The academic library profession is being redefined by the shifting research and scholarly landscape, the transformation in higher education, and advances in technology. A survey of librarians working in Canada's research-intensive universities was conducted to explore new and emerging roles. This study focuses on librarians' activities in:…

James Neal begins this essay with the introduction of the 1996 paper, "Choosing Our Futures," by calling it a provocation, and a call to arms for the academic library community to challenge complacency and move forward toward fundamental change. Neal writes here that in the context of extraordinary economic pressures, the early…

The authors compared Web usability definitions, collected from library professionals at academic institutions of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) through online surveys in 2007 and 2012, to determine whether library practitioners' perspectives had altered as information technologies evolved during this time. The authors applied three…

This special issue of "portal: Libraries and the Academy" grew out of a discussion about the need for speculative, creative space within the library and information science (LIS) literature.1 While venues for exposing important research and illuminating case studies are plentiful, the LIS literature lacks an obvious platform on which to…

Libraries have undergone an extraordinary transformation over the last twenty years--from glorified book warehouse to interactive learning environment. For an architect they are currently amongst the most exciting projects to be commissioned to design. Innovation and "Next Generation" are the buzz words. However instead of exploring a first…

Teacher education is a vital component of Eastern Washington University's (EWU) mission and history. In 2006, after several years of decline in collections and usage of its curriculum center, EWU Libraries made a commitment to transform it into a center for twenty-first century educators. The center has changed greatly in a short time with five…

Academic libraries are at a crossroads, facing increasing competition from other student services within their institutions and from commercial entities that duplicate their services. Examining some broader trends in education leads to suggestions as to how libraries might re-examine legacy services and assumptions and consider new directions.…