Current Issue: March 2026
Feature
Michele McDaniel, Amy Odwarka
Families Belong
Supporting Student-Parents and Library Patrons with Family-Friendly Spaces
Student-parents are a growing constituent of university students. According to Anderson et al., the 2020 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) reported almost 18% of undergraduate students are raising children while enrolled ...
The Way I See It
Jill Livingston and Lynne Stahl
It’s Time to Bag Candidate Dinners
Why Even “Informal” Meals Can Compromise the Search Process
Ostensibly, candidate dinners benefit both applicants and search committees. Candidates, who may travel great distances to interview, can share a friendly meal with members of the committee and/or other faculty and staff. The unstructured setting provides opportunities for candidates to learn about the geographical area, local color, and also a few personalities. A good dining experience might make a hugely favorable impression on a candidate weighing multiple offers. The search committee too realizes advantages, as they have the opportunity to ...
Feature
Martha Stuit
The Publishing Tips Series
Point-of-Need Guidance to Teach Graduate Students
Graduate students require guidance to navigate the scholarly publishing process as new authors. Librarians grapple with reaching authors with relevant information at the right time. Unlike the more reliable schedule for some library services like instruction and orientation, authors publish at various times year-round. In response to these challenges and findings from my own research on graduate student needs, I created and piloted the Publishing Tips Series in the fall of 2024 at the University of California, Santa Cruz ...
Academic Library Workers In Conversation
Angela Pashia and Annie Bélanger
Becoming a Coach to Continue Our Library Goals
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, authors proposed the topics. However, during 2026, this feature will focus on the authors’ stories of librarianship. How they got here, why they stay, and even why they consider leaving or ...
Feature
Kara Malenfant
Academic Library Support for Open Initiatives
Highlights from the 2024 Academic Library Trends and Statistics Survey
ACRL conducts the annual Academic Library Trends and Statistics Survey to understand the evolving roles of libraries in higher education. The survey gathers crucial evidence on academic library staff, expenditures, collections, ...
Academic Library Workers In Conversation
Emma Bekele and Amelia Costello
Another Post-Graduation Transition
Diversity Residencies and Beyond
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. Each of the topics in the series was proposed by the authors, and they were given space to explore. This issue’s conversation follows up on a discussion in the December 2025 issue from Stephanie Reyes and Magaly Salas. It is a discussion of early career opportunities, how the field of librarianship should not ...