Topic: Libraries
Blog Post
April 9, 2026
What Do Libraries Look for When Evaluating Relationships with Academic Publishers?
Today, we published an issue brief on the topic of the evolving relationship between research libraries and academic publishers. With this research, we wanted to better understand which qualities and practices library professionals consider most and least important when evaluating their relationships with academic publishers. At a time of significant budgetary constraints within academic libraries, what qualities rise to the top when deciding whether to begin or renew a publisher contract?…
Issue Brief
April 9, 2026
Perspectives on Academic Publishers
Evidence from a 2025 Study of Academic Library Professionals
Between August and December 2025, Ithaka S+R conducted a national survey and complementary structured interviews with 13 library professionals to examine how library professionals evaluate academic publishers. The project was guided by the primary aim of understanding the qualities and practices library professionals consider most and least important when evaluating relationships with academic publishers. Together, these data provide insight into the values, expectations, and pressures shaping libraries’ relationships with publishers.
Blog Post
April 2, 2026
AI in Action
Announcing a New Cohort Project for Academic Libraries
Our new initiative, AI in Action, will bring together 15-20 academic libraries starting this May for a 12-month, hands-on cohort to explore the potential for integrating AI into their own processes. The goal is to produce actionable, shared insights that strengthen the sector’s collective capacity for innovation, while staying aligned with library values.
Blog Post
March 24, 2026
Announcing the Library Partnership Development Framework
Across sectors, organizations are increasingly recognizing that no single institution can meet the full range of needs facing students and communities today. Effective partnerships, grounded in shared goals, clear roles, and sustained collaboration, are essential for addressing complex challenges like access to education, workforce development, digital inclusion, and basic needs support. Libraries offer a compelling example of how this work can take shape. Public and academic libraries often serve the same populations through different institutional structures. In both settings, libraries…
Playbook
March 24, 2026
Library Partnership Development Framework
Drawing on a qualitative inventory of library websites, national case studies, and insights gathered through an in-person institute , the project has informed the development of the Library Partnership Development Framework. This framework is designed to support libraries at all stages of partnership: exploring new opportunities, formalizing emerging collaborations, or enhancing and scaling established initiatives.
Blog Post
March 11, 2026
Expanding Access. Improving Outcomes. Advancing Knowledge.
A Message from Ithaka S+R's New Managing Director
At Ithaka S+R, we work with leaders and policymakers to expand access to postsecondary education, improve student and workforce outcomes, and strengthen the systems that sustain scholarship and knowledge creation. We do this by providing strategic advice, conducting rigorous research, evaluating initiatives, and developing and sustaining nonprofit tools and services.
Blog Post
March 3, 2026
Incorporating Environmental Perspectives into AI Literacy
Announcing a New Mellon-Funded Project
The energy and material demands behind artificial intelligence (AI) technology raise serious questions about the environmental impacts of widespread AI adoption. Understanding these environmental-related consequences is an important component of what it means to be AI literate. Within the sphere of higher education, colleges and universities are launching initiatives to help students, faculty, and staff attain higher levels of AI literacy. Many AI literacy frameworks already call for competency in the societal and environmental impacts of AI technologies. However, tracking…
Past Event
March 3, 2026
Supporting Digital Equity and Access Through Library Partnerships
For students and communities alike, digital literacy is an essential basic need that libraries are well equipped to support. To do this, Waubonsee Community College’s library partnered with two local public libraries to co-create bilingual technology programs that expand access to digital tools and skills for both students and community members. By maximizing shared resources such as staffing, space, outreach, and bilingual instructional capacity, the collaboration has reached diverse audiences, including Spanish-speaking patrons and adult learners. What began as a…
Case Study
January 28, 2026
Shared Space, Shared Mission
How the King Library Expands Access and Strengthens Community Impact
Collaboration between San José State University and San José Public Library culminated in the establishment of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. This unique partnership unites the resources, staff, and missions of both a large urban university and a major city library system, offering insights into the opportunities and complexities of co-located service delivery. The case study explores how this partnership has evolved over time, including governance structures, service integration, communication practices, and lessons learned for institutions considering or…
Blog Post
November 5, 2025
AI Literacy in Higher Education
Building from the Bottom Up
When we launched the third cohort for the Integrating AI Literacy into the Curricula project in September, we wanted to learn about the fast evolving AI literacy landscape in higher education. In our first workshop in October, we began to see a clear pattern: across institutions types and sizes, AI literacy development in higher education is happening almost always from the ground up.
Blog Post
November 3, 2025
Understanding How Academic Libraries Navigate Uncertain Times
Adapting the Library Deans and Directors Survey 2025 for the Present Environment
Today, we launched the Library Deans and Directors Survey 2025. Established in 2010, this triennial survey provides foundational data to the field on the areas of established and emerging importance to academic library deans and directors. Continuing this tradition, the survey now in the field examines the strategic and leadership perspectives of library leaders and seeks to understand the evolution of opportunities and challenges they face in their work. Academic libraries are navigating an exceptional time of change, which has…
Past Event
September 30, 2025
Beyond Knowledge
How to Optimize eBooks Collection Strategies to Meet Growing Access Demand
With the ever-increasing demands for digital resources and the ever-evolving needs of researchers, higher education libraries face tough decisions on how to allocate budgets effectively. In a webinar hosted by Elsevier, featuring Ithaka S+R’s Tracy Bergstrom, a panel will discuss various e-book purchasing and access options, focusing on how each model works, key considerations, and practical guidance on selecting the best fit for your institution’s needs. The panel is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 at…
Blog Post
September 4, 2025
Reflections on Summer Library Conferences and Serving the Justice Impacted
This summer I attended and presented at two library conferences, the annual American Library Association (ALA) and the annual American Association of Law Librarians meetings. I participated in four panel discussions that focused on how libraries can better serve people inside and outside of prison. If you weren’t able to attend, I have provided some of my insights in this blog. If you are interested in hearing more, please reach out to me at Tammy.Ortiz@ithaka.org. In recent years, ALA…
Blog Post
August 27, 2025
Building Stronger Library Partnerships
Lessons from the Library Partnership Development Institute
Working together, academic and public libraries have the potential to meet community needs in powerful and often overlooked ways—providing technology access, digital and information literacy programs, and connections to social services that address basic needs like food, housing, and transportation. These partnerships can also create targeted support for specific populations, including student parents looking for early childhood programming or low-income students navigating financial aid and social service systems. By collaborating, libraries can serve students and their communities more…
Blog Post
August 13, 2025
The Current State of Academic E-Book Business Models
New Report
A year ago, with funding from the Mellon Foundation, we began assessing the state of scholarly monograph publishing in the humanities and social sciences with a view to understanding how well the business models employed by publishers and vendors meet the needs of their consumer base, namely libraries and authors. Today, we are delighted to announce the publication of our findings. The report considers the areas of alignment and disconnect between…
Blog Post
July 24, 2025
Broadband and Beyond
How Libraries Empower Digital Learning and Tech Access
Academic and public libraries are essential community hubs providing free access to technology for patrons who do not have reliable internet or devices at home. Across the United States, persistent challenges with access to technology stem from issues of affordability and needed infrastructure. This is often referred to as the digital divide, a term that describes the stark disparities between those with access to modern technology and those without. Current research consistently identifies high costs and fees as…
Case Study
July 24, 2025
Public and Academic Libraries in Partnership
Advancing Digital Literacy in Illinois
Introduction Community college libraries and public libraries play a vital role in bridging the digital divide by providing equitable access to technology, internet connectivity, and digital literacy across the United States.[1] Community college libraries support students’ academic success by providing access to specialized software, online research tools, and technical instruction, while public libraries extend this support to the broader community by offering digital literacy workshops, lending devices, and providing multilingual technology support. However, these two library types…
Past Event
June 30, 2025
Bridging Justice: Legal Information Support for the Incarcerated
ALA Annual Conference
Tammy Ortiz of Ithaka S+R will be at the American Libraries Association’s (ALA) Annual Conference to present their research on the importance of accessibility to legal information for incarcerated people. Tammy’s presentation will take place on Monday, June 30, 2025 at 4:00 PM EDT.
Past Event
June 28, 2025
Turning the Page: The Role of Libraries in Re-entry
ALA Annual Conference
At the American Library Association’s (ALA) Annual Conference, Ithaka S+R’s Tammy Ortiz will be presenting their research on the impact that access to libraries have on incarcerated individuals and their re-entry outcomes. This session will take place on Saturday, June 28, 2025 at 4:00 PM EDT.
Case Study
June 18, 2025
Maximizing Impact Through Collaboration at Chatham Community Library
A Case Study of a Joint-Use Library Partnership
Introduction Community college and public libraries both serve overlapping populations—including students, job seekers, adult learners, ESL learners, and low-income and underserved communities—playing vital roles in supporting and enriching their local communities. Libraries connect patrons and community members to critical information related to basic needs and also provide reference support, digital literacy training, and technology access. Public and community college libraries tend to operate independently from each other, but through collaborative partnerships they could enhance their impact and…