they stay, and even why they consider leaving or transitioning at times. During this time of great upheaval in higher education, exploring our many “whys” is ...
Feature
Association of College & Research Libraries
Russell Michalak and Yasmeen Shorish Share Plans for ACRL
Cast an Informed Vote in the Election This Spring
Ed. Note: C&RL News offered the candidates for ACRL vice-president/president-elect, Russell Michalak and Yasmeen Shorish, this opportunity to share their views with the membership. Although many of the issues facing ACRL are discussed informally at meetings, we want to use this venue to provide a forum to all members. We hope this will assist you in making an informed choice when you vote in the election this spring. ...
Scholarly Communication
Leigh-Ann Butler, DeDe Dawson, Erin Fields, Jason Friedman, Jaclyn McLean, and Monica Ward
Tangled Terms
How We Talk About Transformative Agreements
Transformative agreements (TAs) are a relatively new type of journal package that typically includes both access to the publisher’s paywalled content and coverage of the open access (OA) publishing fees for an institution’s authors. As many libraries have entered into these agreements in recent years, analyses of their “value” are increasingly being presented at conferences and in the literature. However, these assessments often reveal inconsistencies in how TAs are defined. The term “transformative agreement” is broad, ...