This page is designed to shine a light on key themes, trends, and challenges for library and information professionals. You can expect to find discussion topics that tackle traditional LIS subjects as well as emerging developments impacting academic libraries today.
To help us frame the topics and provide a starting point for discussion, we're drawing on Emerald's LIS journal and book content. All featured content will be made freely available whilst the topic remains open so take advantage.
Feel free to make suggestions for new topics – you’re the experts!

March LIS topic
What are we talking about right now?
E-service quality performance of university libraries
University libraries face many challenges in our contemporary digital era. This study published in the Digital Library Perspectives journal examines the performance of e-services quality in a state university library, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of digitalising library data and collections.
Free content
Trivedi, D., Bhatt, A., Trivedi, M. and Patel, P.V. (2021). "Assessment of e-service quality performance of university libraries", Digital Library Perspectives, Vol. 37 No. 4, pp. 384-400.
Questions to consider
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Do you think e-services represent an effective way to preserve knowledge?
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What are the downsides of developing an electronic library?
Please share your thoughts. The article is free to access until 6th April 2023.
Previous topics
(Please note that this content is no longer freely available)
A recent study conducted by Joo and Schmidt, and published in the Digital Library Perspectives journal, explores the way how research data services are perceived by academic librarians.
Research data services from the perspective of academic librarians
A recent study conducted by Joo and Schmidt, and published in the Digital Library Perspectives journal, explores the way how research data services are perceived by academic librarians.
Research data services from the perspective of academic librarians
“How can libraries move beyond the artisanal, curation-based approaches to promoting diverse media to encourage a wider readership of both diverse and mainstream audiences?” (Clarke and Schoonmaker, 2019).
Toward a metadata model for research information management systems
Two recent studies published in the Library Management journal explore the reality of transforming a library into a learning organisation and how the role of the middle manager (the toughest job in the library) can help with that.
Transforming a university library into a learning organisation
The COVID-19 pandemic, amongst many things, has also symbolised the increase in technology consumption and social media usage. Explore the research about social media consumption focusing on two perspectives: what platforms libraries and librarians use and also what popular platforms are used by students/young people.
COVID-19 and library social media use
Getting acquainted with social networks and apps: it is time to talk about TikTok
"Librarians need to be much more than providers of factual content. We need to help our requestors make critical choices regarding which news to consume. We need to ensure that they understand how to determine what is real and what is fake, and that process begins with our own training and continuing education regarding information veracity and quality and data sourcing and transparency." (Affelt, 2019)
Getting out the truth: the role of libraries in the fight against fake news
How do librarians see climate change as intersecting with their work? A 2021 study published in Records Management Journal examines the feedback from information professionals and the challenges they face as the result of insufficient resources.
Librarians are trusted to help people to search for answers in reputable sources of information. How are they affected by the inaccurate and unverified information disseminated online?
Scientific literacy, librarians and information literacy in the post-truth era
Mentoring programmes in libraries exist to facilitate professional development of new librarians. Delivered by experienced staff to individuals or groups, mentorship is shaped by the needs of a specific library.
Mentorship in librarianship: meeting the needs, addressing the challenges
Libraries are used to adapting and updating services in response to the changing needs and behaviours of its users. But COVID-19 forced most areas of the university to adjust everyday interactions and processes.
Lessons learned: a meta-synthesis examining library spaces, services and resources during COVID-19
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