Article Note: On top trends in academic libraries for 2022

The article summarizes and discusses trends in academic librarianship for the previous two years, going back to 2020. This report from Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) seeks to provide a snapshot of what has been going on. I read through this, and I am jotting down a few takeaways and comments from my reading. Keep in mind this is an ACRL report, which means it is mostly looking at R-1 universities and other really big schools. My college would not be on their radar, but I still find some things in the article can be applicable here.

 

• COVID-19 pretty much dominated the time period. It forced libraries to adapt and offer new online services and/or expand the online services they had already. Locally, we had to significantly expand our online services.* Like other libraries, we did have a lockdown period. 
• Like many other workplaces and the rest of society, the pandemic exposed the many inequity issues in library employment. The authors write that "inequities between librarians and other library staff were heightened" (244). Locally, well, this would include the already existing inequity issues between the "real" faculty and the "library faculty. 
• In addition, the authors also write that "low morale continues to be an area of concern in librarianship, particularly for librarians of color, nonlibrarian staff, and members of underrepresented groups" (244). Add other life pressures, and librarians who happen to be on tenure lines are seriously suffering. Personally, I am glad I am not on a tenure line. There are issues that cause me stress, but publish or perish is not one of them.
• Yes, the pandemic also made us more aware of space and its utilization. Signage, enforcing masking rules (which have been relaxed by now), social distancing, so on, were and are issues. 
• A side note from the space issue. An investigation the authors cite looked at "pre-COVID, how collaboration spaces are used and found that furniture or spaces intended for multiple people are frequently being used by single individuals" (245). We certainly jumped on the collaboration spaces bandwagon here. I would say we need to investigate here how exactly are collaborative spaces used, to verify if use is consistent with the investigation mentioned or not. 
• Sharing collections more and more emphasis on open access.  On open access, the authors point out that while there is a lot of talk about OA, librarians being typically in favor, it has not translated into any substantial OA policies. 
• Apparently artificial intelligence (AI) is a growing trend in academic libraries, but to be honest, that is not something that has appeared on our radar at this point, and as of this writing, it would not be a priority to any degree. For us, it would be a very low concern if at all at this point in time. 
• Data and data management. At times, administrators speak about it, but so far no one really has presented any ideas or paths to execute or make it meaningful. 
• Why this can be significant for libraries, including for libraries like ours? "Libraries are taking a greater interest in data visualization as they seek to tell their own story, including assessment, value of the library, collection analysis, and internal capacity building" (249). 
• Critical librarianship continues to be a trend. 
• Defined: "For instance, critical librarianship argues that libraries are not neutral and challenges librarians to take steps towards antiracist and aintioppressive practices for the benefit of users but also for the benefit of the profession itself" (249). 
• This is an area that I admit we need to work on and explore further here. 
• A key area of this is critical information literacy (CIL). "CIL literature discusses why and how information professionals should ask questions about power dynamics within academia, equal access to information, and the economic incentives around how information and data are created, stored, and used" (249). While we do some of that in our information literacy sessions, it is nowhere near being systematic or consistent. Clearly an area we need to explore. Given where I work, this kind of labor makes sense as well as would go with the overall institutional mission. As I said, needs further investigation at this time. 

On a final note, I did find copies of some items from the article's references list, which I will read and make notes here as I get to them.  

Citation for the article: 2021-2022 ACRL Research Planning and Review Committee, "Top Trends in Academic Libraries: a Review of Trends and Issues." C&RL News, June 2022: 243-256.

* Here is our webpage for COVID-19 online services we set up in 2020 shortly after the initial lockdown. The website has been updated as changes happened over time.