The full text article linked below was recently published by SLIS Connecting, the journal of The University of Southern Mississippi’s School of Library and Information Science (SLIS).
Academic libraries are crucial pieces of the higher education system; national accreditation standards for colleges and universities require the existence of accessible library collections and knowledgeable, trained staff. Traditionally, the academic collections, both physical and digital, of these libraries have been their focal point, and the importance of the academic library on campus has been derived from its ability to provide instructional materials and support to students, faculty, and staff. However, the educational paradigm of academic librarianship has shifted as higher education has evolved throughout the twentieth century. Previously long-established pedagogies have become insufficient in the face of changing technologies and educational expectations (Llewellyn, 2019). Institutions of higher education across the globe have shifted toward a more user/student-oriented model, and academic librarianship has had to adjust its roles accordingly. Being responsive to student information needs by offering new services and collaborations across campus has become a regular aspect of modern academic librarianship (Llewellyn, 2019).
The purpose of this study is to assess the publication of articles in library and information science (LIS) scholarly journals that discuss mental health and well-being in academic libraries and to determine the extent to which such publications have changed in the 30 years between 1994 and 2024.
Figure 1. Number of Academic Library Mental Health and Well-being Articles Published by Year (n=512) Source: 10.18785/slis.1202.04
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area.
He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit.
Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.
