Supporting Student Information Literacy During the Transition to College

by Tara Donnelly

1. Introduction to the Issue

First-year college students often struggle to complete research tasks as they transition from high school to higher education. A report by Project Information Literacy found that many first-year students arrive at college without adequate research skills, were unsure how to utilize their campus libraries, and did not know that reference librarians were available to assist them. Interviews revealed that students “still relied on their deeply ingrained habit of using Google searches and Wikipedia, a practice that had been acceptable for research papers in high school” (Head, 2013). Students may face a steep learning curve as they navigate much larger and more complex university libraries or may simply be unaware of the services available to them. The decline of information literacy instruction to prepare students for college has been exacerbated by the decline in funding and support for school librarians in many communities over the past 25 years, and the transition to college may not include any collaboration between high school and academic librarians.

K-16 cross-institutional collaboration, meaning collaboration between high school and academic librarians, focuses on information literacy skills and can range from occasional contact between high school and college librarians to complex collaborative curriculum planning and delivery. Collaboration can take the form of collaborative conversations between professional librarians or involve planning and executing direct instruction with students. Despite evidence of its advantages, there is little institutional support for providing library instruction to college-bound high students and first-year college students, let alone cross-institutional collaboration between school librarians and academic librarians.

This issue brief discusses the findings from a survey of high school and college librarians regarding their experiences with cross-institutional collaboration and instruction for students who are transitioning to college. The purpose of this issue brief is to assess librarian experiences, identify current efforts and challenges, and offer examples of successful instructional models and resources for engaging in librarian collaboration across high school and college settings. The survey was completed between February and April 2025, and the issue of library collaboration was one part of a larger survey about librarian experiences. Overall, the survey revealed that the demands on librarians’ time and capacity are increasing in the current political climate, making it difficult to move forward with new initiatives. The sections below offer an overview of why collaboration between school and academic librarians is needed, examine what we know from the scholarly literature, analyze the findings of the survey, and offer examples of successful collaboration programs.

2. Brief Overview of Scholarly Literature

The advantages that K-12 students experience when given access to a school librarian have been well-documented through over 50 years of research (Lance & Kachel, 2018). Decades of studies have consistently shown the positive impact that school librarians have on student outcomes across a wide range of categories, including higher reading levels, improved social-emotional skills, enhanced community engagement, higher levels of critical thinking, and improved test scores. The data points establish a solid case for supporting and funding school librarians throughout the K-12 system (Massachusetts Teachers Association, n.d.).

However, despite the overwhelming evidence of the benefits of and need for school librarians, school boards and administrators often succumb to regressive budgeting practices and opt to cut the school librarian position to ‘save’ classroom teacher positions. As a result, teacher-librarians find themselves defending the need for their positions and having to act as self-advocates. The School Librarian Investigation - Decline or Evolution (SLIDE) project summarizes the research well, stating that “school librarians find themselves to be the primary advocates for the instructional role they play in a learning community” and that school librarians must battle “misunderstanding and lack of support…. When librarian positions are cut, there are often no local voices to lead advocacy efforts,” (Lance, 2023). This requirement for teacher librarians to engage as policy and budget advocates, in addition to their daily responsibilities, is an added burden that affects their ability to create new initiatives (Hinton, 2021).

Research has also shown that in addition to improving student outcomes during high school, the presence of a high school teacher-librarian carries over to improved college performance and retention. Recent studies tell us that “high school library use was one of the three predictors for college library use, and college library use predicted college academic success” (Soria & Fransen, 2017). Librarians at both levels have long acknowledged the instructional advantages of collaborative programs that teach transitional information literacy skills to college-bound high school students (Burhanna, 2008). The American Library Association, the Association of College and Research Libraries, and other professional organizations promote cross-institutional collaboration, guided by ongoing work in committees, to support student success.

Calls for cross-institutional collaboration are not new. In fact, more than a decade ago scholars noted that “more bridges need to be built between high school and college and university libraries, educators, and administrators. There is much to gain from establishing an ongoing dialog and formal relationships between high school teacher-librarians and academic librarians” (Head, 2013). One factor often cited to explain the skill gap for college-bound high school students? The decline in high school librarian positions. As demonstrated by the body of research, lack of access to a librarian negatively affects student’s readiness.

3. About the Research: Librarian Survey

This issue brief references findings from a short 23-question survey of school librarians and academic librarians conducted from February to April 2025. The survey was completed by 46 school librarians and 19 academic librarians. Several rounds of participant recruitment occurred from mid-February to mid-April, and the survey request was distributed through both my personal and professional networks. Although the findings reflect a relatively small number of participants, it was important to close the survey in April to capture the baseline experiences of librarians during the first few months of the second Trump administration’s policies. The survey results were tabulated, and open-response questions were analyzed qualitatively. As a researcher, my positionality offers assets that I brought to this analysis. For instance, I am a public-school librarian in an urban setting, and I have experience engaging with policies targeting censorship in schools and libraries.

During the project I also reflected on my positionality and acknowledged any potential biases I may hold about libraries and librarian work. As a high school librarian, I teach college-bound students the research and information literacy skills required to succeed in higher education. My placement at a neighborhood high school serving a majority of students who are English language learners, economically disadvantaged, and future first-generation college students means that I focus on equipping students with college-ready research and information literacy skills. As I prepared my research courses, I consulted with school librarian colleagues to expand my toolkit of lessons; however, I found few opportunities to work with academic librarians. I was inspired to think more about collaboration with academic librarians when my district libraries department teamed up with the Chicago Public Libraries to host an information session for high school and public teen librarians. This opportunity to be in conversation with the teen librarians was a valuable asset in formulating my programming. The conversation enabled both sides to understand and appreciate our complementary roles and influenced this project.

4. Findings: Collaboration Between School Librarians & Academic Librarians

The findings in this issue brief focus on survey questions related to collaboration between high school and academic librarians. The section is organized in two parts: First, key survey findings from high school librarians are analyzed, including a narrative about the answers to open-response questions. Second, key findings from academic librarians are examined, again with a narrative analyzing the answers to open-response questions.

4.1 Responses from School Librarians

In total, 46 school librarians completed the survey. Among them, 96% of respondents were librarians at public schools, and 68% reported working at a Title I school. About 77% reported having one certified librarian on campus.

Have you collaborated with academic librarians on information literacy and library skills training for students transitioning from high school to college?

When asked about involvement with collaborative programs involving academic librarians, 22% of high school librarians reported participating in such collaborations for instruction with collegebound high school students, while 76% had no experience collaborating with academic librarians. However, while only 22% of high school librarians reported collaborating with academic librarians on instruction, 51% reported individually teaching a variety of library skills to prepare students for college. Among librarians who were involved in transitional library programs for high school students, more than 70% reported focusing on basic library skills, databases use, and research skills with students. Among school librarians who work collaboratively to support high school students during their transition to college, many noted that they offered this support in the context of teaching AP students or working with dual credit programs in which students earn course credit with local community colleges. For instance, participants take “seniors in AP Research on a college library trip,” and work with dual credit students to access their community college library. This suggests that there may already be an infrastructure within which to bolster collaborative efforts.

In some cases, library professionals from a local college would visit the high school to support students in learning how to navigate library resources, or students learn about college research databases through working on research projects with students. In one example, senior students were invited to visit a “local university where the head librarian would present information,” but this participant noted that it was “difficult for me to justify taking students out of their other classes for most of the day so a university librarian could reiterate what they already learned in my class.”

Interestingly, collaboration in districts was not limited to working with academic or college librarians. One participant shared that their school partners with the public library system to “bring student access to the public library’s digital consortium of eBook and audiobook resources.” During in person discussions at a collaboration event school librarians emphasized the importance of introducing students to information skills needed both for college and for life, including basic skills such as signing up for a library card and locating events at the local library. This may present an opportunity for rethinking what collaboration could look like, and the kinds of institutions it may involve.

However, many librarians shared that they were not currently in collaboration with local colleges or universities, or that these collaborations were not active. In one example, a participant wrote that they “meet with the community college librarians once a year to brainstorm ideas but have not had them visit often.” As another librarian shared, “we have not had any collaboration or contact with our local colleges and universities, and I would really like to start something… but I don’t even know how or where to begin.” In addition to the unclear path toward collaboration, this participant noted that “I feel like it’s something that could really be focused on if my building had a second librarian.” This response hints at the limitations facing schools with only one librarian, and the additional labor expected of sole librarians.

4.2 Responses from Academic Librarians

In total, 19 academic librarians completed the survey. Among them, 53% of respondents were librarians at public four-year institutions, 26% reported working at private four-year institutions, and 16% were at community colleges. Of librarians who were involved in transitional library programs for high school students, more than 70% reported focusing on basic library skills, databases use, and research skills with students.

Have you collaborated with academic librarians on information literacy and library skills training for students transitioning from high school to college?

If yes, what type of high school program were the students from? Select all that apply:

yes, what types of instructional collaboration did you participate in? Select all that apply:

What

topics do you cover in transitional library programs for high school students? Select

Among academic librarians, 74% of those surveyed reported having experiences with collaborating with school librarians to support students in transition. This suggests that although few school librarians report collaborating with academic librarians, on the other hand academic librarians are engaged in collaborative work. Although participants clarified that their experiences with collaboration occurred more than five years ago, others noted this as an ongoing component of their jobs, such as the librarian who shared that they were “coordinating such efforts for the past 14 years.”

Academic librarians largely agreed with the need to better support students as they transition to college and suggested being “open to experiences and starting where the students are.” Similar to school librarians, they reported key areas they cover during transition programs included basic library skills, database usage, and research skills.

Academic librarians described different formats for collaborating with high school teachers and librarians. For instance, one respondent described speaking at two mini conferences for high school English teachers and talking about “things we noticed incoming freshmen doing or not doing when it came to research and writing.” Other respondents focused on programs for students, such as one person who noted that they “occasionally host students from a local private high school while our students are on spring break.” During that program, high school students have easier access to the library’s resources and work on research projects from their collections. Some academic librarians responded enthusiastically about collaboration, noting that “there is so much opportunity to better prepare our high school students for college-level work via connecting our high school and college librarians!” Part of this enthusiasm was tempered by recognition of the time available for such activities, with one respondent noting that it’s hard to explain about publishing, citations, and finding articles while also “activating their interest… all within an hour or less.”

However, other academic librarians were open about the extra labor created by coordinating in these programs. As one respondent shared, “I am already overworked and overwhelmed trying to serve the students at my university who have varying degrees of experience with libraries. We are understaffed…” They went on to share that “having to create lesson plans and host a group of high school students is daunting and stressful,” and although they receive requests from local high schools that don’t have their own librarians on staff, they turn them down “because we don’t have the staff or space or time or bandwidth to work with them. It breaks my heart, but we just can’t do it anymore even though it’s probably more important now than ever.” As this example suggests, for some academic librarians, it’s not a matter of whether they want to collaborate with school librarians or support high school students, but whether they have the time and resources to do this as well as their academic library jobs.

Perhaps another possibility exists with potential partnerships with local public libraries. For instance, one respondent suggested that “local library associations are an untapped resource for collaboration between K12 and higher ed libraries,” noting that while librarians in both settings “tend to be overcommitted, cultural and/or leadership priorities would need to change to make that happen.” Indeed, both high school and academic librarians appear open to collaboration, but face different challenges related to time, resources, labor, and priorities.

5. Resources for Librarian Collaboration

Where do we go from here? Interested in learning more? Below are resources for supporting collaboration between high school librarians and academic librarians. Included are recommendations, library guides, and examples of successful programs.

5.1 Blueprint for Collaboration

National professional organizations have published recommendations for and examples of collaborative frameworks. The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), both divisions of the American Library Association (ALA), formed a task force on the educational role of libraries. They were “charged with recommending ways of initiating and fostering, through the organizational structures of ACRL and AASL, ways and means of affecting closer collaboration between librarians in K-12 and post-secondary education to the benefit of the constituencies they serve” (AASL/ACRL). With input from librarians at the 2000 ALA national conference, the task force published a blueprint for collaboration. This paper provided examples of collaboration on instruction by librarians for students, collaboration with university education departments, the creation of professional development opportunities for librarians, collaboration between various professional organizations, and outreach efforts that included developing awards for collaboration and promoting state and regional professional organizations. The blueprint focused on national organizations and provided for collaboration, with a primary emphasis on colleges and universities.

5.1.1

ALA Libguide: Libraries Transform: The Expert in the School Library: School Librarian Collaboration with Other Library Types

This is an online Libguide resource from the American Library Association that provides links to various examples of collaboration, including school / higher education collaboration and school / public library collaboration.

5.1.2

ACRL 2023: Forging Collaborative Relationships Between School and Academic Librarians to Prepare All Students for the Future

This paper examines collaborative cross-institutional partnerships and shares examples of collaborative programs. It includes a sample K-20 information literacy scope and sequence document developed to guide information literacy instruction at every level.

5.2 Examples of Collaboration on Direct Instruction

5.2.1 University of Nebraska High School Users Program

Sponsoring organization: University of Nebraska

Target audience: Local high school students

Format: Orientation and research session resulting in university library access for high school students

The original purpose of the high school users’ program was “to provide area high school students with additional resources not available in the libraries and media centers of the school district in Lincoln, Nebraska” (Pearson and McNeil, 24). The program evolved through continuous reflection and developed into a larger program where the “resources of a large academic research library are made available to students so they may complete their high school coursework with a wider range of resources and, possibly, gain expertise in the rigorous research needed for their college courses,” (Pearson and McNeil, 26). The Nebraska program demonstrates how a collaborative approach can be responsive to varying needs at different times as well as the importance of ongoing reflection and adjustment of procedures.

5.2.2 California State University, Northridge High School Program

Sponsoring organization: California State University, Northridge (CSUN)

Target audience: Students from one local high school, Northridge Academy High School (NAHS)

Format: Multi-year collaboration between local high school and university on information literacy instruction

This program was developed in collaboration between the academic librarians at CSUN and the high school teacher-librarian and subject matter teachers at NAHS. Northridge is a unique public school that utilizes a selective application procedure for students from the four attendance areas it serves, and it is administered in part by California State University, Northridge. This program illustrates the possibilities when institutions, in this case California State University - Northridge and the Los Angeles Unified School District, dedicate resources to supporting such K-16 collaborations. The program, like the Nebraska program, was changed and developed to respond to needs and issues that arose each year.

5.2.3 Sarah Lawrence College, Yonkers High School & Yonkers Public Library Program

Sponsoring organizations: Sarah Lawrence College, Yonkers High School, Yonkers Public Library

Target audience: Yonkers High School International Baccalaureate students

Format: Multi-year collaboration between local high school, college, and public librarians on information literacy instruction

A long-running program for International Baccalaureate students working on intensive research projects during their junior and senior years of high school. Reference librarians from Sarah Lawrence College, staff from the Yonkers Public Library, and media specialists from Yonkers High School collaborate and deliver instruction at three points throughout the school year. The participating staff created a program committee and attended planning meetings prior to each instructional session. Staff also conducted goal-setting and evaluative meetings to adjust the program continually.

5.3

Example of collaborative planning

5.3.1 LILAC Linking Information Literacy Across CAP

Sponsoring institution: University of Southern Indiana and participating local high schools

Target audience: high school and college librarians

Format: Starting as an in-person day-long workshop in 2019, moved to virtual in 2020

CAP refers to the College Achievement Program, a dual-credit program jointly run by the University of Southern Indiana and local participating high schools. In 2019 and 2020, librarians from USI and local high schools developed a virtual conference with the goal of “foster[ing] a collaborative network between school, public, and academic library staff from across USI’s CAP community in support of teachers and students,” (Research Guides). Dr. Becca Neel, one of the developers of the LILAC program, shared in an interview that although the program was beneficial, it did not continue in part due to the loss of local school librarians in Indiana.

5.4 Resources for Professional Librarian Support

5.4.1 RAILS school & academic library virtual mixer

Sponsoring organization: Reaching Across Illinois Libraries (RAILS), one of three regional library systems in Illinois.

Target audience: School and academic librarians in Illinois

Format: Online informal discussion

This event originated from discussions between members and staff from professional and regional Illinois library organizations about collaboration between high school and academic librarians in the state. A planning group was formed, met twice virtually to brainstorm, and it was decided to plan a virtual mixer for librarians from around the state. The event was advertised on professional listservs for two regional library systems, RAILS (Reaching Across Illinois Libraries) and its counterpart IHLS (Illinois Heartland Library System), as well as listservs for the professional organizations AISLE (the Association of Illinois School Library Educators) and CARLI (the Consortium for Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois).

The summary for the event read: “We welcome library folks from academic and school libraries to join us for this virtual mixer! This will be a great opportunity to meet folks from various schools and institutions, discuss timely and relevant topics, and share resources and ideas that will help benefit the students of Illinois. This event will be open to all RAILS and IHLS member librarians. This event will not be recorded. We highly encourage the use of cameras and microphones because we would love to have some great conversations. Please consider joining us!” (Academic & School Library Virtual Mixer | L2: Library Directory & Learning Calendar, 2025).

Both school and academic librarians in urban, rural, and suburban areas were present. It was hosted through the RAILS online professional development platform as a Zoom meeting and was not recorded to encourage participants to share more freely. Jessica Silva, the RAILS member engagement specialist, facilitated the event. Ms. Silva used several question prompts to help guide the discussion, but the conversation was informal and wide-ranging. Many of the comments and observations from the participating librarians echoed the information gathered in the survey. Participants felt that collaboration between high school and college librarians is often driven by personality and proximity. If high school librarians establish relationships with local colleges, instructional collaboration is likely to occur. One obstacle to collaboration mentioned was the lack of specific training for academic librarians regarding issues of K-12 book banning attempts, as well as a perception that engaging with high school students may contribute to low levels of collaboration on instruction.

Current transitional programs were discussed, including library instruction by high school librarians for both college-bound and non-college-bound students. College-bound students are introduced to college websites and engage in lessons to explore and compare the services offered by different college websites. The non-college-bound are introduced to the local public library, learn how to sign up for a library card, and participate in lessons to explore the services and events offered at the public library. Both sets of students were also explicitly taught how to ask for help. The planning group held a follow-up meeting to debrief on the mixer and another meeting to plan future events.

6. References

AASL/ARCL Task Force on the Educational Role of Libraries. (2021). Blueprint for Collaboration Ala.org https://www.ala.org/acrl/publications/whitepapers/acrlaaslblueprint

Angell, K., & Tewell, E. (2013). Collaborating for Academic Success: A Tri-Institutional Information Literacy Program for High School Students. Public Services Quarterly, 9(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/15228959.2013.758974

Burhanna, K. (2008). Instructional Outreach to High Schools: Should You Be Doing It? Comminfolit, 1(2), 74. https://doi.org/10.15760/comminfolit.2008.1.2.11

D’Orio, W. (2019, September 4). Lacking Research Skills, Students Struggle. School Librarians Can Help Solve the College Readiness Gap. School Library Journal. https://www.slj.com/story/lacking-research-skills-students-struggle-school-librarians-solvecollege-readiness-gap-information-literacy

Head, A. (2013). Learning the Ropes: How Freshmen Conduct Course Research Once They Enter College https://projectinfolit.org/pubs/first-year-experience-study/pil_firstyear-experience_2013-12-04.pdf

Hinton, M. (2021, November 1). School libraries 2021: Advocacy is a necessary part of the job for school librarians. School Library Journal. https://www.slj.com/story/school-libraries-2021-advocacy-is-necessary-part-of-the-job-for-school-librarians

Lance, K. C., & Kachel, D. E. (2018, March 26). Why school librarians matter: What years of research tell us Kappanonline.org https://kappanonline.org/lance-kachel-school-librarians-matter-years-research/

Lance, K. C., Kachel, D. E., & Gerrity, C. (2023). The School Librarian Equity Gap: Inequities Associated with Race and Ethnicity Compounded by Poverty, Locale, and Enrollment. Peabody Journal of Education, 98(1), 85–99. https://doi.org/10.1080/0161956x.2023.2160112

Massachusetts Teachers Association. (n.d.). Research on the Positive Impact of Librarians. Mass Teacher Association. https://massteacher.org/employment-and-licensure/mta-school-library-task-force/research-on-the-positive-impactof-librarians

Meyers, C., Garcia, E., & Mcphee, M. (2012). Information Literacy Outreach: Building a High School Program at California State University Northridge. Education Libraries, 34(1-2). https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ989512.pdf

Pearson, D., & McNeil, B. (2025). From High School Users College Students Grow: Providing Academic Library Research Opportunities to High School Students. DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libraryscience/61/

Soria, K., & Fransen, J. (2017). The Impact of Academic Library Resources on Undergraduates’ Degree Completion. College & Research Libraries, 78(6). https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.78.6.812

University of Southern Indiana David L. Rice Library. (2020). Research Guides: Linking Information Literacy Across CAP (LILAC): 2020 Workshop Details Libguides.com https://usi.libguides.com/lilac/2020

Younkin, C., Gerrity, C., Diekema, A., & Anzelmo, J. (2023). FORGING COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SCHOOL AND ACADEMIC LIBRARIANS TO PREPARE ALL STUDENTS FOR THE FUTURE https://www.ala.org/sites/default/files/acrl/ content/conferences/confsandpreconfs/2023/ForgingCollaborativeRelationships.pdf