In the Library with the Lead Pipe – An open access, peer reviewed journal

In Brief This article mobilizes critical librarianship and critical/decolonial pedagogical strategies for disrupting and reconceiving collection practices in academic libraries. The authors—an academic librarian and a curriculum/pedagogy professor—argue that librarians can contend with the political tensions that underlie their collection management practices by actively questioning—or puzzling—with students and opening up library collections to students. The...

In Brief This paper explores an ethics of care framework in academic libraries, specifically with the implementation of a professional development initiative for student employees. Using the Architecture Library at Texas Tech University as a case study, we examine how formal professional development opportunities align with care ethics principles by responding to students’ individual needs,...

In Brief Each year during the American Library Association’s “Banned Books Week,” librarians display famous books that have been challenged in the past as well as the most frequently challenged books in the present day. This book-centric approach seems to be the standard. By focusing on the books themselves, however, do librarians tacitly concede that...

In Brief This paper explores the relationship between EBP as a system of knowledge governance, its implementation in library work, and the means by which librarians’ value-neutral commitments to EBP consequently serve the interests of oppressive regimes. I expand on this contention by first exploring the origination and early adoption of EBP first in medical...

In Brief Access services policies at academic archives in the United States are, in many ways, informed by carceral logics. This essay explores the ethical implications of upholding such policies for academic archives engaged in the growing realm of carceral collecting. Drawing from sources in trauma theory, abolitionist and Black feminism, and critical race theory,...

In Brief Free menstrual products at libraries are no longer a new phenomenon, thanks to the work of global menstrual equity advocates such as Period.org and Global Menstrual Collective. However, more often than not, these initiatives center around disposable period products. We argue that the work should not stop there. Libraries should explore the distribution...

In Brief This paper employs autoethnography to expose the conference experiences of disabled scholars within the academic and library fields, highlighting the systemic barriers found in these professional settings. In integrating personal narratives with theoretical insights, this study highlights how rigid conference spaces and norms do not accommodate disabled bodyminds, which hinders professional development, and...

In Brief Over the course of a year, I conducted a diversity audit of part of the general nonfiction collection, specifically the psychology section (BFs) at the Charles C. Myers Library at the University of Dubuque in Dubuque, Iowa. In total I audited 1,075 books using questionnaires I developed to collect data on the science...

In Brief It is inevitable that public librarians interact with mentally ill patrons daily. We do our best to help find information and connect patrons to resources, where appropriate. What is missing from these conversations is that mentally ill librarians exist too. We often mask our own mental health struggles for the sake of helping...

In Brief While a Master’s in Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree is typically necessary to become an academic librarian, practical experiences such as internships, practicums, and apprenticeships are essential in gaining employment post-graduation. Providing paid opportunities where LIS students participate in and contribute to meaningful mentorship, training, and work experience is critical to improving...

Puzzlement and Praxis in the Academic Library: Critically Reimagining Collection Practices with Students

Nurturing Student Development in Academic Libraries: A Practice in the Ethics of Care

Rethinking Banned Books Exhibits in the Library

False Positive: Transphobic Regimes, Ableist Abandonment, and Evidence-Based Practice

Radical Trust: Access Services and Archives Engaged in Carceral Collecting

Sustainable Menstrual Equity: A Case Study on the Success of Low-Cost Menstrual Cup Distribution

Cripping Conferences: An Autoethnographic Exploration of Disability in Academia

Conducting a Diversity Audit in an Academic Library on the Psychology, Non-Fiction Collection

What’s Missing in Conversations about Libraries and Mental Illness

Not Business as Usual: Incorporating LIS Student Perspectives in the Apprenticeship Hiring Process