The Research Forum will take place on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, via Zoom!

More information about registration for 2026 Research Forum us available at the registration page.

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2026 Program Details

9:00–9:45 A.M.
ACRL-LA Annual Business Meeting

Hosted by the ACRL-LA Executive Board

The ACRL-LA Executive Board will give a summary of Chapter events for the last year and its plans for 2027. Meet your Chapter officers, learn about committee and leadership opportunities, and hear how we hope ACRL-LA can better serve you.

10:00–10:45 A.M.
Libraries Are FUNdamental: Supporting Student Wellness with Stress-Less Events

Maria Atilano, Student Engagement Librarian
University of North Florida

College can be stressful and overwhelming. While academic libraries often provide instruction, workshops, and tutorials to help students succeed academically, how can they support student wellness and mental health? One Florida university’s academic library offers numerous library events and activities that help students relieve stress during finals week and beyond. Not only can wellness initiatives lead to academic success, but they also benefit the campus community by creating fellowship between students, faculty, and staff. This presentation will provide examples of successes with planning stress-less events such as therapy dog visits, random acts of snacks, pet grams, and more. The speaker will also address challenges and lessons learned when proposing “fun” events for an academic library that are also equitable and accessible, and how to make the case for wellness to senior administrators. Finally, this presentation will highlight the role of assessment and the importance of tracking and sharing the impact of stress-less events and programming.

10:45–11:30 A.M.
From AI Anxiety to AI Literacy: Building Research Practices Students Can Actually Use

Dawn Zimmerer, Administrative Librarian, and Naomi Magola, Reference Librarian
Hinds Community College

Students are already using generative AI, but most cannot evaluate, verify, or meaningfully integrate what it produces. Traditional information literacy approaches, focused on source evaluation and tool selection, often fail to address this shift. This interactive workshop reframes AI literacy as a practice-based model of research, where questioning, verification, and iteration take center stage. Participants will experience a set of adaptable, library-led strategies including a research question loop, a verification ladder, and an AI use decision framework designed for real classroom conditions. Attendees will leave with practical tools, activity designs, and language they can immediately implement with students and faculty.

11:30–12:15 P.M.
One-Shots & Source Types: A Diversified Approach

Dustin Dirickson, Librarian, Assistant Professor
Delgado Community College

This presentation aims to encourage a diversified approach to source type selection for librarians involved in regular, classroom bibliographic instruction duties. Source types will be defined, exemplified, and reviewed through the lens of generic humanities and social sciences coursework. Furthermore, complementary Aristotelian appeals that are commonly included within higher aducation textbooks will be considered for their potential research impact. Through thoughtful recommendation, librarians can facilitate the selection of resources that convey emotions, rational thought, and perceptions of credibility for student “one-shot” attendees.

12:15–1:30 P.M.
Brown Bag Lunch

Hosted by the ACRL-LA Executive Board

Join us for conversation and presentations from students at the LSU School of Information Studies.

1:30–2:15 P.M.
Hear Me Out: One Librarian’s Journey with Disability

Caitlin Cooper, Librarian
Delgado Community College

Learning outcomes for attendees include increasing empathy for those with disabilities, building understanding about “invisible” disabilities, and learning some tips and tricks to assist with their own or patrons’ needs. This presentation will, hopefully, show the value of Zoom to those who have various disabilities as well as keeping the accessibility features of databases, such as transcripts on Films on Demand videos and the “listen” and increase font features of the Opposing Viewpoints database in mind for both themselves and patrons.

2:15–3:00 P.M.
Artificial Intelligence and Interlibrary Loan: Threat, Tool, or Opportunity?

Jasmyne Johnson
Louisiana State University

As artificial intelligence becomes more common in academic research, libraries are starting to see its effects in everyday workflows, especially in interlibrary loan and resource sharing services. This roundtable will explore how AI is shaping the way users search for information, generate citations, and interact with library services. One growing issue is the appearance of AI-generated citations for articles or books that do not actually exist, creating new challenges for library staff responsible for locating and verifying materials. This discussion will center on practical experiences and real questions emerging in academic libraries right now. Participants will consider where AI might be useful in areas such as citation verification, metadata enhancement, and patron communication, while also discussing concerns about misinformation, accuracy, trust, and the importance of human oversight. This session is designed to be collaborative and discussion-based, giving attendees an opportunity to share their own experiences, concerns, and ideas about AI in library work.