ULA Annual Conference 2026

The Librarian is in! Librarians don't typically provide psychiatric advice, such as Lucy van Pelt from the Peanuts comic strip. However, we do consider the psychological concept of dispositions in our instruction and interactions with patrons. Dispositions are “any of a number of enduring characteristics that describe or determine an individual’s behavior across a variety of situations and that are peculiar to and uniquely expressed by that individual”. The most obvious interaction of dispositions and librarianship can be found in The Framework for Information Literacy. The Framework is the ACRL model for information literacy instruction and contains lists of desirable dispositions to help librarians understand the feelings, attitudes, and behaviors at play during information processes. In this presentation, we explore the role of dispositions in teaching and learning information literacy, illustrated with examples from our recent study on the dispositions practicing nurses displayed while evaluating information. The presentation also examines ways in which librarians may be able to foster productive dispositions to information, its creation, value, and use. The session will end with a brief facilitated discussion on dispositions towards information.

As a group of seven faculty librarians hired in the same year at a large academic library, we formed a cohort to help support one another in our new roles and navigate the oft-confusing organizational forays and multi-layered processes of our positions. As catalogers and subject specialists from across the humanities and social sciences, we have found that our group—which we have affectionately dubbed Septenarius—serves multiple functions. In this panel, we will discuss some of those purposes, which include but are not limited to, 1) building a community of support and collaboration; 2) supplementing institution-provided trainings and orientations with more local, context-specific discussions; 3) making interdisciplinary connections; and 4) sharing information and resources (e.g., information on available funding for travel, conference opportunities, clarifications on policy and procedures, technical tools and workflows, hiring and supervising student employees, etc.).

We offer our experience as an informal case study of one model of a professional development group developed and run by and for peers. We posit that teams of this kind, organized to provide a space for collaboration and support, are a powerful vehicle for inclusion, where all are strengthened by and have access to a community of professional peers, thus providing social validation, connection, and confidence. While we in Septenarius all work in different areas of the library with unique responsibilities, we have discovered a fondness and friendship in regularly convening—usually once a month—to discuss various projects, hold each other accountable for upcoming deadlines, and share casual moments of connection from our personal lives. As valuable as the support has been in our professional context of preparing for tenure and promotion, we have often commented on how meaningful it is to have a time to connect socially, to commiserate over shared struggles and celebrate individual successes. Recognizing that some of what we do in our group is specific to our own library and university situation, we believe that the principles of nurturing a collegial and collaborative work environment have far-reaching impact and application in librarianship generally and thus will be relevant to conference attendees regardless of job title or status.

Library patrons tend to view source evaluation as determining which sources are good and which ones are bad. To invite them to a deeper understanding of information literacy, a team of student employees at the BYU Library developed a card game called Source Fight for library instruction. Participants in this session will learn about the research principles embedded in this game, explore ways to use it in their own context, and get a chance to play it for themselves!

Systematic reviews are syntheses of multiple studies on the same topic that meet pre-defined inclusion criteria, thereby increasing confidence in the research findings. Unlike traditional narrative literature reviews, systematic reviews follow an established methodology aimed at minimizing bias and increasing transparency and research reproducibility. When conducted by a team in accordance with established methodology, systematic reviews provide evidence that clinicians, patients, and health consumers can use to make decisions. Although modern systematic review methodology originated in medicine, headed by the Cochrane Collaboration (Our Story, https://www.cochrane.org/about-us/our-story), they are now utilized in many disciplines including nursing, social sciences, education, and environmental studies.

This session will provide an overview of the history, purpose, and strength of systematic reviews and outline their basic methodology. We will provide tips on how librarians and health consumers can locate, access, and evaluate systematic reviews to use in their health (or health care) research and decision-making.

In 2023 our academic library started a monthly display program to celebrate heritage months and to make books from the collection more visible and accessible to students. In two years, this program has grown into a fully developed display program with specific outcomes, assessment practices, the development of a student position, and cross-campus support and collaboration. In this presentation we will discuss how our program is designed to enhance student sense of belonging and to inspire the next generation of scholars with targeted monthly themes. This presentation will feature reflections from a librarian and student research assistant on creative student-centered design and collection development as well as the challenges and benefits of developing effective assessment practices based on outreach outcomes.