Recruitment and Retention of Black Female School Librarians Study

A recent study used interviews and research methodology to analyze recruitment and retention rates of Black women in the school librarian profession. The researcher identified three themes from this study: pathways to school librarianship, significance of representation, and workplace challenges for Black women who are school librarians. The research suggests potential actionable steps in recruitment and retention for Black female school librarians, and highlights the need for additional research with more participants in future studies.

Richardson, C. (2025). Perspectives of Black female school librarians on recruitment and retention. School Library Research. 

https://www.ala.org/sites/default/files/2025-09/johnson.pdf

Book banning impact study

A recent study "discusses how book bans are more than censorship—they’re legislated trauma. Drawing on critical race theory and trauma-informed research, the article shows how removing texts that reflect marginalized identities silences voices, erodes belonging, and inflicts harm on students’ well-being. By framing bans as microaggressions with lasting psychological and physical effects, [The author] reveals them as deliberate assaults on dignity, safety, and identity." (from ILA.org)

Hannegan-Martinez, S. (2025). Legislating trauma: Book bans, educational gag orders, and microaggressions. Reading Research Quarterly, 60(4). https://ila.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/rrq.70046

AI and Discovery Systems Report

 “To better understand the specific areas of interest and concern among participants in the discovery ecosystem, the ODI conducted a survey of constituents in September–October 2024, following several months of planning. The findings from that survey, detailing the hopes and fears of libraries and content providers regarding the impact of AI on content discovery, are detailed in the report. The report also covers the specific areas of work that the ODI will be taking on in response over the months to come.” National Information Standards Organization

National Information Standards Organization. (2025). Generative Artificial Intelligence and the NISO Open Discovery Initiative. NISO

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/m0fs2pqtaqp2mkbdd35o3/NISO-ODI-Survey-Report-GenAI-an%5B%E2%80%A6%5Dgust2025.pdf?rlkey=4qlcvtj3ji55umugugk9flmjv&e=1&st=dgfxekb8&dl=0

Library Policies and Patron Use Studies

This latest research describes the status of library-related policymaking and patrons’ library usage across the U.S. The summary compiles an eye-opening stack of bills that have been passed, enacted, vetoed, or left to wither on the vine. The document also details how coalitions are forming in support of intellectual freedom nationwide.

A separate report indicates that library visits and print circulation have declined more than 50% since 2011, while digital circulation has risen from 8% to 45% in the past decade. Though digital is up, the report also attests that patron demand for “more nonfiction and more backlist” print titles is going unmet. The report observed “no diminution in people’s need for reading” in the U.S., with 80–85% of respondents borrowing print and digital material. The data indicated that “the overwhelming use of libraries is for reading” and “contrary to general belief, there is a relatively small number of users of programs and services,” a topic worthy of closer investigation in case program participation or community service is underreported.

EveryLibrary. (2025). Codifying Censorship or Reclaiming Rights? The State-by-State 2025 Legislative Landscape for Libraries. Author. https://www.everylibrary.org/state_by_state_2025_legislative_landscape_report

Coates, T. (2025). Freckle Project. Tim Coates Books. https://www.everylibraryinstitute.org/freckle_project_surveys_reports

Student Use of ChatGPT Research

 Recent research from MIT scientists compared the brain activity of students who used ChatGPT when writing to those who did not. The team's findings suggest that using ChatGPT resulted in less brain activity and inferior writing for students. However, “We didn't find any brain rot,” says Nataliya Kosmyna, a research scientist at MIT Media Lab.

Kosyna, N. (2025). Your brain on ChatGPT. Arvix. 

https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.08872

Teen and Teacher Use of AI Studies

A recent report investigated how American teens ages 13 to 17 are engaging with AI companions, based on a nationally representative survey of 1,060 teens conducted in April and May 2025. Notably, a third of teens reported using AI companions for social interaction and relationship support.

Talk, Trust, and Trade-Offs: How and Why Teens Use AI Companions. (2025). Common Sense Media. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/talk-trust-and-trade-offs_2025_web.pdf

 

A recent report highlights how AI tools are reshaping teachers’ workloads, boosting instructional quality, and increasing classroom optimism. According to the findings, 60% of teachers used AI tools during the 2024–25 school year, with regular weekly users saving nearly six hours per week, time they redirected toward personalized teaching, more detailed student feedback, and improved communication with parents. They found that teachers who engage with AI more frequently tend to see more potential for AI tools in education.

Teaching for Tomorrow: Unlocking Six Weeks a Year With AI. (2025). Gallup/Walton Family Foundation. https://www.gallup.com/analytics/659819/k-12-teacher-research.aspx

Preteen mental health and social media study

 A new survey of 11- to 13-year-olds looks at how cellphones and social media affect kids’ mental health—and finds that certain behaviors are more associated with adverse outcomes. While  78% of respondents said they have their own smartphone, and 99% said they often use at least one kind of electronic device, owning or using these devices isn't the problem: pub Children who post publicly posting and sharing online even occasionally are more likely than their peers to report feeling depressed and anxious and get too little sleep. Professor Sharon Hoover stated, “The takeaways for schools are that, yes, the use of phones, including social media use, impacts kids’ mental health and that schools really do have a role to play in terms of digital literacy and ensuring kids are set up with proper knowledge and guardrails around these things.” Digital literacy is to safer phone and social media use.

Martin, J. D., Song, S. W., Rote, W. R., Bakour, C., Rance, L. T., Scacco, J. M., & Marcus, S. (2025). The Life in Media Survey: A baseline study of digital media use and well-being among 11- to 13-year-olds. Researchers at the University in South Florida in collaboration with The Harris Poll. Retrieved from lifeinmediasurvey.org