Beyond the Gap: Bridging Student Habits and Librarian Vision

What if the key to unlocking stronger student success lies in the gap between how students think they use the library and how librarians see that engagement? At a small liberal arts university, researchers compared student self-perceptions of library visits, resource engagement, information literacy, and AI use with national survey data of academic librarians. Findings revealed notable differences in how students and librarians view their interactions with libraries, information, and AI. However, students who developed library habits and skills valued resources and services in ways that closely mirrored librarian perspectives. This alignment points to a promising opportunity: fostering more intentional connections between students, librarians, and faculty. This session shares survey findings and invites participants to explore approaches for strengthening the library’s role in student success. Discussion will center on leveraging faculty-librarian collaborations to foster student success through library use and skills at a time when AI is reshaping the information landscape. This session offers a timely, research-informed path forward for academic libraries navigating higher education’s evolving terrain.